cicerone_1

My family is in town, visiting from the United States, and we are touring the city during the holidays. The weather is unusually warm and beautifully sunny, and it's wonderful for me to see my city through their eyes. Here is a first batch of photos taken during a fantastic tour of the Palatine Hill, Forum and Colosseum, organized by the always reliable Context Travel. I may be biased (I work for them as culinary docent, leading gourmet tours of the city) but the knowledge, breadth of information, passion and expertise shared by the scholars at Context is boundless. Our docent introduced and revealed aspects of the sites I was not familiar with. It was a truly spectacular experience visiting them with my loved ones.

luminara_2

I'm a sucker for Christmas lights. For the 150th anniversary of Italy's unification, Rome put on quite a show with its Via del Corso mile-long flag. But the rest of the city is no less decked out.
Fendi always does the best Christmas decorations. This year the gold belt was added with sparkly melting icicles, and every 20 minutes or so, it snows! There are models in reindeer costume that take photos of kids with Santa and meake free buttons out of them. Posh Via Condotti is decorated with giant chandeliers, and for snowball fans, there's a huge one with a big tree inside it and blowing snow in the main entrance of the Galleria Alberto Sordi.
For more awesome images of Rom'e holiday look please head over at Moscerina's light show post.

vino

More social lately, which is good. But the alcohol intake is concerning.
Last week I met friends for aperitivo at Vinaietto, and the next day I attended an offbeat wedding reception held in a warehouse of an ex-repair shop off Via Flaminia.
I need to detox and it's not even Christmas yet...

luminaria

The new Christmas lights along Via del Corso were finally lit up today, I've been seeing workers hang the long strands all along the thoroughfare that stretches from Piazza Venezia to Piazza del Popolo for the past week.
On December 8th we celebrate the Immaculate Conception, and customarily take the following day off work if this happens near a weekend. We call this "il ponte," the bridge. This day also marks the beginning of the holiday season in Rome, and traditionally the time in which decorations go up.

fontana di trevi

Trevi Fountain is the largest Baroque fountain in the city and one of the most famous in the world, also thanks to the famous nighttime scene of Fellini's Dolce Vita.

A traditional legend holds that if visitors throw a coin into the fountain, they are ensured a return to Rome. An estimated €3,000 are thrown into the fountain each day...

pizzarium

Steps away fromt the Cipro metro stop, near the Vatican, there's a little shop called Pizzarium, owned by an influential bread baker named Gabriele Bonci. Pizzarium stocks flours, freshly baked bread, beers and other selected products. The pizza is displayed in large rectangular trays, sold by the slice, and nothing like you've ever tasted.

That's because Bonci employs a long fermentation process, natural yeasts, high quality flour and love. It's always a good idea to snack on the pizza al taglio on the premises (no seating, so you hve to elbow your way to the front of the counter), and then buy a loaf of bread to bring home.

These shown here are just a few of the pizzas available, which are made express daily. But according to the time of day, ingredients available, and whim of the baker, you may find completely different choices than what's pictured above.

photo 1:
plain tomato base, topped with fresh mozzarella di bufala and basil leaves;
pizza bianca topped with smoked salmon, mozzarella di bufala and grilled radicchio tardivo;
plain tomato base, seasoned with hot chili olive oil, and parsley.

photo 2:
pizza bianca, sliced open and stuffed with smoked caciocavallo and ham;
pizza bianca, sliced open and stuffed with prized mortadella.

photo 3:
pizza bianca, topped with cherry tomatoes, stewed porcini mushrooms and parsley;
plain tomato base, topped with sautéed broccoli raab, fresh mozzarella di bufala, and grilled anchovies;
pizza bianca (made with a different flour), sliced open and stuffed with smoked caciocavallo, speck and arugula;
in the background, an open-faced crostino covered with crumbled sausages and melted cheese.


I bet you're hungry all of a sudden.

Pizzarium is located at Via della Meloria 43 – Open Monday to Saturday – Tel. +39 06 3974 5416

la notte

Piazza Venezia and Piazza del Gesù at night.
First image participates in this month's Theme Day in the CityDailyPhoto community.

isola tiberina

The light was amazing on the Tiber Island the other day.
Visit the link for more thumbnails of Sunday Bridges and Watery Wednesdays

pigneto_2

Some time ago I posted images of this wonderful part of town, Pigneto. I like the gritty ambiance, the ethnic diversity and the general urban feel. In this series, the tram line on the Via Prenestina main boulevard, runs underneath the tangenziale raised beltway.

tevere

The Tiber river in autumn.
When many thoughts crowd my head, chores pile up, and the days seem too short for the million things I need to take care of, I walk by the river and put everything back into perspective.
See how small my shadow is on the bridge?

More Weekend Reflections HERE. 
More Sunday Bridges HERE.

fori imperiali

It's one long stretch of cobblestones (and a few potholes) betwen the Colosseum and Piazza Venezia.
Whe I shot this, it was a "Domenica senza traffico" meaning that on this particular Sunday several central roadways were blocked off for pedestrian access only. Beautiful!

giallo

It's forbidden to ride a vespa on the autostrada highway. Yet this fearless centaur does, and even succeeding in passing us. We were on our way down to Positano, driving through an area known for cameo carvings, volcanic lava tunnels, and lax traffic law enforcement.

mistero...

What is this mysterious object? Anyone who's been to Rome has seen it virtually everywhere...
Today is Theme Day in the City Daily Photo community, and the topic of this month is MYSTERIOUS OBJECTS. Please click on the link to see more mysterious objects from around the world!

roma: epoche e stili

This image really encapsulates the essence of Rome. A wild juxtaposition of layers, eras, and styles.
In the foreground, the Renaissance classicism of Michelangelo's Campidoglio; behind it, the stark Romanesque/Gothic lines and ogives of the Basilica di Santa Maria in Ara Coeli; beyond that, the neoclassic 20th century Monument to Victor Emanuel, inaugurated in 1911, completed in the 30's and added with a panoramic elevator in 2007.

pigneto_1

Pigneto is the "it" contemporary culture neighborhood. I like the relaxed vibe, the rainbow of cultures that populate its humble perpendicular alleys and wide tree-lined streets, the shabby-chic bars and edgy boutiques that sit adjacent to the old corner shops that still sell buttons and zippers to local housewives. To spend a lazy day at Necci, window shop at the Iossieliani flagship store, or just for the great restaurants and wine bars, I take numerous buses and cross the train tracks into the gritty pedestrian-only Via del Pigneto, and stroll in the footsteps of Anna Magnani and Franco Citti, in the original filming location of Pasolini's Accattone and Rossellini's Roma Città Aperta.

turisti

Rome is still flooded with tourists. Despite the heat, school calendar, and worldwide economic crisis, people still travel to the Eternal City, and flock to the Colosseum.
I'm obsessed with the Flavian Amphitheater these days, I'm drawn to it and can't avoid shooting it from all angles. I promise to stop. Really.

biscotti

My favorite biscotti... The ones I grew up with. I like to bake my own now, but I'm never out of these popular Italian brands. Whether dunked in a bowl of morning caffelatte, crumbled over gelato, dipped in bitter coffee as a spongy base for tiramisu, or simply to soothe a broken heart, these three friends have constituted reliable comfort over the years.
I love cookies, don't you?

via della conciliazione

This month's Theme in the City Daily Photo community is PERSPECTIVE.
In this photo the light rays contribute to leading to the focal point at the end of the vast Via della Conciliazione.