Up to Rome - November 26th-30th 2010

Top

November 28th 2010: Miscellaneous Medieval Rome


Page 2 of 3.
Click on images below to enlarge:
This building that houses a monument is controversial. It doesn't blend in with its neighborhood, nor does its windows allow one to easily see the monument as was intended.
A close-up of the windows.
This building that houses a monument is controversial. It doesn't blend in with its neighborhood, nor does its windows allow one to easily see the monument as was intended.
A close-up of the windows.
Lunch
We ate lunch at this restaurant. Sorry I didn't write down the name. Near here, we passed a square built by Mussolini. It has hard, rectangular lines, much like this building.
No Picture Associated With These Comments
Di Yin's dish: "home made ravioli stuffed with artichoke puree, with flash-grilled squid." Her dish didn't do anything for me.
My lunch entree: "spaghetti 'verrigni' in carbonara of smoked duck breast and julienne of zucchini." The carbonara was great! Though a creamy sauce, there was only enough to coat the pasta, not make the dish heavy. Plus, the duck and bacon puts the flavor profile over the top.
We ate lunch at this restaurant. Sorry I didn't write down the name.
Near here, we passed a square built by Mussolini. It has hard, rectangular lines, much like this building.
The restaurant has a lot of space: a front half, a back half (with a separate entrance; mainly used by locals; tables placed closer together), and an upper level (where we ate).
Di Yin's dish: "home made ravioli stuffed with artichoke puree, with flash-grilled squid." Her dish didn't do anything for me.
My lunch entree: "spaghetti 'verrigni' in carbonara of smoked duck breast and julienne of zucchini." The carbonara was great! Though a creamy sauce, there was only enough to coat the pasta, not make the dish heavy. Plus, the duck and bacon puts the flavor profile over the top.
Snack at Giolitti
Giolitti, a friend-of-a-friend S's favorite gelato joint.
The first room, devoted to baked goods. The gelato is in the far room.
One of the two cases of gelato.
My gelato, clockwise from right: melon - exactly like my melon popsicle--pure melon--when I get the defrost time right to get the perfect texture. pear - pure pear. Great! blueberry - intense. Thus, rather sweet.
Giolitti, a friend-of-a-friend S's favorite gelato joint.
The first room, devoted to baked goods. The gelato is in the far room.
One of the two cases of gelato.
My gelato, clockwise from right:
  • melon - exactly like my melon popsicle--pure melon--when I get the defrost time right to get the perfect texture.
  • pear - pure pear. Great!
  • blueberry - intense. Thus, rather sweet.
No Picture Associated With These Comments
Di Yin ordered:
  • strawberry
  • lemon - like last time, including the appealing bit of tartness.
  • pomelo - exactly right, also with a bit of tartness.
Around Piazza Navona
Our first glimpse of Piazza Navona. The plaza was filled with booths. The building on the far side is the church of Sant'Agnese in Agone.
Looking down one direction in Piazza Navona. Piazzas, in one form or another, have been on this land for about two thousand years.
The central fountain, Bernini's Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (Four Rivers Fountain). Each figure symbolizes one of the four great rivers known then: the Danube, the Ganges, the Nile, and the Rio della Plata. The figure at the right in this picture represents the Nile; his head is covered because the top/the source of the Nile had not yet been found.
The opposite side of Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi.
Our first glimpse of Piazza Navona. The plaza was filled with booths. The building on the far side is the church of Sant'Agnese in Agone.
Looking down one direction in Piazza Navona.
Piazzas, in one form or another, have been on this land for about two thousand years.
The central fountain, Bernini's Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (Four Rivers Fountain). Each figure symbolizes one of the four great rivers known then: the Danube, the Ganges, the Nile, and the Rio della Plata. The figure at the right in this picture represents the Nile; his head is covered because the top/the source of the Nile had not yet been found.
The opposite side of Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi.
The fountain at the north end of the piazza.
Looking down the length of Piazza Navona, and yet another Egyptian obelisk. (How many did Rome take?)
One booth sold garden gnomes and model troll houses.
A sample street in Rome's central core.
The fountain at the north end of the piazza.
Looking down the length of Piazza Navona, and yet another Egyptian obelisk. (How many did Rome take?)
One booth sold garden gnomes and model troll houses.
A sample street in Rome's central core.
Looking west from Piazza di Pasquino.
Looking west further down Via del Governo Vecchio. Many of these buildings date from the Renaissance.
Heading east back down Via del Governo Vecchio toward Piazza di Pasquino.
At the south end of the Piazza Navona, instead of market booths there was a carnival!
Looking west from Piazza di Pasquino.
Looking west further down Via del Governo Vecchio. Many of these buildings date from the Renaissance.
Heading east back down Via del Governo Vecchio toward Piazza di Pasquino.
At the south end of the Piazza Navona, instead of market booths there was a carnival!
Another random street in this area. I like the look of the lamp and the balcony on the left side of the lane. Artificially brightened.
The distinctive belfry atop Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza (a church).
Another perspective on Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza's belfry/church-tower. This church was built by Borromini in the seventh century. Artificially brightened.
San Luigi dei Francesi (another church) has nice molding and reliefs.
Another random street in this area. I like the look of the lamp and the balcony on the left side of the lane.
Artificially brightened.
The distinctive belfry atop Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza (a church).
Another perspective on Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza's belfry/church-tower. This church was built by Borromini in the seventh century.
Artificially brightened.
San Luigi dei Francesi (another church) has nice molding and reliefs.
The Piazza Della Rotonda, the plaza in front of the Pantheon, looks like a nice place to sit and eat. The cobblestone streets and outdoor dining areas reminded me of Barcelona. Also note the fresco in the upper-left.
The Piazza Della Rotonda, the plaza in front of the Pantheon, looks like a nice place to sit and eat. The cobblestone streets and outdoor dining areas reminded me of Barcelona.
Also note the fresco in the upper-left.
The Pantheon
The Pantheon. Di Yin said that it looked like it was "under construction" (I guess to keep from falling down). Funny to think such an ancient building could be called under construction. It's too bad the depth of the portico isn't visible in this picture.
Entering the Pantheon.
A panoramic video from inside the Pantheon. Shows its many side chapels with Christian imagery (the Pantheon was consecrated as a church in the seventh century), the various hues of marble, the many frescoes, the attractively regular texture of the ceiling, and the opening at the top that lets in light.
Can you imagine having to give a sermon at a lectern like this? Sorry for the fuzzy picture--basically the only light in the Pantheon comes through the oculus in the roof.
The Pantheon.
Di Yin said that it looked like it was "under construction" (I guess to keep from falling down). Funny to think such an ancient building could be called under construction.
It's too bad the depth of the portico isn't visible in this picture.
Entering the Pantheon.
A panoramic video from inside the Pantheon. Shows its many side chapels with Christian imagery (the Pantheon was consecrated as a church in the seventh century), the various hues of marble, the many frescoes, the attractively regular texture of the ceiling, and the opening at the top that lets in light.
Can you imagine having to give a sermon at a lectern like this?
Sorry for the fuzzy picture--basically the only light in the Pantheon comes through the oculus in the roof.