The Italy Series: Ciao Roma!

The night before we took this picture, we ate fried flowers and pizza at a little, old, fantastic (regardless of its strange name) osteria called EST! EST! EST!*

There's not much more to that story, just that it happened.  And I had to make sure I wrote it down somewhere.  Well, and I guess it's part of this post since it was our last real meal in Rome.

Our real Roman finale (not cuisine-related) was to visit the Borghese Gallery, here.  Think of it like a personalized art Mecca for me.  It houses some of the most beautiful and important western sculpture, starring Bernini.

We weren't allowed to take anything (no purse, no camera, no nothin') into the galleries, but I was fine with that.  The only downer is that I have nothing to show you from inside--but even if I did, I'm not sure if I'd post it because it wouldn't do anything justice.

Apollo and Daphne?  Pluto Abducting Proserpina?  David?

I mean, how can you do justice to hundreds of so-thin-they-are-transparent, carved marble laurel leaves?  Or the look on David's face, mid-sling?  Or how stone fingers can sink into stone flesh?  Or the most complete devastation I've ever read on any face, alive or in stone?

I don't know, except to see it in front of you.

I've only ever gotten weepy in front of art twice in my life.  Both times on this Italy trip.  And this was the first.

It was all a perfect send-off and culmination of our planned tour through history--beginning in Ancient Rome, then through the Renaissance, and finally landing at the height of Bernini's baroque art.

One more walk through the Borghese gardens, and then we set off for the train station.

*I'm pretty sure this (actually, very cool, historic, classy) restaurant's name translated to EAT! EAT! EAT!