400th Post! Pasta and Piazza Navona!

Ciao Tutti! I can't believe it's my 400th post! 

To celebrate, let's have a little vino rosso, pasta and enjoy a little festa, at Piazza Navona!

It was a Saturday night and had I met up with a friend of a friend, Inta, who'd moved to Rome a year ago. She met me at my little "Golden Rooms" and we headed Southwest toward Piazza Navona. She suggested Enoteca Cul de Sac ... and, it happened that I had been there in 2010 with my folks! They had a great wine selection and I loved their homemade ravioli!

So ... I ordered ravioli again. :) Oh, how I love a good ravioli! This time it was duck, which I don't usually order but it was really good. 

The wine was so good on the previous trip, that I went on my iPhone, and looked at my blog post, from a couple of years ago, to see what I had ordered. And they still had it on the menu! Handy, these blogs of ours!

Inta ordered a meat platter ... very tasty with the wine!

We sat outside under an awning, while it rained around us. As usual, people were standing around waiting for tables. Fortunately, we got there just before the rush.

Here's the inside of the restaurant. They have a HUGE wine selection. To see my other post about Cul de Sac, click HERE.

Mmmmmmmm ....

Before going on the trip, I tried to find out if all the booths and carousel would be up, in Piazza Navona, when I was there, but it was it was unclear. As I mentioned, a lot of decorations don't go up until the 6th or 7th. It was December 1st in Piazza Navona and ... see for yourself!

Piazza Navona! 
Buon Natale!

OH, and I have to mention that on my two previous trips to Rome, the big Fountain of the Four Rivers by Bernini, in the middle of the piazza, had been covered in scaffold both times! But now?

Yay! The fountain was in full view!

The venders set up all along the piazza, except for in front of Borromini's Church of St. Agnes.

I loved all the nativity pieces and  was looking for a baby Jesus. I have Mary and Joseph but the baby Jesus I had was way to small for the set. In fact, so small, he looked like a premie. So, I was on a hunt for a (reasonably priced) baby Baby Gesù, of a certain size.

Lots of sparkly Christmas ornaments ...

Pile o' nougat ... which I got for my sister. (not the whole pile, just the coffee flavor.)

Perfect Baby Gesù, but only came in a set ...

There were TONS of Befanas! So, choosing the right little Befanas (Sort of an Italian Christmas witch) for members of my family, became another fun hunt! I actually ended up with a "bag o' Befana" ... But more on the little witch later!

On our way back to my little "hotel," we rounded a corner, and there it was! NOW it really felt like I was in Rome. The Pantheon. There is nothing like it. 

Inta suggested we stop and have a drink. We had the perfect view. The shot above was taken from our table! A much easier table to get with the wet weather! The awnings, once again, protected us from the downpour. I can't remember the name of her drink, but I had a limoncello and chatted, and enjoyed the wonderful view. Thanks Inta! 

It was great to get out and be social, and have someone to chat with! I am someone who doesn't mind spending time alone. Sometimes, I might even prefer it. But, by this time, it was really nice to have someone to hang out with. All the chatting inside your own head can get old, even though I'm pretty good company. ;)

Oh! And I found my baby Gesù! I put him on my bedside table in Assisi. I brought him home, and he's the perfect size.

On Facebook, Marianne Williamson posted something, that I want to pass on to you. Jean Houston had shared this quote. Victor Hugo claimed Galileo spoke to him in a seance! Whatever you think about that, and whether it was Galileo who said it or Mr. Hugo that wrote it, it's ... well, read for yourself! 

"You know what I would do if I were in your place? 
I'd drink from the milk basin of the Milky Way;
I'd swallow comets; I'd lunch on dawn; 
I'd dine on day and I'd sup on night;
I'd invite myself, splendid table-companion that I am, 
to the banquet of all the glories,
and I'd salute God as my host!
I'd work up a magnificent hunger, an enormous thirst, 
and I'd race through the drunken spaces between the spheres 
singing the fearsome drinking song of eternity."

Happy St. Patty's Day!
Blessings and light!

The Perfect Lunch

OK, so around the corner from Piazza Navona, in Piazza Pasquino which butts up to Via del Governo Vecchio is Enoteca Cul de Sac. Let me tell you ... the ravioli was magical! A very nice italian lady at the next table was having it and had pointed to it with her fork, and nodding to her dining companion said, "Fantastico." She saw me checking it out and she actually offered me a bite! (See? Love the Italians!) It was some sort of meat and vegetable. No idea but she was right, fantastico.

We had some steamed veggies served with goat cheese and a very crisp delicious salad, as well. Their wine list is extensive and I got this inexpensive glass (see photo on bottom) of wine that I swear, along with the Ravioli put me in a state of bliss. For a glass of wine that fabulous in L.A. I might have to fork over 15 bucks, by the way!

I rarely post pictures of myself but I think the look on my face says it all. Loving life. Plus, I love that t-shirt and I thought it was funny when my mom commented how cute it was and my dad agreed (sort of.)

"Yeah, cute ... like a gondolier."

Hmm.

Maybe it was the day ... the atmosphere ... or just being in Rome ... but it felt like the perfect lunch.