PHOTO insert small and large Italian Press.
Tonight, train to Vienna.
ROME
Yesterday early 5am train to Rome. Couldn´t see much along the way, til about the last hour. Beautiful landscapes, rolling green hills, remnants of flooding over all the fields, sand piper like birds feasting in the flooded waters left behind as pools and huge puddles everywhere. Blue skies, sun rise over the rolling mountains, tall trees tall skinny trees, round fat trees, lavender hedgerows, rosemary shrubs, palms, tropical palms. Cityscape and buildings as we slowed the last half twenty for Rome central station. Lovely farms along the way.
Gorgeous, lively main station. Walked to main area, put cash in machine for a day ticket. Cash wouldn´t take. Luckily walked outside got change from the police, then walked back in to get tickets. Machines we used only take exact cash. Got day passes for the subway, got the main line to the colosseum, a few stops, got out, walked outside, pouring rain for most of the first half of the afternoon. Took a few photos, but was pouring, I was cold and sopping wet, even though I had an umbrella, it was just raining so much! Weather forecast had not called for so much rain, so I´d only brought my down parka as the forecast said maybe cold. Ruins were lovely! Saw some wonderful Italian gardens nearby.
Ate at a fantastic place around the corner from the Spanish steps.
RESTAURANT:
10Euros for antipasto buffet of fresh seasonal veggies, sliced meats, local cheeses and buffalo mozzarellas, salad, fresh fruits poached in liquor, Tuscany chicken in olives, various spicy olives, artichoke dishes, pears, and I forget what all else! Fantastic. Best place, best food yet! Went back twice yesterday!:) They have a heated indoor seating, and heated outdoor covered patio area. Buffet or order off the menu. I couldn´t decide from the menu, so tried the buffet so I could try many things!
My meal was the buffet. I got quartered artichokes, a fried artichoke, zucchini several ways, a slice of veal, a tiny piece of the chicken in spicy black olives, various tastes of mozzarellas and ricottas, spinach, asparagus, poached pear, and a few other things I tried. I got one small piece of one of each thing I tried, so that it sounds like I ate a huge amount, but I had only a tiny normal amount of food, on a small plate! I also drank a bottle of water (tap water is not an option here either), and a tiny bottle of their house prosecco, which was excellent! Well, ok two glasses total of prosecco.
Dessert, tried a tiny bit of several things. Espesso. Repeat for second meal later!:)
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Walked around Rome, saw the usual, Spanish steps, the fountains, walked up and down the main Gucci etc shopping street area enjoying the beauty of the architecture, window displays, and Christmas decorations and decorated Christmas trees.
Spanish steps again, as it made a bit of a circle round, and was near the subway station steps (a block from the Spanish steps is the subway entry).
Spent several hours wandering round the Roman ruins in various places. Then back after second meal, got the Spanish Steps station to the trains (a A line, then switch to a B line) to the ANTICA OSTIA ruins.
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Antica Ostia:
Beautiful train ride out of Rome to the outskirts then just get off at the station called Antica Ostica. Charming, pretty Italian station, with palm trees, and beautiful spectacular views all around. Toilets are clean and free, so I stopped to use them, and to take photos. There is a pretty koi pond, stone benches and stone chairs, Italian gardens, palms, aloe veras, etc. Walk past this away from train tracks to the town, over the footbridge which goes over the road. There is a tiny cafe here you can get pastry, coffees, sandwiches.
Keep walking about 2 minutes, keep straight, for about 4 minutes, there you are at the entry to the ruins. There is a castle, ruins, a few charming restaurants (open for supper about 7pm), pizzeria, cafe. A bit of a park around the castle, looking like a common green area. Across from the castle is a dog park, horse area (or I saw people on horses), an open area, and tiny hidden Italian gardens with lavender hedges and public water spouts (the charming water features you find everywhere, with spouts, flowing water from hidden springs).
Had a great visit! Will go back again in summer. Antica Ostia was my favourite thing in Rome, along with the restaurant I ate in twice.
AND, as I was freezing and sopping wet and cold most of the day, I wanted to note that it was much WARMER in Antica Ostia than it was in Rome. It was fairly warm in Rome, but the rain had made me cold and wet, so that the slight drop in temperature right after the rain had made me even colder, as I found it hard to dry off, once my jacket and clothes were all soaked. Even wearing thin wool breathable thermals did not help them dry off quicker or ever completely. They´re still laying on the heaters warming to dry them.
We´re all in the kitchen cooking, talking and eating...and cleaning,). My contribution, was washing up the dishes, making the soup. We have several different pastas, and sauces, both with and without meat. And then I also cut up celery, salad. X made homemade cookies, w the almonds on the top, tiny pretty in red and green tiny baking papers.
Sunny outside now. We´re catching train later tonight for Vienna. Lunch!
Quite nice, we´re all having lunch together, we all helped make, everyone helped with everything, and to make a few things. We´re talking, eating, blogging...so there are, in addtion to pasta bowls and plates on the table, a few laptops, incuding mine, and a few iphones....food all over in different bowls and plates, hot and cold...all of us sitting round, this farmhouse table, with red and white checkered tablecloth...Italian spoken back and forth, window open, beautiful outside, and in this warm, charming huge family kitchen with all of us having our lazy late Sunday lunch:)
Pastas included penne, farfalle, and a spaghetti looking pasta long but thicker with the center hallow. Sauces were with pomodoro, spices, herbs, some with meat some without, and with buffalo mozzarella. Tuscan soup, with fresh Italian herbs and some spices. Fresh picked citrus fruits from the garden. Waffles, just exactly like the heart shaped Norwegian waffles I made, folded in halfs (so to make a heart with two hearts), filled with hazelnuts and melted dark chocolate. Almonds biscuits homemade (biscuits are cookies, but these were tiny tiny cupcake sized cakes with almond on the top). Italian coffee, espresso made in one of those large metal Italian " French Press" like coffee makers you put on the gas stove top. Chocolates, as I had also bought some Italian chocolate bars, and other treats homemade, layed on on the table in various plates and in bowls for serving. Tiny gold espresso cups half full of hot steamy Italian coffee.
ciao!
