thoughts on rome

[auntiem]

I am typing this from the Hilton at the Rome ariport- I have a 6:50 flight so I decided to stay out here tonight-

Here are some thoughts on my week in Rome.

Make sure you find a place that overlooks the city early on. There were many times I was unimpressed with Rome- it is not very clean, but then I saw the city from an overlook- wow it is beautiful.

Buy Rick Steves book on Rome- so good pointers and suggestions. Especially if you are not a tour person. One big hint is buying tickets for the colosseum- don't wait in line there- you can get a ticket up towards the forumn or down the street towards the chariot race track. No line there and the ticket is the same.

Do Pompeii- I did it with a tour group- but you can get there by train through Naples. It was by far one of the coolest things I have seen. You are walking in the ruins.

The Vatican was excellent- my friend and I splurged for a private tour. That was incredible. This woman had a PhD in art history- Don't eat anywhere near the vatican or any tourist area- very expensive!

We took a train to Florence one day. Everyone said it was easy- which is was- but a clue- go to the Eurostar club room to talk to someone face to face- it is in the Termini down by track 5- You can buy a ticket from one of the self serve ticket things- but I went to the people. Florence is great for shopping- get past the flea market area and go out to the shops. One of the most incredible churches was there- it was different looking from the others- I will have to look up the name- but it was amazing and basically I turned a corner and there it was!

Make reservations for when you want to eat- unless you want the cheap pizza places- which really weren't bad.

Oh and in many places a large beer is let's say super size- must have been 32 ounces. Huge!!

 

[TXHookem]

You must be catching one of those typical early morning flights out of FCO - connecting through Schipol? That Hilton is brutal, price-wise, but it's better than the alternative.

Rome is beautiful depending on your perspective... I find a great deal of beauty in the architectural look and feel of the streets in the old ghetto or the stately look of the Roman pines over one of the 7 hills. Is it clean... maybe not but it's the whole package, good and bad, that makes Rome fascinating.

I'm not a big tour person - Steves does have some good suggestions, though. To me, to really get to know the soul of Rome, you have to step away from the tours and wander around on foot. Avoid places like Trevi and check out tucked away back-streets in Trastevere, little markets like at Piazza Fontanella Borghese or taking part in the evening passeggiata along broad avenues in EUR. As for the Colesseo, definitely see it but don't overlook the Palatine - so many tourists walk through the Forum but don't go up the hill. It's much quieter, very green and a great place for a picnic.

Pompeii is fascinating but can be a hassle to get to/from. For a much much closer alternative. check out Ostia Antica, the old Roman seaport. You can spend a day here and see many fascinating aspects of Roman commercial and suburban life with a theatre, commercial center, apartment blocks, temples, etc. Very quiet and rarely flooded with tourists.

Taking the train to Florence is great. For an added bonus, take a second day and ride up the rail line another 50 minutes to Bologna - one of the wealthiest cities in Italy with an incredibly preserved central core - a university town with the best food in Italy and a great vibe.

Cheap pizza in Italy pwns good pizza in the U.S.

 

[JohnnyM]

I got back from a nearly 3-week Italy trip just last night. Of course I've now been up since 2am (Pacific time) and just decided to stay up.

We were in the Tuscan countryside, Florence, Milan, Venice, and Rome...a typical first-timers trip to Italy.

It was great, we lucked out with some wonderful weather in Rome (didn't even need a jacket most days), and overall we can't wait to go back and take things a bit slower the next time.

I'd give a longer report, and I probably will, but although I can't sleep right now I also can't imagine trying to remember everything.