Food, glorious food

Without any huge plans for today, it ended up being a great food day! Shannon had read about a very old bakery not far from our accommodation, so we made this our first stop this morning. Pasticceria il Boccione is not just an old bakery; it is the oldest surviving bakery in Rome's Jewish ghetto. It opened in 1815! We were here for their speciality, the crostata. The crostata has an interesting story. In a dark time in history, Roman Jews were forbidden from selling dairy products. To hide the delicious, sweet ricotta deliciousness inside, bakers used to disguise these cakes by deliberately burning the tops. It then became part of the recipe. As we approached the tiny bakery (blink and you'll miss it), we could smell the most amazing smells wafting down the street. It is so small there is only room for 2-3 customers inside at once. We patiently waited our turn. While waiting, we watched the bakers bring trays of crostata fresh from the oven out to the bench. No sooner are these goods baked, than they are eagerly purchased. We opted for the fruit and nut version and two other small pastries that looked a little like macaroons. The crostata was unlike anything I had ever tasted before. Perhaps it could be compared to fruit cake..but with a crispy exterior. The inside was very moist, and the combination of almonds and sweet cherries was delicious!

  

We enjoyed a coffee next door to balance out the sweet treat and watched a flustered teacher and her group of teenage students bombard the bakery we had just left. We spent time enjoying the streets and buildings of the Jewish Ghetto, a beautiful neighbourhood. We're glad we chose to stay in this area this time.

We wandered in the direction of the Pantheon. As it was so busy the other day, we had planned to come back. As it was drizzly and cold, fortunately for us, there was no queue today, and we walked straight in. This is another building in Rome that each time I visit, I feel like I'm seeing it for the first time. Its' size and beauty are overwhelming. Many people don't realise the Pantheon is actually a church.

  

The weather turned a bit nasty, so we went on the hunt for a good lunch spot. As the rain got a little heavier, we decided we'd even settle for a tourist-looking spot! For some reason, many places were closed today, so we had a little trouble finding something in the area we were walking. When we were about to give up, we spotted what appeared to be an entrance to a restaurant. No flashy lights and no signs out the front, but the lights were on inside, so we ventured in. There were only half a dozen tables inside. The staff didn't speak any English, and the menu was in Italian. This was when we knew we'd found a good one. We both ordered appetisers and primi's (first courses). Shannon enjoyed thinly sliced beef with parmesan and rocket, followed by pasta with cacio e pepe (cheese and pepper), a traditional Roman dish. I had melon wrapped in prosciutto, followed by pasta with guanciale (pork cheek) A really enjoyable meal.

  

  

We did a little shopping as we headed in the direction of our apartment, and the weather got even worse. Our trusty umbrellas we bought in Florence weren't even coping with the heavy downpour! We were still at least a ten-minute walk from the apartment, so we retreated into a cosy looking cafe. We were glad to sit and rest for a while, and the cafe turned out to specialise in teas, lovely. 

The weather wasn't improving, so we knew we were in for a wet walk home. We dried out mostly and relaxed for a few hours before thinking about dinner. We have been craving Chinese food for a while, so we did a quick search and found a new looking place only 5 minute's walk away. Fortunately, the rain had stopped when we headed out. We ate at 'The Nest', on the edge of Campo di Fiori. If this place keeps producing high-quality food like we enjoyed tonight, they will do very well here. The prawn toast and steamed pork dumplings were delicious. We rolled home full and content after an enjoyable, albeit damp, day in Rome.