Farmer's Market

OK, I think we're really bad at this whole blogging thing. I swear we posted another day, but it's just not on the site, so I'll try again. Yesterday was spent at the Villa Borghese, which is both a park and a mansion with amazing art. The park is something like Central Park in New York, but not nearly as well kept. The mansion was a former Cardinal of the Catholic Church who clearly used some of the money to build both a house and collect art -- and a lot of art!! There were several spectacular pieces, but the ones that really struck us were the sculptures by Bernini, including Apollo & Daphni, and Pluto & Prosperini. Both spectacular works that make you wonder why Michelangelo is more famous than Bernini -- I know!!! We couldn't take pictures at the Borghese so the sculpture you see is from a cathedral, still by Bernini though. This one called the Ecstasy of Theresa.

Then this morning Ellen and I awoke very early (before 7 am which is damn early in Italy!!) and walked to the market in Campo de Fiori. We actually arrived before the marketeers (Ellen), but not by much. Anyway, we were able to buy very nice fresh vegetables, fruits, cheeses and meats for our lunch that same day.

Later we had a cooking class at the La Fate in Testevere. We had a wonderful time with our chef, Andrea, learning to cook the non-Roman Testevere way (first pic). For sake of history, Testevere was the very poor part of Rome, from where all the nobles inside Rome got their food. Therefore, the cuisine is very different than inside the city, even 2000 year later! Many Romans still snub their nose at Testevere (including our apartment landlord), but we found it much like home. Then again, we are from New Haven.

Tomorrow is our last full day in Rome, then on to Pompeii! Supposedly our next few stops have internet connections, so we hope to be fully connected.

Ciao.