lauramsgarden

Well we made it! We said a fond farewell to Castel Monastero and the wonderful people there. Our only stop today was at Orvieto where we had an enjoyable lunch and visited the Duomo. I think perhaps I need a break from Cathedrals - the outside is magnificent, although the black and white stripes struck me as odd. The frescoes were also amazing but my warped sense of humor was beginning to wonder about the painters depictions of the souls in torment. (I'll get a picture to you tomorrow and you'll see what I mean). Maybe we were just eager to get to Rome, shed our verbose guide, and commence the next stage of our journey..

We are staying at the Hotel Cavalieri-waldor -Astoria - Hilton (now there's a mouthful). Very opulent, staff very friendly. Steve is worried about the plumbing. Dinner at the hotel was mediocre. Tomorrow we see ancient Roma and search for gluten free pizza! The view from our window is spectacular. I admit to being a bit intimidated by the size of what lies before us, but I know so many of you love Rome so am hopeful I will find my way.

Finally with internet I think I can give you some pics (please forgive my misspellings - never my strong suit)

sign for museum dedicated to Battle for the Gothic Line

Castle Brolio in Chianti

memorial plaque for fallen soldiers in Venice Ghetto

Gothic Line museum

Battle for the Gothic Line

Hotel Metropole Venice staircase

HappyTrvlr

Wish I could remember the name of wherever had a great GF pizza on New Year’s Day a few years ago.
For a meal that is wonderful and traditional, Da Armando al Pantheon. Book a reservation online, very popular.

lauramsgarden

thanks, happpytrvlr, we have one free evening left so that is a great optionn

lauramsgarden

As I mentioned above, I've been disappointed this trip that due to covid restrictions (quite reasonable) the breakfast have been much attenuated from the grand displays I have come to love and anticipate like Pavlov's dog. The Cavalieri however has pulled out all stops with a glorious buffet: meats, cheese, pastries, hot dishes and my favorite, little tins with grain and salad mixtures. They keep it safe by having plexi glass shields for the food and staff who serve you. Not quite as free wheeling but ultimately so delicious. my heart and tummy are quite happy.



Yesterday we met a guide my sister in law had recommended from a company, Jewish Roma Tours, for a tour of the ancient sites. Sylvia was sweet and smart and very knowledgeable and the time flew. The first thing we knew was our subway stop was on the Palantine Hill (so cool). It was very interesting to hear the story of the triumphal arches, ancient ruins and the Colosseum of course from the Jewish perspective. We learned that there has been a free Jewish community in Rome since 200 BCE and that the Colosseum was built largely with the jewish slaves brought back by Titus from Jerusalem, and paid for largely with the captured booty from the destruction of the Temple (there's a plaque in the colosseum that actually states that!). Fascinated by the layers of buildings (Roman Temples, Catholic churches) that dot the forum, and finally I know what porphyry looks like! We really enjoyed the tour thoroughly.l

Then last night Steve very happiily used his app - find me gluten free- and we went to a little restaurant where every dish could be made gluten free. He had the biggest smile on all night! He had fried calamari and pizza and Tiaramisu. I had warm caprese salad (wonderful) and lobster tagliatelli and cherry tart.

Today we are meeting Sylvia again for a tour of the Vatican and then, wait for it, having dinner at La Pergola an honest to goodness 3 star Michelin restaurant in the hotel.


Arch of Titus

how they found their seatws

looking outwards

TDudette

More nice info and photos. To find a totally gluten free resto is great. According to my reading, that's the safest way to avoid any contamination.

lauramsgarden

This one is all about the food, read on at your peril. Over the course of our foreign travels Steve and I have learned the joys of Michelin Restaurants, but we have only ever gone to one star restaurants. When I learned that our hotel had a three star restaurant we had to try it. So last night at 7:30 dressed in our best duds we ventured through the doors of La Pergola.
The first thing we saw was a panoramic view of Rome at night, the lights twinkling nine floors down. As is the custom here they brought me a little table to put my purse on, and then I kid you not, the brought us little pockets like the McDonalds fries pockets to put our masks in
Next we were presented with....wait for it....a water menu with 8 or 9 pages of water options described in terms of the country of origin and the mineral content. We opted for one from Norway with a low mineral content.
First they brought us a welcome offering: little chips of tomato, basil and potato and a flower arrangement with a mushroom pastry for Steve and something I can't even describe for me (they were already aware of our food issues). Next came an amuse bouche of rare tuna. Oh yes, and we had a choice of salt for the bread. I opted for a brown one from Norway, Steve opted for a white one from Italy. We chose not to do the 10 course tasting menu so next came appetizers - foie gras for me and sweetbreads in blackberry sauce for Steve, primi course: gluten free spaghetti for Steve with red and green sauce (sort of like NM lol) and a fried zucchini flower with caviar and consume for me - probably the most delicious thing I've ever eaten. Main course was pigeon with popcorn for me and lamb in offal sauce for Steve. Steve chose to skip desert but they brought him a creation of meringue and oranges for Steve and Sachar torte for me (probably the only part that wasn't excellent). Then the coup de grace, a silvery tower thing with 3 doors on each side, each drawer had a different type of little cookie in it. I was only sad I couldn't taste all of them. It was truly one of the most amazing meals ever. Oh and I forgot. They were amusingly old time sexist. Steve was presented with the covid release to sign, and his menu had prices, mine didn't lol. So I don't know what it cost.

Water menu

Zucchini flower

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=AZX2ijOv-sJeGdEO9k_wTR4AZeAtKiHahZW-YO1iYT5TEPrQ9wt4e0HIPj6Nw3ICQzcHVbvhggDvhiAqztrm1g 0gOgR5WCsyA-kh6LCUhN5l-GYGK2YCcZ2IHnorAM5gpno&__tn__=*bH-R]
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pigeon with popcorn

raincitygirl

What an amazing meal, my mouth is watering! I love the fancy envelope for your mask; I've eaten at restaurants in Italy where they bring the little purse stool but the mask envelope is next level!
Thanks for sharing, vicarious travel is almost as good as really being there.

lauramsgarden

so yesterday we headed out for a pre-arranged tour of the Vatican. The entrance process was very easy, and well managed. So here is where I will probably upset somebody - I have to say I just wasn't that excited. It felt like this huge collection of priceless objects that some miser has accumulated for the sake of accumulation, with each Pope trying to outdo the next in opulence. Not that much of it wasn't gorgeous, it was, but when you know the history of the church, and how much of it was plundered, or obtained from the money given by people who were living in dire poverty it left me feeling empty. I kept thinking about Pope Francis's wonderful inspiring words about justice for the poor and oppressed and wondering why they don't sell even a tiny part of the collection and use it to create a more just world. I hope I haven't offended anyone. Having said that my favorite bits were the wonderful mosaic floors, Nero's bathtub and fish pond, and the map gallery, as well as all the gorgeous marble. And here's where I probably get in trouble again - I wasn't wowed by the Sistine Chapel - maybe too much anticipation. Steve thought it was amazing so I am probably jaded. To be honest, for some reason our tour didn't include the Raphael room and we were too tired to see St. Peter's so probably missed much.
Today was our goof off day - we went early to get our covid test (easy as pie at a pharmacia around the corner) and then took a taxi to the Spanish Steps - had a lovely lunch on the roof top terrace of a local hotel (sea bass with artichokes for me, wago beef with mushrooms for Steve), looked into the church at the top of the stairs, admired the stairs, did a quick tour of the Keats Shelley house, walked to the Trevi fountain (which I perversely really liked) had gellato, had a great time chatting with the cabbie on the way back, and after resting are off to Momma Eats for dinner. Ciao

Diana the Huntress

floor in Vatican

TDudette

Yum, lauramsgarden! In all the years we visited Italy, we were never there when squash flowers were fresh. I'm not sure you were either BUT your serving was gorgeous. I shared your feeling about the Vatican. Had to LOL when, after our first Vatican visit, we received a begging letter from Catholic charities. DH also received the menu with prices.....his eyebrows rose higher and higher as I chose things! The water options were amazing. I thought the Raphael rooms tour was overly long so maybe you didn't miss them. Enjoying your TR.

lauramsgarden

Thanks TDudette. I remember as a child on our birthdays going to fancy restaurants and my father's menu would be the only ones with prices. I realize there is something a little discordant fussing about the Vatican's conspicuous consumption and then going to La Pergola for dinner

lauramsgarden

I forgot to mention that yesterday on the way from the Spanish Steps to the Trevi fountain we stopped at the Keats/Shelley house briefly. Here are some random pics from parts of the journey I couldn't upload while in Tuscan

Amerigo Vespucci's house

Dante's tomb

Synagogue in Florence interior

art in Siena

Medieval eye clinic Siena

bvlenci

I agree! Much of the art that used to be in the Duomo is now in the Museum of the Duomo, which is well worth the visit, more so than the inside of the Duomo.

The inside of the Baptistry is also very beautiful. It's considerably older than the Duomo and has beautiful medieval golden mosaics.

bvlenci

I've heard this enormous porphyry basin more than 10 years previously described by a tour guide as "Nero's bathtub". I hoped he was the only one, but over the years this myth has flourished.

First of all, archeologists date the basin to the 2nd century CE, 200 years after Nero's time. There is zero evidence that it was a bathtub. The Vatican Museums own website says that it "probabili decorated some grande public space in Imperial Rome."

It would be very impractical as a bathtub. Difficult to fill, difficult to heat, difficult to drain, and difficult to get in and out of. Not only that, it has a circular protuberance in the center which would be most uncomfortable to sit on. Only your feet and your butt would be in the water.

The ancient Romans had huge bath complexes, even in the homes and palaces of wealthy citizens. They weren't accustomed to bathe in a basin, even one that's made of priceless porphyry. It might have been used for ritual purposes. There is a similar porphyry basin in Verona, in the Church of San Zeno, dating from the same period. It used to stand in the piazza outside the church, but it originally came from a Roman public bath complex, and was used for ritual purification. (The Latin name for this type of basin is labrum lustrale.) In medieval times, visitors to the church rinsed their hands as a ritual before entering the church. Many religions have similar ritual washing of the hands, face, or feet before entering a holy place.

In fact the original location and purpose of this porphyry basin is unknown, but it certainly was not Nero's bathtub. This is the main reason I prefer a good guide book to a tour guide.

bvlenci

Laura and Steve, if you enjoy Michelin star dining, you really should visit Le Marche (where I live). Not only is it one of the most beautiful parts of Italy (in my slightly biased view), there are four or five Michelin-starred restaurants here. The small city of Senigallia (population 44,000) Uliassi (***) and Madonnina del Pescatore (**). I've eaten at both. When I ate at Madonnina del Pescatore, it had three stars and I haven't been back since. I preferred Uliassi, which was less pretentious. The other starred restaurants in Le Marche have just one apiece, and I haven't been to any of them.

The standard for restaurants is high here. There are other really excellent restaurants in Senigallia, and in the surrounding areas.

Leely2

Ditto Senigallia for its dining scene and for being a generally pleasant seaside town.

bvlenci, how has Uliassi weathered Covid and all the shutdowns?

bvlenci

Laura, did you visit the Museum of the Great Synagogue of Rome? It was fascinating. We had limited time in the Museum because we wanted to make the last visit of the day to the Great Synagogue, and the only way to visit the synagogue was to visit the museum first. I don't remember how long we had for the museum, but we could have spent longer. There were many exhibits about the religious and social life in the Ghetto, and also very interesting films. The visit to the Synagogue was with a guide, and it was fascinating. If I ever go again, however, I would go earlier to be able to spend more time in the Museum.

bvlenci

Yes, Uliassi is still going strong, as far as I can tell. They close just before Christmas and reopen in April. They're also closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

I've told this story before, but I'll tell it again. The first time we went to Uliassi, we were out for a walk on the beach, not at all dressed for dining out. It was our anniversary, in late October, and as we were passing Uliassi, my husband said, "Why don't we have lunch here?" I said, "Oh, surely they wouldn't have a last-minute table!" But, probably because it was so late in the season, they did. I was a little uncertain about dining there in our sandy, scruffy condition, but they treated us like royalty, and Uliassi himself came to our table to see how we were enjoying our meal. (Maybe the waitress told him, "You gotta see the couple that just came in!"

lauramsgarden

the bathtub I was referring to wasn't the large porphyry one (the guide thought it might have been a fishpond) but an actual bathtub looking one among several in one of the rooms. But I do appreciate your greater knowledge base....I am better at big picture ideas, not so good at keeping track of specifics

lauramsgarden

Sadly BVlenci we did not. It was high on my list but didn't make the final cut....something for sure to come back to.

lauramsgarden

Thank you for the recommendation. Sadly we leave tomorrow, but there is always next time! We had a similar experience in Spain twice when we wandered into restaurants in our grubby clothes at lunch only to discover they were Michelin starred and had the meal of a lifetime (I remember fondly the bloody mary foam lol)