Last Days in Rome

My last two days in Rome were spent searching out green spaces and wandering around. I started off my third day at the market at Campo dei Fiori . After having seen German markets, it wasn't very impressive. The market had vendors selling fresh fruits and veggies, spices, olive oils, and souvenirs.

Market

 I then went the the park above Piazza Popolo just in time to get caught in a massive thunderstorm. I walked around for a while in my rain jacket while it was still sprinkling, but when it started pouring, I took shelter under a merry-go-round for a good 45 minutes before it let up.

View of Piazza Popolo

Rivers on the paths

Mostly dry on the merry-go-round

Building next to the horse exercise fields

It was really nice after the rain stopped

Art museum in the middle of the park

I liked the wire frame towers

On my last day, I found the Vittoriano Monument, the Altar of the Fatherland. The monument was build to honor Victor Emmanuel, the first king to rule over all of Italy. Inside was the tomb of the unknown soldier and a museum.

Changing of the guard

There was a church with two domes next to the monument

Tomb of the unknown soldier

Lovely view

 After the monument, I made my way to another park, which had been my goal in the first place. I got lost two or three times trying to get there but eventually made it.

View from a park that wasn't the park I was trying to get to

Entrance to the park I WAS trying to get to

 I had walked so far at that point that I found some trees to lie down under and read/slept for a while. Then I did some yoga.

Swaying in the wind

 After spending a while in the park, I found a restaurant with a gluten-free menu and finally had some Italian pizza. 'Twas quite delicious.

Gluten free pizza for dinner

 I made my was to the Coca-Cola summer festival. I read on the steps of a church since I had arrived way to early. When SUVs with singers in them started arriving, the some of the Italians went full fan mode, screeching and attempting to get pictures of the arrivals. Evidently some of the artists were really famous. Many people in the crowd were singing along when it started. The singers sang all different genres as well, rap, ballads, hip-hop. They were brought out consecutively, with a stick-person commentating in between.

Waiting. It started an hour after it was supposed to.

Yeah!

 On my way back to the hostel, I even found one of the last things I hadn't seen completely by accident. So I climbed the Spanish Steps at night.

People sitting and drinking on the steps