Sunday, May 04, 2008

A walk around the neighborhood: The Pantheon and Piazza Farnese

I live in between these two areas. Earlier I had posted some photos of places near my L.A. apartment here.

There is no Kitson in Rome but there is this:


and across the Piazza from a 2,000 year-old building is this:


Ha. Gotta love it. I wonder if the meat at McD's here is better. We had fast food once, yes only once, when I was growing up. The day we moved into our house, my dad went to Burger King. Other than that, no McDs, no Burger King, no Jack in the Box, etc. My mom was a nurse and West Indian. She would not allow that "junk" into the house. As kids we thought she was so mean depriving us of Happy Meals.

As an adult every so often I would get Mickey D's, like twice a year. However, after seeing "Super Size Me" and reading "Fast Food Nation" there really has to be nothing other places to eat before I eat fast food burgers again.


In the other direction I bump into this:


One of the fountains in Piazza Farnese. Here is some information about this beautiful piazza, now home to the French Embassy.

13 comments:

glamah16 said...

Im sure your fast food options are so much better there. Like that divine pizza dough with oil and salt you dsecribed a while back. Beautiful location you are in.

Jen said...

Wow... wish that was my neighborhood!

We don't do the fast food thing, either. And I didn't growing up.

If we're on a road trip we'll opt for subway in a pinch.

Homebody at Heart said...

Don't the huge bathtubs just freak you? I would like to know just how they worked at the baths of Caracalla. There is a similar tub at the Boboli Gardens in Florence from the bath of Titus. Were they decorative? Or did people really bath in them? I always thought the baths were pool-like settings from my visits to other baths. BTW, love the Pantheon and my favorite restaurant is nearby - Antonio al Pantheon on the Via dei Pastini. Pork roasted in milk with potatoes and a salad of fresh porcini mushrooms, ohh just to die for!

Anonymous said...

The Pantheon never fails to blow my mind! I wonder if you'll ever tire of seeing it.

Unknown said...

Really, what an amazing neighborhood. I am enjoying reading about this move so much.

Texas Espresso said...

not too shabby... lol i love that aspect of living in Italy - something old and magnificent right next door.

Gil said...

I had my young daughter convinced that our garbage man dumped his truck at the McDonald's factory! Haven't stopped in one in years. My wife had to have American coffee on our first trip to Italy and bought a coffee Americano at Micky D's in FLorence. After about two sips it was in the trash.

Sherry said...

That is so dope. I am so jealous.

I think Mickey D's sells pasta in Italy, no? I won't eat McDonald's here, but I know I would definitely not eat it in Italy where there is so much excellent food around.

nyc/caribbean ragazza said...

glamah16 - that pizza is so good and I can smell it baking when I go to work out in the morning. I make sure I bring no money now so I won't be tempted to stop by when I'm done. I feel that would kind of defeat the purpose of working out.

jen - Yes I agree with you re: Subway.

homebody - that is a good question. I don't know. I haven't been yet to the ruins at Caracalla. Looking forward to checking them out.

ms. violetta - I walk past it at least a few times a week and so far not sick of it. ha. It's just an incredible place.

jess - Now that it's high season, the area is pretty crowded but there are places to go that are not so touristy.

texas espresso - coming directly from L.A. it is so weird. Old in L.A. is 1950 not the 1500s.

gil - ha. I will fess up and say I used to love their fries. There are so many McDonalds in Rome! Seriously there is one every few blocks in the Historic Center and they are always packed.

sherry - I don't know...I think they do. Most of the time when I walk by one the crowd is full of foreign tourists and Italian teenagers.

Anonymous said...

ha! i took a pic of that mickey-d's when i was in rome b/c i thought it was one of the most beautiful-looking ones ever. the pink flowers that grow all around the mcdonald's sign almost makes you forgive the fact that those corporate fast food idiots ruined a perfectly beautiful piazza!

ahhhh, rome. i was engaged exactly two years ago today there. i'm jealous of you.

nyc/caribbean ragazza said...

we are never full - what a romantic place to get engaged!!

I agree with you that it is one of the nicest Micky D's I have ever seen.

Anonymous said...

I don't know about the meat tasting better in that McDonalds in Rome since I never ate there, but the bathrooms were clean!

nyc/caribbean ragazza said...

j. doe - yes, I hear the bathrooms are clean. this good to know.