Sunday: markets and piazzas

We had a morning in - Sophie has developed a cold and neither she nor Mama slept much last night.

About midday we headed out and walked to the Flower Market setting off down via dei Cerchi once more. 

It is a lovely day, quite warm - very much t-shirt weather again so we were shedding clothes as we went.



We detoured off to go to a Farmers Market I had noticed the other day when wandering here in the rain and the doors were firmly shut that day; but today it was all in "full swing". This is the Mercato di Campagna Amica del Circo Massimo which is a popular market for its seasonal, zero-kilometre produce. As well as fresh fruit and veg, it has a variety of produce including Pecorino Romano cheese, milky mozzarella (known locally as fior di latte), olive oils, preserves and different breads. We tried cheeses and bought some along with prosciutto and breads plus a roll stuffed full of roast pork (with crackling!). It was all very colourful and busy.

We wandered on, passing by the Jewish Ghetto area and the long, long line of steps leading up the Capitoline Hill at the end of the street over our right shoulder as we meandered through a maze of streets, finally emerging into the busy Piazza Campo di Fiori (the Flower Market).

In via dei Giubbonari, Sophie sampled some frozen yoghurt - we all did; it was yummy! But mummy was tiring and Sophie was getting grumpy.

Most places were crowded with people having lunch and the one coffee place we found (in Piazza Farnese) had all its tables in the hot sun. We were about to give up on finding a suitable spot when we found a spot around the corner in Piazza di Quercia: tiny but in the shade and there was a small group drinking beers outside a restaurant so we thought "what a good idea!"; there were two stools, I went in and ordered due birras and with Sophie on her rug, we enjoyed these with our pork-filled roll from the Farmers Market. Perfetto!!


It was a good break and fortified us for a walk across the Tevere River into Trastevere once more. We wandered again around a maze of streets and visited a Pharmacy for some stuff to clear Sophie's nose - the word un raffredore (a cold) came in handy; I'm glad I knew it as Kathryn's Italian is rusty.

We walked towards Testaccio - again; another stop in Piazza Testaccio for a play for Sophie while I went to the supermarket for water, milk and wine: life's essentials!

A further walk towards home and Sophie had fallen asleep so we had a drink at a bar close by our place waving away the smokers' fumes.

Another night at home with our Farmers Market produce; and my wine purchase is a good one: a Sicilian wine made by Planeta (La Segreta 2013).