Caroline Lawrence, authoress of the famous children's mystery series set in ancient Rome, had been at our school since Thursday giving writing seminars to our middle school students. Her first Roman mystery was "The Thieves of Ostia" and is currently working on her 12th novel. Her books are set in the year AD 79 and revolve around four children getting themselves into and out of trouble while solving terrible mysteries! For more info regarding her and her novels please click into www.romanmysteries.com. She is an interesting character, herself, to say the least.

Lynn explained to me that Caroline had invited her and whom ever she would like to invite to dinner that evening as a way of saying thank you to her for her involvement in organizing the writing seminar. Lynn, wisely, decided to invite me as she felt that Caroline and I would have much in common and that perhaps our roads might even cross in the future. Lynn enticed me into accepting this invitation by saying that aside from being able to share and discuss ancient Roman thoughts with Caroline we would also be eating at an archaeological, gastronomically famous restaurant, the Magna Roma. I immediately accepted!

I met Lynn and Caroline at the restaurant around eight and we were shortly joined by two archaeologist friends of hers who are currently doing excavations on Tiber Island, an island in the center of Rome which has been known for curing the sick since ancient times. Table conversation was exhilarating. It was like we all had so much to say and share and we all knew that there would not be time for "everything". The archaeologists spoke of their recent finds on the island and being able to establish a new mapping of the island due to these recent discoveries. Caroline spoke of her love for ancient Rome throwing in tid bits of ancient trivia which is always like "the frosting on the cake".

My sixth sense told me to bring a small gift for Caroline that evening, and as usual, my sixth sense was functioning for it was her birthday! Our school is built on an ancient Roman cemetery and from time to time objects come to the surface. Some time ago a small, child's sarcophagus came to light. It was covered with a beautiful low relief which caught my eye immediately and in secret I made a mold of one of the masks found on it.

From this mold I had made several copies in clay to decorate one of the rooms in my house, which at that time, I was working on. There were a few extra copies laying around in my closet so I decided that because of her interest in the ancient world she might appreciate having a copy. I was right for she loved the life sized mask and said that it was something she had always wanted and explained to me that the current novel she is working on revolves around ancient Roman theatre masks! Unknowingly, I had hit the nail on it's head!

She had brought along with her that evening a number of small Roman objects which she had collected over the years and used in her writing seminars. Curious objects to say the least - a sponge on a stick which was ancient Roman toilet paper, a bronze bleeding cup and various small votive images - a couple of ears and an eye. She has recently returned from a Greek island which was known in ancient times for producing mastrix, the ancient equivalent of chewing gum. We all had a small nugget of this mastrix, which looked like fossilised amber, and low and behold it did turn into gum!

The true highlight of the evening, however, was the restaurant itself, The Magna Roma, a few blocks from the Colosseum.. it was like walking back in time. An incredible delightful experience and one which I shall remember for quite some time to come.

The Magna Roma is not a restaurant for tourists, but a place to rediscover culturally food, settings, customs of 2000 years ago, while eating like the "Patricians", in the great Rome of the Period 14-138 A.D. Upon entering we were offered a Gustaticium, an ancient cocktail made from Mulsum wine and honey, ancient sacral food was set out in small Roman crockery bowls to be munched on.

We ate without using a fork, in it's place was the long, silver Roman spoon which was used as either a spoon or the opposite end of it was pointed so that you could "stab" your meal. Delicacies of Apicius and other ancient gastronomes abounded on the menu written in both Latin and Italian. My Latin is a bit rusty, so I needed to read the barbaric Italian. We did not lay down, however, as the ancient Romans would have on their couches in their triclinium, but rather sat in traditional chairs at a traditional table. The table service, however, was an exact copy of ancient plates and cups. What a treat! No napkins. The ancient Roman saw no use for them. You either brought your own or you used the table cloth! We used the table cloth.

The dinning hall was adorned with ancient paintings, columns and furnishings, illuminated with lanterns, all in authentic style of that Age. The Garum sauce, an ancient sauce which made Pompeii famous and which they exported throughout the entire Roman world, a sauce made from the fermented intestines of fish left in the sun for days and weeks to ferment, was served with many of the dishes. A kind of ancient worchestershire sauce. Falernum wine and emmer bread accompanied the numerous dishes of meat and fish. The deserts were divine - tasty little cakes made from pears, cheese and various seeds and were dredged with honey, cumin and black pepper. Too much! The only thing missing were the naked, dancing slaves of both sexes and the acrobats!

I began with melon and garum sauce and then moved on to salted ham sautéed in a honeyed fig sauce served over cereal biscuits. The main course was a major decision. I finally choose an ancient duck plate of Apicius' - try to imagine a duck breast boiled with leeks and other vegetables, then quickly sautéed with red beets and honey!!! Desert was delightful, to say the least. None of us could choose what we wanted so we got a selection of the entire desert menu!

While dinning, the owner, an Etruscan archaeologist, would come to our table and explain in minute detail what we were eating, it's history and how it was prepared. The waiters were, of course, all dressed in ancient garb. What a meal, what a unique experience!

Unique, also because, that was the last evening that they were going to be open. Because of internal problems, they were closing the restaurant, at least this one for the moment. I spoke at length with the owner and beginning in the fall they are going to be doing special ancient gastronomical evenings in various ancient ruins. They will be able to do this for one of their supports is the Roman Fine Arts Commission and much of the proceeds will be going for the upkeep of the ruins. A great idea, no?

The evening came to a close, but before saying our adieus, I spoke to Caroline about the various "above and beyond the call of duty" projects which I have done at Marymount. Last year, for example, I did "Moda Mania 2" and this coming year I will be doing "Spotlight On Africa" where I will be spotlighting African artisans. I asked her if she would be interested for the year after on working on an "Ancient Roman Day". She loved the idea and immediately said yes. So, my next two years are already marked out!!! It could be exciting. Very exciting!

And on that note, I leave you for now as Sunday lunch is beckoning to be made.....

Thank you for listening to me, and a presto....