Sunday Pleasures

Boy, it's Monday already, time flew... We are currently sitting at Fiumicino Airport in Rome, waiting for boarding. Seems like Alitalia still is in operation ... Had a late start this morning, with packing and breakfast and some more grocery shopping, then walked over to the train station (pic on left), where the Airport buses depart. You never know exactly when, but they only cost six Euro (for a drive of almost an hour) and that's much cheaper than the modern trains to the airport. Departed at 11 am and arrived at noon, check-in was quick and so was security - with the exception that we learned that we aren't allowed to carry a roll of twine in the hand luggage. Don't ask me why...

Yesterday (Sunday) we first headed by tram (passing by the Colosseo - pic on the left) for the large Mercato di Porta Portese, not a real flea market but offering mostly clothing (starting at 50 cent) and shoes and household items. Huge and hot! Bought some cheap throw-away clothing, a cap for Peter and some household stuff (like the twine). In the early afternoon we left the market, all sweaty, but happy with a porchetta panini in hands (cold pork roast on a bun).








Me in my new 3-Euro-dress ... don't have many dresses in my closet and, usually, wouldn't wear dresses like this one. On the left: the market itself, not fancy, but cheap:

EATALY:

Took the tram to Ostiense, where EATALY has opened a large, high-end culinary supermarket on three floors a couple of years ago. We know other EATALY stores in New York, Chicago and Munich, but this one beats them all. Not sure whether it would have been necessary and whether it's useful in a city like Rome, where every mom & pop store carries great cheeses and meats as well as the little farmers' markets everywhere. We had to compare our fav from Munich, the Antipasto plate, here with the one in Munich and, of course, assortment was more varied and quantity larger for the same amount of money. Just drinks are much too expensive, though they have their own brewery on the property and sell wine by the liter from the barrel really cheap.





With a bag of groceries we took the Metro (subway) back to the city center and walked to the hotel to get rid of the heavy stuff and to inspect our newly acquired clothing. Out again after a quick shower in about half an hour, towards the North, Parco Borghese (pics above), the "green livingroom of the Romans", especially on Sundays. We watched the boaters on the little lake, the skaters and arrived on Pincio, another great viewpoint, just in time for the sunset.

Markets, gravesites and panoramic views

Yes,we got behind. It's Sunday already and I am writing about Saturday. And, we already got complaints ...

Well, Saturday we started out with a tram trip to our favorite market in Trastevere, formerly open-air, sort of run-down, authentic, no tourists. Nowadays it's much more "fancy", in a market hall, but still "authentic". Since the 1990ies we bought our groceries there, mortadella, cheeses, ham etc. - always at the same vendor. And, though the couple got older in the course of years they still are there and still are buying there produce.

On the way from the market we checked out Testacchio again, a formerly blue-collar neigborhood of Rome. It's a pity that the famous hill made up of antique earthenware (in which produce like wine, olive oil and other goods were transported on the Tiber), is not accessible anymore. Some time in the 80ies we were able to climb up and study the stamps of the amphore. It's easily seen from the street though, where nightclubs and bars are situated and hens are roaming free. In addition, it's the area where the former slaughterhouses, the "Mattatoio" was situated, still with the old installations, but partly functioning as a museum (MACRO), an organic supermarket and such. Strange neighborhood!

We stopped at the Cimitero Acattolico di Roma (the cemetery for the non-catholic citizens of Rome), mostly British and German and mostly members of the art and literary community beginning of the 19th century. The gate was standing open (surprise!) and we sneaked in and enjoyed the peace and tranquility with a lound background sound of the cicadia. Of course, we bestowed honor to Keats & Shelley, famous British poets, to Humboldt (a German philanthropist and traveler) and to the son of famous Johann W. Goethe. With it's vicinity to the Piramide, built by Caius Cestius in 12 b.c., it must be a fantastic location to have a grave site!

It's been hot and with our provisions we bravely walked up the Aventin, one of the seven hills of Rome, another of our favorite places with a couple of worth-seeing churches, a monastery, The Bucco di Roma - see pic - (never understood the fascination of this peephole) and two great parks with a view. Especially the Parco delle Aranci is popular for wedding photos and therefore always watered and kept in good shape.

Giro di Roma

Walked all day today and, yes, it's been hot and our feet are sore now. Nevertheless, this is the best way to explore a city, especially THIS city, where modern, medieval and antique meet at every corner.

We had breakfast at our hotel's vegetarian café on invitation of the owners and in the early afternoon superb pizza at "Dar Poeta", our favorite pizzeria in Trastevere (pic on left). Nothing fancy, chairs and tables shaky outside, but heavenly pizza - from the wood-fired oven, crunchy and juicy at the same time, packed with buffalo mozzarella, artichokes, olives, basil or whatever you can imagine. And, it's going fine with the local wine which comes by the 1/2 liter and liter, for 4 Euro per 0,5 liters. Love this place!

We remembered the more or less good old times as archeology students and PHD candidates at the Foro Romano and the Fori Imperiali, watched people on the Piazza del Campidoglio, climed the stairs to the (new) Terrazza Italia (at the Monumento Vittoria Emanuele) which offers great views, walked the old neighborhoods, the Ghetto, Trastevere, checked out Campo di Fiori and Piazza Navona, strolled through the fancy Via Condotti with its expensive designer boutiques, sat on the newly renovated Spanish Steps and, of course, had icecream at Giolitti's.

At around 8 pm we called it a day, tired and foot-sore. More pics to follow - internet is a bit slow and spotty here.

Santa Maria Maggiore Church


Terrazza Italia of the Vittorio Emanuele Monument - great views from up there!

Great exhibition in the Vittorio Monument's new exhibition hall: about famous actress Anna Magnani.


Fori Imperiali and the Isola Tiberina (the island on the river Tiber)


You don't see many of them anymore: the old Fiat 500 with a real "Roma" plate. Now it's Smarts mostly and letters and numbers on the plates.

Fancy stores on Via del Corso - Bulgari and another fancy boutique:


Piazza Navona (originally an ancient Roman stadium) and the Pantheon:


... and last stop on Friday: The newly renovated Spanish Steps:

BENVENUTI A ROMA!

Rome, for the 23rd time... we have visited the "Eternal City" even more often than NYC. But... this time it took us "almost" as long to get to Rome as to get to NYC, from door to door 8 hours!

We started early this morning (8:30 am) because of warnings of trafic jams on the autobahn. It was not really bad, it took us about 80 min. to get to MUC (instead of usually 50-60 min). But then... endless lines at check-in of Alitalia (the company which went bancrupt and whose future is completely in the stars), chaotic: computer problems, problems with other's peoples' visa, just two counters occupied. Haven't had this for a long time. No wonder they went bancrupt!

That was the reason we started with about an hour delay, at almost 1 pm, but the flight took only 1:05 hours (pic shows Venetia from above) and sitting in the last row, we didn't even get a drink. Service stopped three rows in front of us because of the fast landing. Luggage was delivered fast, too, but then we waited for the bus to Stazione Termine (downtown Rome), and it took quite a bit of time. Finally, we checked into our hotel - The Beehive, in an old palazzo - at 4:30pm. Have been in this hotel before and love their tasteful though simple rooms:

Explored the city afterwards and, as a rule, walked to the Trevi Fountain to watch people. It was packed with tourists, Americans, Asians, from all over the world. Just Italians seemed to be missing. On the way back we bought provisions for supper on our hotel balcony: salame di finocchio and scamorza affumicata on fresh rosette and pizza bianca to go with some local white wine... What else could you wish at the end of a long day?


Museo Nazionale Romano - courtyard

Sant' Andrea al Quirinale, famous church designed by Bernini

Palazzo Quirinale, seat of Italy's president Sergio Matarella

Fontana di Trevi, newly renovated

And, see pic, there is enough water in Rome, despite of different news coverage. Plus, we have a pleasant 29 deg. Celsius (85 F) and blue skies.