Rome

The evening before I left Siena I went out for a meal with Sabrina at whose historic appartment, a stone's throw from the Piazza del Campo I was staying in. We started the night with a Campari aperitivo at a trattoria overlooking the piazza then went for a meal of pappardelle alle cinghaile (ribbon pasta with wild boar sauce) and a glass of Orvieto, a light floral white wine from Umbria. It was a great finish to my stay in Siena. I took the train to Rome and spent the afternoon strolling around. The Colosseum was not too far from my hotel and that was my first stop. What a spectacular sight it is with its three levels of arches. One can readily imagine the fierce gladatorial contests that took place in this ancient arena. I continued on to the 12th century Basilica of San Clemente, which was built on top of a 4th century church, and the Basilica di San Giovani, a monumental cathedral founded by the Emperor Constantine in 324 AD.  I finished up by crossing the Tiber via the Ponte Fabricio, a bridge first built in 62 BC to the trendy Trastavere district. I fly back to Oz tomorrow.