Day Two: Morning on Capitoline Hill

       The next morning Mark learned how to make espresso in the pot provided by our hostess, Arianna. We sipped it from sweet, tiny cups that my granddaughter would love. The espresso was accompanied by some items we'd purchased at the supermarcato after dinner the previous evening: little pastries, an ugly but delicious fruit called nespoli, and yogurt in little glass jars that we liked better than the best Greek yogurt we've had at home. 

       It was raining that day, Saturday, May 4th, so we went out in our rain jackets to find the bus stop. We soon learned the disadvantage to staying in Brevetta - navigating the public transportation system in order to get to our destination each day. After wandering around from one bus stop to another, we found the one that went to the Coliseum and Roman Forum, and after riding for over half an hour we started to see some ancient ruins so figured it was time to alight. Later we would discover that ancient ruins are scattered all over Rome's historic center, and it would be a long walk to the Coliseum. 

       The first building of interest that we came upon was a church that sat high above a steep flight of stairs, and halfway up the stairs a bride was ascending as four women held her train. We had no idea where we were, but later discovered it was The Basilica of St. Mary of the Altar of Heaven on Capitoline Hill. 

       Mark and I followed the bridal party up the stairs and discovered that tourists were allowed to enter the church through a side door and witness the wedding! 

        
       Our driver, Armand, had told us that Rome is full of churches, and they are all Catholic. They are also all very old and opulent. This was the first of many we would see, so we were in awe of its grandiosity. 

My feet indicate this is on the floor.
Just one of many such floor decorations.

       After spending time in this beautiful chiesa (church) we saw more of Capitoline Hill, but decided not to enter the museum since we had so much else to see that day.

       After Capitoline Hill, we wandered around a lot, not really knowing what we were seeing, but recognizing that it was all very old! 

       Here we are in front of what I later learned is the Theatre of Marcellus, built in 13 B.C., where people went to enjoy performances of drama and song. True, if we had joined a tour we would have learned more about the sites, and we wouldn't have gotten lost as much as we did, but that's not our travel style. We eventually did find a Roman resident who was walking to a bus stop near the Coliseum who showed us how to get there. By the time we arrived at our destination it was lunchtime, so we decided to take a break before continuing our site seeing. We were fortunate to find an eatery that served arancini, the Italian street food known as rice balls in the States. We ate these in honor of my cousin, Bob Lissandrello, who adores rice balls. Mark had his first Italian beer, and I enjoyed the orange soda that tastes like a non-alcoholic cocktail. 

We shared pistacchio and broccoli arancini, both delicious.