Rome Tuesday

Tuesday we did plenty of walking. We started with a coffee and some biscuits on the rooftop terrace, and then ambled though the Campo Fiori to the monument to Victorrio Emanual. Alternatively called The Wedding Cake or Mussolini’s Typewriter, it is an incongruous and quite frankly, horrible thing. Even up close it has little to recommend it. But we took a few photos and kept on moving.

We then walked over to the Campidoglio, or the Capitoline Museum. We didn’t go in, though, we just took a few photos. We wanted to get to the St Peter in Chains church before it closed.

So we walked around the forum (They charge to get in now!!!) and headed to the Church.

On the way, we passed four groups of at least 50 people coming FROM the church. They were with a Royal Caribbean cruise ship. Lucky for us, the last group was leaving the church as we were going in.

This is the church that has the Michelangelo Moses. It is now held way back from the crowds, but when we were here before in 2000 you could get real close. It is quite a site. Bernini is also buried in this church.

From here we walked over and went INTO the Capitoline Museum. A great place with amazing pieces. Many, many of them. No wait at all to get in, and it wasn’t really all that crowded. Worth seeing at the dying Gaul and a discobulus.

Many hours later we decided to get some lunch. It was sprinkling some, so we went to a place that Doreen had found in one of our books – Taverna degli Amiche. It was in a very attractive little square and the food was great. We started with Prosciutto and Bufala Mozzarella, then Doreen had Fettuccini with Asparagus and Shrimp, and I had Risotto with seafood. We ended with the thousand layer cake, which was more like pastry with cream. It was great.

Then we wandered home to get ready for dinner.

We had dinner at a place recommended to me by a client called Il Convivio. It is a very fancy place, and though I did not need to, I wore my sport coat. Doreen dressed up and looked great (as always) and we walked over.

It is close to where we are staying, on a hidden back street. It is small – though there may have been a back room we did not see, the room we were in could seat no more than about 20 people.

The service was outstanding and each dish was sort of like a little jewel (We had the tasting menu that consisted of six different courses and an amuse bouche.) The presentation and service was as good as any place we have eaten in the world. The food I thought was good, but not truly great. Doreen disagreed – I think that I had extremely high expectations due to how it was built up in conversation. But we both enjoyed it tremendously.

Then we ambled home to a well deserved rest.