Our day starts with Artenio's pizzette in the Mercato before picking up shopping. Then it is on to the butchers, Nasini Carne, where they have ready prepared skewers and other meats that we can cook on the BBQ
Today is European Heritage Day and all over Italy there are special events and monument openings. As we are in Testaccio we have chosen to see the excavations under the Mercato. As the tour is only offered in Italian we were sent a brochure in English beforehand.
The archeological area under the mercato has been identified as storerooms for the nearby port. What is unusual is that the walls of the rooms are made up of empty amphorae piled on top of each other.
The stores formed part of a much bigger complex of buildings for goods, conservation & storage. 'Our ruin', Porticus Aemilia, is what remains of a warehouse and Monte Testaccio is a large organised dump of oil amphorae.
Our outdoor lunch of bbq chicken skewers was accompanied by fresh salad leaves from Carla's garden that she had given us yesterday.
Late afternoon we set out into the city once more. This time we took the bus to the Quirinale Palace & walked down to the Trevi Fountain.
Then onto the Spanish Steps, where one of my favourite things to do is to feel the warmth of the marble beneath my feet.
The steps have just reopened after refurbishment paid for by Bulgari. As a result the no eating or drinking rule is being strictly enforced. We took our picnic aperitivo to the top of the steps to watch the sunset.
As part of European Heritage Day the Pantheon is open later tonight so we head there to see the night sky through the oculus
Then back to the apartment to enjoy take out pizza from our 'local 'trattoria, Picolo Alpino.
