Roma, Day II

Woke up to the sounds of Sunday Mass outside our window. Bells ringing, priests chanting, the whole deal. Side note: there are A LOT of clergy roaming around Rome. Some look like the kind you see at home- black clothes, white collar, end of story. Some are in brown Jesus-like robes with wooden crosses hanging from ropes around their waist, leather sandals, long beards. And some, some are really really good looking. I saw one today in all white, white collar, white fedora, persol sunnies, and a blue linen sport coat. 

But I digress. Back to food. 

 

Had breakfast at an adorable cafe downstairs from our hotel. 

 

Walked to a flea market in Trastavere on the other side of the Tiber river. 

 

Through these old gates was the Porta Portese flea market. There were thousands of people at hundreds of stalls, a mile long. 

 

 

 

The wares were mostly junk. I've decided flea market categories are: people's recently used junk; old junk (vintage); or old old junk (antique). We didn't buy anything. 

 

Next we walked back along the water to the old Jewish quarter. 

 

Old synagogue. 

Italian Jews, as our walking guide told us, are not ashkenazi or Sephardic. They are descended directly from the Jews who left Israel after the temple was destructed and came to Italy. They were confined, on and off but mostly on, to a ghetto on the edge of town. They were allowed out during the day to sell used clothes (??) and engage in money lending but had to be back home before the gates closed at dark. 

Today, the Jewish population in Rome numbers 15,000. 

 

Next stop- lunch. This pizza was accompanied by amazing braised artichokes and a braised radicchio and balsamic salad. Ate those before picture time...

 

 

After lunch we wandered home, with a stop at a basilica. Honestly, couldn't tell you which one it was...

 

 

And then, shame of shames, we busted out the selfie stick. 

 

 

Side note-- jasmine grows up the sides of so many buildings here. It smells amazing. 

 

Flower stall in Campo di Fiore where we had dinner. 

Pre-dinner drinks and postcard writing (more on that later). 

 

 

Fresh pasta with mushrooms.

 

Spicy chocolate and coffee--"pure chocolate" (dark) and Peruvian Amazon chocolate. 

 

As we were walking home from dinner, I saw a letter slot on the front of a big, street-facing building. I decided to mail all those long newsy postcards I'd written and stuck expensive Italian stamps onto. As soon as I dropped them in, Alexis kindly says "that building looks abandoned. I bet they never get there."

SO, for everyone reading this, I sent you a postcard. If it never comes, it's because it's gathering dust in a 14th century abandoned villa along the Tiber river.

Tomorrow we're off to Orvieto. 

-EKW