SFO-Rime, Days .5 to 1

Department of the Good Old Days: AG and THB, long-time Hunan fans and ex-Levi's employees, hold a reunion at  the Hunan Natomas venue as Sansome and Sacramento are now closed (all in SF). AG is also a long-time follower of Travels of THB and thus stays in touch. He now works for a bank downtown and is located in S. Carolina. We order the usual, even though it has been 20+ years since dined together: meat pie, bean curd with meat, and hot and sour chicken, with rice and hot tea, AG treats and takes the leftovers, and we set another date for 7 weeks from now when AG will be back in town. 

SFO to Rome: THB managed to lose his Uncruise hat almost immediately upon trying to get settled in his biz class seat. The hat re-appeared (magically?) right where THB put it while loading his carry-ons in the overhead compartments, on a little shelf across the aisle.

The flight is delayed, something amiss in the cockpit. THB can't figure out why this often occurs...didn't the pilots on the prior flight notice the red light on the dashboard? Maybe turning off the plane and back on again is the problem?

Rome, Day 0.5: 

Weather: Delightful, in the 60s and breezy

We are met by our pre-arranged transfer guy, one of the many with signs hanging signs on a rail. Ours reads: (in big print) RALPH BR. Our driver asks DB why our last name is BR? DB is speechless, we thought the sign would read MY EXTRA HOME. THB, being deaf, had no idea what they were chatting about as we meandered through a huge parking lot across from the terminal.

Arrive around 4:15pm at My Extra Home (MEH) is lovely, The rest of this partial day in pics.

THB and DB whiz thru immigration and then wait 15+ minutes for our checked bag to arrive

it has been 55 years since we visited Rome. THB thinks that way back then there were more cars than parking spaces. Still true!

MEH is the local name, we found them through Plum Guide. It has a/c, two levels, 3 bathrooms, and much else we don't need, in a lovely little street in a hot section of Rome

Our entrance requires entering a code into three separate gates (four if we are coming back after hours), and an elevator, before being able to use our key  to open the door to our apartment

two terraces (dinner on the deck tomorrow night)

two bedrooms, a pull-out bed in living room

note hangers way up high in the back of massive closet

there's a theme to bathroom decor

barn size sliding door closing off the living room

washer / dryer, we'll most likely do some wash at end of our stay

Up and out for an early dinner, the streets are really crowded!

Dinners at Dilla's, a few blocks from MEH

artichokes Roman style - very good

two pastas, same-same but different. $77 all in

another short walk and we are back in 1970, the Spanish Steps

MEH is set in back of this quiet street, mostly containing art galleries

Rome, Day 1: 

Weather: Delightful, in the 60s and breezy, moving up to maybe 70 in early afternoon

Breakfast at small cafe a few blocks from MEH. THB is no longer in Paris, the concept of morning pastries is still behind the Iron Curtain. 

Order inside, barista brings it to your table outside (standing only inside), $11 with tip 

Now the day's main event, a private food tour from 10 to 1 with Ariaana. Like the weather, she is breezy, informative and not shy with strangers.

Asiana in a familiar pose

After a 40 minute walk, meet-up at a lively cafe, you can order inside or do table service, we choose the latter. That is NOT a baked potato, it is a soft pastry, sliced and filled with lightly sweetened delicately flavored cream, with two shots of espresso and one cappuccino, $13 (we are paying for all food)

Now a few blocks away to a large food market:

the cheese and meat stop: lots of tasting, then purchases to stock MEH, $50 

Banci's spot for locals, his original place was made famous by Tony Bourdain

more giant "stuffed potatoes"

Basic sourdough: excellent, quarter loaf may not last long

pizza Roman style (excellent) and a risotto ball en croute (not near as good as the version at Standard Fare in Berkeley). Most people eat standing up outside 

tastes and extras to go, $19

Banci bought the place next store, expanded the bakery, and added this dining space mit charging station

Only gelato, nobody else in the store at 12:45

two cups, two flavors each, $6...most food items are 25-35% cheaper than in Bay area. Guess who is buying up all the apartments in town? Yup, Americanos 

Ariana's wine store recco, a few blocks from MEH

Pics from around town

electric panel art

first stop tomorrow on our upcoming walking city tour, 2 minutes from MEH

street art: mural on the stairs

Dinner: on one of the terraces, thunder in the distance, everything excellent except the mozarella, accompanied by an excellent local white wine, $32. Other costs built into the various food tour stops. 

Book Review: Creation Lake, Rachel Kushner (novel, read perfectly by the author): The "protagonist" is a female  agent hired to infiltrate and foment negative action by the targeted victims. Think the Parallax View starring Warren Beatty.  Intellectually challenging: how did those Polynesians find their way across thousands of miles of ocean? How did neanderthal DNA show up in Sapiens DNA? Highly Recommended