Rome Trip Report

http://www1.snapfish.com/share/p=62051162767594733/l=218529167/g=78111016/cobrandOid=1000131

Try again - sorry, the pictures did not link correctly. If this does not work, can someone help how I post?

Rome is a fantastic city and I hope to return someday. It seems as though you had a most enjoyable trip! The international airlines do offer blankets and pillows free and they still do feed you actual meals with wine gratis. Good to know that you had a good experience with Alitalia.

Hi Wanderer,

Sounds like you did have a wonderful trip, I can't wait to hear the details!

Sorry to hear about the blisters. Yes, they happen sometimes even if the shoes are broken in! Have you heard of moleskin? Take it next time for sure! A hundred times better than bandaids, which always end up peeling off or scrunching up on you.

Try again with the pictures. If this link doesn't work I REALLY need help!! (Sorry, have never done this before...)

http://community.webshots.com/album/555367607INRNXH

wanderer, mind telling us how much that apartment was? I enjoyed their website, but there seems something tricky in going on and on in details and never giving a hint how much it might cost. Or did I just miss that?

One more test for the pictures...
http://www.kodakgallery.com/BrowsePhotos.jsp?&collid=76574335210.75416190710.1162774670632&page=1&sort_order=0&navfolderid=0&folderid=0&ownerid=0

As to the apartment, nothing tricky. Just realize they are not an agency, so the web site is simple. But they are very honest people. We paid 1400E for the week plus a 50E cleaning fee. The apartment is a one BR, one bath.

Sorry, I didn't mean to imply dishonest or shady by "tricky", but it seems so meaningless to do an involved website without any indication of price which clearly is a priority for most people. I suppose their goal is to only attract people for whom price is NOT a priority. I suspected when I saw there was no price listed that it was considerably more than similar apartments -- and I'd have to say now that yes, my suspicions were right, but actually less than I suspected it might be.

NeoPatrick,
I have to agree with you. I had been looking at this site as it has wonderful reviews on SlowTrav. I sent an e-mail. but they didn't respond. (They do say to re-send if they don't respond in three days) but, in the meantime, I booked with someone else. Price is always one of the first things I look at.

I'm back - and a little more awake!! BTW, the Webshots link is the only one that worked for the pics (above)??

Our itinerary was as follows:

Sat - arrive, get settled, wander around our Campo
Sun - Trastevere, Fritti Baccala (the smalles church)
Mon - Pantheon, Piazza Navona, see more of Campo de Fiori area
Tues - Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, Villa Borghese and Pincio Terrace
Wed - Colosseum, Forum, Capitoline Hill and Palatine Hill
Thurs - Vatican and St. Peters
Fri - Sleep in, shopping and pack
Sat - Leave for home 6am

We like to pace ourselves so that we are not running around crazy, to give ourselves time to take pictures, wander the streets of the area we are in, stop at a cafe for a glass of wine, go home for a nap, etc. This pace may not suit everyone, but we figure we are on vacation, and it was perfect for us.

Highlights/Comments of what we saw:
St. Peters and the Cat Sanctuary for me, the Forum for my husband. I actually liked the Forum better than I thought I would. At the Vatican, we saw the Egyptian Rooms, Raphael Rooms (stunning), the apartments, the Map Gallery (one of my favorites) and the Sistine Chapel.

We took a double-decker bus tour (the 100 Open - 13E) after the Colosseum. We rode around a couple of times, as it was just getting to dusk, and the lights were all coming on. Unfortunately, it didn't go by the Colosseum or the Trevi fountain, but we got to see some areas we would otherwise have missed.

We walked to all, as I have mentioned, other than the Vatican, which we easily could have it not for my feet. We picked up a cab at Largo Argentina (5 min from our apartment) and it was extremely reasonable - cheaper than Boston!)

Disappointments/Things we would do differently:
When we arrived at Piazza Navona, there was a huge demonstration going on. We still don't know what it was - something regarding pensions - but it was a mob scene, which totally took over the Piazza, and many, many police with guns, shields. I couldn't wait to get out of there! We of course went back, but were dismayed to find a couple of the fountains in scaffolding and not operating. We found this also at the Spanish Steps (the obelisk), and at Piazza del Popolo. Most likely because it's not high season, and that's when things get fixed!

My least favorite part of Rome was Spanish Steps/Trevi - I felt claustrophobic. There were some shops I had wanted to see, and just couldn't wait to get out of there. I can't imagine it in high season!

I had wanted to see Villa Borghese, my husband did not, and it needs advance reservations. We did stroll through the Gardens (huge!!) and they were peaceful and beautiful. Next time, we (or I) will definitely see it. The building and grounds are spectacular and a world away from the noise.

We followed people's recommendations at the Vatican to go out the "groups" door from the Sistine Chapel to St. Peters and it worked great (door is on the right corner facing the back of the chapel). It deposits you in the line for the dome. We should have stayed here, but wanted to see the main church, and stupidly left that line to go inside. I hadn't realized that there was a massive line outside the church entrance that they were letting little by little into the line we had just been in! So by the time we got out of the church, the line was all the way outside, winding around the building, and we decided to forgo the dome. Another must see when we return.

At the Colosseum, we again used the advice to purchase our tickets at Palatine. We thought we could go right to the turnstile then, but there was a massive line, which turns out is for security that everyone has to go through. We were dismayed that we would have to wait after all, and a young Italian tour guide saw us and took pity on us. She escorted us half-way up the line and deposited us there and said "We Italians, we are friendly people". It was so cute. Had anyone have complained, I would have gone to the back, but no one said a word.

We intended to take a boat ride on the Tiber, and walked down to the docks on a Sunday but no one was operating. The walk along the Tiber was nice anyway. The boats are a great deal. I think 3E for the day. You can pick up one at any of the bridges.

Sant Andrea della Valle - a beautiful church you must see. We saw it at night. Has the second highest dome after St. Peters. Absolutely stunning.

A couple of special things recommended to us that we didn't get to:

A visit to the French Embassy - beautiful building. You need advance permission to get in here.

Galleria Spada - in the same area. Small museum.

A carriage ride by Trevi at night.

Pizza Bianca at Forno on Via dei Chiavari (the street we stayed on). Reported by some to be the best pizza in Rome - they sell it by the "etto" and wrap it up for you to walk with and eat. Looked delicious.

Jewish Ghetto.

A ride on the 116 Electric Bus (goes to Villa Borghese).

That is all for now. Later on will write about our favorite restaurants and shops!!

To post a link to your photos on kodakgallery, you should share the album. Give your own e-mail address. You can uncheck the box that makes people sign in to view the photos. Open the e-mail and look at the bottom where there is tiny print with a link you can copy. Copy this link and paste that into your message here.

wanderer,

Great report - can't wait for more.

I cannot see photos, it is asking me for a password...

OK, will try again - SO sorry (can you tell it's my first time!!)

copy and paste the following directly into your browser:

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=z6edr6y.yn8up6e&x=0&h=1&y=-dxz2xe

Nice pictures, thanks.

Wonderful photos, wanderer. I love the photos of "life" rather than just monuments.

Looking forward to reading your thoughts on shops and restaurants. Thanks again for the tip in my "tea" thread.

Thank you samsmom1127!! My husband is always asking me "why are you taking a picture of THAT??" but that's part of what I like to do - give a flavor of where we were and the things that make it unique.

Thanks also to Niki for helping me finally get the photos on line!!

Beautiful photos wanderer, thank you for sharing them! Enjoying your trip report also. I too like some "downtime" every day..especially at an outdoor cafe enjoying a drink of wine.

Great pictures! And very helpful report. Like you, I find Rome most enjoyable at a (fairly) relxed place. My very favorite city.

OK, on to restaurants....

First of all, our goal was to eat well but not in fancy restaurants. Good food in casual settings, as much outdoors as we could. We like to eat lunch out in the area we are sightseeing in that day, and do dinner close to home - within walking distance. Except on one occasion, we never spent more than 40E total, with a bottle of water, wine, primo and dessert. I don't know how Italians do it - we never had room to squeeze in a Secondo.

Our first night there, partly since we were zombies, partly because we had heard rave reviews we made reservations at Arnaldos. This restaurant was about 10 feet from our apartment, and the owners of our apartment know the restaurant owner. They walked us over, introduced us, told us what was special, and made the reservations for us. Arnaldo's is on Via di Grotta Pinta, 8, a few steps to the left off Via dei Chiavari. It's a sweet little place with outdoor tables, but we always ate inside where it's very romantic and cozy. Previous owners were ballet aficionados, so there are lots of interesting things on the walls, like a box of toe slippers. Veal is their specialty, but we never made it past the Primo because we always wanted dessert. Every pasta dish I had was superb. The sauces light and very tasty. Their Carbonara was excellent - very, very light. They also have a specialty Sangria wine, which they serve in a bowl. Our apartment owners urged us to try it, and I'm glad we did. I was quite hesitant, remembering the terrible headaches as a much younger person after drinking Sangria, but luckily history did not repeat itself. Arnaldo's also has a to-die-for dessert which is a crepe filled with gelato, covered with marinated oranged slices and caramel glaze/sauce. Heavenly. The owner and waiter speak no English, but we got by fine. (I speak just about no Italian, nor does my husband). Very gracious people, great food, great location. We loved it so much we ate here 3 times!

Another favorite was Grappolo d'oro Zampano, Piazza Cancelleria, 80/84. It is a hop, skip and jump off Campo de Fiori, with indoor seating only. My husband and I each had their homemade basil ravioli, which was really excellent. I had a chocolate flan for dessert, which was spectacular. The onlt thing that put a damper on our meal there was 2 young children (3-4 years old) of a tourist couple that screamed all through dinner. The parents simply sat there going about their meal until one point the father tried to appease them with a "story" from his guidebook reading very loudly for all the restaurant to enjoy!!

My third favorite - and our most expensive - dinner was at Roscioli, Via dei Giubbonari 21-22. The restaurant is in the back of a wine/deli store (Alimentari) which has great gourmet foods. The food was very, very good. I had a meat-filled tortellini in a poultry broth, and again, and chocolate flan for dessert, but this was spiced slightly with pepper. Very different, but it was good.

We ate a couple of nights at a restaurant on Piazza Farnese - great little spot called Osteria ar Galletto,Piazza Farnese, 102. Both nights we ate outdoors enjoying the fountain. Their pasta was excellent, and very inexpensive. We also tried the fried zucchini blossom appetizer here, and it was delicious. This restaurant is also known as Don Giovanni and is right at the corner of the Piazza facing the French Embassy.

Lastly, we ate dinner at La Carbonara on the Campo. All in all, it was not a bad deal. Save for the accordian players trying to collect from the patrons. The food was quite good, and not that expensive for a campo restaurant. Probably the only one I would eat a meal at. I had tortellini in a broth, which was excellent.

Breakfast every morning was at Bar Farnese (right next to Ar Galletto), facing the French Embassy. Great spot. Plenty of outdoor seating.

Lunches were pretty basic - mostly panini, or just some gelato. I'll dig these out and finish up tomorrow.

Lastly, some good recommendations from our apartment owners (local people who have lived in Rome for 20+ years) and a waiter who is from Rome we met while in Asheville! I cannot vouch for these, as we just didn't have time to try them all!

Da Francesco
Vicolo del Figo
Pizzeria Bersagliere
St. Ustacchio (best coffee - ask from Gran Cafe)
Sora Margherita (lunch only - get the Carciofi Cacioepefe)
Pasticceria del Ghetto (special cakes)
Villa Medici Terrace (good coffee bar)
Casima Restaurant (Villa Borghese Valadiei)
Pizzeria da Ivo - Trastevere
Bibli Bookshop - Trastevere - (brunch)
Ovindo (on Via della Scala - Trastevere - good Roman food
There is also a cafe at the top of the Capitoline Museum which has a rooftop view - you do not have to visit the museum to eat there - it's on the 4th floor.
Filetti di Baccalá in the Piazza Santa Barbara - best fried fish (salt cod) in Rome
Roscioli bakery - Via dei Chiavari - great white and red pizza by the "etto"

One last thought before I forget. I am the "queen" of guidebooks, and I forgot one of my favorites that we used throughout Venice - Knopf pop-up. Luckily we had the Moon Metro Rome, which is similar, and relied mostly on this guide as we walked around.

I had purchased a Citystreets Rome map, and a few others, but they were all too small for my aging eyes to read. Knopf is even better than Moon as far as size of the maps and print, and makes it manageable to carry around. We actually planned our itinerary around their breakout of the different areas.

Will continue tomorrow with the shops...

wanderer,

I am really enjoying reading this as we will be visiting Rome for our first time in April for 7 nights too. It helps me to see what you did each day, as I don't want to overplan the day's activities either. Thanks.

-Bill

Wanderer,

you have some beautiful shots. I am bookmarking your trip report for my one week trip in May.

On to shops!! But before that, I have remembered the lunch spot we ate at near the Colosseum. Pasqualine - (Via dei Santissimi Quatro 66) - not bad food, decent prices, a view of the Colosseum while you eat from the outdoor tables.

There was also a Panini bar we ate at right in the Campo that had good sandwiches. It is one the corner of Via dei Cancelleri and has outside seating (stools) - if they don't have what you want, they will fix it for you. The name escapes me now - sorry (starts with an "A" - bright yellow umbrellas - you'd see it if you walked toward Via Pellegrino).

OK, the shops...

Every trip I've been on, I scour my many guidebooks, and write down shops I want to visit with their address, times open, etc. Invariably, as happened in Venice, I can't find the shop - it's closed, can't find the street, etc.

This happened in Rome, and I realized by day 2 I was spending more time looking for shops than enjoying my surroundings, and missing out on potential shops right in my path!! Did I miss out on some? Yes, I really wanted a pair of Italian leather gloves, but so wanted to get away from the crowds at the Spanish Steps that I didn't even try to find the store.

That being said, these shops are some that we stumbled upon, and some that our apartment owners showed us.

Bookstores:
We are big book readers on vacation (airport, at night, etc.) and so scout out good bookstores every time we are away - here are a few:

Bibli - bookstore in Trastevere - we found it to be only Italian books, but it is cute

The Almost Corner Bookstore - (via del Moro 43)Trastevere - we loved this bookstore. It is all English - great selections. Got a great book here called "A Traveler in Rome" by V.H. Morton. It's an account of V.H. Morton's days in Rome in the 1950s. Highly recommend. Had I known about the book, I would have read it prior to my trip.

Feltrinelli - this is like an Italian Barnes and Noble. Also has music. Good selection of English books. There are several of them around Rome. We went to the one at Largo Argentina.

Libreria Del Viaggiatore - (Via del Pellegrino 78) - this store was shown to us by our apt. owners. It is combo English/Italian, and is 100% travel books. I was like a kid in a candy store!! This is where I found the V.H. Morton book (The Almost Corner Bookshop also carries it).

Foodstuffs:

Roscioli Bakery - (Via dei Chiavari). The sign outside says simply "Forno" in big bright yellow letters. They are the ones that carry the pizza bianca slices.

Roscioli Alimentari - (Via dei Giubbonari 21-22) - carries great selection of wine, cheese, meats, prepared foods, coffee, etc. www.anticofornoroscioli.com. They are sons of the Roscioli bakery.

Bernasconi - (16 Piazza B. Cairoli) - Cake and coffee shop

Bar Rossana - (Via dei Chiavari) - Coffee bar

NamesTey - (Piazza del Paradiso 69) - Very nice tea shop. Tea is imported from around the world, and you get to smell, taste, and select. They also have to-die-for chocolate balls filled with goodies - orange, etc. Cute tea accessories also - cups, canisters, all very, very nice. Daniella is the shop owner - she speaks perfect English. Was in the corporate world for a long time in Marketing and decided to open this shop since she loves tea so much. She also has a lovely, quiet tea room upstairs, where you can relax and also savor one of her homemade cakes.
http://www.namastey.it/

Punta SMA - Supermarket - (Via del Monte della Farina) - street behind Via dei Chiavari. Basic small supermarket. Aspirin and other things we are used to buying in a supermarket, you need to get at a Pharmacy (green cross signed stores). One hint - if you buy milk, make sure to buy "Latte fresco", fresh whole milk American-style, not "latte a lunga conservazione" which is a horrible-tasting milk laced with chemicals.

Clothing:

I didn't buy alot of clothing in Rome. Via dei Giubbonari has some nice shops, mid-range - you just have to go in an look.

I did buy a wool jacket at one of the market stalls at Campo de Fiori on the day the temps dropped to 50 because I was freezing. The stall is around the corner from the main Campo, on Piazza della Cancellaria. It looks cute, is 100% wool, and was only 29E, kept me warm, so if it falls apart in a week who cares.

I was a bit dismayed by all the "blanket people" with their fake goods. Some people buy them, but I found it annoying to be hawked all the time. I finally just learned to not even look at them and say "NO" firmly so they would leave me alone.

Emporium Balloon - (Via dei Chiavari) - this is an outlet store of very nice clothing - silk blouses, corduroys, sweaters, etc. It is a "remainder" shop, and prices are very, very low. Silk blouses for 15E, nice corduroy pants for 20E, etc. All new. They have dressing rooms. I only spent a little time here, as I was dressed in many layers and didn't feel like trying things on, as you must here. But if you have some time to poke around, very, very good deals. Also a small men's selection at the back - shirts, ties, etc.

Other:

This was my favorite store in all of Rome. If you go here, do NOT bring a purse of backpack - it is filled to the brim in a tiny, tiny little shop (actually not so tiny, just jammed with things - all very breakable).

Sciam/Vetro Soffiato - (Via del Pellegrino 55) - Glass shop - You must go to see - I've never seen anything like it. Glass beads, vases, beautiful drinking glasses, everything in glass. Room after room after room. I had my heart set on buying a set of their glasses, but was afraid of how I would get them home. I know better now that I should have bought and had them shipped. Very special place. The shop is very tiny, easy to miss don't know if there is a sign. One the left coming from Campo de Fiori.

Visit Via Giulia (beautiful street) and also Via Pellegrino and Via Cappellari. The streets are named for the artisans - Via dei Chiavari was keymakers, Via Cappellari is hat makers, and has many wonderful artisan shops as does Via Pellegrino.

That's all I can think of at the moment. Rome is a beautiful city which if you take in small doses and wander, you will come to love. Regardless of what is said, it is very safe if you are as cautious as you would be in any big city. We always used a money belt because we realized that as tourists alot of times we are distracted by maps, trying to find our way and could become an easy target. We also carried - thanks to a poster on this board - a Metro Bar 200 which is anti-theft - wire in the shoulder strap so it can't be cut, tamper-proof zippers, etc. We wore it across the shoulder as recommended by our apartment owners so that it could not be pulled off easily. Money for the day we kept out and accessible.

We were dismayed by the graffiti (as we were in Venice) and the steet beggers - especially the children who would come to us daily while we had our coffee and put out their hand for money. It really is sad. What bothered us more, though, was the mothers with babies sitting in the cold street begging, or with small puppies. It is a terrible thing to say, but you almost come to be hardened to it after awhile.

Anyway, that is all I can think of for now. If anyone has questions I will be happy to answer and be of help in any way I can.

Loving the report - you take things at my sort of pace. glad you enjoyed the food - we just got back from florence and IMO, the food in rome was better and cheaper. Gelati were twice the price we'd paid in rome, at least.
I'm off to Venice on thursday - wonder how much gelati are there?

Then you MUST got to Nico's in Venice - it is on the Zattere - great setting - #922. You can sit at outdoor tables, or stroll the Fondamente.

There is also another Gelateria at 49 Campo Santa Margherita - I think called Il Dodge.

We actually liked the Gelato in Venice better than Rome, but we didn't try Il Crispino, so perhaps not a fair comparison

Thanks for the tips, wanderer; the weather forecast is not good for venice at the moment which may curtail too much sitting out doors, but what do those forecasters know?
Regards
Ann

I wouldn't put too much stock in the forecasters. We had a forecast of mostly rain, and had beautiful mid-70 degree weather almost all week in Rome.

p.s. Could someone please explain to me how it is that Italians do not get fat?

With all the wine, bread, and pasta they eat, not to mention all the courses and dessert, I just don't understand it. I know their portion sizes are smaller, but that can't be the whole story.

Is it the walking or lack of processed food(s) or something else?

Wanderer, yes it is both. I think they eat regularly enough that they do not overeat or compulsively eat. They generally maintain a higher metabolism due to exercise; even if taking the bus or train, they still need to walk to the bus stop or station. Around 2002, I read a study that stated Italians had both the lowest obesity rate and the lowest suicide rate in Western Europe.

BC

"p.s. Could someone please explain to me how it is that Italians do not get fat?"

I've heard this comment before and I just don't get it. Have you ever been to Italy? I see groups of obese women standing around talking. I see very heavy men eating their pastas at lunch. And sadly I see tons of fat little kids running around. What parts of Italy have you NOT been to? When you see fat people in Italy are you just assuming they must be visiting Americans? Sorry, but that just isn't true.

wanderer,
As I said earlier, I am going to Rome for the first time in April. I have a question or two about the Vatican museums.

What day and what time did you go?

How long did you spend at the museums/Sistine Chapel?

I'm curious what you thought of the Egyptian Rooms?

Thanks,

Bill

I cannot find the link to send an email to see if the apt is available when we want to go in January. Can you post the email address?

Hello everybody
we would like to take this opportunity for thanking Wanderer for her lovely thoughts about our home and for replying about the comments that have been made about our services.

We are very sorry that the lack of pricing information on our website has caused such a distress for NeoPatrick and probably several other visitors.

Our rental fee varies quite a lot according to the season, the length of stay, eventual utilities and extra services available, special offers at the time of inquiry, etc. In this sense we have preferred to encourage a more direct contact with our potential guests instead of making a lengthy list of prices to be updated more and more frequently every month.

Regarding susiedq's missing reply to her inquiry we are also very sorry that this has happened. To answer as soon as possible - and definitely not later than 12 hours - is one of our outmost priorities. Italian internet providers are not very good, though, and lately we often have had problems with our mail server. That's why we advice to try again in case of no reply. If susiedq decided not to contact us again and preferred to book with someone else is just very unfortunate for us. Sorry for that.

Regarding NeoPatrick's "I suppose their goal is to only attract people for whom price is NOT a priority.", we must say that this can be also true, but not in the way he intends it.

This apartment has been our home until our daughter was born. We believe that our home it's not the kind of tourist-flat to just come and sleep-in at night. It is a very special place, it should be shared by somebody who is sensitive enough to feel its history and beauty. If the priority is to look for the cheapest place in town, our apartment is simply not right. Price in this sense is not a priority that's true.

We are definitely not rich and experience everyday the difficulty of a limited budget, believe us. Nevertheless, for us personal contact, kindness and respect is of outmost interest. This has nothing to do with our prices. We actually are very selective on our guests and it is not rarely that we do not accept bookings from somebody we feel is not on our same wave-length. On the other end, because of the apartment's location (read "property taxes" here), it's age (800 years!) and its very special needs in the upkeeping, it's probably difficult for us to hold a truly competitive rental fee respect other places in town.

We hope that this clarifies a bit our situation and we are always at your disposal for further information and details.

Lastly, thank you all very much for your interest in our home. We sincerely hope to meet you all in Rome in the future!

Our very best regards

Massimo and Biancamaria
http://www.rome-is-home.com

To rome-is-home.com: I think it is your prerogative to do whatever you want with your website as it is your home you are advertising. But like many others when I want to rent a place, I would first look at the location, then the pictures and the price in that order. Not having an idea how much a place would cost me makes me abandon that particular place. I won't even bother emailing the owner as FOR ME it would be a waste of time more so if I could not afford it. You could put in your website a thing like "prices starting at $1000,low season, for a week's stay but for shorter stays, please email us". That way we, the public, would have at least an idea whether to pursue it or not.Just my 2 cents.

wanderer, thank you so much for your very thorough report! I am in Rome right now (until the 18th) and have noted a few shops and restaurants you have mentioned that I will want to check out. (esp. the glass shop, which sounds lovely)

Btw, I did not find the gelato in Florence to be more expensive than what I have had here in Rome so far. It has been roughly 2E for a small cup everywhere I've gone (including Vivoli, in Firenze). But the best gelato I've had on my trip so far has been in Siena.

jamq:
Re: your Vatican question(s).

We were there the week of All Saint's Day, so 2 of the days the Vatican was closed - Sunday and Wed (All St's Day).

We had originally planned to go on Mon/Tues. but were still so jet lagged we couldn't face getting up so early just yet.

We ended up going on Thurs, since we were leaving on Sat at 6AM and wanted to have Fri as a buffer day - just in case...

We left the apartment at 7am, walked the 5 min to Largo Argentina and opted for a cab for a couple of reasons - I had a bad blister on my foot and knew we would be doing a fair amount of walking in the museum/church, we wanted to get there ASAP, as we were running a little late, and it was cold and drizzly.

We arrived in line at 7:15am, and they opened the doors at 8:45. When we got there, we were shocked to see the line was already half-way down the street. Many of the guidebooks will tell you to wait and go later in the afternoon, but the Vatican was on Winter time, and closed at 12:30, so we had no choice.

We opted for just a few galleries so that we wouldn't get overloaded. The line was quick to get in - beware that they make you run your camera through security at the door - I am sure that is how we lost a whole roll of pictures.

The guidebooks mentioned they have several different tour "routes" clearly mapped out, with one-way only direction, but we could find neither a map nor floor markings, so just followed the signs to where we wanted to go.

We loved the Egyptian Museum - I had never seen a real mummy before! Really interesting stuff. We could have spent the whole time here (until 12:30 close), but instead opted to call it quits @11:30am and head to St. Peters.

The last thing on your tour should be the Sistine Chapel. The time you spend here will depend on how much time you spend looking at the ceiling and reading about the works. The room is packed, and all the side seats were taken, so everyone was just standing there with necks craned. You cannot take pictures here, but surprisingly they allowed them everywhere else.

I was a bit underwhelmed by the Chapel. It is beautiful, but in a kind of austere way. Serene. Smaller than I anticipated. Still very lovely.

Make sure to go out the back door on your right, not the one on your left. This will deposit you in the line for the Dome, which you should stay in. You have a choice to go partway up via elevator, or then continue on via stairs. We missed out on this getting out of the line not knowing what line we were in.

We spent about 1 - 1 1/2 hours in St. Peters. Breathtaking. So much detail to see here. Be sure to kiss St. Peter's foot!! Again, we couldn't find the maps, but it is layed out very simply. Most guidebooks also have a map of where things are. The Pieta is on your right as you come in.

I would definitely check the Vatican web site before you go - they sometimes change their hours, and also call them the day before just to confirm. I believe you can set up tours through the Vatican, and also set up a tour of the Gardens - these need to be done in advance.

A hint - since there is a Papal Audience most Wednesdays, this tends to be a less crowded day to go. We would have done this had it not been All Saints Day.

I definitely would not go on the "free Sunday" (last Sunday of the month) or a weekend day. We found the tour group crowds oppressive in some of the rooms. It can get a bit claustrophic.

You'll love it - some many world treasures - it's hard to comprehend...

sandi_travelnut -

Here is the email for the Rome Is Home apartment:

info@rome-is-home.com

p.s.s.

Also check Slowtrav.com

You can find additional reviews from people who have stayed there.

Wanderer
I enjoyed your wonderful trip report. You mention a few times - Trastevere. We will be staying in Trastevere at Hotel Santa Maria in May 2007. What more can you tell us about this section of Rome and things to do, see and enjoy in Trastevere?
Thank you for your help

wanderer,

Thanks so much for your detailed answer! The Egyptian Rooms and the Etruscan Rooms are high on our list, as our the map rooms.

I'd always assumed that the Vatican and St. Peters would be places to avoid on Wednesday because of the papal audience. I think we will end up going on a Thursday or a Friday.

Thanks again.

-Bill

-Bill

Gohedwig -
We spent about 1/2 day in Trastevere. There aren't really many "sights" here except for Santa Maria in Trastavere - beautiful church, and piazza of the same name. Try to see the church when it is lit up at night.

There is also a market on Sunday (early) - I think 6am - 2pm.

Santa Cecilia is another church you may want to see and also Villa Farnesina.

Trastevere is mainly a residential area with not a main shopping area, but has many specialty, antique and craft stores. The fun is in finding them. Do visit the Almost Corner Bookshop.

We loved just wandering the narrow pretty streets. Some liken the area to Greenwich Village in NYC. I think it's much prettier.

From Trastevere, of course, you are also very close to Tiber Island, where you could pick up a boat for a ride, and also close to the Ghetto.

Restaurants in Trastevere and the Ghetto are noted to be less expensive than Central Rome, but we did not eat in either of these areas.

Wanderer -

Yout trip report is wonderful! We leave for Italy tomorrow and are staying in Rome for three days. We are staying at a hotel on Via dei Chiavari so all of your restaurants/cafe tips are very helpful. Thank you!

Wanderer
Thanks for your information about Trastevere.
I cant wait to to actually see this neighborhood.

Going through all my travel stuff - finally - after being home for a few weeks, I found one other special place our apartment owners told us to visit.

It is a restaurant called "Del Pallaro" and is located at Largo del Pallaro 15. There is no menu here. "Mama" brings you whatever is one the menu that day - about 8 courses! Relatively inexpensive as well. Was really bustling the day we walked by - and not just with tourists, which is always a good sign!

gohedwig,
My husband and I stayed at the Trilussa Palace in the Trastevere area in February.
We loved the location.....there was a tram stop right across the street from our hotel that took us to the area where you can pick up just about any bus.
We ate twice at a restaurant called Cavecanum (I think that's the spelling).
Check it out....we thought it was delicious and reasonably priced.

Thanks wanderer for your report and pictures! It's good enough to give me the fix I desperately need... considering that I'm now having to drop Italian cities south of Milan.

I was looking so forward to Rome (and Florence), but it'll now be for summer 2008.

Bettina222
Thanks for the info on Trastevere and the restaurent reco - it my be mis-spelled, I couldnt find it on Goggle. We'll be at Hotel Santa Maria in May - I understand that it is near to the Piazza Santa Maria. Did you visit this section of trastevere?
Gohedwig

gohedwig,
I found it on Google........Cave Canem.
I spelling it as all one word by mistake.
We really didn't explore the Trastevere area. Besides exploring everything in Rome, we did two day trips....one to Florence and one to Venice......both were great and worth the time/money!

gohedwig:

These pictures were all taken right around Santa Maria Piazza

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=z6edr6y.7rju7vy&x=0&h=1&y=30xwar

Wanderer
Thanks for beautiful pictures of Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere.
Bettina222
Thanks for the Cave Canem look-up in Goggle. Is it a restaurant in Trastevere? I havent found it yet as being in Rome

you really should not miss St. Cecilia's church in trastevere, not so much for the church itself, as the mosaics in the crypt - once you've paid your E3, go right through the excavated area and at teh end is a beautiful chapel with a mosaic ceiling. Because it's out of the way, it's quite deserted and very atmospheric.
we had a great experience in a trattoria in Trastevere too [sorry, don't know the name], involving not so much t hefood, which was pretty standard, but the other guests, who comprised an irish wedding party and an elderly lady who put away about 4 pints of beer in the hour or so we were there! Pretty good going.
It is a fascinating area, with lots of local colour; I'm sure you'll love it.

Yes, Cave Canem is a restaurant in Trastevere