The Rest of Friday

Laurent joined Joanne and I at the Piazza Sant'Andrea delle valle around two o'clock and we head off for lunch at one of our favorite Trattoria. For almost 40 years Paola Fazi has been cooking in the kitchen of Trattoria der Pallaro and her husband Giovanni has acted as host and waiter. Posted above the door is a sign: Qui se magna quello che passa la casa (Here you will eat what we want to feed you.) There is no menu, just what Paola has decided to cook that day. It will always be a traditional four course Italian meal - Antipasti, primi, secondi and dolci with the added pleasure of freshly squeezed clementine juice as a palate cleanser.

Friday's menu:
• Hot lentils, prosciutto, salami, black olives, potato-cheese balls, white fish fritters
• Rigate in a creamy tomato sauce with Romano cheese
• Roast veal with Paola's signature home made potato chips, grilled eggplant and zucchini
• Freshly squeezed clementine juice
• Apricot tarte
• Coffee
• A rather rough but not unpleasant local white wine

Then Laurent gave us one of his patented Roma antiche tours - Largo Argentino (the old Campus Martius where Julius Caesar was actually assassinated despite what Hollywood may say) and Portico Ottavia (the old Jewish ghetto and south of the Foro.) As a sidebar Laurent has been known for his tours where ever we have lived: his Jarash and Warsaw ghetto tours especially were a must for anyone visiting the Embassies in Jordan or Poland. His ancient Rome tours are becoming equally famous. He just may have another career all set when he retires in a few years time.

The ancient ghetto is still a Jewish area and in celebration of Hanukkah there was a nine branched menorah or Hanukiah in the piazza.

Earlier in the day Joanne and I had passed the Arch of Titus with its famous bas-relief of the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem. A menorah is being take away as part of the booty.

10 decembre - Nostra Signora di Loretto