Rome on Saturday

Wow, we hoofed it all over the centro today. But first, we took cab to the Piazza del Popolo to visit some of my favorite paintings of all time in the Chiesa Santa Maria there. There is a Pintoricchio in the first chapel on the right that ranks up there with my "comfort paintings." I always stop by when in Rome to admire it. It's simple and warm and just perfect. Of course, the church is more famous for its two Caravaggios. And why not? The Conversion of St. Paul has one of the best horses in painting, as it gingerly steps around the prostrate Saul, exactly as a horse would, with the same look of equine concern. And the compositional genius of having the groom's leg stand in for the delicately raised front hoof of the horse brings this painting from the marvelous to the sublime. The Matyrdom of St. Peter is equally perfect. Who else but Caravaggio would make a workman's ass the first thing you see? And from the rope that digs into the other man's flesh as he struggles to raise the upside-down cross to the dirty foot of the man bearing most of the weight, even to the look of concern on Peter's face, more old man than father of the church at this moment, and I thought, "there is nothing of the divine in this painting; it's all human action."

We just walked back to our hotel after that. They were taking down seats and stands for a 160th anniversary celebration of the Rome police force. We took in the Spanish steps, aglow in the light and packed with colorful flowers and tourists. We stopped by the Fontana di Trevi. Ira reminisced about the Hotel de Fontana right there, where he spent his first nights in Rome way back in 1959 (when the hotel was for the budget-minded and the area was not absolutely jam-packed with tourists. Then it was lunch at Armando al Pantheon, a must-stop for the Roman gourmet. They promote fresh, slow food. My primi was a zucchini flower cooked with tender shrimp that was one of the best things I've eaten in recent memory. My rigatoni with chicken innards ragu was not for the faint of heart, but I love liver and heart, and this was rich and satisfying. We were lucky to get in. We just happened to be there when they opened the doors, and there were only three tables for those without reservations.

A quick rest, then a cab ride to the Palantine where we were supposed to meet up with Rosaria and Valentina for a tour of a recently restored Roman gardens. The weather was threatening, clouds moving quickly in, even a bolt of lightning off in the deep blue to the south. Luckily, the rain held off. Unluckily, we never met up with your friends! But, we both enjoyed the gardens. Ira and I strolled through the Forum, then back to our hotel just as the rain hit. Hopefully it will have stopped before dinner tonight. It's nice to be in the center of Rome just for all the opportunities to walk and see the antiquities.