Six Days in Rome Christmas Week with Son & Daughter-in-Law
Jan 3rd, 2014, 04:10 AM
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Six Days in Rome Christmas Week with Son & Daughter-in-Law
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DAY 00 - MON DEC 23
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This is the Europe trip my wife (Linda) and I had promised my son (David) and daughter-in-law (Mayookha) for some time. We are retired, but they work, so coordinating their vacations (easily cancelled due to work emergencies) had been a problem. They finally decided that Christmas week was a sure thing, so we decided to go where the weather was pretty good — Rome for six nights.
We had been to Rome twice before, so we had a good idea of what to see. Our only concern was working around the Christmas closures, but we had a pretty good plan using pre-bookings.
No problems getting to the airport (PHL) but as we started to board, they were held back — some problem with their seats. As we boarded, we worried that they might not get on. It turned out someone had thrown up on the seat, and USAir was replacing the entire seat and washing down the floor! Finally they boarded and were given seats in a different row.
We took off 20 minutes late. Not a good beginning to the trip.
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DAY 01 - TUE DEC 24
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Great tailwind — and we arrived 25 minutes early. As usual, I hardly slept at all. Our hotel, Hotel Arenula in the ghetto, had arranged a car for €50. Last visit we had taken the train to Stazione Trastevere and tram, but with four people, the car cost only a little more and a lot faster and more convenient.
After a very fast immigration and customs, we emerged to find the driver waiting with my name on his sign. He was a speedster, and we arrived at our hotel at 9:30, only 35 minutes after the scheduled arrival of our flight.
The rooms were ready. Hotel Arenula is a great hotel, situated in the ghetto, walking distance from most of the historic sights. We had stayed there in 2007. As usual, we booked by email, and they gave us a rate that was actually better than last time. The only drawback is that there is no lift, but we had arranged for first floor rooms in advance.
After stopping at an ATM and a coffee-pastry shop, we decided to walk to the coliseum and forum, which we had pre-booked online. We really took the long way coming in from the west, around the V. Emanuel monument and down V. Imperiale — somewhat lost about which streets went through…but still fun.
There were no crowds in the forum, but the coliseum line was long, so the pre-booking was worth it. Weather is always a worry in winter, but today it was beautiful — perfect for our outdoor morning among the ruins.
Returning to our neighborhood, we grabbed some lunch at a local pizza joint — sold by weight — and finished off with gelato (more about that later).
It was now mid-afternoon, so a nap was in order.
After the naps, we strolled around the nearby piazzas — Navona, Rontunda (Pantheon), and Campo de’ Fiori. Then dinner at a restaurant David picked out (whose name I cannot remember). Linda’s pesto was good, but my pasta arrabiata was a little too spicy to completely enjoy.
Back at the hotel, we unpacked, and — exhausted and still sleep-deprived — went to bed.
DAY 00 - MON DEC 23
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This is the Europe trip my wife (Linda) and I had promised my son (David) and daughter-in-law (Mayookha) for some time. We are retired, but they work, so coordinating their vacations (easily cancelled due to work emergencies) had been a problem. They finally decided that Christmas week was a sure thing, so we decided to go where the weather was pretty good — Rome for six nights.
We had been to Rome twice before, so we had a good idea of what to see. Our only concern was working around the Christmas closures, but we had a pretty good plan using pre-bookings.
No problems getting to the airport (PHL) but as we started to board, they were held back — some problem with their seats. As we boarded, we worried that they might not get on. It turned out someone had thrown up on the seat, and USAir was replacing the entire seat and washing down the floor! Finally they boarded and were given seats in a different row.
We took off 20 minutes late. Not a good beginning to the trip.
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DAY 01 - TUE DEC 24
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Great tailwind — and we arrived 25 minutes early. As usual, I hardly slept at all. Our hotel, Hotel Arenula in the ghetto, had arranged a car for €50. Last visit we had taken the train to Stazione Trastevere and tram, but with four people, the car cost only a little more and a lot faster and more convenient.
After a very fast immigration and customs, we emerged to find the driver waiting with my name on his sign. He was a speedster, and we arrived at our hotel at 9:30, only 35 minutes after the scheduled arrival of our flight.
The rooms were ready. Hotel Arenula is a great hotel, situated in the ghetto, walking distance from most of the historic sights. We had stayed there in 2007. As usual, we booked by email, and they gave us a rate that was actually better than last time. The only drawback is that there is no lift, but we had arranged for first floor rooms in advance.
After stopping at an ATM and a coffee-pastry shop, we decided to walk to the coliseum and forum, which we had pre-booked online. We really took the long way coming in from the west, around the V. Emanuel monument and down V. Imperiale — somewhat lost about which streets went through…but still fun.
There were no crowds in the forum, but the coliseum line was long, so the pre-booking was worth it. Weather is always a worry in winter, but today it was beautiful — perfect for our outdoor morning among the ruins.
Returning to our neighborhood, we grabbed some lunch at a local pizza joint — sold by weight — and finished off with gelato (more about that later).
It was now mid-afternoon, so a nap was in order.
After the naps, we strolled around the nearby piazzas — Navona, Rontunda (Pantheon), and Campo de’ Fiori. Then dinner at a restaurant David picked out (whose name I cannot remember). Linda’s pesto was good, but my pasta arrabiata was a little too spicy to completely enjoy.
Back at the hotel, we unpacked, and — exhausted and still sleep-deprived — went to bed.
Jan 3rd, 2014, 06:44 AM
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DAY 02 - WED DEC 25
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Christmas Day!
The kids slept late. We figured that the Jewish Museum would be the only thing open, so our plan was to check the hours out early before they got up. Then we’d head over to the Vatican for the Pope’s blessing and Christmas message.
Hotel Arenula has a nice little breakfast. I’m not a coffee drinker at home, but I want to be alert (time change issues!) so I drank a cup of what seemed to me to be really strong, black coffee. Also had some yogurt, an orange, rolls, some cheese and juice.
Linda and I walked a little around the neighborhood including to the Ponte Fabricio. After getting the info on the Jewish Museum, we picked up the kids. We took the bus to the bridge at the Vatican and then walked the St. Peter’s. My Italian is pretty bad, but I got the gist of the Pope’s address…very impressive…a real caring leader.
We then walked back to the hotel by way of Via Giuglia — reading some self-guided walk notes on the way. Then we had lunch at a local restaurant, Al Portico (a block from our hotel in the heart of the ghetto). Linda and I shared a pizza, salad and grilled vegetables.
Next was the Jewish Museum. The “museum” part is excellent as is the old synagogue section. Last time we visited the tour guide gave a lot more information than the one we had today. She coughed a lot — maybe she wasn’t feeling well. The only really inconvenient thing about it is that you go through the synagogues in a group after the museum part, and there didn’t seem to be any times posted. We had to wait about nearly and hour for our English language group to start…more time than we needed in the museum section. Had we known, we would have arrived a little later. A minor gripe.
After the usual nap, we walked around the area (teatro Marcello, etc.) with the kids and went back to Al Portico for dinner. OK, OK…I admit it, I’m a pasta and pizza guy—definitely not a foodie! We had pasta ragu (Bolognese) for dinner. Mayookha had mushroom risotto and David tried the tripe—but didn’t like it. We finished up with gelato at the place a couple of doors down. Then back to the hotel for the night.
[more to come...]
DAY 02 - WED DEC 25
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Christmas Day!
The kids slept late. We figured that the Jewish Museum would be the only thing open, so our plan was to check the hours out early before they got up. Then we’d head over to the Vatican for the Pope’s blessing and Christmas message.
Hotel Arenula has a nice little breakfast. I’m not a coffee drinker at home, but I want to be alert (time change issues!) so I drank a cup of what seemed to me to be really strong, black coffee. Also had some yogurt, an orange, rolls, some cheese and juice.
Linda and I walked a little around the neighborhood including to the Ponte Fabricio. After getting the info on the Jewish Museum, we picked up the kids. We took the bus to the bridge at the Vatican and then walked the St. Peter’s. My Italian is pretty bad, but I got the gist of the Pope’s address…very impressive…a real caring leader.
We then walked back to the hotel by way of Via Giuglia — reading some self-guided walk notes on the way. Then we had lunch at a local restaurant, Al Portico (a block from our hotel in the heart of the ghetto). Linda and I shared a pizza, salad and grilled vegetables.
Next was the Jewish Museum. The “museum” part is excellent as is the old synagogue section. Last time we visited the tour guide gave a lot more information than the one we had today. She coughed a lot — maybe she wasn’t feeling well. The only really inconvenient thing about it is that you go through the synagogues in a group after the museum part, and there didn’t seem to be any times posted. We had to wait about nearly and hour for our English language group to start…more time than we needed in the museum section. Had we known, we would have arrived a little later. A minor gripe.
After the usual nap, we walked around the area (teatro Marcello, etc.) with the kids and went back to Al Portico for dinner. OK, OK…I admit it, I’m a pasta and pizza guy—definitely not a foodie! We had pasta ragu (Bolognese) for dinner. Mayookha had mushroom risotto and David tried the tripe—but didn’t like it. We finished up with gelato at the place a couple of doors down. Then back to the hotel for the night.
[more to come...]
Jan 3rd, 2014, 07:40 AM
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DAY 03 - THU DEC 26
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Mayookha was feeling a little under the weather and didn’t want to be in really bad shape for tomorrow’s day trip to Florence, so she stayed in most of the day, especially since it looked like rain.
The three of us walked up the Aventine Hill to Santa Sabina. As much as I like St. Peter’s, Santa Maria Maggiore, and Santa Maria in Trastevere, my real favorites are these small churches: Santa Sabina, Santa Prassade and San Clemente.
If you want to get an idea of what it was like to be in a Christian church during the Roman Empire, this is the place to be. It has kept it Roman basilica strucure and simple interior…with no stained glass or ornate sculpture and painting. The 5th century wooden doors have the oldest depiction of Jesus on the cross—or one of the oldest, depending on whom you talk to. The view overlooking the Tevere from Santa Sabina’s orange groves is spectacular.
Up the street is the Villa del Priorato di Malta where you can look through the keyhole in the door with its perfectly-aligned view of St. Peter’s.
We walked back across the river (noting the Ponte Rotto—the remains of the 2nd c. BCE bringe) planning a stroll around Trastevere, but the rain picked up and we corssed back over Isola Tiburtina and waited out the rain in our hotel rooms.
During one of our visits, someone told me that it never rains for long in Rome. That may or may not be true, but it has always been the case during our visits. Within a half-hour, we were back on the street again—our destination: the Museum and Church at the Baths of Diocletian.
This was one of the places Linda and I had never been, so it was a real treat—a fantastic collection of sculpture, mosaics and other Roman artifacts. Inside the main church is an interesting “calendar” that uses a beam of light from a hole in the wall to mark the date on a line on the floor of the church.
Nap time.
Dinner was at Baffetto 2, a couple of blocks north of Campo de’ Fiori. Risotto for David, Linda and I had chicken and pasta. Then our third visit to our local gelato place before sleep.
[more to come…]
DAY 03 - THU DEC 26
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Mayookha was feeling a little under the weather and didn’t want to be in really bad shape for tomorrow’s day trip to Florence, so she stayed in most of the day, especially since it looked like rain.
The three of us walked up the Aventine Hill to Santa Sabina. As much as I like St. Peter’s, Santa Maria Maggiore, and Santa Maria in Trastevere, my real favorites are these small churches: Santa Sabina, Santa Prassade and San Clemente.
If you want to get an idea of what it was like to be in a Christian church during the Roman Empire, this is the place to be. It has kept it Roman basilica strucure and simple interior…with no stained glass or ornate sculpture and painting. The 5th century wooden doors have the oldest depiction of Jesus on the cross—or one of the oldest, depending on whom you talk to. The view overlooking the Tevere from Santa Sabina’s orange groves is spectacular.
Up the street is the Villa del Priorato di Malta where you can look through the keyhole in the door with its perfectly-aligned view of St. Peter’s.
We walked back across the river (noting the Ponte Rotto—the remains of the 2nd c. BCE bringe) planning a stroll around Trastevere, but the rain picked up and we corssed back over Isola Tiburtina and waited out the rain in our hotel rooms.
During one of our visits, someone told me that it never rains for long in Rome. That may or may not be true, but it has always been the case during our visits. Within a half-hour, we were back on the street again—our destination: the Museum and Church at the Baths of Diocletian.
This was one of the places Linda and I had never been, so it was a real treat—a fantastic collection of sculpture, mosaics and other Roman artifacts. Inside the main church is an interesting “calendar” that uses a beam of light from a hole in the wall to mark the date on a line on the floor of the church.
Nap time.
Dinner was at Baffetto 2, a couple of blocks north of Campo de’ Fiori. Risotto for David, Linda and I had chicken and pasta. Then our third visit to our local gelato place before sleep.
[more to come…]
Jan 3rd, 2014, 07:56 AM
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Just a little clarification: the meridian line in the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri doesn't mark the date. The light that enters the tiny hole high up on the southern wall crosses this line at noon, so it marks the exact time of noon. Of course, since the sun is high in the summer and low in the winter, it falls on a different part of the line each day, so if you had an accurate clock, you could use it to determine the approximate date. However, there were no accurate clocks when this line was created. When the sun crossed the line, the bells of the basilica were rung, so that Romans could adjust their timepieces. Sometime in the late 19th century, a cannon began to be fired from the Janiculum Hill exactly at noon, and this replaced the bells of Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri. The cannon is still fired, and you can hear it all over central Rome at noon.
The Basilica is in part of the ruins of the Baths of Diocletian, which were enormous. Michelangelo designed its present form. The basilica also has a great choir and organ. They give a short organ concert on Christmas day at 11:15, between two masses. Their choir is also excellent.
The Museum of the Baths of Diocletian has a nearly intact hall from the ancient bath complex, which is to your left as you enter the compound. Inside the hall, one of the most interesting things to see are the two very fine ancient Roman painted tombs. These were moved here in the mid-20th century after being unearthed in Testaccio. There is (or was) a very interesting permanent exhibit about early Latin writing in the main part of the museum. Do you know if that's still on? It had lots of examples of the sorts of things Romans wrote about when writing was a cutting edge technology.
The Basilica is in part of the ruins of the Baths of Diocletian, which were enormous. Michelangelo designed its present form. The basilica also has a great choir and organ. They give a short organ concert on Christmas day at 11:15, between two masses. Their choir is also excellent.
The Museum of the Baths of Diocletian has a nearly intact hall from the ancient bath complex, which is to your left as you enter the compound. Inside the hall, one of the most interesting things to see are the two very fine ancient Roman painted tombs. These were moved here in the mid-20th century after being unearthed in Testaccio. There is (or was) a very interesting permanent exhibit about early Latin writing in the main part of the museum. Do you know if that's still on? It had lots of examples of the sorts of things Romans wrote about when writing was a cutting edge technology.
Jan 3rd, 2014, 08:22 AM
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DAY 04 - FRI DEC 27
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Today is our day trip to Florence…a bit of back story:
Planning during Christmas week was a challenge. The Vatican Museum was closed the 25th, 26th and 29th. In addition, it was free—and thus would be packed more than usual—the 27th…so it had to be scheduled for Saturday. We didn’t want our Florence trip too close to Christmas lest some venues be closed, and we didn’t want a day trip on our last day—would get back to Rome vary late.
So today is the day!
I had booked train tix as soon as we had our air tix, but all the Trenitalia cheapest fares were gone. Thanks to info from Fodorites, I checked the Italo train website. They did not have a convenient time four our outbound trip, but the return was only €20 each. We paid €39 each on Trenitalia outbound in the morning. Overall, a pretty good rate for the trip.
Also, thanks to Fodorite vincenzo32951, I phoned in reservations (no pre-payment as on the website) for the Bargello, Accademia and Uffizi.
From the station, we walked—past the duomo and baptistery— to the Bargello—which did not have a line, so we ignored our reservations (with the €4/each fee) and just entered normally. This is a really nice, small museum. To me the highlight is Verrochio’s David—even better than Donatello’s.
We ate lunch at Le Mossacce on the way to the Accademia. Really good ribbolita, minestrone and ravioli.
We definitely needed our reservations at the Accademia. Michelangelo’s David is the main attraction, but his Prisoners are also great. I also took a quick stop at the Museum of Musical Instruments in the same complex. In 2004 we were able to photograph David…but now it is forbidden…too bad.
We took a walk around town, past Santa Croce—where I had no trouble finding (from memory) the Vivoli gelato store. It is much better than what I had had up to now. Their riso (rice) is really good.
We then visited the duomo and checked out the baptistery doors. By now the crowds weren’t as bad as earlier in the day. Then we walked through Piazza della Signoria and over to the Ponte Vecchio where we looked at the jewelry.
By now we were ready for the Uffizi, but we were about 45 early. The wait in the line was 55 min-1 hr, so we picked up our reserved tickets. We noticed that at the entrance they weren’t really looking at the times on the tickets, so we went in early.
Everyone has his own favorites in the Uffizi, and you can get overloaded, but I love the Donatellos and Grottos as well as some of the Flemish portraits. I also managed to find the room with Caravaggio’s Sacrifice of Isaac, as well as some great canvasses by his followers…which I was unable to do on my alst visit.
With about three hours before our return train, we took the bus (actually two buses) up to Piazelle Michelangelo. The view—even at night—was amazing.
Back in the center of town, our restaurant of choice, Lo Stracotto, was full. David—not for the first or last time—demonstrated his ability to pick restaurants be looking at the menu and the inside by finding Trattoria La Madia. This was not on any of our pre-researched lists, but it had good food, reasonable prices, and a nice atmosphere.
We then caught our 9:08 pm Italo train back to Stazione Ostienze and took a cab back to our hotel. This was a really full day, and we were exhausted.
[…more to come…]
DAY 04 - FRI DEC 27
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Today is our day trip to Florence…a bit of back story:
Planning during Christmas week was a challenge. The Vatican Museum was closed the 25th, 26th and 29th. In addition, it was free—and thus would be packed more than usual—the 27th…so it had to be scheduled for Saturday. We didn’t want our Florence trip too close to Christmas lest some venues be closed, and we didn’t want a day trip on our last day—would get back to Rome vary late.
So today is the day!
I had booked train tix as soon as we had our air tix, but all the Trenitalia cheapest fares were gone. Thanks to info from Fodorites, I checked the Italo train website. They did not have a convenient time four our outbound trip, but the return was only €20 each. We paid €39 each on Trenitalia outbound in the morning. Overall, a pretty good rate for the trip.
Also, thanks to Fodorite vincenzo32951, I phoned in reservations (no pre-payment as on the website) for the Bargello, Accademia and Uffizi.
From the station, we walked—past the duomo and baptistery— to the Bargello—which did not have a line, so we ignored our reservations (with the €4/each fee) and just entered normally. This is a really nice, small museum. To me the highlight is Verrochio’s David—even better than Donatello’s.
We ate lunch at Le Mossacce on the way to the Accademia. Really good ribbolita, minestrone and ravioli.
We definitely needed our reservations at the Accademia. Michelangelo’s David is the main attraction, but his Prisoners are also great. I also took a quick stop at the Museum of Musical Instruments in the same complex. In 2004 we were able to photograph David…but now it is forbidden…too bad.
We took a walk around town, past Santa Croce—where I had no trouble finding (from memory) the Vivoli gelato store. It is much better than what I had had up to now. Their riso (rice) is really good.
We then visited the duomo and checked out the baptistery doors. By now the crowds weren’t as bad as earlier in the day. Then we walked through Piazza della Signoria and over to the Ponte Vecchio where we looked at the jewelry.
By now we were ready for the Uffizi, but we were about 45 early. The wait in the line was 55 min-1 hr, so we picked up our reserved tickets. We noticed that at the entrance they weren’t really looking at the times on the tickets, so we went in early.
Everyone has his own favorites in the Uffizi, and you can get overloaded, but I love the Donatellos and Grottos as well as some of the Flemish portraits. I also managed to find the room with Caravaggio’s Sacrifice of Isaac, as well as some great canvasses by his followers…which I was unable to do on my alst visit.
With about three hours before our return train, we took the bus (actually two buses) up to Piazelle Michelangelo. The view—even at night—was amazing.
Back in the center of town, our restaurant of choice, Lo Stracotto, was full. David—not for the first or last time—demonstrated his ability to pick restaurants be looking at the menu and the inside by finding Trattoria La Madia. This was not on any of our pre-researched lists, but it had good food, reasonable prices, and a nice atmosphere.
We then caught our 9:08 pm Italo train back to Stazione Ostienze and took a cab back to our hotel. This was a really full day, and we were exhausted.
[…more to come…]
Jan 3rd, 2014, 11:37 AM
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DAY 05 - SAT DEC 28
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Took the kids to Santa Prassade…just down the block from Santa Maria Maggiore—which we did not visit. One of my favorite churches with fantastic close-up mosaics. (Most of the other good mosaics in Rome’s churches are pretty far away from the viewer.)
Then we went to the Pantheon. It was packed. This was a bad omen…I had heard that Christmas was a popular time for Italians to visit Rome. However, that building never fails to amaze me.
Walked across the river for lunch at Roma Sparita in Piazza Santa Cecilia in Trestever. David and Mayookha had the dish they were known for: Tagliolini al Cacio e Pepe e la Coda alla Vaccinara — noodles in a “bowl” made of cheese. (You can see picture of it on their website.) I had a few bites of it, but my dish was ravioli and Linda’s was chicken in a pepper sauce, which we shared.
Next we went to Fior di Luna—a place that Mayookha had discovered as highly recommended—for gelato. It’s on Via della Lungaretta in Treastevere. It did not disappoint. This was the best gelato I had ever had, anywhere. They also had some interesting flavors, among them Linda’s chocolate with figs and my licorice. Their darkest chocolate was like the Trader Joe’s 71% chocolate that we buy at home—unbelievable—and really went well with Amarena.
We then took a bus to the Vatican Museum — we had pre-paid, reserved tickets, there was very little line. The Egyptian collection is amazing…probably the best outside of Egypt. I also loved the map room and some of the old globes. A person could easily spend an entire day at these museums. Needless to say, the Sistine Chapel is a show-stopper.
We had planned to go into St. Peter’s, but the lines were way to long. Instead, we parted ways. We had no more bus tickets, so David and Mayookha decided to walk back (though they ended up finding a ticket machine and taking a bus.). Linda and I decided to find a Tobacchi to get some tickets. There were none that we could find on Via della Conciliazione. We finally asked and found one in Piazza del Risorgimento.
David and Mayookha decided to head for the Corso to look at the shops. We decided to rest awhile and meet them at the Trevi Fountain later. As our bus — packed with standing only — turned off the Corso toward Via del Tritone, Linda looked out the window and said, “That mall looks like a place Mayookha would like and looks like fun. Let’s get off, stop in, and then walk the rest of the way.” Amazingly, as we stepped into the building, there were David and Mayookha.
We walked to Trevi and took some picture. Linda and I threw a coin in — noi siamo turisti! Then we walked to the upper level of the Spanish Steps, down the steps to the piazza, and headed back toward the Corse looking for a place to eat.
David, once again, found a good one—Vitti in Piazza S. Lorenzo in Lucina. They had some really great Puttanesca sauce. Linda had grilled chicken. Then we walked home.
[…more to come…]
DAY 05 - SAT DEC 28
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Took the kids to Santa Prassade…just down the block from Santa Maria Maggiore—which we did not visit. One of my favorite churches with fantastic close-up mosaics. (Most of the other good mosaics in Rome’s churches are pretty far away from the viewer.)
Then we went to the Pantheon. It was packed. This was a bad omen…I had heard that Christmas was a popular time for Italians to visit Rome. However, that building never fails to amaze me.
Walked across the river for lunch at Roma Sparita in Piazza Santa Cecilia in Trestever. David and Mayookha had the dish they were known for: Tagliolini al Cacio e Pepe e la Coda alla Vaccinara — noodles in a “bowl” made of cheese. (You can see picture of it on their website.) I had a few bites of it, but my dish was ravioli and Linda’s was chicken in a pepper sauce, which we shared.
Next we went to Fior di Luna—a place that Mayookha had discovered as highly recommended—for gelato. It’s on Via della Lungaretta in Treastevere. It did not disappoint. This was the best gelato I had ever had, anywhere. They also had some interesting flavors, among them Linda’s chocolate with figs and my licorice. Their darkest chocolate was like the Trader Joe’s 71% chocolate that we buy at home—unbelievable—and really went well with Amarena.
We then took a bus to the Vatican Museum — we had pre-paid, reserved tickets, there was very little line. The Egyptian collection is amazing…probably the best outside of Egypt. I also loved the map room and some of the old globes. A person could easily spend an entire day at these museums. Needless to say, the Sistine Chapel is a show-stopper.
We had planned to go into St. Peter’s, but the lines were way to long. Instead, we parted ways. We had no more bus tickets, so David and Mayookha decided to walk back (though they ended up finding a ticket machine and taking a bus.). Linda and I decided to find a Tobacchi to get some tickets. There were none that we could find on Via della Conciliazione. We finally asked and found one in Piazza del Risorgimento.
David and Mayookha decided to head for the Corso to look at the shops. We decided to rest awhile and meet them at the Trevi Fountain later. As our bus — packed with standing only — turned off the Corso toward Via del Tritone, Linda looked out the window and said, “That mall looks like a place Mayookha would like and looks like fun. Let’s get off, stop in, and then walk the rest of the way.” Amazingly, as we stepped into the building, there were David and Mayookha.
We walked to Trevi and took some picture. Linda and I threw a coin in — noi siamo turisti! Then we walked to the upper level of the Spanish Steps, down the steps to the piazza, and headed back toward the Corse looking for a place to eat.
David, once again, found a good one—Vitti in Piazza S. Lorenzo in Lucina. They had some really great Puttanesca sauce. Linda had grilled chicken. Then we walked home.
[…more to come…]
Jan 3rd, 2014, 12:15 PM
#12
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- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
DAY 06 - SUN DEC 29
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
This morning we started out by walking through Trastevere to St. Peter’s to see if the crowds had diminished. No luck — the line was longer. Oh well, the kid will have to wait till their next trip to Rome…and I’m sure there will be one.
We then walked up the Janiculum Hill to the Garibaldi monument. (I led the group up the hill by way of the Viale delle Mura Aurelie — a long, boring way up. David discovered that the better way would have been through the park.) The views from the top of the hill are superb. The sky was clear with broken clouds.
We then walked down into Trastevere to get some lunch. Baccanale, a small pizza joint, turned out to be perfect. Then we had an errand to run. We stopped at Dolce Idea on Via di San Francesco to pick up a gift for the person collecting our mail at home. Then back home for a short rest as it started to rain.
As it got dark, we headed out for a quick last walk around our area. Piazza Navona was rocking with activity…music, Christmas stalls, people everywhere. We walked back via Fiori and took a look at the statue of Giordano Bruno.
After packing, we headed back to Trastevere for our last dinner. The plan was to go to D’Augosto in Piazza de’ Renzi. This is a cheapo, hole-in-the-wall place that uses butcher paper for table cloths and where the servers write your order and bill on the paper. Linda and I remembered this place from our 2007 visit and the kids wanted to go there just to see what it was like. We had passed by it earlier in the week and there was a long line waiting to get in.
When we got there, there was also a line of about a dozen people. We figured the wait would not be long, since it didn’t look very full. It turned out that it was not going to open till 8:00, and it was now about 7:30. In the same piazza was Casetta di Trastevere. This had been a place we had dined at in 2007 as well, but it had been refurbished, so we weren’t sure whether it was OK. It was open and not full, so under the circumstances, it seemed like our best bet. Linda had pasta with a Bolognese sauce, and I had chicken with a red pepper sauce. David had oxtail. (Can’t remember what Mayookha had.) The food was good, but the server didn’t get the order right at first and was very slow with Linda’s dish. She looked like she was new on the job.
Afterwards we ended the night—and our trip—with a visit to Fior di Luna for gelato. It bears repeating…this is the best gelato I have ever had.
Then back to the hotel.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
DAY XX - MON DEC 30
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I got up early and excited, as I always am on travel days. After breakfast, the driver picked us up on time and got to the airport in 35 minutes. Check-in was fairly straightforward, though I had trouble getting through the scanner due to all the stuff in my pockets.
We expected a long flight due to the 120 mph headwinds (that helped us on our eastbound flight). The plane took off on time and—unbelievably—got into Philadelphia on time. The only snag was a bad video unit. The programming would work, but the flight attendant was able to send movies of my choice directly to the screen, so it wasn’t so bad.
Immigration at PHL was the worst I’ve ever experienced. It took nearly an hour to go from the plane to the customs exit. A huge mass of people in a long line snaking back and forth with not nearly enough staff. However, our van came quickly to take us to the lot, and we said our goodbyes as David and Mayookha headed back to their home in the DC area, and we headed back to ours.
NOTE: I will gladly add any requested specifics about our experiences. Fodorites really helped us in our planning.
DAY 06 - SUN DEC 29
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
This morning we started out by walking through Trastevere to St. Peter’s to see if the crowds had diminished. No luck — the line was longer. Oh well, the kid will have to wait till their next trip to Rome…and I’m sure there will be one.
We then walked up the Janiculum Hill to the Garibaldi monument. (I led the group up the hill by way of the Viale delle Mura Aurelie — a long, boring way up. David discovered that the better way would have been through the park.) The views from the top of the hill are superb. The sky was clear with broken clouds.
We then walked down into Trastevere to get some lunch. Baccanale, a small pizza joint, turned out to be perfect. Then we had an errand to run. We stopped at Dolce Idea on Via di San Francesco to pick up a gift for the person collecting our mail at home. Then back home for a short rest as it started to rain.
As it got dark, we headed out for a quick last walk around our area. Piazza Navona was rocking with activity…music, Christmas stalls, people everywhere. We walked back via Fiori and took a look at the statue of Giordano Bruno.
After packing, we headed back to Trastevere for our last dinner. The plan was to go to D’Augosto in Piazza de’ Renzi. This is a cheapo, hole-in-the-wall place that uses butcher paper for table cloths and where the servers write your order and bill on the paper. Linda and I remembered this place from our 2007 visit and the kids wanted to go there just to see what it was like. We had passed by it earlier in the week and there was a long line waiting to get in.
When we got there, there was also a line of about a dozen people. We figured the wait would not be long, since it didn’t look very full. It turned out that it was not going to open till 8:00, and it was now about 7:30. In the same piazza was Casetta di Trastevere. This had been a place we had dined at in 2007 as well, but it had been refurbished, so we weren’t sure whether it was OK. It was open and not full, so under the circumstances, it seemed like our best bet. Linda had pasta with a Bolognese sauce, and I had chicken with a red pepper sauce. David had oxtail. (Can’t remember what Mayookha had.) The food was good, but the server didn’t get the order right at first and was very slow with Linda’s dish. She looked like she was new on the job.
Afterwards we ended the night—and our trip—with a visit to Fior di Luna for gelato. It bears repeating…this is the best gelato I have ever had.
Then back to the hotel.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
DAY XX - MON DEC 30
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I got up early and excited, as I always am on travel days. After breakfast, the driver picked us up on time and got to the airport in 35 minutes. Check-in was fairly straightforward, though I had trouble getting through the scanner due to all the stuff in my pockets.
We expected a long flight due to the 120 mph headwinds (that helped us on our eastbound flight). The plane took off on time and—unbelievably—got into Philadelphia on time. The only snag was a bad video unit. The programming would work, but the flight attendant was able to send movies of my choice directly to the screen, so it wasn’t so bad.
Immigration at PHL was the worst I’ve ever experienced. It took nearly an hour to go from the plane to the customs exit. A huge mass of people in a long line snaking back and forth with not nearly enough staff. However, our van came quickly to take us to the lot, and we said our goodbyes as David and Mayookha headed back to their home in the DC area, and we headed back to ours.
NOTE: I will gladly add any requested specifics about our experiences. Fodorites really helped us in our planning.
Jan 3rd, 2014, 12:18 PM
#13
Needless to say, the Sistine Chapel is a show-stopper.
We had planned to go into St. Peter’s, but the lines were way to long.>>
I know that this won't help you now, ssander [though it might help others] but there is an exit from the back of the Sistine chapel [marked groups, but no-one seems to take any notice of that] which takes you down some steps, out of a door and down some more steps, at which point you find yourselves on the front steps of St. Peters. no need to go out of the Vatican museums and queue up again, you just go straight in.
We had planned to go into St. Peter’s, but the lines were way to long.>>
I know that this won't help you now, ssander [though it might help others] but there is an exit from the back of the Sistine chapel [marked groups, but no-one seems to take any notice of that] which takes you down some steps, out of a door and down some more steps, at which point you find yourselves on the front steps of St. Peters. no need to go out of the Vatican museums and queue up again, you just go straight in.
Jan 3rd, 2014, 01:07 PM
#15
sorry that you missed out on this little trick, ssander. i found it in Rick Steves; along with his mosaic churches walk, i think it's the best thing in his book. it worked a treat both times i went to Rome with my family, AND when I went last year with my italian class. My italian teacher was most impressed.
Jan 3rd, 2014, 01:28 PM
#16
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A few years ago, the guards at the Sistine Chapel began cracking down on individuals using the tour group door. They may have got a bit lax again, but you certainly can't count on using it.
The best way to avoid lines at St. Peter's Basilica is to go very early (around 8 AM, or even a bit later) or to go in late afternoon.
The best way to avoid lines at St. Peter's Basilica is to go very early (around 8 AM, or even a bit later) or to go in late afternoon.
Jan 4th, 2014, 01:46 AM
#17
bvlenci - that's what I'd heard too, but so far so good. anyway, we were a group, this last time!
I agree with you about going early; a few years ago when I was on a visit with my family, we got there at about 8.45 am and there were no queues at all, but when we came out, the queue was all round the piazza and through the colonnade on the other side. but the queues seem very variable - on our last visit we walked past St Peter's almost daily and the length of the queues bore no relation to the time of day.
I agree with you about going early; a few years ago when I was on a visit with my family, we got there at about 8.45 am and there were no queues at all, but when we came out, the queue was all round the piazza and through the colonnade on the other side. but the queues seem very variable - on our last visit we walked past St Peter's almost daily and the length of the queues bore no relation to the time of day.
