September 2017 ITALY TRAVELS......... CIAO BELLA!!!!!

 ITALY IN SEPTEMBER........  "The Eternal City"   ....... ROME

We flew from Boston to Rome on the night of Sept 10, arriving in time for a late lunch.

Our hotel is Baglioni Hotel Regina on Via Veneto, near the Borghese Gardens and Harry's Bar Roma.
Oh, and the Hard Rock Cafe is around the corner.

First lunch was at Peppone, a few blocks away. Ray had pasta and I had a roasted salmon with herbs and veggies. Very tasty! We took a stroll in the Borghese gardens. We walked along the 3rd Century Aurelian Wall that surrounds the  "centro  storico"  and looked at statues after lunch.
Then a brief nap.....

Dinner was at a local and very fun Japanese place called SHINTO..... we sat at the bar and watched them prepare the hot dishes. Sushi was back in the kitchen..... a novel approach. All the food was yummy. Hand rolls and Black cod in a tempura like sauce.

Tuesday we walked down to the Pantheon area to meet our chef Violante at the Campo di Fiori food market. We went to her apartment at Palazzo Taverna  nearby. She lives on the top floor with an amazing terrace. Breathtaking views of the whole city. She is really situated right in the center of Rome. We made zucchini flans, Fish quenelles, green beans, and Tiramisu for dessert. I have the recipes and will repeat all of this back home. Can't wait to try it all in our kitchen! She was a good coach and lovely person to be with.

On the 7th Floor of Palazzo Taverna. One corner of the patio.

The viewing area at the top of the building. Possibly the best vista in the city! We'll let you know after we have seen them all!

Rome from Violante's patio

Another section of town...... The huge dome is the Vatican Cathedral.

Ray and Violante in the kitchen. Her kitchen has been retrofitted into the attic of the building. They are prepping the molds for the flan. Ray really stepped up and did a lot of the cooking.

The Zucchini flan with toasted pine nuts. It was yummy!!

Mario, our server, with the quenelles on a platter

Our lunch!

All plated and ready to enjoy!

Wednesday morning  Ray found a pool and went swimming. I had a massage at the hotel spa.
You just have to break down and do these things to keep body and soul together.

Then we lunched at Harrys Bar, and took a cab over to Castello St Angelo, on the banks of the Tiber River.

An institution. Apparently a popular spot for Romans. We lunched at a table outside by the Via Veneto. Lots of people watching to be done there.

Tiber River Bridges.

The bridge leading to Castel St Angelo is lined with these angels carved by the great master Bernini.

Castel St Angelo. There is a private walkway between the vatican and this tower. In case the Pope needs to escape the Vatican. This started out as a mausoleum for the remains of Emperor Hadrian and his family. It late became a fort, prison, and then a storage place for documents and artifacts from the Vatican, and a second residence for some of the popes.

Thursday evening we had dinner at a traditional Roman place called L'Archangelo, north of the Vatican. I just had a salad with fish and shrimps. Ray had the pigeon, served in a glass case with a
burning, smoking rosemary. A unique presentation. And the meat was delish and tender.

Friday was our all day tour of Castel Gandolfo and the Summer residence and gardens of the Pope.

                 The town of Castel Gandolfo is small, and entirely depends on the Popes Residence. Here it is...... the Church acquired it from a wealthy old family who could no longer pay their taxes.

                                        Looking over the volcanic lake below the town.

                                                         A grand hallway inside the palace

     My favorite part was the gardens. They are massive and truly a great  place to nourish your spirit and contemplate.

                                Another view of the gardens. they were only recently made available for the public to visit. Our current Pope Francis has made this possible.

                                       The farmhouse where they grow produce and raise animals to feed folks at the Vatican. We were pleased to be served a simple but adequate lunch here after our tour.

                   As we returned to Rome, our guide let us off the bus outside of San Giovanni in Lanterno Cathedral. Built in 312 ad, this is the worlds most ancient church. We walked around inside and were
so happy we did. This is a very special place for Christians everywhere.


Dinner Friday night was at La Pergola, an elegant Michelin starred restaurant in the hills outside of town.

So no photos of the restaurant itself, which was beautiful. But Ray did shoot a few of our dishes.
This was my main course..... pigeon with a dreamy sauce and a great plate!

One of our first courses. I'd love to know who makes these plates!

Ray's main course at Pergola.

This was a unique presentation. Little after dinner treats served in the drawers of this silver box......

On our last day in Rome we were scheduled to take a private tour of the vatican with a small group of 15. I took an Italian cold relief formula that morning and it knocked me out for the whole day. I never got out of bed. So Ray went to the Vatican alone........ This beautiful marble statue was there, plus the following shots of the ceiling of the famous Sistine Chapel,
all shot by Ray on the tour.

Michelangelo's "The Creation" ....... Sistine Chapel

Sistine Chapel 

Adam and Eve .... Sistine Chapel

He must have laid down on the floor to get this amazing shot of the Sistine Chapel Ceiling....