Rome: DAY 31 FRIDAY NIGHT AND THE LIGHTS ARE LOW (ABBA)

THIRTY-FIRST DAY

FRIDAY NIGHT AND THE LIGHTS ARE LOW (ABBA)

October 14, 2005

Last night we had some friends from Sonoma over to the Academy for drinks and then went down to dinner at Vecchia Roma next to the Ghetto and one minute from where we will live when we leave the mother ship.  Ann and Greg Evans from Napa joined Ed and Schon.  They are all excited about Rome and fun to be with.  Ed and Schon on their way to a cruise up the Italian Med coast to Nice and other ports, and the Evans are traveling on to Florence.  The food was excellent and being with friends better.  Vecchia Roma is a high end Roman restaurant and the service was faultless, the best yet.  As usual, everybody had fish but me.  It never seems to tastes very good to me, but I should keep trying.  The beef was perfect and followed with grilled Radicchio that was good enough to mention even if it is a vegetable.  Use enough olive oil and everything tastes good.  Our evening with friends ended with all of us looking at our new apartment (November) and then walking the 20 yards to view the Theatro Marcello and Apollo’s Temple in all its glory.  Location, location, location. 

This morning in spite of their efforts to keep us in Rome, we rented a car and without any mistakes made our way to the ring road.  I probably should mention that renting a car was another Roman experience.  All of the information that we gave the agent had already been given before. We gave it all again.  We have been looking forward to going forth from the Academy and basically getting out of Rome on our own.  Three plus hours later we pulled into Fabriano where it was clear the paper mill was not going to let us see them making paper.  We had lunch near the Museo della Carta et Filagrati (watermarks) which is the main attraction of Fabriano except for the bank ATM where I was able to get some Euros. But, I digress, back to the paper museum.  We loved it.  There was a 30 minute movie about papermaking and Fabriano’s history.  Well done if not well edited and in English.  The exhibits were impressive and they had the handmade paper folks working hard, at least while we were there.  No other soul was in the Museo.  The watermarks collection was notable and very unique.  We really had a hard time finding our hotel in Assisi and I am bummed by always having to search it out.  The countryside of Umbria is attractive, but without a good map of Assisi you could search for hours for your spot.  I have enough Scotch for another couple of days.  Tomorrow, the great frescoes of Giotto and Cimabue.  St Francis calls and we will answer.