Rome II: A Proper Experience

This was our Roman Holiday with (almost) no reference to the Gregory Peck/Audrey Hepburn movie, although I’m sure that was good too.

We’ve both been before, so really had no need or desire to rush about to see the mainstream tourist attractions. This was all about experiencing Rome - exploring and just “doing our own thing” wherever we pleased as the days took us. This formula worked very well as where we stayed, where we went, what we saw, and where we ate, just made for a great four days in this amazing city...

Where We Stayed...

Chez Diana (pronounced Dee-ahna) is a “B n B” that was on the fourth floor of a large apartment block just north of the Vatican (the courtyard entrance right). It comprised of a small kitchen that had two rooms off of it - each with their own bathroom. Obviously, we only used one bedroom. For a place to stay it was perfect for us. It was spotless and would put some hotels I’ve stayed in to shame!

The added bonus came in our host, Diana, joining us for breakfast, which she put together. She was great to chat to and was forthcoming with some of the best places to eat and how to get around. A wealth of local knowledge. [Some folk use their guide books religiously, but we prefer to use them for only a little guidance (mostly the maps) and go where the locals do. Let’s face it, if the locals don’t know where to go, then you have problems.] Diana certainly knew where to go and even booked one of the restaurants for us, but more about that later.

We’d recommend staying there to everyone who wants a very good quality BnB that has a “homey” touch to it, that’s accessible to all the sights, and yet far enough away to be properly amongst the locals.

What We Went and What We Saw...

First up was The Colosseum. I’d not seen it previously, so ticking it off early on was the plan. An amazing structure, and hard to imagine what it would have been like “back in its day”. Quite a fair number of tourists about, even for a mid-morning in winter (7C), but still an amazing experience to just mosey about what’s left of this ancient structure, and try to take it all in.

As part of our Colosseum entry, we were given access to Palatine Hill and The Forum (right). Literally across the road from the Colosseum, it is just as old and still quite fascinating to wander all about this ancient place. It really is what’s left of an ancient Roman suburb and still quite impressive. No one can accuse the Romans of not doing largess.

Across another road from Palatine Hill was the Circus Maximus, as alas, it is no more. When I first saw the chariot races in Ben Hur as a child, I’d always wanted to see it. I was actually looking at what was left of it from atop the structures on Palatine Hill as the realisation and disappointment dawned - I probably should have researched this first...

The Forum is quite amazing, and to be able to stroll through it just as people would have thousands of years ago is great. We came down Palatine Hill before wandering through this ancient place.

We whiled away that afternoon enjoying pizza, salads, olives, glasses of vino and generally watching the Italians around us do their thing. At the Piazza Del Popolo at the top of the main street of Via del Corso was Canova - one of the restaurants that Diana had said was the best in Rome. Alas, we were too late for a late lunch as we discovered that most restaurants closed at 3pm only to re-open again at around 7pm. So instead we took up a table out the front of the cafe section, which effectively sat us on the edge of the piazza (and road). The two laned taxi rank over the road rarely had a dull moment too.

We hit the Campo di Fiori markets (left) one morning and enjoyed just poking about amongst all the locals going about their daily lives. Some amazing sights and produce as well as quite a few tasty samples along the way! Well worth the trip down there in the early morning (if chilly) sun.

We passed through the famous Piazza Navona on several occasions throughout our days. We didn’t spend much time marvelling at this large square or its fountains, as we’d just hoped to have a coffee in the sun out front of one of the cafés along its edges. We had the sunshine, but being winter there weren’t too many cafés open, so we continued exploring the nearby streets.

Not far from here we came across a small cafe/bar with two outdoor tables. Between them was the overhead gas heater keeping the small groups surrounding them warm. Each table had a chess game in full progress. One was two players rapidly playing against the clock, while the other was a small gathering of elderly men playing at a much more leisurely pace. There was much animated discussion amongst them over each move made, with much pointing and demonstrating of the onlooker’s preferred moves. Great to watch! We spied another chessboard on a table inside, so “when in Rome...”. Two games (and coffee’s) later we moved on through the same cobbled lanes now under their street lights. Those outside were still playing, and discussing (although the actual player’s had changed).

One of the cool things about both having been to Rome before is showing each other places that you’ve been that the other hasn’t. The Pantheon is near Piazza Novona, and is somewhere I’d never even considered going while Sheryl was keen to show me. Yet again, it was an incredible architectural feat to have created such a massive dome with a 9m “open skylight” in the top of the roof nearly 2,000 years ago. Despite the internal overhaul by the Catholics through the ages - obviously not liking the idea of a temple to the ancient Roman gods in their city - the building is still impressive. It also houses the resting place of Raphael (the artist, not the teenage mutant ninja turtle who was named after him).

Around the corner from the Pantheon is the Sant’Eustachio Basillica, which just happens to be across the street from the Sant’Eustachio Il Caffe (left). One is over 1,000 years old and the other was founded in 1938. The younger of the two is considered to be Rome’s best coffee house. We visited both. Well, actually we did coffee there twice, and now have a bag of their coffee in the kitchen back home to enjoy. Other than some of the equipment (plus stock, cups and staff), it is all still the original cafe from 1938. Well worth both visits!

A visit to Rome is probably considered incomplete should you not toss your coin into a certain fountain. As it gets dark over here quite early, and we were exploring the nearby laneways one evening, we headed towards the Fontana Di Trevi to see it all lit up under lights - spectacular indeed (right).

We continued on our way through the lanes and streets to head up to the Spanish Steps and the Church that resides at the top of these famous steps - the Trinità dei Monti (see pic at the very top of this post). Inside this 16^th century French church, there was a service underway, so we quietly sat up the back as we marvelled at the architecture of the place. It took no time to notice the hooded figures down the front that were singing. It was amazing harmonies that reverberated around this ancient venue - really beautiful. No, we weren’t “touched by God” in enjoying this tranquil place and sounds. Let’s face it, I’m more likely to burst into flames for entering the front door! Regardless, it was still just a really nice experience to sit quietly and listen to their amazing voices.

We walked down to St Peter’s Square on the Sunday to take a peek at any sort of service going on there. With a massive queue (one that even the Brits would find daunting!) we just strolled about taking it all in before heading towards the Castel d’Angelo. We crossed the Tiber (below) and made our way along it before meandering through the streets, eventually finding our way back to the Sant’Estauchio Il Caffe.

Where We Ate...

Just around the corner from where we stayed was “Micci”. A friendly local place that accommodated us on our first night (until quite late), as well as our last lunch before heading for the airport and London. This made it our first and last meal in Rome for this trip. You could see the handmade pasta on the kitchen bench, and there is something to be said for the simple way meals are made here. Both times were excellent, even if only short visits.

La Sagra Del Vino is the name of the restaurant that Diana had booked for us on our second night. Not the most obvious from the street either - it didn’t look like much, but it definitely came up with the goods!

A typical Roman restaurant that was obviously a bit of a family affair. It was very busy, yet somehow very relaxed. The staff seemed to know everyone, and it really seemed like they were just dropping in on friends - a fantastic atmosphere. You didn’t even need to understand the language to find some of the joking about funny, or share in a laugh with the people on the table next to you and the staff. The menu was pretty much what was on offer for the first two courses - we had forgotten that Italians have a second main, so we literally rolled out of the place when we were done.

Near the Pantheon, we stopped for lunch in a small little restaurant that was one of those great little discoveries. Armando’s wasn’t all that obvious, literally being a doorway with a small frame by it containing the menu. It was warm inside, and again seemed only to contain Italians - certainly a good sign! The food... well, I know this will start to sound like a broken record, but it was superb. The flavours seemed so fresh and alive. As mentioned previously most places close up at around 3pm and we were one of the last to leave this quaint little place as they closed up for the afternoon.

For Sheryl’s birthday we headed into the Trastevere region to dine at the Casette di Trastevere. It was okay, and unfortunately couldn’t match our previous experience. The place was quite unique inside as it was presented as being in a laneway of an Italian village, but turned out to be more of a family and touristy restaurant. We have since decided that this was not to be the dinner for her birthday...

Diana had told us that the best pizza in Rome was made at Pizzare, just off the Piazza del Popolo, so on the Sunday evening when we found ourselves in the vicinity, we dropped in for a pizza. It took us one bite to both say that this was the best pizza we’d ever had - anywhere! So simply done in the massive wood oven that even the little burnt sections on the crust and base added to the overall flavour. We wanted to order more and take one away with us, but we were headed to another restaurant that night, so have to now put it on the list for our next visit.

The restaurant for that night was the Osteria Dell Angelo. Again, another recommendation, and later, Diana was to tell us that it is actually one of the most famous restaurants in Rome. This became Sheryl’s birthday dinner. The restaurant itself was quite large, but separated into several rooms and never lost that intimate local feel to it. Once again, we were entertained by our waiters and the challenge of communicating with their little English and our little Italian. The food, however, was unbelievably good! And that goes for all four courses, even if we were so stuffed that we struggled through the third course, but food that good just cannot be left on your plate!

In Rome it is all about the food, but part of that is also the atmosphere of the place as well as who you are with that make the “meal”. This is one part of life that the Italians certainly got right, and while this was only a part of our time there, it really helped us to experience Rome rather than just charge about the tourist attractions. Definitely making the trip one to remember.