July 9-10 Roma (Rome)

So many cool historical buildings! (I almost became desensitized to it by the end of the weekend whoops...) Of course, there are the famous ones but there are also the ones that pop up when you turn the corner. In addition to admiring big ol' stones, we visited many churches with intricate paintings hanging on the walls and integrated into the ceiling. Framing these paintings were often lacey gold trim.

DAY 1

ER BUCHETTO - A hole in the wall, cash only shop near the train station, known for their porchetta

Many little bubbles in the crackly crust. I wanted a little bit more meat, but the pork was flavorful enough that it was tasty and filling.

COLOSSEUM

After seeing the Colosseum in Pompeii, this one was much larger than anticipated

We also passed by the Palantine Hill / Roman Forum

ALTARE DELLA PATRIA / PIAZZA VENEZIA

This huge white monument really stands out in the city-scape.

Dedicated to veterans of the First World War.

PANTHEON

TREVI FOUNTAIN

Crazy to think how they made this all by hand from stone

SPANISH STEPS

PIAZZA NAVONA

SALTIMBOCCA RESTAURANT - a block from Piazza Navona

Bruschette - four types, with just garlic, tomatoes, olives, and artichokes

Spaghetti Carbonara - egg sauce, cheese, crispy pancetta/guanciale. very rich, crispy pork add textural contrast

Saltimbocca - veal, prosciutto, sage, wine sauce. sage really ties it together

PIT STOP AT I SUPLI DEI CORONARI

Suppli are like filled arancini! The classic version has cheese and meat. The meat in mine was fennel flavored. The cheese and meat somewhat formed a filling but also were somewhat evenly dispersed. The rice was super flavorful, with tomato and basil, and it was soft but still a little al dente. The place was overpriced and geared towards tourists though...

Stretchy cheese!

ST PETERS BASILICA

Already stunning from the outside with its glistening white dome and the many sculptures

(You can find pictures online of the dome...it was the wrong time of day for us)

"Appropriate dress" for a sacred place

We think that's sexism

It's huge on the inside and so much art, including the famous Pieta and the prettiest organ ever!!

PRETTY ORGAN!!

Heading out from the Basilica to...

VATICAN MUSEUM / SISTINE CHAPEL

More incredible art, plus exhibits on ancient civilizations from Egyptians to Etruscans. I wonder how sculptures and pottery from those location ended up in Rome...

And also lots of famous art, such as Victory of Christianity over Paganism, Fire in the Borgo, School of Athens, Creation of Man. Search 'em up! Woo art history!

Who is the cutest?

Cool map room!

There's contemporary art too!

Dome! Can you spot the difference with the MIT dome?

And great views in the museum too!

In the Sistine Chapel, no photos are allowed. In addition, there are employees who make sure that paths are not blocked, shoulders are covered, and that the art is respected. Funny thing is that he blasted on the loudspeaker that we should be silent in the chapel.

BONCI PIZZARIUM - super famous in Rome

Pizza with zucchini, anchovies, and mozzarella

Crust was almost like bread. The bottom was convection-oven-crispy (I didn't taste any wood or charcoal fire) and little air bubbles that evidence the crunchiness. You can see large air bubbles that signify gluten development in the picture! The salty anchovies contrasted the sweet zucchini, but I would have preferred to anchovies to be better distributed and perhaps mellowed down with some lemon, etc.

Eaten on the metro. No hand sanitizer needed hehe!

DAY 2

TESTACCIO - primarily working class neighborhood with what used to be largest slaughterhouse in Europe

When Rome invaded Egypt, they brought back an admiration for pyramids

Castle+pyramid

There was also a nice park with several paths and steps that we hiked up.

A guy playing guitar like a zither

A keyhole that you could peek through to St. Peter's Basilica!!

TRASTEVERE

IL MARITOZZARO

Maritozzo con panna e crema - yeast bun filled with whipped cream, a Roman classic. I also chose to have it drizzled in pastry cream, which was the classic Italian orange flavor. Messy but so good!

In the same neighborhood, there was an enormous outdoor market selling shoes, clothes, and home goods. It felt like it was never-ending, which is pretty accurate considering it was like a mile long.

JEWISH QUARTER

This was a gated area where Jews forced to live from 1555 to 1870. They had to sell their property and rent it back from Christian landlords at exorbitant prices and were only allowed to work unskilled jobs and lived in poverty. This sharply contrasted their way of life in the centuries past, when they were allowed to roam freely, particularly during the early Roman empire.

Right near the quarter are also some roman ruins, including temples and a theater.

BA'GHETTO

I had initially wanted to go to Nonna Betta, but the kitchen was closed by the time we all got there. I basically had an all artichoke meal.

Carciofi alla guida (Jewish artichokes), fried - I wasn't too keen on the crispy leaves, but the artichoke heart was saturated with oil which brought out a different flavor profile.

Carciofi alla romana (Roman artichokes), braised - simply with olive oil and a sprinkle of parsley. the heart was sweeter than the Jewish version.

Animelle di vitello con carciofi (veal sweetbreads with artichokes) - sweetbreads very tender, slightly creamy. some bites had light funk (like lamb), some bites tasted like Chinese thousand year old egg, and others just sweet. the sauce had garlic and wine and artichokes ofc (was a bit on the salty side).

The zucchini flowers were stuffed with fish (instead of the normal cheese) since this restaurant doesn't serve dairy.

Aside from the food, the staff were also a quirky bunch. At first, they seemed confrontational. But they always smiled and I couldn't feel any hostility. So I concluded that it was simply their direct demeanor / humor. For instance, one person essentially scolded me for not approaching him about getting a table (even though he wasn't at his post). As I was getting ready to respond, he brushed it off as something trivial. Likewise, when the waitress couldn't understand my question, she just exclaimed, "just tell me what you want" in a somewhat impatient manner. It really felt like I was part of a family that would get into arguments at the dinner table, without any bad feelings.

PASTICCERIA BOCCIONE

They're known for their ricotta and cherry crostata, but I don't think they had that. Instead, they had several of these cakes covered in toasted swirls, which I sampled.

Sponge cake with apricot jam and topped with toasted almond paste. Apricot jam seemed homemade but pretty sweet. It was sweeter than what I was anticipating for an Italian sweet; it was closer to what I would expect from Eastern Europe, both in terms of sweetness and composition / style.