Jet Lag!!!

(April 6, 2014)

Today we’d planned to spend the day taking the bus out to Villa d’Este and Hadrian’s Villa. Note the past tense? Yeah . . .  our alarm went off at 9am and we both went back to sleep until noon.

(Y’all know that the 4th seal is off the Gates of Hell, right?)

So after breakfast and ablutions, we did a quick change and went to see Bernini’s The Ecstasy of St. Theresa at Santa Maria della Vittoria. Amazing. Awe-inspiring. Glorious.

Then it was back over the hill to the Scuderi Quinatle — the former stables of the Pope to see an exhibit of Frida Kahlo’s work. It was a well-curated exhibit, including works by Diego Rivera and other of her contemporaries and artist friends. The plaster corset she wore while healing her back was included, as well as a ton of photographs of her taken by visitors over the years. (No cameras allowed, sadly.)

Dinner was tough! So many places were closed that we just walked and walked and then ended up at Ristorante 34 again. We shared the pumpkin gnocchi (so good) and then I had baked white fish and the house white, and J. had steak with peppercorn sauce. I think they recognized us, because we were treated to a bowl of soup with chickpeas, fresh greens, celery, and bits of fish in a broth. Very good. My fish was excellent, served over spinach, but J’s steak was very underdone and it was tough going for him.

A lovely walk home, and we were prepared to start the day fresh tomorrow.