22. Street Vendors and Pick Pockets

After our failure to finish the tour in the rain yesterday, we set out for the Spanish steps to climb to the top. Rick Steves counted 138 steps. I counted 137 and Scarlet got 135... The top overlooked the city and was full of people selling trinkets and painting caricatures. On our way down we tried to recount the steps. All was well until someone tried to pickpocket Dad. He doesn't like to recount the experience. I think it was very personal.

It's not a real touring day until the Friends step into a church. Today we went to Curch of Santa Maria sopra Minerva and saw this statue of Jesus and the cross by Michelangelo. And countless other statues, but that was the most important piece, obviously.

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 Then we walked by this monument. Not sure what it's all about, but Arden likes this guys hair. They are practically twins.

Finally we got to see the Trevi Fountain in the sunlight!

And we all made a wish and threw coins in the fountain. It's all just monopoly money anyway.

While doing this, we spotted Mom, Dad, and Brody doing the Asian Tourist pose.

Most street vendors we see sell things like sunglasses, umbrellas, keychains, and these horrible squealing pig toys - they are seriously everywhere. So when we happen upon these spray painting artists we always stop to watch.

In 5 minutes this girl took a blank sheet of paper and sprayed on this paradise masterpiece. Most of the time it looks like shes messing everything up with the paint, then she adds a little smear and it looks beautiful! I don't know how it's done, but I always leave thinking "I could do that."

On the way to San Pietro in Vincoli, we saw this gas station. I'm pretty sure it's the only one in Rome, so I had to document it.

 At the San Pietro in Vincoli we saw Peters chains. I thought it was pretty cool to see a part of history that I actually knew something about.

On the way back we saw even more street performers. These mimes were pretty funny, but my favorite part was the people in the front row who insisted on keeping their umbrellas open. Even after the rain stopped. Standing on my tippy toes, I got a good picture though 

I would consider this a major street. Apparently its okay to take up the entire street to dance around on stilts wearing what I can only describe as "Alien Prostitute" costumes.

Tonight we dined at a restaurant across the Tiber. We all gambled with our orders seeing as it was all in Italian. We decided that the pasta Brody and I chose was the best at the table. However, we stumbled into this restaurant by accident - which is why I don't know the name - and it was not recommended by Rick Steves. So we weren't allowed to really enjoy ourselves.