What a city!  We are so very pleased to just be here and our location is fabulous, too.  Walk to the market and see the ruins of ancient Rome just down the street—it’s a thrill:

First order of business of the day (after the best coffee of the trip so far, right on our corner ) was to get a Sim card for my phone. Done, with ease at the TIM store on via Merulana.  We walked by the Santa Maria Maggiore church which had a pretty long line and heavy security outside.

We did a small grocery shopping at the Conad store and then went to find the “Mercato Rionale” or neighborhood market for some salad stuff and fruit.  The market was pretty small but we got what we needed.  Walked to the end of the block to get a closer look at what we think is the back or side of  of Trajan’s Market:

Lunch reservation, I had made a few weeks ago at the much hyped Armando al Pantheon, located, of course, right near the Pantheon.  We walked over there in about 20 minutes.  It’s very crowded around there!  And we saw them turn away numerous other people for lunch.

The food?  The best!  We shared an artichoke for an appitizer.  Roman style artichokes are cooked in olive oil (i think?) and it was soft, easy to cut with a fork and full of subtle artichoke flavor.  We each had our favorite pasta—me Alla Griscia, simple with guanciale and pecorino cheese.  Ken— Al’amatriciana, tomatoey with guanciale, too.  They were perfection.  We shared veal Saltimboca.  We each had 2 glasses of perfectly chosen wine.  Interesting, a solo woman was sitting beside us and we got into a conversation with us.  She was a lawyer from Santa Cruz and she talked way too much but I was too enthralled with the food to really give her my full attention.

Walking home we passed through Piazza Venezia and again by, this time the front of, Trajan’s market.  I was snapping away:

We turned to enter into our neighborhood and we could see the Colosseum at the end of the street.  So very happy to be here.

We never did get out the rest of the day.  Watched some of The Crown on Netflix.  Had a nice salad for dinner.  Aaaah, Roma!