Italy Day 6 - Rome

Welcome back to Rome. Are you enjoying your visit with me thus far? I hope you are getting a feeling of the wonder that is Italy.

I finally made it to the Colesium today! It was bittersweet to experience it without my brother, Mike because he so wanted the opportunity to get inside. There simply isn't enough time to see all that there is to see here. I rented an audio guide for the tour of the Colesium and it was very informative. I was surprised by the size of the arena as well as the underground rooms that have been uncovered for viewing. Both the audio guide and the written information agreed that, although Christians were against the brutal competitions held here, they were not the victims of wild animals as a general rule. I don't know if history is being rewritten to be more politically correct or if I have been misled in the past. Either way, this fabulous structure is worth visiting.

One of the main roads in Rome, Via dei Fori Imperilai, is closed to traffic on Sundays so people are free to wander up and down the road without watching for vehicles. It lent itself to a more relaxed setting than when I ventured this way yesterday. There were many street performers lining the street today and this gentleman struck me with his truly heartfelt guitar playing. He was clearly playing from the heart and I was pleased to stop and listen to his music.

This is the street as it was today without traffic.

I posted these pictures as an example of how easy it is to miss beautiful artwork as you walk past. These statues are high above regular viewing on the side of this building. This type of thing lines the streets of Rome and made me realize how possible it is to walk the same street day after day and still discover new beauty.

It is 7:15pm here and I just returned from a taxing hike up Via Capena to have dinner only to be told that they begin serving at 8pm. Oh well, I will be ready to eat after all the exercise. I'm entering my blog now to use up the time before I can begin again on my trek for food.

Today was a blustery day here in Italy. It drizzled a little during my time in Rome, but not enough to keep people inside. On my drive home, the wind was blowing the autumn leaves across the road in front of me and I found the sight energizing. I love winter time because the days are unique. Each day brings a new climate --- sometimes cold, driving rain, sometimes a chilling wind, other times a sunny brisk day. Living in Florida makes me long for days that are not the same as the one before.

Dinner - I had to come back and share dinner with you. I went to a closer restaurant than I had walked to earlier, though, of course, it was uphill, also. L'Anatra Grassa (The Fat Duck) is a lovely restaurant about a 5 minute walk from my apartment. I wish I had taken my camera to show you, not only the beautiful, arched ceiling in this little place, but also the presentation of the food. Goodness! They sure know that one eats with one's eyes as well as the palate.

I allowed the server to help me choose my selections. For an appetizer, I chose scallops with truffle. This was served in a large shell resting on a curved glass rectangular plate. I've never had truffles before, but if this is any indication, I will definitely have it again. Following this, I had lobster and pasta - a half lobster in the shell served with thick spaghetti tossed in a very light creamy tomato sauce. The lobster was sweet and tender. I finished with creme brulee. This was a thin layer of creamy custard which allowed for more crispy, toasted sugary topping. I had to gently tap the top to break through in order to eat it. It was amazing! Yum! The dessert cup was sitting on a larger glass plate which had been ever so lightly sprinkled with powdered sugar and decorated with a thin squiggly line of chocolate sauce.

I was grateful that the walk home was downhill! I'm wondering, does food taste better here because it IS better, or because on vacation we just enjoy things more? Perhaps a combination of the two? Whatever the reason, I'm certainly enjoying it.