Acqua Romana

Ciao!
Have you ever made tea with sparking water?  It's a surreal experience let me tell you.
Pil, why would you want to do that?
Because I had to if I wanted tea this morning.  The water in this whole neighborhood is off.  Not a drop comes out of any faucet for blocks around.  There's a fountain of sorts on the street in front of my hotel.  I call it a fountain; it's more of a perpetually running stream of water out of a spigot--a shock to my Southern California heart, such a waste.  Well, I thought, if the water is off in my room, I can get it out there.  Nothing doing.  That's how I guessed it was a bigger issue, and the proprietor, who is now frantically making phone calls, confirmed this.
So I have had breakfast, and the tea was fine.  I used water I had in my refrigerator, but because the water sparkled it bubbled the whole time it was heating looking boiling but not being.  When it did boil the bubbles all boiled away.  I also managed to brush my teeth.  I can put my contact lenses in, but unless the water comes back on my poor face will not be washed.
I am not going to hang around here all day though.
But you'll cope no matter what?
I'm a traveler--with a pilgrim soul, so yes, I'll cope.
Nevertheless, I was glad when I came home to see the perpetually running fountain going.  I checked in the proprietor who when I last saw her this morning looked like she didn't know whether to scream or cry.  We had a nice chat, and I was especially pleased when she praised my complexion.  I was looking a bit rosy from the heat.
It may not be illegal to come to Italy and not have gelato, but it is rude, and I never want to be one of Those Americans.  So after my day of touristing since it was hot I popped out of the metro at Ottaviano and went in search of some refreshment.  Gelato is ubiquitous in Rome, but this place has the reputation of being one of the best if not the best.  It's called Fata Morgana.  I got there at the right time because there was no line.  I had nocchiola (hazelnut.  I remember my first celestial taste of gelato in Florence was hazelnut. It's still among my favorites.) something called snow white (vanilla with raspberry jam swirls), and chestnut myrtle.  All were scrumptiously fabulous.  The place is famous for having unusual flavors.   I'll have to be more daring next time.
I went out on the metro to see St. Paul Outside the Walls--San Paolo Fuori le Mura for you Italians.  It supposedly marks the place where the Apostle Paul was martyred traditionally in the reign of Nero by beheading with a sword, a privilege he was accorded as a Roman Citizen.
I was overwhelmed.  The church is huge and awe inspiring.  The original structure dates to the time of Constantine, but the church burned and was reconstructed in the nineteenth century.  They did a great job!  Some early mosaics and a transverse arch survived.
One intriguing feature is the series of papal portraits starting with Peter.  All of the early and Medieval ones are made up, but you start to see real likenesses during the Renaissance.  The last one is Francesco, of course.  I counted. There are six more spaces available.  The story is that when they run out, the world will end.
Then I strolled down the street to the Museo Capitoline Centrale Montemartini.  A friend recommended this to me as it otherwise would not have been on my radar.  It holds the overflow from the Capitoline Museums, but you must not imagine second rate rejects.  There are some wonderful pieces here, some like those marvelous mosaics because they couldn't fit in a the smaller space.  Apart from Roman and Hellenistic, there are some Egyptian and Etruscan works as well.
I brought home some water just in case, but I'm glad we are back to normal, and I can have a shower.
The wine I am having with my tortellone is Frascati another notable white wine from Lazio.  I like the whites much better than the red I tried, and all of them I've tried are inexpensive.  Frascati was once the favorite of Queen Victoria.  Shall we have a sip and see what the fuss is about?  It's very nice and tastes something like Sauvignon Blanc.  I am assuming Her Majesty did not get her bots from the bottom shelf though.