After a day in Chianti, we left Florence in mid-morning, back on the train to Rome.

Checking Into the Hotel Smeraldo

Once checked into the Hotel Smeraldo, we liked this hotel, as it was perfectly located for us, around the corner from Campo de’ Fiori.

An Afternoon in Trastevere

We began a simple afternoon of visiting our favorite neighborhood in Rome: Trastevere. That meant a stop at Tonnarello for fried artichokes, arancini, and calamari. Then a detour to the always beautiful Piazza Navona.

An Afternoon in Trastevere

We began a simple afternoon of visiting our favorite neighborhood in Rome: Trastevere. That meant a stop at Tonnarello for fried artichokes, suppli, and calamari. Then a detour to the always beautiful Piazza Navona.

An Evening Food Tour in Prati

We joined a food tour in a different neighborhood, Prati, for the evening with The Roman Guy. It’s always interesting to explore a different neighborhood via a food tour — you get the lay of the land, some history and culture of what makes that neighborhood unique, and you get to eat.

Cheese, Truffles, and Pesto to Start

We began with a sampling of specialties of cheese, truffles, and pestos at a local café.

Pizza at Bonci’s Pizzarium

We moved over to Bonci for pizza at the Pizzarium. Gabriele Bonci enjoys a huge following and reputation for his pizza and seasonal, inventive toppings. We’d say he’s earned both after enjoying his pizza.

Wine, Meats, Cheese, and Pasta

This was followed by a wine tasting and local meats and cheese, then finished with a pasta of your choosing — amatriciana, of course.

The Final Note: Gelato

As with most food tours in Italy, the final note was gelato.

It was a beautiful night to walk back through Rome and see it all lit up.