Recovery Tuesday and Wednesday

Seeing as I am lying here resting my foot I thought I might put these last 2 days together. Tuesday was rainy and miserable so it was no hardship to lay on the couch and read the exciting "Girl who played with fire" - the second in the series by Stieg Larsson. As I am going to Sweden I am intrigued by all the sex and violence. But today it was beautiful and sunny again - needless to say the BBC weather people had predicted rain all week - I am starting to seriously wonder about their predictions!

So I hobbled downstairs and sat in our square having coffee in the sun and people-watching. I really love looking at our beautiful little dolls-house of a church. For some reason I find it an incredibly pleasing piece of architecture. I spent some time examining it today to find out why. The facade was built in 1680 but it is not possible to date its original construction and the church already exisited in the 11th century according to historical references. It is adorable on the inside too - laid out in the shape of a cross on its side with the long part in the middle. It has 3 or 4 side chapels and a tiny organ in the loft above the front door which we can hear playing from our apartment. Our kitchen has a high oval shaped window which matches one of the windows inside the Church and we can look over part of the roof of the Church.

I don't think the bells we can hear come from the our Church of Santa Barbara but from another nearby church - we are quite surrounded with them here. I took some photos of the nearby market square called Campo dei Fiori where I bought some chicory leaves to put in my soup. My family all think I am a rabbit as I love leafy greens so much. Chicory leaves are quite bitter but rather nice. There are a lot more weird and wonderful green leafy things to try before I leave Italy if the Campo is anything to go buy. Tomorrow I might take some photos of my favourite bakery as the window display is quite something - this is the site of the best suppli in Rome - at least according to me.

Medical Monday

Well it was too good to last - my in-grown toenail decided to spit the dummy. Luckily I had obtained the number of an English speaking Doctor last week who was able to see me this morning. He looked at me and he shook his head and said that the nail needed to be removed so I thought lets get it over with and he removed a part of the offending nail then and there. It wasn't that painful really and I was very brave. But I am getting sick of looking at wounds I can tell you (I had a skin cancer removed before we left). Luckily it is raining here in Rome so I am taking it easy for a few days and reading.

I took the opportunity to get my hair washed and cut today with the hairdresser next door - its nice to have all the conveniences at your doorstep. The salon has the ancient brick work from Pompey's theatre exposed behind glass and a wonderful wooden ceiling - forgot my camera when I went out so I will take a photo of it tomorow. Here is a photo of people queuing in the rain for very famous cod in our square - very strange.

Third Sunday in Rome

We had a fairly quiet day today in order to keep up our strength for a Rome at night walk - I really wanted to see if the forum is lit up at night. So we had this lovely meal in the Jewish quarter and then walked to the Campidoglio to have a breathtaking view over the forum at dusk - very romantic but alas not terribly well lit as it got dark. Across the road however Trajan's market was beautifully illuminated including the medieval tower that sits on top of the ruins.

Rome has many of these fortress-like towers dotted all over the place including the Torre dei Frangipane or monkey tower that we saw once and could not find again until the night of Luigi's dinner when we stumbled across it by accident. Apparently a monkey snatched a new born baby and took it up to the tower, the father prayed to the virgin Mary and the monkey promptly bought the baby back down again so there is always a lit statue of the virgin on top of the tower. Great story I think.

Hugh and I managed to brave the doorman and made our way to the terrace of the Hotel Forum for a drink and I think we have found the place for my birthday celebrations - it has a wonderful view over the forum so we will be there just as the sun sets on Saturday May 2nd. This is the least snooty, most affordable and I think the nicest of all the romantic hotel terraces that I have been diligently been researching for my readers.

Liberation Day

It was a biggish holiday today so lots of Museums were closed but I wandered around in the sun Church viewing. Some of you may wonder why a committed pagan likes churches so much, so I will have to explain. Many churches in Rome were built over existing temples so often have pagan underground ruins (very spooky usually), or have lovely mosaics, architectural features and/or famous paintings. Some also just have a lovely feel about them. San Marco was very nice as there was a baptism just finishing when I visited today which was rather sweet and the mosaics in the apse were gorgeous.

I walked around the forums of Augustus and Nerva with everyone else in Rome or so it seemed. I was impressed by Trajan's column and the lovely oval-shaped Church beside it. The best thing was that the via dei Fori Imperiali was closed to traffic so one did not have to worry about being run over for a change. I had my favorite suppli (rice balls) for lunch and reposed myself. In the afternoon I just wandered around with no particular aim in mind which was very pleasant and came across funny fountains and information about the area of Rome that we are living in. Rome is divided into XXII Rione (divisions) and we are in the VI Rione of Parione. Must use Roman numerals when in Rome! Hugh will be back from Spain in an hour or so which will be nice. Buona sera.

Liz goes home

Said goodbye to Liz today, my partner in crime. Made a vow that this week will see fewer gelatis, no lunch time proseccos and a reduction in cakes. So I visited a few churches to bed this vow down. Wandered around the Monti area which is just behind Trajan's markets and the Colosseum, a confusing but charming part of Rome. Saw the chains which alledgedly encircled St Peter in the Basilica of St. Peter-in-chains. Then I visited Trajan's forum which has lots of beautiful views and cats resting in the sun.

Felt a bit lazy today so had a big siesta and then visited a few museums as I think the week of free museums must be coming to an end - We must have saved about $200 each as a result of Rome's birthday - must be time for a new pair of shoes due to those savings! I am fascinated by the area around the apartment which is built into the remains of Pompey's theatre so today's photos show the inside of the theatre which is now an apartment block. The back of our apartment is I think in the left of the photo but it is hard to be sure. The bells are ringing so it must be time for a glass of vino.

Tivoli

We braved the public transport system in a big way today and caught a bus, the metro and another bus to go to Tivoli and see the wonderful gardens of the Villa D'Este. We were worried as the BBC had yet again prophesized rain to no avail - another beautiful day in bella Roma. The gardens were lovely with lots of spectacular fountains and terraces and superb views over the valley. We celebrated with a glass of Prosecco.

Then we had a slightly worrying trip to Hadrian's villa - just 3 kms away but badly signposted - perhaps they are trying to cut back the numbers of tourists to this outstanding World Heritage site. But we made it on another bus and luckily it got overcast as we would have been burnt alive as we trundled around the 300 old acres that make up the site. It is quite superb with lots of lovely pools surrounded by statues and porticos, theatres, myphaeums and a beautiful library with its own courtyard. Also no cobblestones! It too has lovely views, with Tivoli on the hill behind it and the valley below.

It did not seem so hard getting back and we are planning a nice dinner tonight as Liz leaves tomorrow. The blog may not be quite as exciting from now as a result - we shall see!

Villa Borghese Day

Today we caught our cute little local electric bus to the Borghese Gardens to visit the splendid Villa Borghese. It was a purpose built Palazzo - to hold the Cardinal's art collection and what a nice collection it is - full of Caravaggios, Titians and Bernini sculptures. Lots of culture today. After a pleasant lunch in our favourite trattoria with the big wine glasses, we rested (or at least I did - Liz was out shopping) and then went across the river for some evening views.

Believe it or not - I was not hungry for dinner - perhaps all this rich food has caught up with me! Hugh went off to Spain so Liz and I had a quiet night in - although the word quiet and Rome are not synomous.

Etruscan villa day

Today, we visited the Etruscan Museum in the Villa Giulia, a lovely villa near Monte Pincio which is a bit of a hike but we did it all with public transport. It has a fabulous jewellry collection which we loved and a fantastic frescoed loggia. I let Liz do a bit of shopping today and let her off the church trail for a day.

On the way to the restaurant to meet Hugh's colleagues Luigi and Carlo we came across a wonderful ceramic shop with gorgeous hand-made bowls and jugs - if only Australia was not so far away! Ceramic bowls are a bad idea I kept telling myself.

We had been to this lovely restaurant 5 years ago with Carlo and unfortunately I was not as hungry as I needed to be to do it justice, so this time I remembered not to eat too much before going. It is famous for its antipasti - I counted 12 plates of delicious food most of it vegetarian which made Liz and I very happy. We finished with Limoncello and a delicous bowl of raspberries and lemon gelati to die for. Such a wonderful night - Hugh is lucky to have such nice colleagues.

A day on the Palatine

Another big day out - had a lovely visit to the Villa Farnesina where there were beautiful ceiling frescoes by Raphael and his associates. Absolutely stunning - lots of nymphs being pursued by satyrs and winged cherubs doing their stuff. Then we had a lovely walk along the river and noted the old Roman bridges still in use. Saw the lovely church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin but didn't put our hands into the mouth of truth. Far too dangerous, so Liz bought a nice fridge magnet of it instead - I am having to pull Liz away from tacky Church shops - she has an addiction to snow domes - one snow dome can be excused but anymore than that is worrying.

I took some photos of pretty shop windows to prove that this isn't entirely a gruelling trip ticking off museums and monuments! We strolled around the Palatine and the Forum in the afternoon enjoying the ambience - it is hard to believe it is all real as it seems like a film set. Particularly the Colosseum. We stopped off at our favourite bakery and bought a delicious ricotta and chocolate torte to have with the Sicillian strawberries we got from the market earlier. Liz is going to make asparagus risotto for dinner - should be good.

Rome in the rain

Today the BBC was right for once and there were heavy showers- luckily we had a visit to a nice art gallery full of Raphaels and Caravaggios in the impressive Palazzo Barberini. The elliptical shape of the window in the photo is reminiscent of many of Bernini's architecturals designs. Or is it Borromini? As it was free we felt justified in having a nice lunch with wine in a famous pizza place called Da Buffetto's.

Liz says she will never eat again after her 4 cheese calzone. Then we had a lovely afternoon snoozing and reading and not feeling guilty as it was raining. We were awakened by the dramatic sounds of the organ from the church next door. Very atmospheric. Today's second photo is the view of our square from the window - I have to say much quieter than usual. I think it must be time for a campari.

2nd Saturday in Rome

Today was a big day out in Ostia Antica, the ancient Roman Port. It was huge - filled with temples, warehouses, baths and theatres. We soon got forum feet and necropolis knees! There were some beautiful mosiac floors with a marine theme and a statue that gave us ideas. See Hugh is on this trip after all. He had a fun time bird-watching and saw a zitting cisticola which made him happy.

We got into the area for free as this week it is Rome's 2,762 nd birthday and it is culture week where all museums are free - good timing for us really. We spent the rest of the day resting, reading and eating yummy gorgonzola cheese with red wine. No need for dinner really. Ciao!

2nd Friday in Rome

Today we had a very relaxed day only seeing 2 Churches and 1 Museum! Unprecedented. We are cracking the public transport system which is helpful for our feet. We visited the recently opened Altar of Peace which had a special modern building built to accomodate it. It has caused a lot of controversy but I think it is very beautiful. The Altar of Peace is a stunning carved marble altar to celebrate the era of peace that Augustus ushered in - peaceful that is if you weren't a barbarian.

We have been doing a lot jewellery window shopping and having long lunches with rather large glasses of wine -it's a hard life. In the afternoon we tried to save money by going to the supermarket but that didn't seem to work out so well - everything looks so delicious and Hugh keeps on drinking our big bottles of cheap red wine (4 euros for 2 litres). We saw a nice Borromini designed cupola Church of Sant'Agnese in Agone and a pretty Augustinian Church called funnily enough Sant'Agostino! After all that spirituality we needed a a nice roof garden in which to indulge our sins - this was in the lovely Hotel Raphael near the Piazza Navona - just a perfect end to the day.

Thursday in Rome

Today was a quieter day as my foot looked a bit dodgy today. We walked to the Pantheon and the to the Palazzo Altemps which has lovely sculptures and a pretty loggia. After buying out a nice toy shop we repaired home for a siesta.

In the afternoon we visited only 2 churches - Santa Maria in Aracoeli which has a rather creepy baby Jesus chapel and Santi Cosmo e Damiano with lovely mosiacs. Both are next to the forum. We met up with Hugh and repaired to a nice bar near the Theatre of Marcellus for a bottle of Prosecco. We are going to return to a lovely place around the corner for dinner tonight so I can have what Liz had - yummy ravioli.

Wednesday in Rome with Liz

Today was a big day out. We went to the lovely Museum of Rome's Palazzo Massimo and saw fantastic Roman mosiacs and a spectacular fresco from the House of Livia (wife of Augustus). Then we visited the baths of Diocletian which I had never managed to see before due to some hidden entrances. There were 2 lovely courtyards, one designed by Michelangelo and one with pretty irises.

Then Liz expressed a desire to see a lot of Churches - she said she was sick of shopping! So we saw the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, then the Basilica of San Giovanni, then the Church of Santi Quattro Coronati, where we listened to very soothing singing by the nuns. Now although we have a 3 church a day rule, Liz insisted on visiting the Church of San Clemente because it was open and we were going past (another rule). However it turns out that she doesn't like damp underground places that you can't escape from because of slow, old German tourist groups who are in the way and who do not suffer from claustrophobia.

We were a bit tired then and needed lots of Campari and sodas to restore our strength.

Tuesday in Rome

Today was a lovely sunny day and we strolled to the the courtyard of the Palazzo Mattei which is near us and then to the Crypti Balba -an old Roman theatre complex which was built over in the medieval period and has been beautifully displayed in all its layers. This crypt was not so dark and spooky but still smelt funny. We wandered through the old ghetto area and had a soothing cappuchino and gorgeous chocolate pastry. Luckily we are doing lots of walking! We then started on our Church run - apparently there are 901 churches in Rome so this will be some undertaking. San Georgio in Velabro was superb - complete with Gregorian chanting and ancient columns. San Teodoro was lovely also although the priest needed a bit of prodding to (a) let us in and (b) turn on the light so we could see the 6th century mosiac. The other tourists had walked off in despair - I find one needs to be a little pushy with the priests.

Then we climbed the Campidoglio, had lunch and spent a few hours looking at the museums - full of wonderful ancient sculptures and paintings and glorious views over the forum. We found we soon got marble museum feet though so repaired home for a soothing gelati and a rest.

Easter Monday in Rome

There is not much open in Rome on Easter Monday but we had a walk along the river to St Peters Basilica to view the hordes of people intent on seeing the church. We were happy to view the square designed by Bernini and walked back along the Via Guilia hunting for a fountain. It looked like it might rain so we dashed to a cafe in the Campo di Fiori for a wine and pizza special and then a siesta. The weather improved so Liz and I went hunting for the remains of the Temple of Isis which we finally found - well at least the foot of a statue at any rate! Then we were on a Caravaggio trail and found the vicolo d'amore ( a small street where allegedly Caravaggio killed a man in a duel and had to flee Rome) and then saw 3 of his pictures in the Church of San Luigi dei Francesi along with half of Rome. We are getting into the habit of drinking aperitifs at home before heading out to dinner. We ate at the pancake place in our square which was very strange and almost inedible - who would have thought - a bad meal in Rome!

Walking the Via Appia Antica

Today was a mega walking day along the Appian Way. This is an original Roman road, in many places still paved with Roman stones complete with a footpath for pedestrians. The first bit is still open for cars except on a Sunday. It is lined with funeral monuments is very atmospheric. For those lucky people who know of my ingrown-toe saga, you would be very surprised to know that I was able to walk for 3 hours with minimal moaning. It does help that we were able to have a tasty meal en route.

On the way back we had a delicious gelati where I was propositioned in Italian by a young waiter who thought I wouldn't understand! That word is easy to remember! Maybe Hugh is right after all and Italy is the place for middle aged ladies to have some fun. Feeling very giggly we went to the Trevi Fountain which was heaving with people. Hugh is on a mission to find the cheapest meal in Rome and made us walk over the river to Trastevere for dinner. We had fun people watching.

Easter Saturday in Rome

Today we started the never ending search for the best suppli in Rome - this bakery near us has wonderful ones but they are only available for a little while before lunch and sell out fast. They are wonderful risotto balls mixed with tomato sauce and have a gooey mozarella centre and they are deep fried. Heavenly. It was a beautiful day so we strolled through the Piazza Navonna and stumbled across the Cloister of Bramante next to the pretty church of Santa Maria della Pace.

The walk through the medieval streets is delightful with lots of beautiful antique shops. We had a stop in front of Hadrian's Mauseleum with spectacular views down the river to St Peters basilica. Luckily our apartment is centrally located so the walk back via the Pantheon was not too bad. After a quiet siesta we went to the gardens of the Villa Borghese and had the most expensive cocktails of all time in the pretty courtyard of the Hotel de Russie ($35 each!)

Liz is here

Liz arrived and we spent the morning shopping in the fruit and vegetable market in the Campo di Fiori and having coffee. Liz could not resist the lure of the many jewellery shops and kindly bought me a lovely necklace as a present.

After eating our purchases we walked over the river to Trastevere, where we worked for our first gelati by visiting 2 churches. I freaked Liz out by making her visit a creepy crypt to get her into the mood - it is amazing to see how fast someone can run even with jetlag! Then we relaxed ourselves with a soothing prosecco.

Food and Wine and Fun

On our second day in Rome, after walking around a nearly empty, tranquil forum and the Palantine where I visited a rather spooky Cryptoporticus (dark, partially underground and damp) Hugh and I lived la dolce vita in the ghetto area of Rome which is close to our apartment. Had a sensational dinner of artichokes served in the traditional jewish way. Huge and divine. Our table looked over the Portico of Octavia and was very atmospheric.

Roma at last!

Here we are in Rome at last. Try to find where is karen in the photo. Another photo might help