Rome. Again.

Last October I saw on Vola's facebook page a simple note saying something about spending Valentine's Day in Rome. With the best price for two in a low-cost flight, I didn't think too much before buying the tickets, even if it seemed forever till in February.  

Forever passed quickly and yesterday evening we were in the plane for Rome, to spend here the next tree days. It was snowing in Bucharest when we took off, is was freezing and snowing in Rome when we landed.

But in the morning, when we woke up, the sun was wonderfully shining and our mini-holiday seemed already perfect. The plan was to go to see again Sant'Angelo castle and then to Vatican, to San Pietro's church. 

The hotel is situated just across the Vespa's Temple, on the left bank of Tevere River. It was very cold, but we decided to walk on the river bank to the castle, just because the bus didn't show up and we were freezing to death waiting for it.

So we took some pictures and went farther, to avoid becoming ice columns and being photographed as part of the landscape...

Crossing the river on the Cestio Bridge, on the right side was Tiberina Island, with the church of San Bartolomeo, built on the site of the Temple of Esculapius. On the island is also the hospital Fatebenefratelli, founded in 1583.

We stopped to see the Sisto bridge, build around 1470 on a site of an ancient Roman bridge. Is easily recognized by the round hole from the center, used as an alarm when the waters were high enough to surpass it.

The light was beautiful on Sisto bridge... I was there, too.

And, one hour later, we were on Sant'Angelo Bridge, built in the year 134, with a gorgeous view to the castle. Last time we came in Rome, in 2006, we didn't have the chance to go inside Sant'Angelo castle, it was too late and too crowded, this is why we visited it now.

This magnificent building was conceived as a mausoleum for the emperor Hadrianus and his family and it was built in 134-139 A.D. It was used later as a fortress and castle for the popes, as well as a prison, and is now a museum.

And now is used for love messages also :) "Veni da me"

After visiting it, we stopped for a cafe latte in the castle's cafeteria. Oh, the Italian coffee! Is not a coincidence using the Italian names for coffee all over the world: cappuccino, cafe latte, espresso, even americano, which I guess is not an Italian coffee, isn't it?

In Piazza Navona I met Pinocchio, so I took a picture with him before becoming a boy.

We hanged on for a while in the colorful Piazza Navona, watching the artists and the fountains...

... fooling around...

Finally, we have one picture together!

Huge soap balloons were flying all around, delicious for kids and for me also!

In a hidden corner we found those mosaic tables with bees, is exactly what I had in mind for my balcony from a very long time. Bookmarked them.

A very picturesque corner, near a gelateria, so nice to draw your breath for a while...

Bogdan, with his dolphin natural gps inside his head, found the restaurant we ate 6 years ago, and we ate again octopus with oranges and grapefruits, as well as their home made pasta. Just divine. 

If interested, just ask me the address, please!

See you tomorrow for fabulous San Pietro church interior pictures.