Rome – Day 1: Supplies and Bells

Boring flight… mostly. For a half hour or so we weren’t sure about a woman who wasn’t doing well south of the tip of Greenland. A couple doctors were on the plane and I stuck my head in to make sure. Eventually she returned to her seat, drama ended,

Coming into Rome I always like catching sight of what I call the Temple of the Chinese Hat.

One of these churches was built in honor of Our Lady of Loreto (closer) and Holy Name of Mary. And that’s Trajan’s column. Dante was creative with Trajan!

A glimpse of the dome of one of the great Counter Reformation churches, Sant’Andrea della Valle, where recently liturgical turpitude was perpetrated. May the Teatini convert or regret it!

While I was waiting for the lady to come with the keys for the apartment, a nice young man at the nearby restaurant saw me, chatted a bit and offered a coffee. Genteel. I have to give the place some of my custom. The menu looked good! New place. Food is changing in Rome. FAST.

When I come here, I come armed with ice trays. You never know what ice horrors await.

Off for supplies. The first thing I did, even before cleaning myself up, was to get some pizza bianca and mortadella. Some things can’t wait.

Terrific – especially where I get it – and Rome is in every bite.

Next, veggies. La Signora doesn’t look overly joyful in this but I can assure you that an instant before she was beaming. I received an email from a reader who said that she went to this stand during her time in Rome and one of her little kids stuck his tongue out at her, but he apologized and they all got on well. Kids. Sheesh.

One of the things I pine for when not in Rome is the garlic you get here. It’s none of your weak-kneed stuff that we get in the States. No. This tastes like garlic. Hence, you have to remember not to compensate, if you get my drift.

Tomatoes peeled for sauce. This type really needs to be seeded.

Later in the afternoon, to church for Mass. A few things have changed in the sacristy since last June, so I’ll probably wind up with fixed times in the late afternoons.