The eternal city

 Buongiorno! This morning we left Bologna and boarded the high-speed train to Rome. In a couple of hours, we had reached the eternal city. I was so excited - Rome is my most favourite Italian city. Each time we visit is more beautiful than the last. It's the real combination of old and new that gets me. 

After finding our accommodation and settling in, we ventured out for a walk, stopping to visit a couple of our favourite sites, including the 'Turtle fountain', 'Elephant obelisk' and the almighty Pantheon. This afternoon we chose a cafe on the piazza that faces the Pantheon, so we could sit and enjoy a coffee and some people-watching. Tomorrow, we will revisit the inside of the Pantheon. Ordinarily, we would avoid cafes and restaurants close to monuments like the plague, as quite often they are tourist traps, overpriced and poor service. The cafe we chose was all of those things; however, we decided to make an exception. Because really, how often do you get to say you enjoyed coffee and tiramisu literally in front of the Pantheon? The coffee was ordinary, but the tiramisu we both ordered was delicious. Sometimes you have to break your own rules for the sake of being in the moment.

The narrow, steep staircase up to our apartment!

 

We left our coffee spot and slowly made our way to the meeting point of our guide. We had booked a tour 'with locals', to guide us through the wines of Italy. We met Daniele, and he took us to a wine store that locals shop at. Upstairs were shelves lined with various spirits and some wine on sale. Daniele told us the wine was downstairs in what he called 'the wine cathedral'. It took us only a short time to work out why. In this massive underground cellar stood rows and rows of Italian wines, divided into the regions they come from. There was also a small Australian selection! Daniele is an experienced Somellier. He talked us through the wines of every region in Italy, explaining to us the specialities of each region and his favourites of each region, recommending good purchases. We decided not to make any purchases, however. It would be a bit tricky getting wine home in our suitcases and expensive to send it home. However, we have picked up many tips about choosing a good wine. Many of the great ones Daniele pointed out to us were relatively inexpensive.

  

We wandered back to our apartment after the tour for a little rest and started thinking about dinner. After Daniele learned we were staying in the Jewish quarter or 'ghetto' area, he recommended a restaurant for us. I looked it up and found it was only 200 metres from our accommodation. We arrived at 'Giggetto', which was very busy and were lucky to get a table. The speciality of this restaurant and many in the Jewish quarter are 'Jewish artichokes'. Artichokes are in season right now, so we couldn't resist choosing this for our starter. I had tried them on a previous trip and was keen to have them again. Shannon was trying it for the first time. Artichokes have a unique taste, and I think you either love them or hate them. Shannon was not all that keen, but I once again enjoyed the taste. The Jewish version is to fry them, so the leaves on the outside become crispy. The roman version is to boil them until they are very soft.

  

We both enjoyed lovely pasta dishes for 'primi' - Cacio e Pepe (cheese and pepper) and Arrabiata (spicy tomato and bacon). Our second courses were meat dishes. I had 'Saltimbocca' (thinly sliced veal with ham and sage), while Shannon had 'Scallopini' with mushrooms and peas. We were both left feeling completely full but very satisfied after a lovely meal. I can't wait to get out in the city tomorrow and revisit some of our most favourite spots.