A Life, Lived

Showing Nancy the Neighbourhood

Our friend Nancy arrived in Rome yesterday morning. Knowing that this was her first international flight in years we figured she'd need some time to recover. We took it easy - letting her settle in.

After a nap she tried her hair straightener which she realized (after burning off a clump of hair) didn't adjust well to the change in voltage!

Once that disaster was dealt with we set off to explore the neighbourhood.

You'll note the footwear . . .

SIGH

We popped into Gelatro Del Teatro - thought to be the best in Rome.

Then we wandered some more . . .

A relaxing welcome to Rome . . .

Transitions, Pallazzi, and Art . . . or Just Another Day in Rome

Yesterday was a day of transitions for us here in Rome. Palma and Brad were packing to head back to the US - their shuttle was scheduled for 4 am on the 30th The apartment was being cleaned. Our friend Nancy was arriving in Rome at 8 am on the 30th to stay until we all leave on the 5th. Lots going on.

The cleaner was to arrive at 10 am so we set out at 9:30 so we weren't around when the place was being freshened up. Our first stop was the Palazzo Colonna where we toured the Galleria Colonna a private gallery within the palazzo. The Palazzo Colonna, a palace that has been in the Colonna family for over 20 generations, has quite an interesting history. This rise to glory started in the Middle Ages when the Colonna family was the most powerful feudal force in Rome. In 1424 the family managed to elect their own pope, which resulted in huge benefits and triggered the building of a huge new family compound, the Palazzo Colonna.

In the 1700s the building was rebuilt and the family had moved on from nominating popes to collecting art. Consequently there is now quite a collection of late Renaissance and Baroque paintings stored and displayed here. Six of the rooms are open to the public, and though the paintings are not labeled a key to them is available.

The first room contains a number of family portraits and the Temptation of St. Anthony. After this is the Great Hall with a gilded ceiling and a painting of Mary about the clobber the Devil who is trying to steal a baby. The third room, Hall of the Desks, is named after two superb ancient desks contained in it. The fourth room features Martin V, the Colonna member to become pope, and the fith Throne Room contains a chair turned to the wall for use by the pope should he choose to drop by. The last room is named after Maria Mancini, nice of Cardinal Mazarin who ran France for much of the late 1600’s.

From the Gallery you can also see into the private garden and the ruins of the Temple of Cerapis with 20m high marble columns. This area is not open to the public.

In the Piazzo Colonna on which the Palazzo Colonna is built, stands the 30m high Column of Marcus Aurelius, built in the time of Emperor Aurelius. Made of about 27 hollow 3.7m wide blocks the hollow column contains a spiral staircase leading to the top. The Intricate relief depicts the Danubian or Marcomannic wars of Marcus Aurelius, waged by him from 166 to his death.

One thing that fascinated us was a cannon ball preserved where it landed when the French fired it towards the palazzo from the Janiculum Hill in 1849. It came through the roof and lodged in the stair. The Colonnas left the stair unrepaired and the cannonball in place to remind visitors of the harm man can do to man and to art.

After leaving the gallery we headed off to another private collection - that of the Doria Pamphilj family. This is a hidden highlight that can often be overlooked by visitors to Rome. In the Palazzo Doria Pamphilj is the premier private collection of late-renaissance art.

The collection encompasses paintings, statues and furniture. Since the 16th century a number of Roman families (who were united over time by marriage to be known as the Doria Pamphilj) have been collecting these pieces. Like the Collonna family, the Doria Pamphilj family can boast a good number of popes and cardinals on the family tree.

The palazzo is still in private ownership and the works of art in the Galleria Doria Pamphilj are displayed in the 10 state rooms and galleries around the courtyard. The collection was only opened to the public in 1996 and all the paintings remain in the ownership of the Doria Pamphilj family.

The Galleria Doria Pamphilj collection is organised into divisions based on century. It is recommended you listen to the audio guide which has been narrated by one of the half-British Doria Pamphilj family members, who provides much detail about the works, but also about his personal experiences growing up in the palazzo.

Included in the displayed works are works by Caravaggio, Annibale Carracci, Guido Reni, Guercino, Jan Bruegel, Jusepe Ribera, Velázquez, Claude Lorrain, Gaspard Dughet, Titian, Raphael, Garofalo, Lorenzo Lotto, Pieter Bruegel, Correggio, Parmigianino.

Can you believe that this represents but 4 hours in Rome?

We stopped for lunch at a simple trattoria on the way back to the apartment. Napped. Shopped. Met up with Sandra for some wine. Went out for dinner. . . . a busy time!

This is the longest that we have ever spent on vacation in one spot and we are LOVING the freedom and familiarity it brings.

Wandering the Neighbourhood

This is my fourth visit in Rome. The first time we stayed near the coliseum, the second in the Borgo Pio, and the third near the Piazza Farnese. This time we're staying on via bianchi nuvoi which is part of a string of streets which runs from the Piazza Navona to the Ponte Sant'Angelo. I don't believe I had ever been in this area much before we arrived last week. Pity!

This is a beautiful street of Renaissance and Baroque pallazi (what is the plural of pallazzo anyway?) turned into apartments, shops, and restaurants. Our huge apartment is located in a 16th century palazzo with some of the original wooden ceilings and frescoes still exposed.

Today because I wasn't feeling 100 % we just took some time wandering around the neighbourhood. These shots will give you a sense of the neighbourhood . . .

Between Via dei Coronari and Corso Vittorio Emanuele you find the famous Oratory of the Filippini brothers, which was designed by Francesco Borromini.

Can you see why I am really growing attached to this area of Rome?

A Sick Day in Rome

Today was the day that we had planned on going to Naples however Palma decided that tomorrow might be better. Thanks Goodness because whatever hellacious cold Palma and Brad have brought from Pescara has hit me. ARGH

Nonetheless I tried to be a trooper  . . .

This morning I dropped off my dry cleaning at the cleaners and wandered about trying to find the Wind store so I could use my amazing Rome Apps on my iPad whilst wandering about. When I found the Wind store they weren't open until 1. ARGH

On my way back to the apartment I found a Vodaphone shop where I managed to have  a SIM card purchased and registered so that I am good to go.

When I got back to the apartment Paolo was finally up and wanted to go exploring. We had passed a sign for the Museo di Rome near the Piazza Navona so we decided to go there.  The museum is located in the former Palazzo Braschi, designed by the architect Cosimo Morelli (1732-1812). The structure has recently undergone complex restoration works to return its majestic architecture, atmospheric courtyard, delicate stucco work and painted rooms to their original splendour. A distinctive element of the palace's architecture is its monumental staircase, in the creation of which architect Giuseppe Valadier (1762-1839) was involved.

Many of the halls still have their original tempera decoration from the turn of the eighteenth century.

The Museum of Rome offers the an illuminating understanding of the social history and artistic activity of the city from medieval times to the early nineteenth century. The collection consists of more than a hundred thousand objects, including paintings, drawings, sculptures, engravings, photographs, furniture, clothing, ceramics, coaches and sedan chairs and pieces of architecture and frescoes saved from demolition, selections from which are exhibited in rotation.

The museum also featured an interesting and interesting exhibit examining the artistic process of the sculpture Canova. The exhibit shows the various sketches and models made during the process of creating some of his greatest sculptures.

We walked back to the apartment and napped for a bit (well, I napped, Paul claims to have read and apparently his book was snoring not HIM!)

When we got up Paul wanted to go out and wander a bit.

I took him to see the Torre Argentina Cat Sanctuary. I've been there when there were no cats out and about amongst the ruins. Happily yesterday there were a few out enjoying their day - quite oblivious to the furor over whether or not they are damaging the actual Roman ruins.

After visiting the cats for awhile we headed down into the Ghetto. I knew that we were near the famous Fontana delle Tartarughe. Sure enough, we turned a corner and there we were in Piazza Mattei and there it was!

Paul wanted to see the Victor Emmanuele monument so we continued on our way there. We went the easy route - up the ramp to the Piazza del Campidoglio where we admired the space designed by Michangelo and viewed the Presepe.

From there we went over to Santa Maria in Aracoeli which boasts Rome's best-loved Christmas ritual. Every Christmas Eve the Aracoeli 's 124-step ramp is lit up by candles and thronged by the Roman populace. Leather-sandalled bagpipers, in the tradition of mountaineer "pifferari" of days gone by, play Christmas music before the church door, and inside, chandeliers and tapers blaze in preparation for the ceremony. Of course I read about that AFTER christmas Eve. SIGH

The Aracoeli's greatest treasure, a wooden statue is of the child Jesus (said to have been carved from an olive tree in the Garden of Gethsemene) had been brought from his private chapel on Christmas Eve. The chubby-faced Santo Bambino, covered in jewels from his crown to his little slippers, surveys the Christmas scene and receives tributes from the children of Rome. The Santo Bambino remains in his place of honor until Epiphany, when he is taken in procession to the top of the Aracoeli's steep staircase for a benediction of the city and its people, and then returned (after being exposed for an entire day for Romans to give the traditional Epiphany kiss) to his personal chapel at the back of the church.

We still were not done . . .

We took the walkway to the Victor Emmanuele monument. We had been there in 2006 and almost had a heart attack climbing up to the top. The views are incredible. Inside we found a museum of the reunification of Italy which could have been described as tired at best. What a change on this trip - presumably for the 150th anniversary of the reunification of Italy some serious thought and money has been put into the museum and the monument itself.

Paul immediately spied an elevator going up, up, up . . .

We payed 7 euro and went for a ride. From the top of the monument, you get one of the best views of Rome from anywhere in the city. It overlooks the Forum, so you’ll get a great bird’s-eye view of that, plus you can see over much of the surrounding area. And if you happen to be one of the people who doesn’t like the look of the Vittoriano itself, then you’re in luck – it won’t be in any of your photos.

When we got back to the apartment I was feeling the effects of my cold so I decided to stay in when Palma, Brad, and Paul went out for dinner. Yes, you heard that right - I was feeling so sick that I stayed home from dinner!

St Stephan's Day in Rome

While December 26th is the day Canadians head to the malls and online sites trying to find the best deals possible on goods which they likely don't really need, here in Italy it was Il giorno di Santo Stefano. St Stephan's Day is a public holiday here. Sandra had warned us that many restaurants and shops would be closed but the historical and cultural sites would be open.

Here is how Italians spend the 25th and 26th . . . on Christmas day, they stay at home with their families, relaxing and eating all day.  The next day, Saint Stephen's Day, it is tradition for everyone to go out with their families and visit the beautiful nativity scenes inside of the churches.

We soon discovered that this was very accurate.  It seemed that almost every Italian had the day off from work and was out visiting the churches of Rome with their families.  The streets and churches were alive with people!  It was inspiring to see the churches full of families in this day-after-Christmas tradition.

Of course, we took a bit of a different route . . .

We decided to cross the Ponte Sant'Angelo to visit the Castel Sant'Angelo. Situated on the right bank of the Tiber river, it has had a turbulent history, even by Rome's standards. During its many years of existence, the building functioned first as a mausoleum, then became part of the city wall and later was turned into a fortress before it functioned as a papal residence and finally as a barracks and military prison. It is currently a national museum.

Castel Sant'Angelo was originally built by Emperor Hadrian as a mausoleum and housed the remains of Hadrian and his successors up to Caracalla.

Construction of the mausoleum started in 123 AD and finished in 139 AD, during the reign of Hadrian's successor, Antoninus Pius.

The building consisted of a square 89 meters (292ft) wide base on which a cylindrical colonnaded drum with a diameter of 64 meters was constructed. The drum was covered with an earthen tumulus topped with a statue of Hadrian driving a quadriga.

The mausoleum was connected to the city at the other side of the river by a newly constructed bridge, the Pons Aelius. The bridge is now known as the Pont Sant'Angelo. Its many statues were added later during the Baroque period - one of the few examples of where the Baroque exuberance of decoration actually works.

Between 270 and 275 AD, during the construction of the Aurelian Wall, Hadrian's mausoleum was fortified and incorporated in the defensive wall around Rome. From that point on the building which had become known as the Castel Sant'Angelo was slowly turned into a fortress and in 1277 it was acquired by the papacy who used the building as a refuge in case of danger.

A secret corridor, known as the Passetto di Borgo, connects Castel Sant'Angelo with the Vatican. The corridor was used by pope Clement VII and his Swiss Guards to take refuge from Charles de Bourbon's army during the sack of Rome in 1527.

But even in this fortress, the pontiffs made sure they were well housed. The papal apartments in the Castel Sant'Angelo feature beautiful rooms decorated with many frescoes. Below the apartments are several floors which include prisons and even a torture chamber. A spiraling corridor, part of the original mausoleum, leads to the lower levels of the building.

At the top of the fortress, overlooking the panoramic terrace, stands a statue of an angel, built by the 18th century Flemish sculptor Pieter Verschaffelt. The bronze statue replaced an earlier, marble version which is on display within the main courtyard.

The views from the terrace were stunning!

The statue depicts the archangel Michael who, according to legend, appeared on top of the fortress in the year 590 and miraculously ended the severe plague that had infested the city of Rome. After the purported event, the building was renamed Castel Sant'Angelo - literally translated 'Saint Angel Castle' - in honor of the archangel.

Afterwards we made our way back to the apartment. Along the way we took time to see how Romans spent time with friends and family on this feast day . . .

Since it is a tradition to visit a church to view the presepe within we popped into a church near our apartment - San Salvatore in Lauro.

Christmas in Rome

Yesterday was one of those lovely, relaxed day with family and good friends. Now when in the Eternal City on Christmas one might expect to be wandering about taking in Christmas magic everywhere . . . since we're travelling slowly we were happy as clams to be hanging out in the apartment eating, drinking, laughing, opening presents, and just relaxing.

It was one of the easiest Christmases we have ever spent. One of the happiest too!

One Christmas Eve Palma had made reservations at a local restaurant - Antica Taverna - for a traditional 5 course fish meal. Having a meal of fish for dinner on the 24th being tradition in Italy. We had invited fellow Canadian but now Roman - Sandra, and fellow Slowtraveler Jaylynn over for vino before we all went out to eat dinner.

At 8:00 we headed off to eat.

For 45 euros we had 4 courses and all the wine we could drink - what is not to love about that?

After dinner Sandra, Jaylynn, Paolo, and I headed off to the Vatican to see the Pope celebrate Christmas Eve mass in St Peter's.

As we walked home from the Vatican we called mom to wish her and Rose a Happy Christmas (it was after midnight here by then, so officially Christmas Day here). We were so wired that sleep eluded us! ARGH

On Christmas morning we got to find that Santa (Babo Natale) had arrived!

We ate two types of panettone (both from bakeries run by the same brothers but both very different) which were amazing and prosecco.

After opening gifts we moved into the kitchen where Palma and Brad cooked an amazing breakfast.

After everything was cleaned up Palma and Brad went to nap and Paul and I started dinner. Once all the prep was done we went and napped as well. Dinner itself was a snap - most of it was done in advance, we took shortcuts, the rest came together very quickly. In fact, it was the easiest Christmas Dinner we've pulled together in years!

Sandra arrived at 4:30 and after our Christmas hugs we sat down to eat . . .

The first course was tortellini en Brodo.

Then we had the star-shaped pasta we had bought while we wandered Colle Di Val D'Elsa with Judy. After we cooked it we stuffed it with ricotta, parmigiano, spinach, and basil.

For the main course we served green beans with olive oil - they were so tasty that we will make them every day when my friend Nancy arrives, salad, baked raddichio stuffed with sausage, stuffed zucchini, roasted pork, wrapped with bacon and served with a red wine and mushroom sauce, and roasted potatoes.

Later, MUCH later, after sitting and chatting (and wishing I were wearing my stretching sweat pants rather than dress pants) we had dessert. Sandra had brought a lovely Pandoro which we had with the cookies and candies that Palma had brought from her quick pre-Christmas visit to Abruzzo. We also had fruit there but of course, no one took ANY of THAT!

We broke out the vin santo and the limoncello (which Brad discovered was more effective with his cold than the cold medicine he has been taking) and chatted away into the evening.

As I lay down later I realized that we had not left the apartment ONCE all day. Imagine being in Rome and never getting outside? I am sure many would be shocked at the concept but when you travel slowly and hang out you can have relaxing days like this with no guilt, or worry that you're going to miss something on your over-full schedule!

Buon Natale

 

This was the scene at the Vatican last night where thousands of people gathered to hear the mass being said inside St Peter's. It was a unique experience - even for a non-Catholic like me.

Today is a day for family and friends. I wish you all a wonderful day however you spend it.

Getting Lost in Rome

Over the years I have often written about how much I enjoy getting lost in Venice - it is a small community, relatively speaking, and you know that no matter what you'll end up at the water!  Rome, on the other hand, is a different beast entirely. This is a chaotic city which seems to go on and on forever. It is also a city which seems to defy the skill of mapmakers . . .

A long winded way of saying that we seem to get lost a LOT here.

Yesterday is a good example of this. We set out because Paolo wanted to do some shopping. After three days I can finally exit the apartment and turn in the right direction to find the Piazza Navona where the Christmas market was in FULL force.

The other day, when we first got lost in Rome, we found Sant Eustachio coffee but the lines were overwhelming so we did not go in. I decided I wanted to a) get some coffee for gifts, and b) taste some of what many consider to be the finest coffee in the world. Of course we got lost but eventually we were successful in our hunt.

Food blogger and author David Lebovitz wrote this about the coffee a few years back after visiting Roma: 'The espresso at Sant’Eustachio in Rome is so well-regarded that William Grimes of the New York Times advised those in the US seeking the perfect espresso, “…When the need for a real espresso becomes overpowering, buy a ticket to Rome, tell the taxi driver to head straight for the Sant’Eustachio cafe. The espresso will be perfect. A little expensive, but surely worth the trouble.”'

I can attest to the fact that it was worth every penny.

After we left we decided to walk over towards the Spanish Steps. We took somewhat of a circuitous route!

We popped into Santa Maria Sopra Minivera.

Then we ended up in Piazza Venezia where I took some pictures of the giant Christmas tree there.

Then we popped into Santi Apostoli which was gorgeous inside but I had no desire to interupt the church service so no photos for now.

See mom, I do listen to you. Once in a blue moon, anyway.

We walked all around the Trevi fountain but didn't find it - yet!

Then we overshot the Spanish Steps completely and ended up behind the convent and garden above them. Detouring yet again, we managed to get where we wanted to be.

Finally.

After enjoying the views we decided to head back to the Piazza Navona (where I was coveting a porchetta panini). Of course, since we were NOT looking for the Trevi fountain - look what we found . . .

SIGH

Don't worry though - we got lost AGAIN when we were going to lunch, apparently the Piazza Farnese was moved. *smile*

Unplanned in Rome

One of the great things about spending a long time in one spot is that there is little need to program yourself to the minute . . . no schedule is required. Yesterday was a perfect example of how this works.

Our one big plan was a wine tasting class at 5:00. Other than that the day was free.

We slept in - I think I got up at 8 which for those who know me is sleeping in to historic levels. *smile* Bianca, the young woman who is our contact here in Rome for the apartment, was coming by to collect the money for the apartment then Paul and I had laundry to do. It was going to be that kind of day.

When Bianca arrived she told us that the technician wouldn't be there to fix the wayward washing machine until the 27th. This presented a problem as we had 4 huge bags of laundry to do! No problem . . . Bianca loaded them up on her scooter, drove them to a place in Trastevere that she knew about, and brought it back folder 4 hours later.

Suddenly our day was more free than it had been.

We hung out in the neighbourhood bar - where the guy working the machine is starting to know my order as soon as I walk in. I love the fact that you pay 1 euro for the drink that at home would cost $ 5 and wouldn't be a tasty. 'Our' bar is a cubbyhole, the walls covered with antiques, 3 or 4 small tables, and constantly filled with laughter and chatter as folks come and go.

Palma and Brad were walking to the Campo dei Fiori so we tagged along with them. Once we got there we went our separate ways. Paul wanted to do some Christmas shopping for me (although the only thing he purchased was a lovely pair of shoes for HIM). My plan was to wander around the Largo Torre Argentina area and head to the Piazza Venezia to take some photos of the giant Christmas tree there. Then head up Via del Corso where Paul could shop to his heart's content.

Somehow we got turned around and before we knew it we were transported to the Pantheon!

No worries. We snapped photos and made our way back to the apartment to drop off our purchases.

Hungry by this point (it had been almost 24 hours since we finished our foodie marathon the day before)  we headed out to one of the rough neighbourhood trattorias that are always filled with people on our street. We like to eat where the locals go and the locals seemed to love these spots. We figured that by going at 12 we'd beat the lunch crowd. We were wrong. As we got closer to the Piazza Navona we spied restaurants with menus posted in English and one even had a video showing the food on offer, when a server outside another practically tried to drag us into his restaurant to enjoy the 'very good tourist menu' we sniffed, turned up our noses, and walked AWAY from the Piazza Navona towards our very non-touristy neighbourhood.

Along the way we passed Frigidarium gelato which I had read about, many think of it as amongst the best inn Rome. All the walking trying to find a spot for lunch had made us more hungry so we had a gelato appetizer. I LOVED this gelato - fresh flavours and natural ingredients. I had ginger - which I was warned would be spicy - which was freaking amazing. . . bursting with fresh ginger flavours.

We ended up in a wee spot which was probably rustic in 1980. When we walked in six of seven elderly gentlemen looked up at us warily, no doubt wondering which guidebook had listed 'their' restaurant thereby ruining it forever. The service was great, the food good, and the price even better. This is the sort of thing we like to discover - not a temple to high food but a good old-fashioned place where the locals come to relax.

As we left we heard someone call 'Jerry!'. Looking over we spied Palma and Brad sitting outside a bar having coffee.

We told them our plan to go over to the Vatican to see the Christmas tree there. Palma said 'say hi to the Pope for me,' and we were off.

It was a short walk and we were there. As often happens, our plans took a wee twist when I foolishly pointed out the people standing up near the top of the cupola. Paul indicated that he would like to do that so off we went. Yes, we took the easy route of taking the elevator up to the roof and then the harrowing walk through the double walls of the dome. The views from the top were stunning. You can read more about my last climb up the dome here.

When we got back down we wandered around the church and headed back to the apartment. When I looked at my watched I figured I had a ton of time to get there until Paul pointed out that it was 3:38 than 2:30. ARGH Time had stopped for a bit.

We raced back to the apartment, had time for a quick shower and change before heading out for the night.

Our first stop was the vinoroma wine tasting that I had booked as a Christmas gift for Brad. Palma and I had done a wine tasting with Hande in 2010. In the intervening years she had moved the tastings from her home in Prati to a studio in Monti.

That was the only significant change - the class was brilliant. Hande selects wines which are unusual to provide the participants with a greater understanding of the wines from Italy. We didn't taste wines from Tuscany, Umbria, or Piemonte since most people are familiar at some level with those wines.

We had a shock when we arrived - our friend Gail was there! I knew that she was going to be in the Rome area last night and we had hoped to hook up later for dinner but wasn't expecting her to be there for the class. It made a fun experience even more fun. The only problem was our other friend Sandi couldn't be there to join in the fun. I kept her part of the event by texting but I'm not sure it was the same. When we took a group shot we had a woman stand in for Sandi - we told her we would photo shop her face our and place Sandi IN!

At the end of our class Hande called us cabs to take us to dinner in neighbourhood spot . . . another place not full of tourists where we had a brilliant meal with great company.

What a full day - with most of it being completely unplanned!

Food Overload!!!

What a wonderful day we spent with Tavole Romane - the folks who share the secrets of the best of food in Rome with their happy clients.

The website first caught my eye:

Are you a real food and drink enthusiast? Do you want to know Rome from an unusual point of view? Then this is the right place for you!

Join us and we will let you discover the tastes and artistic and cultural facets of a genuine Rome.

This is a site for people living in Rome and for those who want to spend a few hours doing as the Romans do.

Hmmm - this sounds like a happy Jerry experience! As soon as the calendar was posted for December I signed the four of us up. We gave the tour to Palma as part of her Christmas gift.

We were promised a guide who was 'an expert Foodie who genuinely shares our passion for Rome and its unique cuisine, extremely knowledgeable when it comes to answering the most specific questions related to recipes, preparation tricks, and ingredients seasonality. Furthermore she will provide you with plenty of information that you will find very helpful to experience Rome in a non- touristic way, over the time of your stay.'

Truer words were never written. Giovonna was amazing. She calls herself a 'food dictator' in the kitchen. I can only imagine at that but she surely showed us how passionate Italians are about food.

We started out at the Trionfale Food Market, arguably one of the biggest in Italy featuring more than 270 shops, is referred to as the first Rome-district market. Our guide lead us through the shops while offering us tastings and an explanation about the different fruit and vegetables displayed and how Romans would cook with them.

We then wandered throughout the Prati area of Rome. This former middle class area of Rome has moved decidedly upscale (gentrification made complete when our friend Sandra took up residence nearby) and is home to many new restaurants and food destinations.

The first stop was at Panificio Bonci. Gabriele Bonci has been called the Michaelangelo of bread. He has a well known 'slab pizza' spot nearby but he received so many special orders for the bread that he opened up a bread bakery in Prati where he continues to serve some traditional slab pizzas as well as other baked goods. We tasted a pizza bianca there and a pizza with tomato. Both were Buooooono!

Next we stopped by a new spot opened by Michelin stared chef Christina Bowerman, her partner Fabio Spada, and the famous Roscioli brothers. This was an amazing spot! We were given a glass of prosecco, platters of mortadella, and various breads to nibble. Everything was amazing.

You might think we were full by now. We WERE! However, we still hadn't had the final stop of the day for lunch.

Yes. Lunch!

We had reservations at Flavio al Velavevodetto which is one of the best trattorias in Rome. This restaurant made all three lists when the recent top 10 lists for the best carbonara, amatriciana, and cacio e pepe in Rome was recently released. We started off with a appetizer of a fried eggplant ball . . . sounds horrid but it was anything but!

We had two pasta dishes - carbonara and amatriciana. Both were supposed to be half portions but each could have been a full meal. It was easy to tell why they were rated the top pasta in Rome! We loved both.

One would think that we were done by then.

Nope!

There was still a meat course - a large polpette made from bollito misto with some added mortadella and cheese for flavour. There were roasted potatoes on the side. By now we could barely eat anything.

But we still weren't done . . .

Dessert was a 'taste'. Finally. Mind you it was a taste of the most amazing tiramisu I have ever eaten. Even though I was beyond full by this point I would have considered finishing off someone else's . . . but no one was offering!

4 hours after the tour begun we shoved ourselves into a cab and headed back to the apartment where we all promptly fell into a food coma . . .

We finished eating at 2:30. It is now 19 hours later and I am STILL full!