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Piazza Treasures in August

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As I make our way around the city on a daily basis, I always come across fun and/or talented people showcasing their talents along the streets and in the piazzas (the plural in Italian is piazze).  I want to get back into the habit of sharing these ‘Piazza Treasures’ with you each month so you can enjoy them, too.Without further ado, below are several of the ‘Piazza Treasures’ that made us smile during the month of August.

We spotted this extremely talented guy along Via del Corso, a street famous for shopping. His talent blew us away with his re-creation of Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece, the Mona Lisa.
(We were fortunate enough to view the real Mona Lisa last year in Paris at the Louvre Museum.  You can see the original here.)  

For some reason this guy painted in green made me laugh.  He was in Piazza Navona, all set to go with his suitcase, bottle of wine and cat on a leash.  

This little man completely brightened my day.  He had a CD of Elvis Presley songs playing, and he was doing his best to dance and lip sing along with the songs.  Talented, no.  Original, yes.  He was effective enough to have me pulling money out of my purse. 🙂

This girl performing in Trastevere was quite entertaining with her fire juggling tricks.  We were coming from dinner when we spotted the crowd around her, and then we noticed the fire magically lighting the piazza.  The photo is a little blurry because she is moving, but the people in the background reminded me of an old painting and made me imagine that the piazza probably looked nearly the same several hundred years ago.  

  

VICE … A New Gelateria in Rome’s City Center

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There are several new artisanal gelateria shops that have recently popped up around Rome’s city center.  With the summer blazing record breaking heat temperatures, I’ve been inclined to make it my mission to visit all of them in an attempt to keep cool.  Poor me, right? 🙂 One of the shops I recently visited is Vice.  There are several locations around Rome, but the newest one is located in Largo Argentina.  The shop is directly in front of a bus stop where popular buses #40 and #64 stop, and is right next to the #8 tram that runs across the river to Trastevere.

When I first arrived, I was a little taken aback by the decor.  Vice is not designed like other typical gelaterie.  It has a futuristic feel, and made me think of the inside of an igloo.  The fun design is very bright, and everything is white.  The only pops of color are the mouth watering and eye pleasing gelati.  There is a puffy, cotton-like design along the ceiling made to look like snow, and the shiny, textured walls look like ice crystals.  From the appearance, I expected a burst of chilled air to kiss me in the face when I walked inside.        

Although the design is fun, the gelato is the real star of the show.  Vice uses all natural ingredients without adding hydrogenated fats, coloring or preservatives.  In addition to leaving out “the bad stuff” and using organic milk and fresh eggs, Vice also uses some of the finest ingredients around, using lemons from Amalfi, pistachios from Brante, Sicily, and walnuts from Sorrento, just to name a few.

I had a sample of the lemon (limone), and it was quite good!  I was in the mood for something creamier though, and went with pistachio (it’s my go to flavor, and I usually judge a gelateria based on the taste of their pistachio) and cheesecake.  The pistachio was good (it passed the test), but the cheesecake was really delicious.  The unique flavor of the cheesecake won me over.

If you’re looking for a fun gelateria using fresh, natural ingredients, I definitely recommend making a visit to Vice.

Vice
http://www.viceitalia.it
+39 06 6476 0833
Open 7 days a week, from noon until midnight
 
3 locations:
  • Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, 96 (Largo Argentina)
  • Via Gregorio VII, 385 (not far from the Vatican)
  • Viale G. Marconi, 207

 

Down By the River in Rome

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Want to know one of the best things about summer in Rome?  It’s Lungo il Tevere, the open restaurant, bar, shopping and music festival along Rome’s Tiber River.  It’s so nice to have so many entertainment options in one place.  Not to mention, it’s nice to be near to the calm, flowing waters of the river on a warm summer night.  If you’re looking for a romantic night out with your sweetie or for something the whole family will enjoy, the Lungo il Tevere is great for everyone!  

So what can you expect to find at Lungo il Tevere?  Just have a look at the photos below for an idea of all the fun you can experience.  If you’re interested in going while you’re in Rome, you have until September 2nd.  The fun starts to pick up when the sun starts going down.  Entrance is free, but if you would like to shop or have something to eat or drink, you will need to pay for your items.  

The venues along the river are getting set up for the evening before the sun starts to set.  

The sun is beginning to set, and patrons have already made their way down to the river for an enjoyable evening.  

There are plenty of little bars/pubs set up for you to relax and enjoy a cocktail.  

There is also a free basketball court and tennis court set up for you to play games.  (We’ve had a lot of fun with this!) 

There are also plenty of restaurants to choose from for riverside dining.  

You can also lounge along the river’s wall while you enjoy a cocktail or smoke from hookah.  

There is always fun musical acts performing, and it’s nice to sit out and enjoy the bands.  

You can also do a little shopping.  You can find art, clothes, jewelry, purses and many other items.  

You can also stop to challenge your friends in a game of foosball, or table football.  

Looking for a little more family fun?  You can play fair-style games to win prizes and stuffed animals.  (You will have to pay to play these games.)

As you can see, Lungo il Tevere is quite a popular place at night time.  

The venues extend down the river, and the lights they project are so pretty from the bridges above.  

Have you been to Lungo il Tevere?  What’s your favorite thing to do there?
 

Roman Romance

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We took this photo several months back, but I came across it the other day and wanted to share it with all of you.  My husband actually snapped this photo.  We took an evening stroll down by the river near to Castel Sant’Angelo, and it was one of those perfect, magical Roman evenings.  The breeze was blowing, the water was passing by from the river below, a castle and an ancient city served as the backdrop, a saxophone played in the distance, a rainbow of colors filled the sky as the sun set and my sweet husband walked next to me as he held my hand … it was perfection!  Ahhh … the simple moments in life. 🙂  


How about you guys?  Do you have any unforgettable moments in Italy?

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Why Rome?

Beating the Heat at a New Gelateria

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For a while now I’ve been hearing good things about a certain gelateria.  It’s located in an area I don’t frequent often, and I had not made it a point to stop in and visit.  The other day I was in the area, melting from the heat of the day, and decided to locate the gelateria to get a frozen treat to help cool off.  
 
The gelateria is named Palazzo del Freddo Giovanni Fassi, but is commonly known as Fassi.  The gelateria has been run by the Fassi family since 1880.  It is located on the other side of Termini Station, opposite direction from most of the main tourist sights, and near to Vittorio Emanuele metro station.  

When I first entered, I immediately noticed two things.  1. The gelateria was huge.  I have not seen another gelateria in Rome even close to this size.  2. Apparently everyone had the same idea as us to get a gelato to help beat the heat outside because the place was packed.

When I saw how many customers were waiting to get their gelato and how many were already sitting at the tables enjoying their frozen treats, combined with the fact that this gelateria had been in business for well over 100 years, I was expecting magic.  I was expecting to be wowed.  In the end, I was left satisfied, but the satisfaction did not involve a wow factor.  Let me explain.


In my opinion, the ordering process is dysfunctional.  The crowd of people in the photo above never formed an actual line.  You pay at the cassa (register) off to the side, then maneuver your way through the crowd to make it to the counter and flag down a server. With all the people crowded about, it made it very difficult to see the various gelato types offered.  There is a large sign above with pictures of ingredients for you to see the different gelato flavors available.  This just does not work for me.  I am a visual person.  I want to see the actual food options, not just a graphic display of the ingredients.  Once we made it to the front, I was able to see the gelato options directly in front of me, but none of the options in the cases on either side of me.  The ordering process left me feeling a little frustrated.

I ended up with pistachio, chocolate and lemon.  I did a no-no and paired chocolate with a citrus, but that’s just what I was in the mood for.  To me, the chocolate was a little bitter.  I love intense dark chocolate (which is normally a little bitter), but I wasn’t a big fan of this and wouldn’t order it again.  The pistachio was fine.  It was tasty, but not the best I’ve had.  The winner for me was the lemon.  The lemon was great!  It was tart and refreshing.  If we go back to Fassi, I’ll definitely order the lemon again.
  

One good thing about Fassi is the space itself.  There is a lot of space inside and plenty of tables are provided for you to sit and enjoy your gelato.  My theory is that many people frequent Fassi in the summer months because of the air condition (somewhat of a rarity in Italian homes) and plenty of seating with no cover charge (another rarity among Italian restaurants and eating establishments).

Another good thing is the price.  A medium sized cone or cup with three flavors is only €2.

So, to sum up Fassi, I wouldn’t go out of my way to frequent here, but I would return again if I were in the neighborhood.  I would also order the limone (lemon) gelato … it was quite good!  


Gelateria Fassi
Via Principe Eugenio, 65
00185 Rome, Italy
http://www.palazzodelfreddo.it/
Closed Mondays
Open Tues – Sun from 12:00 PM – 10:00 PM, and until midnight on Friday and Saturday