Hello Everyone,
Our trip to Egypt started out with three days in Rome where we got over the initial jet-lag while re-visiting “The Eternal City” for the n-th time. We walked a lot there, one day exceeding 10 miles. Carol had read about a Roman suburb, called Testaccio, that is being gentrified, so we thought we’d go check it out. Our hotel was conveniently located just behind the Vatican, near the Tiber River, so hopping a city bus to most anywhere was easy.
Testaccio was famous for, of all things, a second century garbage dump, set right in the middle of the neighborhood. Back then, olive oil was transported in clay bottles that could not be reused because the clay would absorb some of the oil, causing contamination to new oil. So, when they used all the oil in a clay container, they broke it up and piled the pieces in a dump in Testaccio. Over the years the dump turned into a tall hill of ceramics and then was forgotten for a couple thousand years. Now, this garbage dump is being mined for antiquities. Swank restaurants are being built right up against the hill, exposing their inside walls to the pile of broken ceramics. We also discovered there, a new pizza-like food called “Pinsa.” Pinsa is a flatbread that was eaten by the peasants outside Imperial Rome. It was made from whatever mixed grains were available, mostly wheat, soy and rice. It makes the bread lighter and nuttier tasting than traditional pizza dough, and, they claim it is healthier. We liked it.
After almost 40 years, we revisited St. Peter’s Cathedral at the Vatican. It hadn’t changed much since our first visit, except that the first time we just walked up the steps and in the front door. This time we had to go through a security screening and walk in with hoards of other people. One of the sad things about touring these days is that, while the number of premium tourist sites available remains roughly the same, the number of tourists visiting them has increased dramatically. This can cause dramatic overcrowding at most of the sites. I’m glad we were able to visit most of these popular tourist destinations in our earlier years, before the crowds increased. That is why we concentrate on traveling to second and third world places, that haven’t yet been discovered by most tourists. Egypt, however, is an anomaly. It has been one of the world’s most popular destinations, because of the ancient history here. Right now, because of the recent political revolutions there, tourism is way down and it is possible to see the antiquities in a much less crowded environment.
In Rome, on the buses, young people continue to offer us their seats. We used to refuse, indicating that it was not necessary. These days it’s easier to just humbly accept their generous gesture and finish the ride in a seat. Some things do change as time passes on. Well, that’s about it for Rome. I’ll drop a few pix in the photo gallery if I can find a fast enough WiFi at the next stop. The only thing of significance that happened here is that, while setting up in the hotel bathroom, Carol accidentally knocked my deodorant stone down the drain. I just may have to go the rest of this trip “al natural.” Onward to Cairo.
If the Internet is fast enough in Cairo, I hope to be able to post some pix to the photo gallery and Carol is putting the finishing touches on her travel blog posts.
Later……… your favorite travelers, Tom and Carol
Rome Photos
Click to enlarge and see captions
