Too tired last night to write, so have a bit of catch-up to do.  Sunday evening my Dallas friends, Jo and Bill treated us to a delightful evening at a very old restaurant on the Appian Way.  At the restaurant, three of us has Risotto with curry and shrimp.  I’ll be trying to duplicate this soon.  Delicious.  Andy had chicken flambé.  It was brought table side and the 1/2 chicken was on a bed of branches and a huge amount of liquor was pour over it and lighted.  As it burned, the waiter stabbed the meat and poured more brandy over it.  A nice spectacle!  Appia  Antica  – the old road was started and finished in 312 BC.  It had one of the first uses of lime cement.  Cement was invented by the Romans.  The Catacombs are along the Via Appia and we will visit them soon.  Yesterday, On Monday, Jo and Bill and I went to the Spanish Steps to shop, eat and sightsee.  The Step are covered with pots of pink and white azaleas and the scene is breathtaking from top to bottom.  We got Bill a new pair of shoes, then went to the very old Cafe Greco for drinks and food.  It opened in 1760 and is the second oldest coffee bar in Italy.  Only Florians in St. Mark’s Square in Venice is older by 40 years.  Everyone famous who visited Rome has been to Caffe Greco.  And now, so have I.  Artists, composers, writers…even Buffalo Bill have been.  You sit along the walls that are covered with beautiful old paintings and sculptures and are served on small round marble topped tables.  The waiters wear tails.  Water and drinks are served in cut crystal glasses.  Coffees are served in gold rimmed cups which are also for sale as souvenirs of your visit.  A visit to Caffe Greco should be taken at least once…and repeated as often as possible…as a truly Roman experience.  It is on Via Condoti.  Found out that mean ‘Road of the Comduit’.  Water from the Aquaducts to the fountain in front of the Spanish Steps…the one vandalized by the soccer fans a few months ago…to Trevi Fountain flow thru the tubes – or conduits.  When Jo and I went shopping, we met a little black pug named Oscar.  He did not like me!  As it turned out, he didn’t like my umbrella and when I hid it out of sight, Oscar and I became good friends.  While we were enjoying the Spanish Steps area, Andy was at home waiting for her friend, Suzanne to arrive from a cruise.  She is staying with us for two weeks.  She and I had plans for an evening of Opera, and Andy went with Jo and Bill for Indian food.  Pouring down rain…so we took a taxi just across the river to a small church where we heard a tenor, a soprano and a pianist perform arias.  They were wonderful.  I especially enjoyed La Donna Immobile and Nessun Dorma.  At the end, we gave them a Standing O, and then we all sang Funiculi, Funicula together.  A fun evening…with a little culture thrown in for good measure. We were lucky for Suzanne hailed a cab….a New York girl….and we got home.  Tonight, we go to hear Three Tenors, and tomorrow night, more Opera.  I’ll be so cultured, you might start calling me Pearl.  Jo and Bill leave for their ship and cruise today, so I will see them off.  It has been wonderful to have these two great friends visit – even if the visit was too short.  That’s it for now….more later.