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Published: June 11th 2008
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Thursday, June 5- Wondering through Trastevere and the Jewish Ghetto
When we went to sleep last night we had all plans of waking up and catching the 10:00 bus to head to Vatican City. Instead, we managed to get on the bus around 3:15 because we were both so tired from all of the sightseeing and then missed the 2:00 bus because Nicole read the schedule wrong! After we got off the Metro, we headed straight to Trastevere for a light bite to eat at a small store we saw in Trastevere.
We headed straight for the little snack bar to try balls filled with chicken, or potatoes and cheese along with other various things. We were very excited about our snack but knew things were about to go downhill when she stuck them in the microwave! They really weren’t that great at all. We left there to see what else we could find.
We used one of our guide books to see the best of Trastevere. We first wondered down Vicolo dell’Atleta , or the alley of athletes. This was the smallest street we’ve seen so far and we’ve seen some very small streets. We headed toward
a place in our book to get something a little better to eat. We stopped at a place called Frontoni. Nicole had cheese pizza and Ryan had a vegetable stuffed pizza. The place was a charming little place that sold meats and cheeses also. The guy that most likely owned the place was wonderful! He even knew where Tennessee was and knew it was famous for making whiskey and country music! We were very surprised. It was a great experience.
After our little snack, we were off for some more strolling. We decided we were going to look into some of the churches we passed. The first church we looked in was Santa Maria in Trastevere. This church was amazing and there was mass going on so we stayed very close to the back and stayed very quiet while taking it in.
We then wondered in and out of the little alleys through Trastevere to take in what it really is like to live in Rome. The people in the neighborhood were all out and about and the children were running around with their moms. It was so amazing to see how they really live here. We even
met Tank’s brother! A guy was standing on the edge of a piazza talking to his friend at a bar while walking his little Chihuahua. It really made us miss the little dog back home!
It was time to leave Tank and move back across the Tiber River, via Tiber Island which is mostly a hospital. When we reached the other side of the island, we were in the heart of the Jewish Ghetto. All of the Jews in Rome were segregated to this area and even forced to attend Roman Catholic service.
The first place we made it to was the Teatro di Marcello, or Theater of Marcellus. This used to be a 15,000 spectator theater. The ruins are amazing and they had to be getting ready for a concert tonight because they were tuning a piano right there in the middle of the ruins! Hearing the piano certainly helped to think about how amazing it would have been to see a concert here. While leaving these ruins, there was a plaque on the wall to commemorate October 16, 1943, when 3,091 Jews in the area were rounded up and taken to Auschwitz and Birkenau concentration camps.
The Tortoise Fountain
In the Jewish Ghetto Only 15 survived. The Portico d’Ottavia was also at the exit. This church served as the Roman Catholic church for the Jews when they were forced to attend this type of service.
As we walked away from the ruins, we headed down Via del Portico d’Ottavia. This street was the hub of the Jewish Ghetto. Old men gathered under umbrellas and laughed with each other and the old Jewish women sat with their Louis Vuitton purses gossiping. The children were all lining the street laughing and playing. This was a great neighborhood to get lost in also. Our favorite place along the road was the little bakery Forno del Ghetto. Although we didn’t eat anything here, the place was packed and the smells coming out of the little corner store were so delightful! The last stop of the Jewish Ghetto was Piazza Mattei. This piazza is famous for the Tortoise Fountain. There weren’t even any tourists when we got here! This was one of the best fountains in Rome. Although it is small, it’s one of Rome’s most prized possessions.
After wondering through the Jewish Ghetto, it was about that time again- time to eat! We headed toward
a gelateria that was world renowned after figured we would find something along the way. We stopped on the way headed toward the Pantheon at the Santa Maria Sopra Minerva. This church was also wonderful and we got to see Michelangelo’s Christ Carrying the Cross.
It was back to the Pantheon steps to figure out where we were going to eat again for dinner. We took the advice of best value for quality and atmosphere and ate at Maccheroni. Nicole had lasagna for the third night in a row, yet they have all been completely different types of dishes. None of these lasagnas have been remotely close to the one the night before. Ryan had gnocchi with tomato sauce. The gnocchi was good but Ryan was even caught saying, “This might be the first time I like the food you ordered better than mine.”
After dinner, it was off to Giolitti- one of the most famous gelaterias in Rome! This place was wonderful and also had all kinds of pastries. We even bought some for breakfast tomorrow morning. Nicole had the chocolate and chocolate chip gelato on a chocolate covered cone (Laura you would die for this!) Ryan
had pear and vanilla on a chocolate covered cone. We took our gelato a couple blocks over and sat on the steps of a lit-up Trevi Fountain. The fountain is even more amazing lit up at night.
After our gelato, it was time to head back toward the Metro. Seeing all the ruins and monuments lit up at night was just amazing! It’s also nice to know our feet don’t hurt quite as much as they have the other days. Maybe oversleeping was much needed. Let’s just hope we can make it up in the morning to see the Vatican!
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