Passport control in Rome was bedlam and in the end they didn't even bother stamping our passports. Queue control for about 2000 people trying to get through 5 checkpoints was, well, Italian. All OK for the European entrants. But for others, people ducking through the line marks, others jumping into the staff and diplomatic line, some of whom were arm waved back by a fat controller and others blessed. Approximately an hour of crush. When we were nearly at the head of the crowd the fat controller pulled us out of the milling masses, asked where we came from and said we could go through because we were Australian. Then the passport guy just waved us on. Glad we didn't have any bags to collect as we probably would never have found them since the baggage collection was as bedlamatic as passport control!
Our chosen Roman 3 star hotel selected for station proximity is comfortable and friendly with excellent room wi-fi. Recommended to those with similar selection criteria. We opted to eat in one of the slew of tourist lure pavement trattorias adjoining the hotel all of which come with free tout. We chose simple a la carte rather than menu touristica, and this proved to be an acceptable plan for arrival sustenance. We followed the meal up with ice cream from a "gourmet" gelateria. Potable coffee has been missing in action since leaving Melbourne. The search will continue.
Monday morning expedition was to the Ghetto, for which we were superbly prepared by free download of a detailed Rick Steves audio guide with text script which comes as an iPad app- there are many others and if when visiting any of the places dealt with you don't accept the guidance you are missing out on good information...With that and his map- which we later found also being handed out by the Jewish tourist office the exploration was rewarding.
On the way we passed the Forum Augustum lined with bronzes of Augustus himself, Trajan, and Nerva. Two of the three greet you above.
There is a church at the entrance to the ghetto which it was once compulsory for Jews to attend weekly. Above its portal in Hebrew is written a quote from Isaiah: "All day long I have stretched out my hands to a disobedient and faithless nation that has lost its way."
There were delightful little architectural flourishes planted or embedded along the ghetto streets to identify uses of the premises; below, a fish market:
Food looked good in the window. We didn't have lunch at the place below but found a good example of Jewish Roman food in one of the ghetto's streets. We also met an English couple there with whom we exchanged views on visiting the area.
A turtle fountain by Bernini:
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