Woke to bird song this morning - a lovely sound.
Flask filled with strong espresso and we are off to the bakery for cornetti to go.
Our walk this morning takes us up on to the Campidoglio, passing the She - Wolf, symbol of Rome, on the way.
We say hello to Marcus Aurelius and continue on to Piazzale Caffarelli.
Our breakfast spot has a panoramic view of Rome - from Il Vittoriano......
....... to Teatro Marcello and the Synagogue
With many church domes in between
This little terrace sits on top of Bronze Age settlements that go back centuries - at least 1,500 years BC.
On our way down we spot a fig tree laden with fruit
We cross to Teatro Marcello and walk through the ruins to Portico d'Ottavia and the Jewish Ghetto beyond.
Teatro Marcello was built by Emperor Augustus and named after a favourite nephew who had died at the age of 19.
A walk through the Ghetto is a sobering one as the many brass cobblestones remind us of victims of the Holocaust.
This family included a baby that only lived for ten days.
There are peaceful corners too.
At Boccione we are too early too sample 'Jewish Pizza' , a cake made with candied fruits, as it is still in the oven. However we do get smiles from the notoriously grumpy ladies behind the counter.
Across the river to Trastevere where we hope to get a glimpse of the Madonna in the church of Sant'Agata. However, she must be needing peace and quiet after all the festivities, as the door is firmly closed.
We spend the rest of the morning in Trastevere, including a stop at Antica Carciara, where Roberto always greets us like old friends.
A few doors up is Il Suppli where we buy suppli, a roasted chicken & potatoes for dinner.
We shop in San Cosimato market and have coffee at Bar San Calisto
Then back to the apartment to prepare lunch - bruschetta, salami and cheese.
When it cools down a little we walk in Villa Borghese
We walk down to Piazza Popolo, where the fountain is under restoration, to Hotel Locarno and the peaceful courtyard bar.
Suitably refreshed we take the little 117 electric bus back to the apartment. These buses are not called 'full-ups' for nothing but a trip on one is another 'Rome Ritual' for us. There is no fear of falling over as we jolt along, we are so tightly wedged in!
It takes minutes to prepare dinner, thanks to our purchases this morning, and we are soon sitting on the balcony enjoying the balmy night air.
Goodnight from Roma
