The Reality of Rainy Rome

This our only full day in Rome evoked a lot of “if only’s”. But it definitely improved as time passed.

(Pictures to be added when technical difficulties are resolved.)

Upon finding the rain to have stopped this morning, we opted to see the antiquities starting with the Colosseum. (Our traveling companions went for the Vatican and its accompanying museum just to play it safe.)

We had just signed ourselves up for a guided tour of the Colosseum when it started to rain. The guide was actually issued a microphone so he could be heard above the rain. I learned a lot of things I had never known about the Colosseum, but the visibility was poor and we were all literally dripping wet.

The rain let up just about the time the tour ended, so we walked from there to the old Jewish ghetto, taking in all the antiquities along the way (despite the fact that the Romans seldom see to put up a sign telling you what you are looking at.) We had to try hard to avoid all the puddles.

Lunch was way-too-salty anchovy pizza that failed to live up to my pizza standards.

The Jewish museum and synagogue tour was informative. We learned that Jews have been in Rome continuously since the 2nd century BCE. Instead of Yiddish they speak a language that combines Italian and Hebrew. There are currently only about 15,000 Jews living in Rome.

We wandered around the former ghetto area, waiting in a long line to buy the greatest Jewish cheesecake I have ever eaten.

Dinner was significantly better than lunch. My friend Kris had paper thin pizza topped with mushrooms and bacon that was undoubtedly the best choice.

Once again the highlights of my trip seem to revolve about food. But I figure if eating takes my mind off the rain, it’s just fine.

Tomorrow as the sun comes out here, we’re headed to Venice for more good food, a gondola ride, and perhaps some Murano glass.