Ara Pacis
Ara Pacis
Ara Pacis
Ara Pacis
Open Colonna
Open Colonna
Open Colonna
Open Colonna
So sad... our last day in Rome before flying home the next day. I decided I wanted a relatively relaxing day, as I knew I would be hitting the ground running when I returned home. I figured that while the previous day was very much ancient Rome, I wanted to discover a bit of modern Rome. I was reading my Wallpaper* City Guide, and found a place called B-Gallery in Trastevere. It was a bookstore/cafe/exhibition space, with photography, architecture and design books. It sounded like a lovely way to while away the afternoon.
It was such a stunning day, I decided to walk from our hotel to Trastevere. I walked along the river in the shade of the trees, it was such a pretty walk, stopping on the way at a place I had spotted the day before for lunch. Casa & Bottega is a fresh food cafe, with white built-in bookcases and booths. Lunch was so tasty and fresh: le carpaccio di tunno fresco con pele rosa e crostini complete with a bottle of San Pellegrino and finished off with a cappuccino.
From lunch I walked to B-Gallery. I wandered around, back and forth in the square where it was meant to be and could not find it. Finally, I found out from some shop merchants that it was closed on Fridays! Number one rule of travel, find out if the place you are headed to is open that day. So many galleries, museums, places of interest, are closed on random days of the week. To save disappointment, call ahead! Don't walk 5km like I did, only to be met with a closed door!
Feeling pretty bummed, and having no Plan B, I sat down on some steps and opened up the Wallpaper* City Guide again. I had no idea where I was, and had walked miles away from everything. In the 24 Hours section of the guide, there was a picture of a very cool restaurant called Open Colonna. I thought it might be interesting to take a look, and then would put me back more in the center of Rome to meet up with the others later on. Having had enough of walking, I hopped on the Metro line to take me to Repubblica, where I could walk a short distance to the restaurant. At one euro a ride, the Metro is definitely the way to get around.
Turns out that Open Colonna is part of the Palazzo delle Esposizioni art gallery. While wandering around, looking for the restaurant, I realized that the art gallery was pretty cool. I decided to have a wander around the neoclassical exhibition hall. (Thanks Wikipedia!) The day continued to improve when I found out that one of the exhibits was a famous Italian photographer, Mimmo Jodice. It was a real treat to wander through the cool, quiet, exhibition rooms admiring large canvases of black and white photos of modern, yet timeless Italian life. The sea series were my favorite. (If this is your kind of thing, do a Google image search on Mimmo Jodice for his images. They are stunning.)
Feeling peckish now, finally headed to Open Colonna. The space was stunning and I immediately wanted to move in. The walls and ceiling are glass, then rest of the space is white save for the punches of color in the lime green and hot pink furniture. Upon closer inspection, the colorful furniture was actually painted foam. How cool is that?! I was the only customer there, and when I entered, the waitress told me they were closed for lunch. I explained I just wanted a snack, did she have anything? She promised she would go look, and to have a seat. Of course I chose the pink couch! She returned with a dessert plate; chocolate pistachio cake and a tiny raspberry custard tart. The cake was simply divine, it was such a happy moment in time.
Later that night, we returned to the Trevi Fountain to say goodbye to Rome. Legend states that if you throw three coins over your left shoulder with your right hand, this ensures your return trip to Rome. Here's hoping...
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