SIXTY-SEVENTH
DAY
November
19-20
On
Thursday evening we had dinner with friends from Sonoma, Bob and Paul. They have come from Lucca and Florence and
have been running around Rome like crazy men.
They come to our apartment for a pre dinner drink. It is very nice to share Sonoma news and
gossip. Our plan is to take them to
dinner at our new find, Costanza, inside the confines of what was the old Roman
Theatre Pompeii. It is likely that this
is the place where his good friends killed Julius Caesar. The waiter directs us to the usual Roman
appetizers of salt cod, squash flowers deep fried, and some other sort of fried
potato thing. No more of that-we have
had enough and they aren’t even that good.
I have figured out that most of the Italian menus are nearly the same,
it is the preparation that makes the difference and Costanza is good, but I
aching for a little Thai. We eat the
food and drink the wine, all good and share good conversation with these nice
men. They are leaving for Sonoma in the
morning, but at this moment it feels good for us to be in Roma and we’re happy
to be staying.
For those
who have been worried about my paper project, I have been going to the Library
at the American Academy where I now have outside Library privileges. The
associate librarian has been working with me to identify information
sources. I am now thinking that I should
be in Alexandria for more info and it is warmer there. Just kidding.
I found a really good book dealing with my subject, but it was mostly in
French. In any case, by the early 11th
century paper had completely taken over from skins and papyrus in the
mid-east. Over 90% of the manuscripts
found in what is now Israel from that time period are made out of paper in
various forms. This is more then most
people need to know, but the first paper in Europe was not even made here until
the 13th century in Spain. My
research will continue. I should finish
this work inside my 10-year time frame.
Yesterday,
a friend that we have made who lives in Campo de Fiori takes us on a tour of
the Campo. It is a short walk for us
from our small neighborhood to meet Deana and her pal, Mark. We get her opinion of the best wine stored,
where the supermarkets are, what is the best Forno for bread, a laundry and
more. She has lived in Rome for the last
several years and is a font of information.
She is doing her dissertation on 15th and 16th
century portraiture with two people in the picture. Wow, but she is having a good time in Rome
and hopes to secure some sort of Museum job in the US when she is done. Her apartment is in a great spot and close to
lots of amenities. The Ghetto, while central,
does not have as much commercial activity but it is so close it doesn’t
matter.
We end
the tour in the Ghetto at a restaurant called Margherita. It is very small and crowded. Simple food and fresh Pasta beautifully
prepared is served. It is sort of a club
and costs l euro to join for the year.
Something about avoiding taxes.
If any guest comes we will go there for lunch, fantastic and very
Italian. A lively place.
We
finished the day at a Piano concert at the Biblioteca Angelica near Piazza
Navona. Three very wonderful young student pianists playing in an authentic old
library with 50 foot ceilings and stacks all the way up the wall, wonderful old
library tables and brass lamps and movable ladders. It would be a great movie
set. The high ceiling made the sound crystal clear and the young 20ish players
were very talented. Walking home after
the concert in the clear very cold night Rome was alive with lights and
people. Christmas which is supposed to
be very big here (I wonder why) is starting to show itself.
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