Saturday, Andy and Suzanne went on a tour of the Colosseum, and I decided to go to my favorite restaurant for lunch…Taverna Foro Imperiale.  No reservation.  When I arrived, the place wasn’t open, and there were several groups of people waiting.  Whe the door opened, I asked the owner for a table for one and he said I could sit at one of the four outside tables…each set for two people.  Everyone else was seated in and out and there were two people left…and they did have reservations.  I asked the owner if they could add a chair to my table and share with me…he said no as it would block the entrance.  I went in to find his daughter, Claudia and asked her.  She said, ‘Of course’.  Moved the table over a few inches and pulled up another chair.  I was so glad, because I would have given up the table to them and gone away sad, hungry and disappointed.  After all, I had just butted to the head of the line and got a table that rightfully should have gone to them.  I was hoping they didn’t know I was American!  Acting all ugly!  They were a Mother and son from Charleston, SC.  Delightful people.  He works in Naples part time and she does something with the major donors to the Susan Komen Foundation.  I told them how sorry I was to butt in front of them and hope they didn’t think I was an Ugly American, and the son, Matthew said he had commented that I was  Italian and that’s just how they got things done!  Lynn, the mom, asked me if I knew of her best friend in Dallas, Suzi Poston…and I said I went to Highschool with her.  Had a wonderful lunch and I walked almost all the way home.  Ate dinner across the street with Andy and Suzanne after their big tour.

Sunday, the five of us went back to Fori Imperiale…with reservations…for lunch.  I couldn’t decide if I wanted Cacio and Pepe with black truffles…the dish I get every time, and had yesterday, or try something new like meat filled ravioli with a black truffle sauce.  Claudia said, ‘I’ll give you a plate with half and half.’  That’s what makes this restaurant so great…the food and service are exceptional.

Monday night, I met friend, Liz at L’Eau Vive for dinner.  We had French onion soup and country pate.  The soup was the best I’ve ever had…sure beats Lipton’s!  The pate was very good, but not exactly what we were expecting..thought it would be chicken liver pate, but wasn’t.  This time, we were seated downstairs and the place filled up very fast.  Now, about 8:30, the waitstaff passed around cards to each table.  There were the words to a prayer to Mary in French and English.  A boom box was brought out, and there was a song sung in French.  Then a lady came out and did a ballet dance for about 5 minutes.  Then the prayer to Mary was sung and that was it.  It was sort of a devotional and entertainment in the middle of our dinner.  Altho it was a bit unexpected, it was not offensive and lasted only about 7-8 minutes and we all resumed eating.  As it turns out, the waitstaff are all nuns or missionaries and this restaurant is their mission.  This is now my other favorite restaurant in Rome…food and service are excellent.  Look forward to eating there again.  

With all this eating, I have been walking like I did before it got so hot in August, and my knee is complaining.  My right knee this time which is something new.  Been hurting for several days and very achy at night.  Plan to stay home all day Tuesday with ice on it and give it a rest.  My best advice is: Don’t get old and don’t walk miles on uneven cobblestones.  

Tuesday night, went to a party in Trastevere hosted by our wonderful Rental agency, Roma Rentals.  If you ever need a long term or short term rental, please contact them.  You are dealing with an American company, a lease in English and exactly what you would expect from a professional American agency.  None of this flying by the seat of your pants, willy-nilly  Italian landlord mess that we dealt with our first three months.  Met a lady from Sweden who has lived in Rome for 36 years, and her daughter.  Both lovely and interesting.  And a friend of Liz’s who has been here 6 years and is from New York…another interesting lady.  The party was in a restaurant next door to the agency, and they served finger food and wine.  Even had a man playing the accordion.  Nice gathering.

Since I’m always early for events…never know how long things will take and planning for an emergency, I arrived in Trastevere about an hour early.  A lady was playing a cello in the piazza in front of the church, sitting in a chair, a lovely dress and red high heels.  People wandering thru the piazza and sitting on the steps of the fountain.  Children playing, church bells ringing, a seagull swooping around and around before alighting on the church roof.  A little boy about two years old got a coin from his mom and very cautiously approached the cellist to drop the coin in her box.  She he did and the lady smiled and nodded her head to him, he squeezed with glee and ran back to Mom.  I got a couple of euros out and gave him one at a time for him to drop.  Each time he seemed to get braver and then ran back to Mom hugging himself and being so pleased!  It double my giving pleasure to see him so happy and excited about giving to the cellist.