Day Three of Rome - PostScript
Post Script Day Three – Rome- Saturday Night:Before we begin Day Four, let’s catch up on Day Three
First – I neglected to point out something interesting about the weekends – The streets EXPLODE with people. As if there weren’t already almost no laws when it comes to crossing and driving – on the weekends, especially on Saturday night – it was like Bourbon Street in New Orleans! People walking down the middle of the street. Strolling, being seen. Just crazy. Mix in the tourists and you have a very crowded city.
– Dinner.
We ventured out to a highly recommended, (apparently) well known restaurant in the former Jewish Ghetto area. Its called Piperno.
Again, because we’ve adopted the European way (and its scary in those taxis), we walked. Along the way, we crossed the Area Sacra – An area of current excavation with several temple ruins in one area. Its also home to packs of cats, who apparently are local celebrities.
We got to the area early, and went to “Mad Jacks,” an english-style pub nearby. We refreshed ourselves with a couple of ales, and relaxed in the universal hospitality of a bar with reggae music and drinks.
Arriving at the restaurant, we were warmly greeted, and shown to a table in the corner. We selected a nice bottle of wine, and started in. Folks – really – this was the best meal we’ve had so far (and the quality has been escalating as we go – this was really stunning)
We opted for the fried mozzarella and the Salumi Misto – assorted salami. The fried mozzarella was not the heavy, breaded version you may be used to. These were slabs, about the size of two 9v batteries. The coating was like a light flour battering. It was light, flaky. It’s the closest to feeling “healthy” about eating fried food that one can. The salami was three or four different kinds, 3 or so slices each. Delicious.
I had a gnocchi Bolognese. It was “wow, let me stop for a second while I eat that first bite” good. Really flavorful, fresh, and delicious. Jen had the veal with prosciutto and cheese. Stunning. Dessert was a cherry crostada (tart).
We geared up for the walk back. It would seem that this area (or at least the route we took) was packed with young people – bars and clubs must be pretty hoppin in this area. We were a bit cooked from the day, so back to the hotel we went. We’ve gotten familiar enough with the area to start taking shortcuts!
posted by Mitch @ 9:16 AM
2 Comments:
I love those cats! I even spoke with the woman who was running the hospital/ shelter for the Gatos. We learned that they are not feral but were all runaways or throw aways. We bought a DVD about Roman Cats and donated a few Euros. Great pics!
The Roman Cats rock!
We did find it interesting that there is an entire industry/culture around the Cats. In fact, we JUST missed a charity dinner they were holding to pay for the care and upkeep of them. For those who have not seen the area, there's even a sign indicating that the cats all have their shots, get medical care, etc. I read a lot about them before we came here - but its really quite amusing to see them strolling through the ancient ruins.
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