Exploring Rome

Rome- 5/15

We arrived at the Rome airport about 1 1/2 hours late and luckily we were able to meet up with D & L at the prearranged location at a little cafe at Arrivals Terminal C. As we compared notes on our flights, we drank espresso and water.

We were seated outside per our request and had the same waiter we had two years ago

After a very interesting cab ride, ( our cabbie was quite talkative, claiming to have visited California three times) we arrived at Hotel Aberdeen. We have room # 37 which by European standards is a bit larger than average. The hotel has three stars and was recommended to us by a friend and her husband who have stayed here and by Rick Steves ( we also got the “Rick Steves discount” !!! ).

After freshening up, we walked just about one block down Via Firenze for a quick lunch at the Green Blue Cafe. We ordered and it seemed like they were out of most of the items on their menu so we just ordered the chicken and vegetables.... 

At this point, we decided to walk down towards the Colosseum, which is about a two mile hike (I looked it up on Google and it’s 3 kilometers). In the past, we have walked through the Roman Forum on our way there but the Italian government has closed that now from a place the public can enjoy freely and have included it in a combined ticket to the Colosseum and Palantine Hill and they are now charging 11 euros for the ticket. We stood in a short ten minute line to purchase the ticket in the Colosseum, a huge difference in crowd size from when we’ve been in Rome in the middle of the summer. We also rented a couple of Audio guides which D & L used to orient themselves to the monument. We took our time, as we were not on a guided tour this time and so we took many pictures.

We have decided to do the Forum and the hill tomorrow since the ticket is valid for two days.

Our reservation for dinner was at Sabatino’s at 8pm. We were seated outside per our request and had the same waiter we had two years ago ( we have eaten here in both 2006 & 2007). We let him suggest what was best that day and he brought us an impressive appetizer which included at least eight different dishes including a wonderful ricotta cheese that was very light in texture, just great! We all tried the same ravioli aand a mixed fresh seafood platter which was presented to us and then removed to be served on our four plates.

The food, wine and service were excellent, as usual!

I was somewhat amused later when I went inside to use the toilette and found a single one between the 2nd and 3rd dining rooms. As I left the toilette, I found a very impatient man waiting for the use of the toilette and I just figured he was impatient when I noticed across the little hall a women’s toilette. Oops, I hadn’t even noticed that I went into the men’s room because the door was open when I entered. Note to self: be more careful!

We enjoyed two bottles of wine with dinner tonight. The two men who were seated at a table pushed next to ours left after dinner and I noticed that they had left a 1/2 bottle of the same wine we had. I mentioned it and, guess what, L took it (we certainly didn’t want it to be wasted, what a shame!) and put one of our empties on their table.

We all enjoyed the extra drink but really started to sweat bullets when they returned to their table (they had not left after all!)  Fortunately, they just came back for some water and they left the restaurant just a minute or so later-- Close call!! :-)

Once we left the restaurant, we walked the couple blocks over to the Pantheon. It was beautiful with a hazy moon hanging in the sky behind the Pantheon. We will need to come back during the day so that D & L can see the interior.

We all then continued the five or six blocks down to the Trevi Fountain. L & I both turned our backs to the water and threw a coin into the water over our shoulders. Doing that is supposed to ensure that we will return to Rome someday.....

From the Trevi Fountain, we walked back to the hotel which was quite a long walk and we arrived a little past 11:30pm. The giant doors to the hotel were closed so we had to be buzzed in. As we arrived, D made the statement, “Look at those knockers!” to which we all chuckled and then realized he was talking about the big door knockers which must have been 8-9 feet above the ground ( the doors must be 18-20 feet tall!).

Rome- Friday, May 16

We needed to be up and ready to be picked up from our hotel at 6:40 for our Vatican tour. Since it was so early, we could not have breakfast at the hotel. The hotel staff had thankfully packed us a brown bag breakfast which was really appreciated but after the short rest (we had the window open all night so the street noise had woken us a few times), we were in need of some coffee :-(

At around 7 a.m., the driver showed up and after picking up one more couple, we were dropped at a bus transfer station (Appian Lines which is also owned by Tourcrafters). After finally getting on our big bus, we were taken to a place near the Vatican where we had to get out (I was worried they were going to make us walk from here) and wait in another line for our headsets (the first of many lines today).

Our tour guide, Cecilia, was very knowledgeable and led our group of 38 people through all of the Vatican Museums and into the very crowded Sistine Chapel. She spent some time explaining the artwork and history of the chapel before entering because, she explained we were to maintain silence and not take pictures once we were inside. Of course, there was no silence there as the guards kept repeating every thirty seconds or so (while we were inside) “QUIET!” and “NO pictures!!” (as we saw yet another flash from someone taking pictures). Of all the places we have been so far, the Sistine Chapel was the most crowded and looked like the summer month’s tourist high season. I’m glad that we went though and maintain that this is definitely someplace that must be visited at least once if you have a chance to come to Italy despite the hordes of people.....

After spending about thirty minutes in St Peter’s Basilica, we left the tour a little early and walked past Castle San Angelo (next to the Vatican) and across the Tibur River and on to Piazza Navona for lunch. With so many little restaurants surrounding this piazza, it is hard to choose so we just picked one that already had customers and red/white checked tablecloths (yes, I know that's pretty silly but it worked out great). The restaurant we picked was called Panzironi and has been in business since 1900 and made some great Italian pizza, which I just love because of the exceedingly thin crusts (almost makes me not feel guilty to eat them). We all had pizza, chianti and ended the meal with lattes.

The Bernini fountain which is the centerpiece of this piazza is still under renovation (as it was when we were last here in July 2007) though it looks nearly complete now. I bet by June it will be.

We took the public bus back towards the hotel. We are happy that we purchased the Rome Pass. It costs only 20 euros and covers entrance fee to two museums, all public transportation plus discounted entries to other museums for three full days, a very good deal. (TIP) I recommend for any trip to Rome!

After a much needed rest, we took a bus back towards the Roman Forum and Palantine Hill. Our ticket from yesterday was to expire at 6pm. The weather has been beautiful in the mid-70’s with sun - May is a beautiful time in Rome! After time exploring the ruins and filling our water bottles many times at the old water fountains that run freely all over the old city (& this water tastes unbelievably good), we headed over to a little restaurant (near our hotel in 2007) where we ate last year, In Roma for some pre-dinner chianti. They were not yet open but agreed to serve us some wine after we relayed the story of our being there last year on the night they had a water emergency in the basement. A truck had been called to pump out the flood there and the noise and the diesel fumes had chased away most of the customers. We had stayed and they ended up comping our wine that night.

In Roma ( www.inroma.eu ) L’Arte della Cucina - Hostara del Campidoglio is located just steps from the Forum on a little back street. We stayed for dinner, ate outside and was served by a very nice waitress, Ariana, a part time actress who was working her first night there.

I had a wonderful smoked salmon & orange appetizer. We waited an addition 20 minutes when Gary found out they were having some “very fresh” Buffalo Mozzarella delivered then. It was worth the wait. Gary & I split a pasta plate and I ordered Grilled Roman Lamb as my secondi. Our wine was Montepulchiano D’Abruzza - very nice. The meal eneded with a complimentary after dinner liquor and some small Italian cookies. We had sat down at the table at 7:20 and didn’t leave until close to 11p.m. We had been trying to make it an early evening but were unsuccessful but we were very successful in our restaurant choice. We ended up walking all the way back to the hotel.

Rome- Saturday, May 17th

We have finally caught up on our sleep. This morning we had breakfast at the hotel (it’s included) and enjoyed freshly made cappuccinos. We caught a bus and arrived at the Borghese Gallery a little after 10 a.m. Our reserved time was from 11 to 1 but we needed to be there by 10:30. As we were waiting, we talked to some people who told us about a nice restaurant where they had eaten and recommended it to us. We called (it’s nice to have a cell phone here that has international capabilities) and made reservations for dinner. We were able to get online right there with the IPhone and get the phone number, really handy.

As noted in the “Galleria Borghese” brochure, “The collection’s character was influenced by the capricious nature of it’s owner who had little love of affairs of state and was more inclined to indulge his personal whims and, above all, his passion for art.” The stories of the family and the art are very fascinating and the beauty of Bernini’s sculptures are not to be missed. If you are ever in Rome, do not miss it!

(TIP) The Borghese Gallerie has audio guides that you can rent for only 5 euros but the best deal is a tour with a very knowledgable guide for only 2 euros more at 7 euros. It is limited to the first 15-20 people that ask for it (& there is only one group for each two hour block of time) so the earlier you get to the gallery the better your chance to enjoy it. Our guide this time was Ludovida and was the same guide we had last July.

After our two hour time window was over, we walked out of the gallery and through the Borghese Gardens down to the Cafee del Parco for some panini and Coca Cola Light (no diet Coke here:-).

We hiked through the vast gardens and found the lake where we wanted to take more pictures. From there we walked west out of the gardens to Piazza del Popolo and were delighted to find a vast display of Polizia vehicles there on display in honor of the Polozia anniversary although it made it difficult to really enjoy the ambiance of the piazza. After checking out the vehicles, helicopter, and, believe it or not, a Lamborgini Polizia car, we walked towards Piazza Baberini and the Spanish Steps which were very crowded, of course. It felt very warm so we stopped at a little gelateria for our first gelato of the trip. I had some limone ( lemon) and some strawberry. It tasted wonderful!

Heading back to the hotel, we took the metro, as we wanted the experience & the Roma Pass covered the expense. We only tralled one stop to the Piazza Republica, which is just about three blocks from the Hotel Aberdeen.

We left the hotel a bit before seven and stopped at the corner of Via Firenze and Via Nationale at a littler bar for a pre-dinner chiante classico. We then took a bus to Piazza Venezia to make a transfer but didn’t find the bus stop easily so we trekked up Via del Corso for a couple of miles and found our way (with Gary’s guidance, of course) to the recommended restaurant, Alfredo alla Scrofa aka Alfredo’s Gallery ( www.alfredosgallery.com ). This ristorante has been in the business since 1907 and is well known as the place where the famous “Fettucine Alfredo” was created. After a nice appetizer, we split two orders of Fettucine Alfredo between the four of us and were very happy to note just how much better it was from what you get in the states. The fettucine is much thinner and lighter and there was lots of parmesan tossed with the sauce to give it a sensational taste. We also noted that it certainly did not seem oily at all. I ordered lamb again as my secondi and really loved it’s moistnrss. When I saw tiramisu on the menu, I had to order it as I’d missed out on it the other night at Sabatino’s. With some espresso, we ended the meal and headed back to the hotel. We ended up walking the entire distance back to the hotel taking a side trip past the Trevi Fountain once again.

I always need to pinch myself to believe I’m really here again. Wow, what a blessing!!!

We reached the hotel a few minutes before midnight. L checked her pedometer and figured that we had walked about eight miles today. That’s good after all the spectacular food that we have been enjoying here.

I would recommend Alfredo’s although it is a bit expensive (well, honestly, it’s more than expensive). It’s an experience though with the walls lined with pictures of many celebrities who have eaten here and it is quite impressive.....

Sunday, May 18th

This is our last full day in Rome so even though it is raining (as it was a bit last night), it will not keep us from more exploration. As a side note, it was amusing to note that as soon as a few drops of rain hit the pavement last night, almost instantly there were sellers of umbrellas on the street every half block or so. As we had only brought one umbrella (and, of course, left it at the hotel), we did purchase one. The seller was asking five euros for a small umbrella ( very cheaply made) so we offered three euros and he sold one to us and one to D & L.

We left the hotel around 9:30 this morning after breakfast and headed to the Capitoline Museum located at the northern end of the Roman Forum. We used our Roma Pass to cover entrance fee there. Our passes are valid until tonight at midnight so we will be using the city busses and the Metro as much as we can today.

We spent 2 1/2 hours exploring the museum. My favorite part was the statuary. It was interesting to note just how many heads had been placed on torsos and how many are still missing parts. Our tour guide yesterday at the Borghese Gallery had explained how the early Christians had destroyed so much art, believing all statues to be pagan gods and not art and worthy of destruction. What a sad history.

My favorite things today were the paintings by Giovanni Paolo Panini in the Antique Roma exhibit. They are of the Roman ruins but in the 15-1800’s so have the antiquity plus what we consider renaissance dress on the subjects in the paintings.

When we left after 1:30, the sky had cleared and it was very pretty outside. We decided to walk down the hill towards the Tibur River to the Jewish Ghetto for lunch. Unfortunately, Trattoria d Giggetto (al Portico D’Ottavia) was full (my favorite spot for deep fried zucchini flowers) so we stopped at Il Giardino Romano, just a cvouple of door down. ( www.ilgiardinoromano.it ) They had a table available inside. Everyone had pizzas ( they did look great) except for me. I had my old favorite, Melone & Prociutto. I also ordered an appetizer sampler with fried cod fish, fried artichoke, fried zucchini flower, fried mozzarella ball and fried olive/sausage balls. Nice sampler. By looking at the menu, this looks like a nice place to have dinner on another trip to Rome.

We walked down the street a few blocks to the Church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin, located at the north end of Circus Maximus. The portico here holds the Bocca della Verita (or the Mouth of Truth). There is a legend that if anyone sticks their hand inside this round marble medallion, they are obligated to tell the truth or the mouth will bite it off. The line was quite long to get a picture doing this so we decided to try to swing by tomorrow. We walked past Circus Maximus to the Metro (B line) and took it one stop to the pyramid. Yes, there is a real pyramid in Rome! I had not known about this until I recently read a column by Rick Steves that described it. The Pyramid of Cestius (Piramide Cestia) is an ancient pyramid incorporated into the old city walls near the Porta San Paolo. It was built in 12 B.C. as a tomb for Gaius Cestius Epulo. It is covered with white marble and was a burial chamber.

We caught the Metro back to Termini and transfered to the A line and took it to Spagna by the Spanish Steps which were mobbed and then walked back towards the Pantheon. We had seen it the other night but since it was later than 7:30, D & L had not see the interior and this was a “must do” on our list. We listened to one of Rick Steves’ Audio Tour podcast (TIP) which are on ITunes for free and which are very educational and just plain interesting.

It was quite warm this afternoon and a bit humid so we stopped for some gelato and then took bus#64 back to the hotel. We were not sure where to have dinner tonight so we asked the man in the office at the hotel and he recommended “Target Restaurant” which is quite close.

Our experience at Target Restaurant was very pleasant and we were very happy with the price, the food and wine, the service, the location and the ambiance.

Monday, May 19th

Today we are leaving Rome and heading to Sorrento for three nights. We walked the few blocks to the Termini Station and found the Auto Europe counter and picked up the car that we had reserved. They gave us a different brand, Peugeot and the car is quite new as it only has the equivalent of about 600 miles on the odometer. Gary brought his mobile GPS so it was fairly easy to get back to the hotel using it. ______________________________________________