Well, see those little guys climbing up the top of the fountain? They are turtles, added to the original fountain by Bernini, and this link is really wonderful for those wanting the complete history of the fountain.
It is in the piazza Mattei in the 2000 year old Jewish ghetto of Rome, where one also finds the crispy seductive carciofi alla giudia, flattened and deep-fried artichokes in the Jewish manner.
Mama makes them at home, too, but she also cuts baby artichokes in half (after peeling down to the yellow and trimming the tops) and deep-fries them to make miniature versions of the above.
When mama and papa were looking for a place in Rome to rent many years ago, they visited an apartment on the first floor of the building opposite the turtle fountain and would have looked out on it each morning, but the apartment was very noisy and too close to the piazza Mattei where so many tourists cross daily into the ghetto.
Also the fountain was being restored when they looked at the rental, and it’s so lovely to wander over familiar streets and suddenly find that the fountain or statue or building one has looked at covered with scaffolding and cloth and protective screens has suddenly become itself again–restored and perfect and feeling at home where it is.
Mama says there are so many of these little fountains and corners with such lovely things to see (the deer on top of building near us, for example, which no one notices) that she’s going to have to go out daily to try and see even a fraction of them.
So…off she goes.
Oops..forgot the frog part:
Just wanted to throw this in along with the turtles…it was such a nice frog photo and frogs and turtles get along so well.
You find such unique and interesting subjects to write about, Loulou.
Well, that frog was a stretch. But someone sent me the photo and I just loved his little prince-like face!!! But I can’t imagine KISSING HIM. Yuk.
Well, that frog was an afterthought. But I liked the photo…