Cafe St. Eustace

After my blog post about St. Eustace, I was suggested to go to the bar dedicated to him called Cafe St. Eustace. This is one of the more upscale/popular bars in Rome, if not the most, in relation to coffee. It is also very unique from other bars. They are very secretive about how they make all their different types of coffee. They do not show their hands or anything behind the big cafe machines. When you order, they just go behind, and you can tell they are making your cafe, or cappuccino or whatever it is you ordered, but you have no idea how they are making it, or what it is exactly they are using and doing back there. But whatever they do, they do it right. I was skeptical about how good the coffee would taste, because sometimes I think businesses use things like this as a way to improve income, but I was wrong in my assumption. The cafe latte I ordered tasted fresh, and hit the spot perfectly. It was a nice way to get a little caffeine in order to avoid the temptation of an afternoon nap.

Paint In Piazza Navona

Piazza Navona is kind of cut into two different sides by Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi: the north end and the south end. The north end is a little more active, probably because there is restaurants on both sides and the church Sant'Agnese in Agone is also on the left part of the south side. So on the north side besides the restaurants is the lively Fontana del Moro constantly being congregated around for a nice break to maybe catch a little mist on a hot day. But the thing in the north end that I noticed today was the multiple painting stands in the middle of all the action. There must be more than 20 of these small stands, each it seems having its own different theme or focus. The stands have a very broad range; it would be hard for one not to find a pleasing painting. There are your typical Italian looking oil paintings, with wine bottles and grapes or Roman buildings in a peaceful setting with cobblestone streets. Then there are your random airbrushed paintings of cartoonized celebrities, different seasonal settings; I saw pictures of clowns, horse races, and ballerinas. There is pretty much anything you can think of. I could aimlessly walk through just admiring the diversity of it all and appreciating the scene of all the artwork.

Giolitti's!

SO one thing I haven't mentioned yet so far in my blogs is the amazing culture of gelati. It is the Italian version of ice cream, and it is delicious. There are multiple flavors and cones, and there are as many gelati places as there are pizza places. The most famous place in Rome happens to also be a bar with many different kinds of coffee, and many different things to eat as well (I would say almost all bars or gelati places have either usually paninis or sometimes pizza to offer as well). This place is called Giolitti's. It is very close to where I live and I pass everyday on the way to and from class. So when I went there one day to grab some coffee, I got sidetracked and decided to get some gelati instead. I just got a small cup of vanilla and grapefruit ( I didn't know I ordered grapefruit, but the color looked cool), and it was delicious. The grapefruit smelled like a grapefruit was being cut right in front of me, and the vanilla tasted richer than I have ever had. One small cup is definitely all you need. I have had other gelati at one or two different places, but this is by far the best. Not just the taste of the actual gelati, but the atmosphere of the place and the fruity creamy smell all add to the Giolitti experience.

Atop Piazza Navona

I was sitting in Piazza Navona today with no real strategy as to what to write about. Pretty quickly I found something that interested me. There are many apartments/homes that immediately surround the piazza. And considering their location and the significance of Piazza Navona, these places must cost a fortune. But at the west end of the piazza, there are multiple homes on the top floor of the buildings with rooftop and balcony areas, fronted with bright green gardens and shrubbery assuring their privacy. If I could pick anywhere in the world to live, it may just be right there. These places overlook the piazza with no obstructions or flaws in the view. It would be great if they could convert one these places to a restaurant or cafe so that more people could experience such a serene setting overlooking a cheerful active atmosphere below. How lucky these landowners are to have such a prestige unique place to live.

San Giovanni In Laterano

San Giovanni In Laterano

Today we went to San Giovanni In Laterano, located southeast of the Colosseum. Walking up to the church, it is shaped almost like an L, and has a large obelisk outside and two twin crosses above one of the entrances. When you walk in, the first thing you notice is the ceiling of the church. It has an unbelievably detailed amount of designs in mostly gold, with some other red and blue coloring. One of the first things I saw in the church surprised me, because I haven’t seen it in any other church yet, was the Eye of Providence. This symbol is the eye on the pyramid on the back of our dollar bill, and represents the eye God. The main alter in the church is only allowed to be used in mass by the pope once a year. The sculptures in this church were incredible, especially by Borromini who did all of the angels throughout all the archways of both sides of the church. Berninni also did a few works in this church, but both artists were restricted with money and time.

This surprisingly was not one of my favorite churches at all. I am a big fan of the massive amounts of marble, and detail throughout the whole church. And although the ceiling in particular and the chapels off to the side and some sculptures were very impressive and specific, the walkways along the sides of the church were very bland. They had no marble pillars, no painted ceilings, nothing extravagant or different. I understand why it is like this; the church was rebuilt in a much later time than the other churches we have come across. I didn’t mind these attributes, because it was an interesting change of pace, it just wasn’t one of my favorite places. One thing inside the church I did love was the statues of the twelve apostles. In particular, the statue of Bartholomew; I did a paper on him in high school and knew that he was filleted and murdered, and the sculpting of him portrays this well. Also, the sculptures atop the outside of the church were very impressive.

St. Eustace Pictures