July 8 - Tivoli

 Today's train strike didn't deter us - we headed to Tivoli by metro and bus!

The weather was cloudy and not too warm, which was perfect for our first stop of the day - Villa Gregoriana! So, traditionally, Villa doesn't just mean house, but it means a country escape or a landscaped retreat. So Villa Gregoriana isn't a home - It's a woodland park leading down into a canyon with tree lined paths, caves to walk through, grottos, and gorgeous waterfalls. It was perfect and beautiful. Not crowded at all - we barely saw anyone! 

Next, we walked through Tivoli which was very sparse. I think everyone was taking an afternoon nap because there were very few people around. We found a little sidewalk cafe and had sandwiches for lunch. The food is so reasonably prices here! Even with drinks, our lunches have been on average $30 for our family of 4 - total, including tax, and dinners have hovered around $110, again, total, including tax and service fees - and we have completely over-ordered at both of our dinners. 

After lunch, we headed to Villa D'Este. This WAS a home, the home of Cardinal D'Este, son of a Duke and grandson of a pope. He was one of the wealthiest cardinals of his time, and he was a patron of the arts. His home was built in the 16th century and was an extravagant home to bring his wealthy friends to visit. The rooms were adorned with breathtaking frescos across most of the ceilings, and some rooms even had fountains and grottos in them. The villa sits high above a valley with expansive views. Behind the villa is the terraced gardens, which are incredible. The gardens are home to tons of fountains and spouts, from small dripping man-made grottos to large, elaborate fountains. 

From wikipedia: The fame and glory of the Villa d'Este was above all established by its extraordinary system of fountains; fifty-one fountains and nymphaeums, 398 spouts, 364 water jets, 64 waterfalls, and 220 basins, fed by 875 metres of canals, channels and cascades, and all working entirely by the force of gravity, without pumps.

We spent and hour strolling the garden visiting all of the fountains, and then another hour just sitting and relaxing, enjoying the cool environment that the shade and water features created. 

We left Villa d'Este and strolled throughout Tivoli, which was much more lively in the evening. Many of the streets were super narrow, only enough for a car to go one way, with only a few feet on either side. Luckily, there weren't too many cars, but it was definitely interesting. 

We had dinner at Taverna di Dracula - a small Romanian restaurant up one winding street in the heart of Tivoli. While the name and the decorations were a bit hokey, the restauraunt was a truly special experience. The Tavern was run by a friendly and welcoming Romanian man, and all the food was cooked by his wife. The food was authentic and delicious, and every time he stopped by our table he shared little bits of his story. He was very proud of his restaurant. which had just opened in 2019, just before Covid. In November 2020, he and his wife gave free meals every day for lunch to anyone who stopped by with a sign posted in the window saying all nationalities and poverty levels welcomed, no judgment. He and his wife figured if they couldn't be open for customers, at least they could give back to the community. They also gave free meals on Mondays for awhile, and they they give free meals on Christmas. He was very humble, though. I read of all of their charity work through articles in the menu. What he really wanted to discuss was his wife's chicken soup, which had won an award for that particular style of soup that only 3 restaurants in the world had one - 2 in Romania and their's in Italy. 

I also want to mention a fun little surprise - the building, which was over 300 years old, backed up into an old cave! He was very proud of it and asked us to tour it - it was like Tom Sawyer's Island with several rooms to enter, One had a fake coffin, there was a table, and he had it light up in colorful lights. It was fun, kitchy, not spooky, and a great way to fit the "Dracula" theme. But honestly, the main rooms were so brignt and homey and welcoming it was hard to remember that Dracula theme! 

After dinner, we took out bus / metro home. It as a long day!

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From Katelyn:

Today, we went on a hike with beautiful nature and waterfalls. For lunch, we went to a nice restaurant, where I got a salami and cheese sandwich. We went to the Villa DeEste, which had beautiful fountains outside and lots of art on the inside. Finally, we had dinner at a Romanian restaurant, themed to Dracula and Transylvania. A husband and wife owned the restaurant; the husband does the serving and the wife does the cooking. Finally, we took a bus ride with beautiful countryside views back to the hotel.

From Geoffrey:

Today we went to a nearby city, Tivoli. The first thing we did was hikes in the nature nearby. My favorite detail was the fact that the beautiful area and waterfall were so close to the city. After, we went to a small restaurant. I loved the food and it was very relaxing to take a break after the hike. Finally we went to the Villa D’este and the gardens nearby. I found it crazy that every room in the ginormous house had art on every wall and even the roof. My favorite thing was the fountains in the gardens, which were all over and covered a massive area. Finally, before coming home, we ate dinner at a Romanian restaurant. I loved getting to try the new types of food.