When we visited Rome this past August, it was
hot. Standing in the shade and drinking cool water made all the difference, so we spent a good deal of time hopping between shady spots and looking for cool snacks. Fortunately, Rome had an incredible number of gurgling public fountains, so all you needed was a water bottle. The fountains were unlike any I have ever seen before, though--unlike the utilitarian 'bubblers' in the US, the fountains in Rome were often decorative and always located outside. And almost every one of them was stone cold and perfect for a hot day.
I didn't get too many pictures of the fountains, unfortunately, but we never had to worry about running out of water! Around the Forum, some of the fountains had long lines as other tourists like ourselves tried to cool off. We even came across some pups that had figured out the system!
On our way from the apartment to the center of the city, we walked through Porta Giovanni, where the
Archbasilica of St. John Lateran and a handy Metro stop are located. On our way there were two very tasty stops: The first, a perfect cappuccino to go, and the second, a fresh fruit stand owned by a very nice Bangladeshi guy named Paolo (in Italian...unfortunately, his Bengali name has slipped my mind).
We bought fruit there every day in Rome, and I think we were probably his best customers. When I stopped by on our way out on the last day, he asked after my mom and sister, and then we got to talking a bit. He has owned and run the fruit stand for the past 14 years! The fruit was
really good, too. Everything I had (watermelon, fresh coconut, melons, apricots) was perfectly ripe. The fountains and that fruit stand were two of my favorite everyday things in Rome :)
J and I are in Austria (and perhaps Hungary) at the moment as we're visiting archives and libraries, while squeezing in some touring. More soon!
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