Our plans are not walk to Campo di Fiori today, but instead our intentions are to leave at noon for a 12:30 tour of Villa Farnesina — an addendum to our Castel Sant Angelo tour — it is one of the family homes of Pope Paul III who spiffed up the Castel, and was instrumental in seeing that Michelangelo began and completed the project of painting the Sistine Chapel as well as overseeing the completion of  St Peter’s Basilica.

In need of a quick lunch, I grab the Tuscan Farro and Bean Soup mix I purchased in Lucca, browning the dry ingredients in olive oil as instructed until they are toasty, although the recipe says tasty. While the soup bubbles away I take a shower and get ready for the days adventure.

Campo di Fioro

Tasting the soup to see if it needs seasoning before dishing it up into our soup bowls, I taste…burned toast…and disappointment.  I tell Michael our plans have changed.  It isn’t raining as originally forecast, we need lunch and I need groceries.  We throw out the soup. We head to Campo di Fiori.

I have been waiting and wanting and dreaming of doing this for twenty years; purchasing vegetables at Rome’s large open air market, Campo di Fiori, and taking them home, preparing something wonderful.

I’m like a kid in a candy store.  I want to buy everything I see.  Mike is at my elbow reminding me we aren’t going to be in Rome forever.  I probably buy more than we can eat in the next five days, especially when you factor in eating out — but it is my dream, and I keep handing over euros to anyone that will take them.