Friday, 6/21

(Nota Bene: We've had limited internet connectivity and bandwidth to work with, so I'm trying to post more of these entries with text only.  Will try to get more photos up as soon as possible, but for now please use Mel's descriptive writing to paint the pictures for you.  Salute! -GJ-)

We all managed to rise early and grab a cappuccino and pastry on our way to the Coliseum.  We were there with our Roma Passes in hand when they opened at 8:30.  This ancient structure is truly amazing.  The amount of culture and history it contains is staggering, the architecture is dumbfounding. One basically staggers around this monument in awe, taking photos and attempting to grasp the age, events, and relevance of this historical site.  This time we saw a black Coliseum cat hunting starlings in one of the archways.  Moments like that where we witness nature, acting as it always has, I think of how little has changed.  Seeing all the tourists streaming through with their headsets listening to a narrated tour, reminds me of how much has changed.  After the Coliseum, we hopped on the Metro to visit the Borghese Gardens.  It was a lovely day for a stroll in the park. The weather was just slightly cooler today, a break from the sweltering 32 degree c. (90 f.) weather, a slight breeze blew this morning as we toured the duck pond, contemplated statues, and walked until our feet were sore.  Back on the Metro, we stopped off for a final helping of our beloved potato rosemary pizza and a slice with tomato, burrata, and arugula as well.  After a short nap back at the flat, we decide to walk back to the Pantheon during visiting hours. It was well worth it to see both the outside and the inside of this structure in daylight, yet another monument where we could have stood and stared at one intricate painting, or the deliciously marbled floor for hours.  The hole in the ceiling which let natural light in from above is such a unique feature and a drain area in the center of the floor below answered our unasked question of what happens when it rains.  It was getting hot, so we grabbed a lemon granite (like the Italian version of shaved ice or an Icee) for the walk back.

Dinner was to be at La Taverna dei Fori Imperiali, just a few blocks from our apartment.  We had made a reservation a few days ago, as when we walked passed and were impressed by the menu.  Joyce popped her head in and spoke to the owner who gladly took her name, repeating it as we left to commit it to memory. We enjoyed watching the owner during our dining experience. He was a white haired fellow, difficult to say what his age might be, but his experience was substantial. (We heard him mention to a patron that his great-grandfather had owned the ristorante and it had been in his family for over 100 years). He surveyed the kitchen and his guests with a proud smile, bringing out plates of prepared food when the other servers were attending to their tables.  The seasonal menu is updated weekly and hand-written on a piece of paper and presented to guests with the regular menu.  We ordered exclusively from the menu we had seen the owner working on with his chef when we popped in a few days ago. We shared an eggplant parmesan  for our starter.  Greg had the cacio e pepe with truffle shavings.  The flavor reminded him of a pesto sauce, though it was not technically pesto.  I had a special carbonara with fava beans, peas, and artichokes.  Joyce ordered pasta with a half lobster in the shell accompanied by tiny shrimps in a tomato sauce.  We enjoyed indescribable flavors, we wanted to keep eating even though we were full because our mouths wanted to keep figuring out those flavors.  In the end, Greg convinced us to share the chocolate soufflé for dolce. So full, but happy, we enjoyed one last stroll through our charming neighborhood. Back in our rooms, I feel a carb-induced coma coming on, buona notte!