Rome: Thursday night and Friday

Left you yesterday before dinner on Thursday evening.  Dave & Dee Ann rested a bit, we poshished off a bottle of Sicilian wine from the bodega next door and then we went out to Trattoria Monti a few blocks away from our hotel.  We had a reservation (made Wednesday) for this very popular local place.  Good thing too, because we saw them turn away at least 20 who tried to get in.

We discovered Monti on our last trip.  Little (seats 40 or so) but great attention to detail.  Little family place. The brothers are the waiters, Mama runs the kitchen.  Food and wine is fabulous. This was a 3 course meal.  Starter ....antipasti. Then pasta, then secondi,  which is the meat.

To start, red onion flan with Gorgonzola sauce.

Jerry and Dave had ravioli stuffed with grouper for pasta

Dee and I had Teggliataria  and duck sauce

Secondi, Jerry had duck with orange glaze, David had stuffed rabbit, 

Pork Tenderloin with potatoes

Dee had fried lamb with artichokes, and I had cod with white wine.

Some wine....ok .. 3 bottles ....and we came back to Hotel Verona.

Friday morning we woke up to bright sun and a new outlook.  We took off for the Roman Colosseum, about 8 blocks downhill.  That seems doable, but really, both Dave and I are having "toe" issues from walking downhill. If it's not one thing its another.  When we arrived the Reeds had pre-tickets, we did not so the wait was about an hour.   

The Colosseum is HUGE!

The Colosseum was built in AD 72.  It was finished in 80 AD!  It seated 50,000 people plus another 4,000 in standing room (the slaves, you know).  Emperor Titus opened the Colosseum with a gladiatorial games that lasted 100 days.  Animals and gladiators fought for 100 days!  Over 2000 men and 9,000 animals were killed.  No Christians.  That didn't happen in this arena contrary to popular belief.

Below the stage were where the animals and
Gladiators hung out.

Little skinny bricks, originally covered with marble

Of course, Dave was fascinated by the building techniques

Sunny and Warm!

Emperor Constantine's Arch 

Palentine Hill

Lucky me... 2 Emlets and a Reed as traveling companions

Met a lovely gal named Erin who is on a 40 day trip around Europe to find her real self. 

After getting our fill of the Colosseum we took the metro back to the hotel, rested a little , had pizzas at the joint next door.

Refreshed, we went to visit 2 famous churches. Santa Maria degli Angeli was first.  Originally the Roman Baths.  In 1561 it was partially converted to a beautiful church.  The designer? Michelangelo!   Absolutely beautiful!

Next we went to Santa Maria Della Vittoria which is the home of Bernini's St. Theresa in Ecstasy. In this statue Theresa has just been stabbed by God's arrow of fire.  It is a very erotic sculpture and the rest of the church is just as beautiful.  Jerry and I decided if we ever got married again we would have the ceremony here.  Course, we aren't Catholic....that might be an issue. and we're already married to each other.  Hmmm

St. Theresa in Ecstasy by Bernini in Santa Maria Della Vittoria

Santa Maria degli Angeli This doesn't look like much on the outside

Santa Maria degli Angeli Wow!  The inside

The ceiling

serious scale

What a face!

The Altar is back lit from an outside window.

Santa Maria Della Vittoria

Dee and David went to the National museum of Rome and saw all kinds of cool stuff.  We came back and rested our feet.  Dinner tonight was pasta in the neighborhood and......gelato for dessert. We make it a rule that when in Italy you must have at least 1 gelato a day.   Course, it was Friday,and NO fish specials anywhere.  Just doesn't happen here even during lent! I'll bet Pope Francis had a steak.

Wednesday and Thursday in Rome

Well we have Internet for the moment so I am going to try to post before it goes out again.  This is pretty typical of Italy.   Nothing works quite right but no one seems to care.

So yesterday afternoon Dave,  Dee Ann, and I told jerry we just had to stop and eat lunch (it was 2:30 and David was pretty much done with walking.)  We stopped at a local (as in no English ) cafe/bar and had sandwiches.   Jerry and Dee had a club, prosciutto, cheese, sauce and a fried egg.  I had a stuffed ham & cheese, and Dave a toast sandwich.   Coffee (cafe americano) for the Reed's cost $5.00 @ and was  reported by Dave --- AWFUL.  David likes good old Midwestern mild coffee.  He is having difficulty in Italy.  I love the coffee and so does Dee, but it makes Dave cranky.

Feeling somewhat refreshed, we started our trek to find the fountain-----.the TREVI fountain. And it was just around the corner from the coffee bar! One of the most amazing sites in Rome, Because Rome is in a mediterranean climate, water was very important to the citizens.  The fountain is supplied from the main Aqua Virgo that has supplied water to ancient Rome since 19BC.  In 1629 Pope Urban VIII commissioned Bernini to sketch the fountain. It was not built until 1730.  Legend has it that if you throw a coin over your left shoulder with your right hand you will return to Rome again.  An estimated $3000 Euros are thrown into the fountain each day. We contributed to it. Because WE ARE COMING BACK!

After Trevi, Jerry took us to the Pantheon.  This is the oldest church in the world. Actually started out as a one stop worship place for all of the Roman Gods.   Built in 126 AD by the emperor Hadrian, it has been in constant use as a worship site since that time.  In the 300's it was commissioned by the Christians.

The Pantheon is one of the most interesting buildings.  No artificial light except for the oculus at the top (yep its open to the sky) The proportions are perfect, The distance from the top of the dome to the floor is exactly the diameter of the circle. It is the first dome built and until the 16th century no one knew how it was done.  Michelangelo came and studied the Pantheon before he built the dome at St. Peters. Amazing.

We were heading back to the hotel when we decided to stop at the end of our block at the Santa Maria de la Magiorie Cathedral.  Also amazing.  Beautifully finished inside.  It was begun in 532 BC and houses some of the original manger of Jesus ( if you believe what people tell you).

Back to Hotel Verona to rest.  Drank a free bottle of wine on Delta (story to come) and then went next door to La Mela Ora, which is a restaurant that Jerry and I went to on our first night in Rome in 2010. The waiter, Christian, REMEMBERED US!

Dave and I had the daily plate, Dee and Jerry ordered a la carte from the menu.  All was great. After 3 bottles of wine, Grappa and Lemonchello we crawled the 10 feet back to the hotel.  Dave's getting into the swing!

typical coffee sandwich bar.  Drink coffee at the bar-

Trevi Fountain

A must see in Rome The Trevi Fountain

We're bundled up

Pantheon

No artificial light, only the Oculus open at the top

Stopped by the church on the corner

The relics

Santa Maria de la Magiorie Cathedral

Delicious Salad!

Rigatoni Bolognase

This morning we had breakfast at the hotel and got on bus #64 to the Vatican.  Saw St. Peters.  LOTS more security this year (as you can imagine) but it is still just as amazing. 

Security was tight getting into the Vatican

Michelangelo's Pieta

The Martyrdom of St. Sebastian - 1625

This place is so big these letters are 6 feet high

Altar by Bernini

So beautiful!

Pope John Paul XXIII

St Peter-touch his foot as you go by for a blessing

Michelangelo's Dome

Inside St. Peter's-- 2 football fields long

The Papal Altar

Dave climbed to the top

The altar