The Holy Land and Ancient Greece; 5/3 - 5/22

5/3/2011
Today we flew to Rome, Italy on USAIR and Daddy really surprised me with an upgrade to first class!!!
We flew to Charlotte and had a long layover, but we slept on the last leg over the ocean. The seats are extremely comfortable and they lay back like lazyboys to sleep and your can choose your most comfortable position! I thought they were worth the extra money, but Daddy had trouble sleeping. But then he can sleep pretty good in a regular seat.
5/4/2011 Tuesday
Our arrival in Rome was at 3:30 AM, eastern standard time, which is 9:30 Rome time. It was sunny and in the 70s. The hotel was Leonardo da Vinci in a nice section of Rome. Our room was 335 and even had a bathtub, which is not common in Europe. After a short nap we ventured out into the subway at Lepanto to explore. Two stops later at Piazza Spagna, which means Spanish Plaza, we arrived at the Spanish steps and the Ristorante alla Rampa that Carolyn and Don recommended. We ordered Chianti, tomato capresse (with mozzarella and basil), veal scallopini, pasta with mussels, shrimp, clams and calamari. Delicious! They had a huge refrigerated cabinet filled with ice and fresh seafood!!!
Throughout the meal we had to keep asking for the olive oil and balsalmic vinegar. Somehow, they only left it at the table for 7 minutes, then gave it to somebody else. The waiter said,"Can't stay all night here!" There was a musician playing an accordian on the steps just outside the porch of the ristorante. We recognized the song,"It's Amore".I asked for cannelloni for dessert, which is always on Italian-American menus. "No do!!! Cannnellonis are Sicilian only. Don't serve in Roma!"
We walked to the Spanish Steps, built in 1723 to link the Church of Trinita dei Monti with the chic shopping district on Via dei Condotti below. It is a baroque staircase designed by Francesco de Sanctis in the 18th century. At the foot of the steps is a fountain designed by Bernini's father at the end of the 16th century and said to have the sweetest water in Rome. We saw many people actually drinking from it. It was surprising because we wouldn't do that in the states! They say there is no reason why anyone in Rome should ever be without water! This piazza is named for the Spanish Embassy which used to be housed here. It was designed by an Italian architect in 1723-1725, but totally funded by the French to have access to Trinita dei Monte at the top. It should be called the French Steps! Keats, of Keats-Shelley fame, lived and died here at the age of 25 in 1821 of Tuberculosis . Tomorrow Ray and Carol arrive at the hotel. We plan on eating at Ristorante alla Rampa tomorrow night also.