Rome. October, 2011

No wonder Dr. Blake is smiling. He’s about to dig into his first taste of carciofi alla giudea. I’d been rhapsodizing about this deep-fried whole artichoke, a specialty of Roman Jewish cuisine, ever since I’d tried it on my first trip to the Eternal Città back in the early 1980s. The leaves are crispy, the heart soft. A great combination. Right, Dr. Blake? (A closeup of the deep-fried star tomorrow.)

Rome. October, 2011

When I lived in Rome for months at a time during the 1980s, things were different. The Jewish ghetto was, well, a ghetto without a lot of outside influences. The currency was still the lira and the exchange rate was excellent. And there were lots of tiny trattorie where you could get an excellent meal for next to nothing. Flash forward some 25 years. Mass tourism has raised prices sky-high. The euro makes things even more expensive. And look at this fancy cheese shop in the middle of the Jewish ghetto. There are still good meals to be had. But no more bargains in any areas frequented by tourists.

Rome. October, 2011

When I was returning to Rome, this time with Jay, after 23 years, I had no idea where to eat. Restaurants come and go, and I wanted to know some of the places that stayed put for good reason. So I asked my friend Sylvia, an NPR reporter based in Rome for decades now. I mentioned that I wanted to eat carciofi alla giudea, the famed deep-fried artichokes of the Roman Jewish ghetto. She recommended Ba’ Ghetto, seen here. Actually, given that this is a kosher establishment, they have two restaurants across from one another. One serves meat. The other, “Milky,” serves dairy. And both serve the artichokes. Are they open on Sunday? You bet. But not on Saturday.

Rome. October, 2011

Rome has some pretty interesting window displays. None more so than those of its many, many shoe stores. Though I have to admit, this one made me feel a little queasy. Still does.

Rome. October, 2011

St. Peter’s Basilica is impressive enough. But how much more wonderful was it to come upon this procession one Sunday morning, banners proudly held, purple-cloaked penitents walking backwards so that they are always facing the statue being incensed, still to come into view.

Rome. October, 2011

What a treat it was for me to introduce Jay to Pizzeria da Pasquale, home of my favorite potato pizza in Rome. When I lived nearby in 1984, 1986 and 1988, I was a regular customer, selecting pizza a taglio (pieces cut to order, charged by weight) from whatever kinds were on offer. Seen here on the right: potato and zucchini in the back, sausage in the front. On the left: an assortment of stuffed pizze (crusts on top and bottom; filling in between.) Of course, for Jay’s first visit, we had a rich assortment.

Off Amalfi, Italy. October, 2011

The spacious staterooms we’ve stayed in on board the Wind Surf allow close-to-the-water perspectives toward each of the ports we’ve approached. Like this view of Amalfi, seen after an overnight sailing from Sicily (including passing close by the active volcano of the island of Stromboli, complete with red-hot lava explosions seen through the darkness.)