Boring flight… mostly. For a half hour or so we weren’t sure about a woman who wasn’t doing well south of the tip of Greenland. A couple doctors were on the plane and I stuck my head in to make sure. Eventually she returned to her seat, drama ended,
Coming into Rome I always like catching sight of what I call the Temple of the Chinese Hat.
One of these churches was built in honor of Our Lady of Loreto (closer) and Holy Name of Mary. And that’s Trajan’s column. Dante was creative with Trajan!
A glimpse of the dome of one of the great Counter Reformation churches, Sant’Andrea della Valle, where recently liturgical turpitude was perpetrated. May the Teatini convert or regret it!
While I was waiting for the lady to come with the keys for the apartment, a nice young man at the nearby restaurant saw me, chatted a bit and offered a coffee. Genteel. I have to give the place some of my custom. The menu looked good! New place. Food is changing in Rome. FAST.
When I come here, I come armed with ice trays. You never know what ice horrors await.
Off for supplies. The first thing I did, even before cleaning myself up, was to get some pizza bianca and mortadella. Some things can’t wait.
Terrific – especially where I get it – and Rome is in every bite.
Next, veggies. La Signora doesn’t look overly joyful in this but I can assure you that an instant before she was beaming. I received an email from a reader who said that she went to this stand during her time in Rome and one of her little kids stuck his tongue out at her, but he apologized and they all got on well. Kids. Sheesh.
One of the things I pine for when not in Rome is the garlic you get here. It’s none of your weak-kneed stuff that we get in the States. No. This tastes like garlic. Hence, you have to remember not to compensate, if you get my drift.
Tomatoes peeled for sauce. This type really needs to be seeded.
Later in the afternoon, to church for Mass. A few things have changed in the sacristy since last June, so I’ll probably wind up with fixed times in the late afternoons.
Snack.
UPDATE
Supper.
Behold … beautiful… toothsome… fresh egg fettuccine.
I finished it in the sauce.
Tomorrow… errands and stuff.
Meanwhile, enjoy the evening bells of Sant’Andrea della Valle.
Mortadella looks to die for! It’s been 20 years since I’ve been in Italy, and found a dive in Florence that had the best pasta I’ve ever had; but more recently I was in the Latin Quarter of Paris, and their panini stand food is amazing. On the other-hand I was in Ireland, and not to be mean (since I’m Irish), but their food stinks; well for the most part–I was there for six weeks studying at Trinity College, Dublin, and their breakfasts are very good. But, if you go to Ireland, please do yourself a favor and don’t eat blood pudding.
The appearance of the coffee (?) in the cup reminded me of that of butterscotch pudding. And as for the garlic – would you say that’s “garlic that’ll put hair on your chest!” . . .?
wow, what fun, especially those wonderful **bells**!! thanks so much, Fr. Z!
What a delightful collage of your first day in Roma.
Father, boring flights are good flights. Remember that. Always.
Maybe peak your head into the Synod and set the straight while you are there as well. We will be holding you accountable for anything untoward that comes out of that little time bomb. Better make haste!
Father, boring flights are good flights. Remember that. Always.
Maybe peak your head into the Synod and set the straight while you are there as well. We will be holding you accountable for anything untoward that comes out of that little time bomb. Better make haste!
Oh, mortadella!
Will you be making carbonara? Guanciale is easy to find in Rome.
Mortadella + pizza bianca from Forno = truly a foretaste of heaven.
La Signora è bellissima! She wasn’t alone; there wasn’t a merchant sitting along Via dei Cappellari that wasn’t visited upon by my four-year-old’s rascally shenanigans. 90 year old Signoras being shot with his finger pistols, etc. Yet they always forgave and showered the children with caramelle each day, occasionally dropping candy to them from upstairs windows.
Ssa. Trinitas was our beautiful parish, though I spent Masses in the back preventing our toddler from escaping/barreling into a side altar Mass. Mandatory trip to Nonna Vincenza’s followed each Mass to celebrate/drown sorrows in cannoli/cornetti/maritozzi con la panna…
Have fun in Rome!
Right next to “The Temple with the Chinese Hat” is the Mouth of Truth. I wonder what would happen if we got some of our bishops & clerics to stick their hand in it? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3t1d4YpMSc.
We could have Vigano behind it! That would pretty well wrap things up, I should think.
Ah, the evening bells of Rome.
bobbird: I heard that this scene from Roman Holiday was in the script, except for Gregory Peck hiding his hand in his sleeve to have a little fun with Audrey Hepburn. Apparently she had no idea he was going to improvise there and her reaction to that was real.
Don’t recall exactly, but as a teenager in 1944 she lived near Arnhem of A Bridge to Far fame.