Walking along the Via Nazionale
Marc and I walked everywhere in Rome. It took us longer to get to some sights but the time we lost gave us the opportunity to discover places we otherwise would have missed had we taken the metro. Honestly, Rome's historic landmarks are not so far from each other. Walking is best to get to them. Had we taken the metro to reach the different sights, we would have missed the elegant Piazza de la Republica, the entire stretch of the Via Nazionale, the 60's and 70s hipster area of Via Veneto and more.
The elegant Piazza della Republica
This was a museum we saw many times as we walked up and down the Via Nazionale throughout our stay.
This was the sunken Basilica di San Vitale. One had to walk down the sidewalk and onto some stairs to go inside.
We actually we did not visit this church. We passed by it so many times not realizing its interiors were as wonderful and grand as in all the other churches in Rome. Anyway, it was as if we just sat around the whole time we were there. Next time we go, and return we certainly will, we shall visit the lesser known landmarks.
This was one leather bag I fell in love with. I didn't buy it though because of the color. I wanted one in either black or brown but the store didn't have it. I did go home with two bags exactly like it in dark brown. The first was a medium-sized one I bought in the outdoor market of San Lorenzo in Florence while the small-sized one I bought in a shoe and leather store in Rome.
I would have loved to shop some more but we simply didn't have time. I didn't get to compare prices between shops nor the Italian prices against US prices.