Ancient Rome and Notte Bianca

On Thursday, we took the train into Rome in the morning and visited the Keets Shelly House, which is the building overlooking the right side of the Spanish Steps in Piazza di Spanga. Very valuable piece of real estate now, but when they purchased it, the area was the ghetto, and they came here to write. They both died at an early age- Keets of tuberculosis, and Shelly drowned.
We had a coffee at Cafe Grecco, the oldest cafe in Italy. It is located on one of the most famous streets in Rome Via dei Condotti- lined with storefronts of Dior, Gucci, Cartier, Bvlgari, Hermes, etc. etc. etc.... Cafe Grecco was a main stopping point for writers and thinkers on the Grand Tour. Below is part of display case of all the beautiful pastries. This is my friend Roberta who lives in Ariccia and works in Rome. She met us for a coffee.


We visited Keets' and Shelly's graves in the Protestant cemetery, which was a beautiful lush green garden..
The white marble gravestones and sculptures add to the beauty, very contrary to the previous visit to the Etruscan tombs. Keets and Shelly were buried there because they were not catholic. To be buried in the cemetery, you must be from another country, have lived in Rome, and you must have died in Rome.
Friday and Saturday we spent walking all over the entire city of Rome doing an assignment called "The ancient Rome scavenger hunt." We went to the Colosseum,
the Forum, up and down the Via del Corso, lunch at an awesome restaurant, gelatto at the Trevi Fountain (which has become our favorite spot for gelatto), in and out of shops along the way. Later, we met and had coffee with my friend Libby Brackett, who did the Italy program this past summer and is now interning with a wedding gown designer in Rome...
Last night was SO much fun. We took the train back to Albano around 7, and grabbed appertivo at Sesta, a little cafe/bar here. Appertivo is served in most bars (bars here serve dessert, wine, and food.. they are not what we call "bars" in America) every day around 7-9pm.You pay like 6 euro and you get a glass of wine and appetizers- all you can eat..
Once a year in Albano, they have a festival called Notte Bianca. All of the stores and restaurants stay open all night and it is basically a street party, very similar to Mardi Gras or Bayfest. Bands on several corners, men walking on stilts, cotton candy, etc.
It was SO much fun. Ali and I met an older couple from Albano and we are meeting them for lunch this afternoon! She is from Poland and speaks a tiny bit of English, and he is from Albano and hardly speaks any English at all! I'll let you know how it goes.