After having an almost warm shower, we hopped on the bus and went to a building next to the Quirinale…the Presdient’ Palace.  There is a Matisse show.  Lots of his paintings, sketches and costumes for the Ballet Russe were displayed.  We saw a film in French with Italian subtitles.  One of the funny things…there was a Moroccan embroidered blouse that he put in painting after painting for a couple of years.  It was like he was obsessed with that blouse.  After that show, we walked over to see Trevi Fountain.  Before arriving there, I saw a sign pointing to an ancient ‘City of Water’…so we went to see it.  It is a complex building that was discovered during the renovation of a cinema.  It contains a house or condominium and part of an ancient aquaduct.  All underground, with part of the city of Rome built over it.  Very interesting and well worth a visit.  The different layers show evidence of Nero’s Fire, the Sack of Alarico and the siege of the Goths.  Pottery, ancient Roman glass, coins, statuary, vessels and marble columns are displayed.

Looked at Trevi Fountain…covered with scaffolding for cleaning, had lunch and headed home.  This evening, I had  dinner with the wonderful couple who owned the hotel where we had school when Evan and i came  here in 1996.  We stayed here for over two months doing a semester abroad with NorthLake Jr. college.  Evan started college, and I was one of 4 older ladies who attended.  There were 22 kids.  Fell in love with Loretta and Vittorio and their three daughters. The two older girls were young teenagers, and the third daughter was only 3.  We have kept in touch over the years and now the girls are grown and the oldest is expecting the first grandbaby in September.  I’m excited that I will be here for the event and hope to wait at the hospital with Loretta and Vittorio. We had a wonderful dinner…a huge appetizer tray with Buffala mozzarella, bruschetta, melon with prosciutto, fried zucchini, fried eggplant strips, fried zucchini flower and some rice balls.  Then we had Pasta with cacio and Pepe…cheese and pepper.  I was stuffed.  Don’t know how they eat as much as they do.  They drove me home, and headed back to their home in Manziana…about an hour north of Rome.  Great day and a great evening.  In bed to read a bit and sleep.  MEXICAN food tomorrow.    Good night…buona Notte.