in Winter in Rome

Rome is a city which lends itself well to la passagiata or a promenade in the numerous parks or back streets in the many neighborhoods of the city.
In the old Suburbia (below the centre) of Rome, which is a neighborhood as old as the city itself just behind the back wall of the Temple of Mars the Avenger built by Octavian Augustus, to thank Mars for the deadly revenge he had on the assassins of his uncle Julius Caesar, you will find Via dei Serpenti and a little narrow cobbled stone side street Via della Madonna dei Monti. No tourists here, North Americans might be afraid to walk down this little street at night, though there is little danger, it is mostly a quiet residential street.

From the street you would not be able to tell that this is the site of the Ice bar, located inside a building of the 17th century. The Ice bar is made of solid ice all of it, the bar itself, the shelves, the furniture and the glasses all solid ice. It is minus 5 C inside and you have to wear gloves and a thermal cape to keep you warm. It is a great deal of fun, but after 30 minutes you start to feel the cold and it is time to walk out. We then went for dinner next door in a lovely restaurant la Taverna dei Fori Imperiali. The name recalls the time in antiquity when Taverns were on every street corners and the neighborhood Gods where kept there. They were also neighborhood clubs were fraternities met, had a meal and a drink. See their web side www.latavernadeiforiimperiali.com

Then on the weekend on a bright but cold sunny Sunday we went to walk on the Via Appia. This is probably the most symbolic road of Imperial Rome, First built by the Censor Appius Claudius in 312 BC,as a military road it ran all the way south to Naples and then later was extended to Brindisi. Little did he know that this road would become so famous, today it stand in a large green park with old mausoleums and other reminders of Imperial Rome. Almost everyone of note walked or rode this road, Cicero was murdered on it by the men of Mark Anthony, every Roman legion walk up and down it, Spartacus and thousands of his followers were crucified along it as a reminder to all that no one defied the Senate and the people of Rome, it is said that St-Peter met Christ on the road and St-Paul also walked along it, St-Sebastian is buried here.

It is so peaceful with the wonderful cedar trees rising high into the sky, and to walk on the old stones thinking what they saw and witnessed through the ages. Makes you humble to think that this road has seen countless generation of men come and go.
As you walk away from the city walls look to your left and there you will see some of the great Aqueducts who for centuries carried the water to the Eternal cities, the Aqua Marcia is still operational and brings water to fountains in Rome to this day.

Also not far from the road, you can see the spot where Caius Martius Coriolanus, the banished hero of Rome met his mother who having learned that he had turned against Rome and joined the Voslci and was about to attack the city, shamed him for his treason, by asking him, is this my son who raises his hand against his country?

The Via Appia use to start at the Capena Gate which is located near the Circus Maximus but with the expansion of the city and the building of the city walls by Marcus Aurelius the Via Appia now starts at the Appian Gate known today as the San Sebastiano Gate. Just a another beautiful walk and when after all this fresh air you feel hungry, you can stop at a restaurant near the great Tomb Mausoleum of Cecilia Metella.