Days 20 & 21: ROMA

Friday ended up being a dies non for me.  Decided I had better find a doctor and get a preventative check before I leave on the cruise.  So on advice from Br Chris Wills, I headed over to a multi-specialist practice in Aventino where they have good English and modest prices.  Took Metro to Circo Massimo;  should have relaised it was going to be all uphill after that, as the Aventine is one of Rome's seven great hills.  No suitable doctor available, but I was given a slot to come back in the afternoon.  So after return home for a snack lunch, it was back to the Aventine and up the hill again.  No wonder my BP was 140/90.  Doctor gave me a thorough check; found mild bronchitis and put me on an antibiotic straight away to clear it off.

I noticed outside the farmacia when I took the script in that there was a vending machine attached to the wall, much like the cigarette machines we had.  On closer inspection, sells condoms.  I had noticed these vending machines outside all the pharmacies I have passed in Italy.  24 hour service I thought, so no one would be caught out.  Not so, I discovered!  Being "good Catholics", the pharmacy staff aren't allowed to sell condoms:  so self -serve outside!

Saturday dawned yet another warm and sunny one.  I spent some time on google maps and my Rome bus app trying to work out how to safely get to and from the places I would like to see:  they are all disatant from the Metro.  Too many bus changes and finding new bus stops involved.  So I took the easy way out and went into Termini by Metro where I paid €20 for a ticket on the Roma Cristiana hop on hop off bus.  Different from most of the others, it went to San Giovanni and Trestevere.

St John Lateran is the cathedral church of Rome, the Pope's own cathedral.  It has a proud engraving on the facade telling us that it is the "head and mother of all churches in the City and the World".  It is quite massive inside, and has its own style of grandeur.  Atttached are the Lateran Palaces where the Pope's lived until the 14th century.  Today the Vicariate of Rome operates from there.  In  the square there is another Egyptian obelisk, raised by Constantine to mark his conversion to Christianity.

Back on the bus, I continued to the Tiber.  On foot from there, I took in the ruins of the Teatro Marcello. This was an open air theatre capable of holding up to 20,000 spectators.  Nearby is the Jewish Ghetto-- a maze of narrow lanes and twisting streets.  I wandered through it but couldn't find the Great Synagogue of Rome.  Asked several people, but just got shrugs.  So I found my way back to the river and crossed over into Trastevere.  Adjacent is an island in the Tiber that is crowded with hospitals built over the centuries by various Orders and officials.  Trastevere is still a mix of opulent old mansions and crowded tenaments; very multicultural- probably Rome's Soho.  Teems with eating places and art shops and sidewalk artists.  I have to confess that my lunch here was a hot dog and Peroni.  It was very much alive today with weekend crowds: I can only magine the scene after dark as fold from all over Rome descend there to dine.

The main building in the area is the church Santa Maria in Trastevere.  A little dull inside, it nonetheless has its own character and more candles burning before shrines than I have seen elsewhere.  Got a bit lost in the maze of streets after that, but eventually got back to the river where I could pick up my hoho bus and get back to Termini and eventually home.

Tonight I went to the topo of my street to the little church  Madonna del Buon Riposo on the Via Aurelia.  I got the last seat: it holds 25 (all elderly ladies), but they squeezed another dozen or so into the sacristy.  The priest was obviously an overseas student here, helping out at weekends.  I think his Italian was just passable as he stumbled a bit reading the gospel, and read his sermon straight from his notes.  My €5 note on the collection plate was the only paper money in sight!!

For my last night's dinner I plan to go to a local trattoria up on the Via Aurelia near here.  Have booked at 12:12 train from Termini tomorrow to take me to Civitavecchia, where I will join the Azamara Quest.

Today's quote a photos can be found here.