Well, our glorious week of sleeping in has come to an end as the boys have fully adjusted and woke up before 7:00. This morning, they were as they are most mornings, like a pair of ravenous wolves, ready to devour all they can lay their grubby little hands on. This was a particular challenge today because, after getting back late from Cinque Terre last night, we barely had enough food and leftovers in our minifridge for an adequate dinner, let alone breakfast. So after a little while of distracting them with a show to wait for things to open, I couldn’t stave off the wolves any longer and I decided to take action.
Allison was still snoozing a bit (it was her day to sleep in, as we typically trade off when the boys wake up early.) But they were hungry and something needed to be done, so I got dressed, got them situated, and headed out. I went across the park to try another local bakery. This place was awesome and people were lined up all along the counter drinking their espressos and cappuccinos gearing up for the day, so I joined in. I saddled up to the counter and downed a quick espresso while the gentleman behind the counter gathered the pastries I ordered. I then went to the small supermarket next door for some apple juice and yogurts. There seem to be little supermarkets like this scattered every few blocks. After a few minutes I checked out and was back home and to my surprise, the boys were shocked by how quick I was. I felt proud of myself that I was able to squeeze the coffee in too.
After breakfast, in an effort to try to be a little more reserved in our endeavors, we decided to see one of the sights in our neighborhood, Testaccio, before heading to the market for more food. On the southern side of the neighborhood lies the Non-Catholic Cemetery, housing the remains of some notable figures of the likes of the poets and authors John Keats and Mary Shelley. The cemetery is is packed with trees plants and ornate headstones. It’s quiet and serene with narrow little paths down the aisle of graves. The rear boundary of the cemetery is the Aurelian Wall which was built to defend the city in the 3rd century AD and there’s a slight slope to the cemetery coming down from the wall, with all the headstones facing the same direction, so it feels like being in some sort of stadium of the dead (too creepy?).
One separate section of the cemetery is much more open and here is where the grave of Keats is found, which really is beautiful, as is his epitaph, which has no mention of his name. The other notable thing in this section is the Pyramid of Gaius Cestius which was build as the tomb of its namesake, a Roman magistrate, and was finished somewhere around 12 BC. Rather than being destroyed when the Aurelian Wall was built, because of it’s size and positioning, it was instead incorporated as part of the wall and is why it has been so well preserved. I think it may be the oldest thing we’ve seen so far!
Another strange thing we saw that seems to be common in Rome are cat colonies inhabiting ancient sites. The cemetery was no different, with cats roaming around and Beren finding the secluded section where dozens of little cat houses were set up, presumably by volunteers. I’ll try to explore more about the phenomenon of the cat colonies in coming weeks and report back. We also saw some green parrots, so we got some fun and exotic animal experiences all around.
After the cemetery, we went over the market to get some calzones and suppli for lunch. Once lunch was finished, Allison continued to shop for groceries for dinner, while I took the boys to a nearby playground. Allison met us at the playground and it seemed to be playtime as usual until an unfortunate incident. Silas needed help off of some of the playground equipment, so Allison went to help him. She helped him down and turned to say Ciao! to another little boy on the equipment. She then quickly turned back around, forgetting Silas was at her feet. Unable to stop her momentum, she trampled Silas and went sprawling over him onto the floor of the playground amidst a collective gasp from onlookers. I rushed over and, thankfully, they were both ok. Silas got his hand stepped on and had a little scrape and Allison was ok other than bruised dignity. Silas was pretty shaken up and crying, so we quickly vacated the premises, but I do have to note everyone was very kind making sure they were both ok.
Back at the apartment, we patched Silas up and all took a nap or worked. Later in the afternoon, I started my workday, one that would take me all the way to midnight. Allison went to the park with the boys before making a dinner of ravioli and veggies. With the constant bombardment of carbs, we have been in serious need of some veggies. We all gobbled them up. Allison and I also got to enjoy some of the local wine we bought at the market. Allison bought a liter for 7 euro and since it came from a tapped barrel, they filled it up in a water bottle that we can take back and get refilled. Economical and environmentally friendly!
It was a long day, but a good day. The boys finished it off with some gelato, as any good day should be. I think tomorrow we will finally go out and brave the Colosseum!