Chapter 3 - Rome, Palatine Hill and the Forum, other sights and more yum

Palatine Hill and the Forum

If you read Chapter 1, you already know that these massive ruins are very near the Colosseum.  This picture was taken looking that way. 

While the city has grown around this tourist area, there are still large villas just over the fences.

Thanks to our knowledgeable guide, we were able to get a real sense on the layers of building and meaning in Rome from 300 BCE to the 1900s. Lester had been here 40 years ago without a guide and got none of that. For example, at this end an early church forms a boundary into the Rome of today.

The views and the ruins are mind boggling.  They really give you a sense of history and its complexity. Here are some broad shots from high up.

Looking up can be dramatic, as well.

But among the ruins you find the human scale in walkways and rooms, doors and windows.

So much seems so monumental, yet it is the details that catch your eye and give you the most intimate feeling of history  whether just wall decorations and pieces of columns lying around...

or sculptural elements on building remains.... 

or a lonesome capital on the ground, long separated from its column base.

But, even among all this (and exhausting walking and climbing) there were quiet moments to allow a bit of contemplation. Some were sad.  These reliefs tell of the Roman destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem and taking slaves as war booty.

Among all the stone were the ubiquitous Italian poppies, flashing the only bright color.

And, somehow, this animal got in to make us smile.

As did this one!

Capitoline Hill

Our aggressive schedule next took us to later Roman history, Capitoline Hill with a lovely church and the center of the first government uniting all of Italy in the 19th Century - and more climbing (two hills down, five to go?)

On the way over, we got to savor delicious glances into the shapes of Roman architecture, formal and domestic, old and older.

 

This juxtaposition caught by the camera seems almost surreal.

Also along the way was a sculpture reminding us of the legend of the founding of Rome.

First stop was a church, the Basilica di Santa Maria in Ara coeli, built in the 1200's. The decorations were not subtle...

The floor made of many varieties of marble was incredible.

On this hill is the King's palace screaming royal glory.

Our guide then offered to take us to another church which he said was one of the most beautiful in Rome. He wasn't kidding...

 

The most fascinating sight in the church was the preserved body of a saint with a silver mask covering the face.

The Synagogue and the Ghetto

To finish our busy formal touring, our guide took us by the Great Synagogue of Rome. Unfortunately, it was not open, but we did see some things of interest on the outside. It is an impressive building.

On the outside are memorial plaques related to the Holocaust.

Perhaps most interesting was this photo from 1986 of the Pope meeting with the Chief Rabbi as a permanent fixture.

From there we went to the small area where Jews were segregated. They had to go and come through formal gates like this one.

Today, there are few signs of that past. The buildings are like those elsewhere. This is one with a beautiful door.

Here and there there are suggestions of what was...

Most moving and shattering were these memorial stones embedded in a sidewalk in front of a multi-family building which scream "never forget".

As early afternoon moved in, the guide said goodbye and for rest of this day and all of the next we were on our own, just in time after our intensive touring.

Casual exploring and tummy filling

Lunch was a real adventure.  It was a small panini and tapas place—very local.

In fact, we had the ONLY table!

After all the touring, we did exactly as planned, a "best practice" for our trips, we back to the hotel to rest for the remainder of the afternoon.

Our evening adventure was just creative wandering. We saw a lovely "upscale" neighborhood, sort of like Georgetown in DC.

We also learned the secret of finding spaces for parking on Rome's terribly narrow and crowded streets, especially if you have a Smartcar - or four of them. You alternate parking them parallel and asymetrical - across from each other!

We found a wonderful gelato stop even better than yesterday. Elaine had chocolate and coffee.  Lester was more adventurous and had banana and passion fruit.  We then wandered through the largest department store in Rome—not much - except a stairway that beat the one in the Vatican Museum (see Chapter 1 of this blog).

Dinner was a real treat everything you would want in a special meal--Marzapane. It was nouveau Italian in the best sense.  

We started with several amusee—fennel breadsticks with Romanesco sauce, then a small beef bite.  For starters we had duck with foie gras in a panko shell on a shallot confit base and a fresh prawn tartar with soft white cheese. This was followed by a cauliflower ravioli with a sea urchin sauce.  Then we split a beef with cherry and cinnamon sauce.  To drink we had a wonderful white, rose and then red—an abuzzo Montepuciano.  

The trio of desserts that finished the meal were just delightful. We ordered a spice cake with lemon cream and carrot sorbet - that would have been enough.

But then, they treated us to a small berry custard, wonderful biscotti and a chocolate bit.  

A wonderful meal in every sense for all the senses. A perfect ending to the day.