Steps, stones, snow and domes - a winter week in Rome.
Feb 21st, 2010, 07:57 AM
#1
Steps, stones, snow and domes - a winter week in Rome.
We've been back less than a week and already I am suffering from Rome withdrawal syndrome. Symptoms? longings for stuffed zuccini flowers, neighbourhood shops that open til 8pm, a church on every corner, the view of castel san angelo from the end of the street....even the cobbled streets, though NOT the ubiquitous canine "messages" and the awful traffic that comes at you from every direction.
so what did we pack into our week [actually 6 whole days]? In summary, lots of walking, eating, and exploring. Not much travelling on pubic transport, and no use of roma passes and the like. and even though we were in an apartment, NO cooking.
who is/are the we I've been talking about ? - two 50 somethings plus our DS, aged 19, who is on a "gap year". we'd been worried that this would turn into a gap life, but fortunately just before we left, we heard that he's been offered a place at uni to start in October, so the trip turned into a bit of a celebration as well. [whether us of the prospect of getting rid of him, or him of that of getting away from us we were all too tactful to discuss]. the excuse for the trip was having tickets for the Italy v England rugby international;originally we'd been looking at just going for the weekend but costings of flights made that just as expensive as a whole week, so that was what we plumped for, needing very little excuse to spend another week there.
another excuse was for me to practice my italian - I've been studying it semi-seriously for the last 18 months or so, and am badly in need of speaking practice. As I'd half expected, I didn't actually get to speak a lot, but what I did manage to say just re-inforced my feeling that I need to speak a lot more. whether I'll get the opportunity to do so before my exams in May, I very much doubt.
our 1st week in Rome, was about 4 years ago in the company of our DD too, when she was 18, and DS was 15. that time we stayed in an apartment near the colosseum, so this time we wanted to be a little more central, and after a lot of seaching on the net, and thanks to another fodorite, i found this:
www.lacasadiclelia.webs.com.
it's privately owned and for 7 nights, cost just over €800 for the 3 of us. it's a ground floor apartment with a lounge/kitchen opening up off a very small and quiet street, and, as was pointed out on another thread, the 2 bedrooms are underground. However, the design borrows light for the downstairs by dint of a glass floor and mirror, so that the main bedroom actually feels very bright. the other bedroom, which opens off it, IS darker, but cosy. we did have a few problems with the heating and the bathrooms were not perfect, but for the price and the location, it was a pretty good deal. Catherine the owner is very easy to deal with, and was very helpful both before and during our stay, making restaurant recommendations, and organising the very efficient and reliable Gianni to pick us up from and return us to the aiport in his cab.
its best asset is the location - right at the castel san angelo end of via coronari, so within easy! walking distance of piazza navona, campo dei fiori, corso vittorio emmanuale, and [just across the bridge at the end of the street] castel san angelo and st. peter's. within 5 minutes walk was virtually everything we could possibly need, even if we didn't know we needed it - the first morning I went for a walk and found two supermarkets, a stonemasons, a chocolate makers, a poodle parlour, a bakery, an antique shop selling suits of armour, a bar, another bakery, another bar with coffee and cornetti for breakfast, several restaurants, a shop selling and making mosaics, another one full of buckets and mops...there was little that you couldn't find within the immediate vicinity.
this is a summary of what we did, broken down by day. some of it was a repetition of things we did the first time, others were new. by and large I think we got the mix just about right. the only thing we booked in advance [apart from the match of course] was the scavi tour we did on day 2, and that worked very well for us, especially as the weather was a bit iffy to say the least. [1st snow in Rome for 25 years!]
Day 1 - weather was cool and wet. we walked from the apartment to the piazza navona, then the pantheon, and galleria doria-pamphilli. [new to us and a real hit]. then after lunch, the campo dei fiori, gettting lost, a few churches, and back to the apartment. in the evening, we had supper at a local trattoria recommended by catherine, and then went to the bar round the corner where she said there was a show. [she wasn't wrong!]
Day 2 - snow. the scavi tour was booked for 11.15 [allegedly in english!]. then we walked around st. peter's and headed back towards "home" for lunch. after a nap ,we went out again, and ended up at ars pacis - the augustinian monument housed in a brand new building north of the spanish steps. I'm not sure whether I preferred the monument or the building! we had a few drinks at the bar we'd been to the night before, then supper at another local restaurant.
Day 3 - day trip to Orvieto. we loved it all - the cathedral, the restaurant where we had lunch, the ice-cream from the gelateria next door, the view from the clock tower, with its 300 ! steps.
Day 4 - castel san angelo, followed by "the match". the best bit was joining in the Italian National Anthem - the match itself was dire. walked back along the Tiber - the buildings lit up were beautiful. another local supper - very good.
Day 5 - we started off early in sunshine to get to st peter's before the crowds and go up to the dome. the lift cuts 500 steps down to 300! then we got the bus to the forum, queued for tickets [a much shorter queue than at the colosseum] , saw the forum and colosseum, and had a looong lunch. then we walked back to the vittorio emmanuale monument [aka the wedding cake] via san pietro in vincoli, toured the monument [not the capitoline as we'd done that the first time] and caught the bus back home. no supper as we were still stuffed from lunch.
Day 6 - our last day - wet, wet, wet. we decided to explore the ghetto where we'd never been before, and did a tour of the great syngogue, as DS had never been to one. then lunch in a local restaurant and after a nap - SHOPPING. then packing and supper in the local restaurant that had the most of our favourite dishes.
so that's a summary of what we did on our holidays - if I've got the energy, I'll do a much more detailed account of what we ate and where [a subject very close to the hearts of most fodorites] and a "daily diary", but for now, it's grazie mille to all who helped me plan the trip, and ciao to the rest of you.
ciao ciao, ann
so what did we pack into our week [actually 6 whole days]? In summary, lots of walking, eating, and exploring. Not much travelling on pubic transport, and no use of roma passes and the like. and even though we were in an apartment, NO cooking.
who is/are the we I've been talking about ? - two 50 somethings plus our DS, aged 19, who is on a "gap year". we'd been worried that this would turn into a gap life, but fortunately just before we left, we heard that he's been offered a place at uni to start in October, so the trip turned into a bit of a celebration as well. [whether us of the prospect of getting rid of him, or him of that of getting away from us we were all too tactful to discuss]. the excuse for the trip was having tickets for the Italy v England rugby international;originally we'd been looking at just going for the weekend but costings of flights made that just as expensive as a whole week, so that was what we plumped for, needing very little excuse to spend another week there.
another excuse was for me to practice my italian - I've been studying it semi-seriously for the last 18 months or so, and am badly in need of speaking practice. As I'd half expected, I didn't actually get to speak a lot, but what I did manage to say just re-inforced my feeling that I need to speak a lot more. whether I'll get the opportunity to do so before my exams in May, I very much doubt.
our 1st week in Rome, was about 4 years ago in the company of our DD too, when she was 18, and DS was 15. that time we stayed in an apartment near the colosseum, so this time we wanted to be a little more central, and after a lot of seaching on the net, and thanks to another fodorite, i found this:
www.lacasadiclelia.webs.com.
it's privately owned and for 7 nights, cost just over €800 for the 3 of us. it's a ground floor apartment with a lounge/kitchen opening up off a very small and quiet street, and, as was pointed out on another thread, the 2 bedrooms are underground. However, the design borrows light for the downstairs by dint of a glass floor and mirror, so that the main bedroom actually feels very bright. the other bedroom, which opens off it, IS darker, but cosy. we did have a few problems with the heating and the bathrooms were not perfect, but for the price and the location, it was a pretty good deal. Catherine the owner is very easy to deal with, and was very helpful both before and during our stay, making restaurant recommendations, and organising the very efficient and reliable Gianni to pick us up from and return us to the aiport in his cab.
its best asset is the location - right at the castel san angelo end of via coronari, so within easy! walking distance of piazza navona, campo dei fiori, corso vittorio emmanuale, and [just across the bridge at the end of the street] castel san angelo and st. peter's. within 5 minutes walk was virtually everything we could possibly need, even if we didn't know we needed it - the first morning I went for a walk and found two supermarkets, a stonemasons, a chocolate makers, a poodle parlour, a bakery, an antique shop selling suits of armour, a bar, another bakery, another bar with coffee and cornetti for breakfast, several restaurants, a shop selling and making mosaics, another one full of buckets and mops...there was little that you couldn't find within the immediate vicinity.
this is a summary of what we did, broken down by day. some of it was a repetition of things we did the first time, others were new. by and large I think we got the mix just about right. the only thing we booked in advance [apart from the match of course] was the scavi tour we did on day 2, and that worked very well for us, especially as the weather was a bit iffy to say the least. [1st snow in Rome for 25 years!]
Day 1 - weather was cool and wet. we walked from the apartment to the piazza navona, then the pantheon, and galleria doria-pamphilli. [new to us and a real hit]. then after lunch, the campo dei fiori, gettting lost, a few churches, and back to the apartment. in the evening, we had supper at a local trattoria recommended by catherine, and then went to the bar round the corner where she said there was a show. [she wasn't wrong!]
Day 2 - snow. the scavi tour was booked for 11.15 [allegedly in english!]. then we walked around st. peter's and headed back towards "home" for lunch. after a nap ,we went out again, and ended up at ars pacis - the augustinian monument housed in a brand new building north of the spanish steps. I'm not sure whether I preferred the monument or the building! we had a few drinks at the bar we'd been to the night before, then supper at another local restaurant.
Day 3 - day trip to Orvieto. we loved it all - the cathedral, the restaurant where we had lunch, the ice-cream from the gelateria next door, the view from the clock tower, with its 300 ! steps.
Day 4 - castel san angelo, followed by "the match". the best bit was joining in the Italian National Anthem - the match itself was dire. walked back along the Tiber - the buildings lit up were beautiful. another local supper - very good.
Day 5 - we started off early in sunshine to get to st peter's before the crowds and go up to the dome. the lift cuts 500 steps down to 300! then we got the bus to the forum, queued for tickets [a much shorter queue than at the colosseum] , saw the forum and colosseum, and had a looong lunch. then we walked back to the vittorio emmanuale monument [aka the wedding cake] via san pietro in vincoli, toured the monument [not the capitoline as we'd done that the first time] and caught the bus back home. no supper as we were still stuffed from lunch.
Day 6 - our last day - wet, wet, wet. we decided to explore the ghetto where we'd never been before, and did a tour of the great syngogue, as DS had never been to one. then lunch in a local restaurant and after a nap - SHOPPING. then packing and supper in the local restaurant that had the most of our favourite dishes.
so that's a summary of what we did on our holidays - if I've got the energy, I'll do a much more detailed account of what we ate and where [a subject very close to the hearts of most fodorites] and a "daily diary", but for now, it's grazie mille to all who helped me plan the trip, and ciao to the rest of you.
ciao ciao, ann
Feb 21st, 2010, 08:09 AM
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I'm still in Rome, been here for about 2+ weeks, the snow was great, but unfortunately it rained later and it all went away. The great video I have is of the bum that hung out in our area was having a great time whacking people with snow balls, me included.
Last two days have been fine, today (Sun. 21) was almost cloudless.
dave
Last two days have been fine, today (Sun. 21) was almost cloudless.
dave
Feb 21st, 2010, 08:12 AM
#5
gosh Barbara, that was quick.
the snow was lovely from inside but not so much fun tramping through it in inadequate footwear [like most romans!]. it was fun seeing all the priests coming out and taking pictures of it, and by lunchtime, it was raining.
I won't easily forget walking towards St. Peter's and not being able to see it!
the snow was lovely from inside but not so much fun tramping through it in inadequate footwear [like most romans!]. it was fun seeing all the priests coming out and taking pictures of it, and by lunchtime, it was raining.
I won't easily forget walking towards St. Peter's and not being able to see it!
Feb 21st, 2010, 10:56 AM
#7
Oh, snow! I don't suppose you were able to run over to the Pantheon and see the snow coming in through the oculus, were you?
You might be interested in a wonderful free Yale University course on line about ancient Roman architecture. It goes over many of the monuments and buildings you probably saw while you were there. I watched all 24 lectures recently and I feel I have to go back to Rome with a much better understanding.
http://oyc.yale.edu/history-of-art/roman-architecture/
You might be interested in a wonderful free Yale University course on line about ancient Roman architecture. It goes over many of the monuments and buildings you probably saw while you were there. I watched all 24 lectures recently and I feel I have to go back to Rome with a much better understanding.
http://oyc.yale.edu/history-of-art/roman-architecture/
Feb 21st, 2010, 12:31 PM
#9
Last two days have been fine, today (Sun. 21) was almost cloudless.>>
hi dave - humph. are you sure? my BBC weather forecast has said it's been wet every day!! it was a shame that the snow went so quickly. how much longer are you in Rome? after a week, i felt that i was just finding my feet. certainly it took me that long to be able to find my way back to our apartment without having to look at a map. I'd love to have longer, so as to feel that I'm living in rome, not just visiting.
Adrienne, Jenn - more details and restaurants coming up soon.
Nikki - no, sadly we weren't able to do this - the scavi tour wouldn't wait. thank you for posting that link for the yale lectures - i will try to find time to watch them.
Nlingenfel - it makes me want to return soon too!
hi dave - humph. are you sure? my BBC weather forecast has said it's been wet every day!! it was a shame that the snow went so quickly. how much longer are you in Rome? after a week, i felt that i was just finding my feet. certainly it took me that long to be able to find my way back to our apartment without having to look at a map. I'd love to have longer, so as to feel that I'm living in rome, not just visiting.
Adrienne, Jenn - more details and restaurants coming up soon.
Nikki - no, sadly we weren't able to do this - the scavi tour wouldn't wait. thank you for posting that link for the yale lectures - i will try to find time to watch them.
Nlingenfel - it makes me want to return soon too!
Feb 21st, 2010, 01:12 PM
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Hi! Ann:
I've been anxiously waiting for your return!
I wanted to hear about your apartment stay & the neighbourhood! We are planning our first trip to Rome & it's not easy to determine distances/walkability, amenities & the feeling of an area just by looking at a map or reading a guide book. So, your description certainly gives us a good picture! It appears to be an ideal position for a week's stay! Thanks for sharing this information.
Glad you had a great time despite the weather! I look forward to more details of your trip, Ann!
2010
I've been anxiously waiting for your return!
I wanted to hear about your apartment stay & the neighbourhood! We are planning our first trip to Rome & it's not easy to determine distances/walkability, amenities & the feeling of an area just by looking at a map or reading a guide book. So, your description certainly gives us a good picture! It appears to be an ideal position for a week's stay! Thanks for sharing this information.Glad you had a great time despite the weather! I look forward to more details of your trip, Ann!
2010
Feb 21st, 2010, 01:31 PM
#11
hi 2010,
have you booked your accommodation yet? if not, i would definitely recommend the area we stayed in, so long as you don't want spoon-feeding - none of the locals spoke any more than rudimentary english. walking distances are not necessarily easy to estimate - ours were definitely less at the end of the week than at the begining; we weren't getting lost so often!
i can only say that where we were, you really could get anything you could reasonably want or need within a 10 minute walk. breakfast on the corner, or bread from the bakery to DIY, milk, fruit, pasta and meat from either of the local supermercati, [though the apartment was very well equipped with pasta, oil, and all manner of condiments], antiques of any description from the via coronari, clothes from the via dei governi vechii, ice-cream or a cake from the gelateria del teatro, an aperitif at the bar on the corner, dinner at the antica taverna across the road.
the biggest problem was finding our way BACK after going out -at times I felt I needed a thread like Theseus, and DS [whose ability to get himself lost is legendary] never ventured out without his mobile.
a really good idea is to go to the bus maps on Ron in Rome website [I'm sure there are other places to find them too] and study the buses that pass near the place you're staying and go to where you might want to go. for example, from the main street nearest to us, the corso vittorio emmanuale, both the no 40 [express] and no 64 went al the way to Termini, so they took us up to the station for the trip to Orvieto, and to the forum when we wanted to see the colosseum. and if we'd wanted a bus to go to the match at the stadio flaminio, the no 286 went all the way.
if I had a complaint it was that the nearest metro stop was quite a long way away - so in fact we never bothered, just walked or used a bus. I'm sure that had we stayed longer, we'd have ventured down there eventually, but really we didn't need to bother.
feel free to ask me anything you like, 2010,
regards, ann
have you booked your accommodation yet? if not, i would definitely recommend the area we stayed in, so long as you don't want spoon-feeding - none of the locals spoke any more than rudimentary english. walking distances are not necessarily easy to estimate - ours were definitely less at the end of the week than at the begining; we weren't getting lost so often!
i can only say that where we were, you really could get anything you could reasonably want or need within a 10 minute walk. breakfast on the corner, or bread from the bakery to DIY, milk, fruit, pasta and meat from either of the local supermercati, [though the apartment was very well equipped with pasta, oil, and all manner of condiments], antiques of any description from the via coronari, clothes from the via dei governi vechii, ice-cream or a cake from the gelateria del teatro, an aperitif at the bar on the corner, dinner at the antica taverna across the road.
the biggest problem was finding our way BACK after going out -at times I felt I needed a thread like Theseus, and DS [whose ability to get himself lost is legendary] never ventured out without his mobile.
a really good idea is to go to the bus maps on Ron in Rome website [I'm sure there are other places to find them too] and study the buses that pass near the place you're staying and go to where you might want to go. for example, from the main street nearest to us, the corso vittorio emmanuale, both the no 40 [express] and no 64 went al the way to Termini, so they took us up to the station for the trip to Orvieto, and to the forum when we wanted to see the colosseum. and if we'd wanted a bus to go to the match at the stadio flaminio, the no 286 went all the way.
if I had a complaint it was that the nearest metro stop was quite a long way away - so in fact we never bothered, just walked or used a bus. I'm sure that had we stayed longer, we'd have ventured down there eventually, but really we didn't need to bother.
feel free to ask me anything you like, 2010,
regards, ann
Feb 21st, 2010, 02:52 PM
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Welcome back Ann, I have been looking forward to your report. Sounds like the apartment was ok and in a pretty good position. Did you manage a sneak peak at the other smaller one? Would love to hear about FOOD at the local places you went to.
Maudie
Maudie
Feb 21st, 2010, 10:46 PM
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Hi! Ann:
Thanks for your reply! We are just beginning to work on the itinerary for our next trip to Italy in May, 2011!
As a first-time visitor to Rome, the most immediate & challenging decision is where to stay: which neighbourhood? what type of accomodation? And of course, that's connected to what we want to see & do and the city's transportation system: how easy is it to get around? Still pretty basic stuff at this early planning stage, right?
I appreciate that you (and other experienced travelers) are so willing to answer questions, share your insights & give such great advice! Thanks so much! I'm sure that I will have many more questions about Rome & other places as time goes on!!!
By the way, you gave me some wonderful feedback on my first Italy itinerary a few years ago. <i><b>Less is more</i></b> was your response! Those are definitely words to live by!
2010
Thanks for your reply! We are just beginning to work on the itinerary for our next trip to Italy in May, 2011!
As a first-time visitor to Rome, the most immediate & challenging decision is where to stay: which neighbourhood? what type of accomodation? And of course, that's connected to what we want to see & do and the city's transportation system: how easy is it to get around? Still pretty basic stuff at this early planning stage, right?
I appreciate that you (and other experienced travelers) are so willing to answer questions, share your insights & give such great advice! Thanks so much! I'm sure that I will have many more questions about Rome & other places as time goes on!!!
By the way, you gave me some wonderful feedback on my first Italy itinerary a few years ago. <i><b>Less is more</i></b> was your response! Those are definitely words to live by!
2010
Feb 22nd, 2010, 06:06 AM
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I agree, it is hard to get much Italian speaking practice in while doing the usual tourist things, especially when with family members who need a continuous translation service. Good luck with the AS level!
Feb 22nd, 2010, 06:34 AM
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"....whether us of the prospect of getting rid of him, or him of that of getting away from us we were all too tactful to discuss...."
That gave me such a giggle! Remembering that I was packed a month before I left for college and parents never commented.
Glad you had a wonderful Rome trip. You know, Perugia has a 3-month language course...doesn't that want to make you weep?
That gave me such a giggle! Remembering that I was packed a month before I left for college and parents never commented.
Glad you had a wonderful Rome trip. You know, Perugia has a 3-month language course...doesn't that want to make you weep?
Feb 22nd, 2010, 06:46 AM
#18
Maudie - foodie stuff coming up. [regretably quite literally on one occasion!].
klondike and g'mere - grazie mille for the encouragement.
tarquin - sfortunamente, e vero. they tend just to tune out after a while.
2010 - I'm glad that I was able to help with an earlier trip. I recognise the desire to cram in jsut one more thing, as I find myself falling into the same trap when i am gonig somewhere new. once you've been, it's easier to accept that you can't do it all, and that seeing less, but in more detail, can be more rewarding than rushing around like a scalded cat. for example, a day trip from Rome to Orvieto is great - you can be there in less than two hours, there's plenty to see in a day, you really feel that you've seen it in the time available, and it's easy to get round, find restaurants, etc. a day trip to Florence LOOKS the same and it doesn't take that much longer to get there, but once you're there, you can only just scratch the surface, it's hard work getting around, you've no idea where to eat, it can be a real fag. ditto ostia antica v pompeii.
fortunately you have plenty of time to do your planning. in a spirit of helpfulness, how long do you have in mind? how many people are you travelling with? what is your travelling style? do you like everything at your fingertips, or are you prepared to do some spade-work yourself, and occasionally find that things don't work out quite as planned?
next - eating, drinking, and la dolce vita.
klondike and g'mere - grazie mille for the encouragement.
tarquin - sfortunamente, e vero. they tend just to tune out after a while.
2010 - I'm glad that I was able to help with an earlier trip. I recognise the desire to cram in jsut one more thing, as I find myself falling into the same trap when i am gonig somewhere new. once you've been, it's easier to accept that you can't do it all, and that seeing less, but in more detail, can be more rewarding than rushing around like a scalded cat. for example, a day trip from Rome to Orvieto is great - you can be there in less than two hours, there's plenty to see in a day, you really feel that you've seen it in the time available, and it's easy to get round, find restaurants, etc. a day trip to Florence LOOKS the same and it doesn't take that much longer to get there, but once you're there, you can only just scratch the surface, it's hard work getting around, you've no idea where to eat, it can be a real fag. ditto ostia antica v pompeii.
fortunately you have plenty of time to do your planning. in a spirit of helpfulness, how long do you have in mind? how many people are you travelling with? what is your travelling style? do you like everything at your fingertips, or are you prepared to do some spade-work yourself, and occasionally find that things don't work out quite as planned?
next - eating, drinking, and la dolce vita.
Feb 22nd, 2010, 09:17 AM
#19
ok, here goes. Here's what we ate [and drank, if I can remember it!] and where:
the night we arrived we were too tired to eat, but fancied a drink. having established that we were able to open the apartment door with the key [we didn't fancy being locked out when we came back!] we set off in what we believed to be the direction of the piazza navona, and ended up here:
www.caffedellapace.it.
as it was cold, [just above freezing] there was no sitting outside as depicted on the website, and no sign of the famous and/or beautiful people [except us of courese] who I later read frequent the bar. service was fine despite our lack of celebrity status, and the wine was ok, though somewhat overpriced at €6 a glass. we were not so overwhelmed that we ever went back, though if it were a nice day, the little square would be very pleasant. it's just a stone's throw from the piazza navona, but far enough away from it not to attract the common herd.
in the same square is the serafina - a restaurant and pizzeria which our landlady recommended, but we never ate there. on the opposite corner is a little bar - the bar della torre, where we had a very nice and cheap breakfast one day - €8,90 for 2 capuccini, 1 cioccolata calda, [con panna] and 3 cornetti.
we were also able to buy some milk there on our first night, when all the supermarkets were shut. having left the caffe della pace, we went for a wander around, with half an eye to getting some milk so we could have our cups of tea in the morning - we are brits, after all. we asked in several likely looking places [Q: "ha della latte per favore? A: non! - there's nothing like being able to speak some italian to get what you want!] and failed miserably. However, at the last place we asked, when we were well away from the piazza navona, and probably lost, they said that if we turned first left, and 2nd right, we would come to this bar where they sold milk. frankly I was sceptical - foreigners are notorious for teling tourists what they want to hear, aren't they? - but we followed the directions and found ourselves somehow back at the square where we'd had our drink [lucky this, as it meant we might find our way home] outside the the bar delle torre. feeling a bit daft [who on earth goes into a bar to buy a pint of milk?] I went in and using my best italian, said that someone had told me that I could buy some milk there. far from getting the blank look I was expecting, the barman simply reached into the fridge and brought out a litre container. Clearly the romans run out of milk like everyone else! so we rewarded him by having some expressi [our first in Rome] and headed home.
Day 1. after a heavy morning sightseeing, we ended up near the Pantheon tired and hungry. taking the street signposted to the trevi fountain, we came across a snack bar advertising soup which had a table free. [the main criterion at that point]. no idea what it was called, but they had an excellent homemade vegetable soup and ok bruschetta, though I was disappointed when the third one was tuna, not artichoke. the other two - tomato and olive paste, were fine. wine and soup were €8, the bruschetta [a double portion as DS wasn't having soup] €10. lunch for €28 for three would have been great -unfortunately, DS had 2 spremuta d'arancia which shoved the price up to €40. it could have been worse - they could have been beers I suppose!
supper was at another recommendation from our landlady - the antica taverna, in the via di monte giordano, just round the corner from the apartment. [www.anticatavernamangiabene.it].
Catherine was clearly very keen on this place as she chose to have her birthday lunch there, and we were not disappointed. this is a typical locals trattoria, with a plastic "conservatory" [which is overstating it a bit, but you know what I mean] butting onto the street, with patio heaters to keep the brave souls sitting there warm. we started with mixed sea-food antipasti [very nice] and the highly recommended carciofi guidici - which is whole artichoke, dipped in batter and deep-fried. well, i wanted to try it, and I did, but frankly, I don't see the point, and I was slightly resentful that I'd missed out on my first helping of "fiori fritti" - my no 1 favourite starter of courgette flower/s stuffed, battered and deep-fried. yumsk!
secondi were grilled sepie [cuttlefish] for DH, a steak for me [steak, why? said DH - you can have that at home - but not lik this!] and the best lasagne he'd ever had for DS, and he's had a few. DS even managed a pud - something chocolaty, but I can't remember what. my notes say this this feast cost the stunningly low price of €63, and included wine, water and expressi for us, and mineral water for DS.
after this, we were still feeling frisky, and we were on a roll, so we decided to follow another of the recommendations Catherine had given us, and instead of going back to the apartment, to walk round the corner to the bar "quattro bellezze" on via del panico. there, allegedly, we could see a performance by "Dominot", who apparently appeared in Fellini's La Dolce Vita and does a "piaf/french chanson" act.
arrriving at 10pm, it was obvious that the act was popular as the place we already humming and packed, but we got a table round the back next to the loo, and got some drinks. we opted for cocktails as the menu said that the first drink was €11 - no point in ordering orange juice then!. [DS did and was let off, so far as I could tell from the bill we got at the end]. nothing heppened for a while, and then the "star" arrived, along with his dresser, and both headed straight for the loo!
for the next 45 mins we were treated to a pantomime of the dresser coming and going, people attempting and failing to gain entrance to the toilet, then Dominot, by now dressed in his finery, peeping out from his "dressing room" - and all this before he started. eventually the music changed, and the star, dressed in a very spangly gown and feathers, but completely bald, made his grand entrance onto the stage -actually the bar converted for the purpose. thereafter we were treated to 45 minutes or so of Piaf and other french songs...or at least those who could see the stage were. sadly we didn't get the full effect as we couldn't really see the stage, but DS had managed to get a better view, and unconteminated by his parents' world-weariness, thoroughly enjoyed the show. we, and others we talked to afterwards, felt that Dominot is probably past his best, but it was certainly a unique evening, and an entertaining experience. for anyone who's interested, the show takes place every thursday and starts at 10.30 pm, [if you're lucky] but to get a decent seat, you should arrive before 10pm, or reserve a table in advance.
the night we arrived we were too tired to eat, but fancied a drink. having established that we were able to open the apartment door with the key [we didn't fancy being locked out when we came back!] we set off in what we believed to be the direction of the piazza navona, and ended up here:
www.caffedellapace.it.
as it was cold, [just above freezing] there was no sitting outside as depicted on the website, and no sign of the famous and/or beautiful people [except us of courese] who I later read frequent the bar. service was fine despite our lack of celebrity status, and the wine was ok, though somewhat overpriced at €6 a glass. we were not so overwhelmed that we ever went back, though if it were a nice day, the little square would be very pleasant. it's just a stone's throw from the piazza navona, but far enough away from it not to attract the common herd.
in the same square is the serafina - a restaurant and pizzeria which our landlady recommended, but we never ate there. on the opposite corner is a little bar - the bar della torre, where we had a very nice and cheap breakfast one day - €8,90 for 2 capuccini, 1 cioccolata calda, [con panna] and 3 cornetti.
we were also able to buy some milk there on our first night, when all the supermarkets were shut. having left the caffe della pace, we went for a wander around, with half an eye to getting some milk so we could have our cups of tea in the morning - we are brits, after all. we asked in several likely looking places [Q: "ha della latte per favore? A: non! - there's nothing like being able to speak some italian to get what you want!] and failed miserably. However, at the last place we asked, when we were well away from the piazza navona, and probably lost, they said that if we turned first left, and 2nd right, we would come to this bar where they sold milk. frankly I was sceptical - foreigners are notorious for teling tourists what they want to hear, aren't they? - but we followed the directions and found ourselves somehow back at the square where we'd had our drink [lucky this, as it meant we might find our way home] outside the the bar delle torre. feeling a bit daft [who on earth goes into a bar to buy a pint of milk?] I went in and using my best italian, said that someone had told me that I could buy some milk there. far from getting the blank look I was expecting, the barman simply reached into the fridge and brought out a litre container. Clearly the romans run out of milk like everyone else! so we rewarded him by having some expressi [our first in Rome] and headed home.
Day 1. after a heavy morning sightseeing, we ended up near the Pantheon tired and hungry. taking the street signposted to the trevi fountain, we came across a snack bar advertising soup which had a table free. [the main criterion at that point]. no idea what it was called, but they had an excellent homemade vegetable soup and ok bruschetta, though I was disappointed when the third one was tuna, not artichoke. the other two - tomato and olive paste, were fine. wine and soup were €8, the bruschetta [a double portion as DS wasn't having soup] €10. lunch for €28 for three would have been great -unfortunately, DS had 2 spremuta d'arancia which shoved the price up to €40. it could have been worse - they could have been beers I suppose!
supper was at another recommendation from our landlady - the antica taverna, in the via di monte giordano, just round the corner from the apartment. [www.anticatavernamangiabene.it].
Catherine was clearly very keen on this place as she chose to have her birthday lunch there, and we were not disappointed. this is a typical locals trattoria, with a plastic "conservatory" [which is overstating it a bit, but you know what I mean] butting onto the street, with patio heaters to keep the brave souls sitting there warm. we started with mixed sea-food antipasti [very nice] and the highly recommended carciofi guidici - which is whole artichoke, dipped in batter and deep-fried. well, i wanted to try it, and I did, but frankly, I don't see the point, and I was slightly resentful that I'd missed out on my first helping of "fiori fritti" - my no 1 favourite starter of courgette flower/s stuffed, battered and deep-fried. yumsk!
secondi were grilled sepie [cuttlefish] for DH, a steak for me [steak, why? said DH - you can have that at home - but not lik this!] and the best lasagne he'd ever had for DS, and he's had a few. DS even managed a pud - something chocolaty, but I can't remember what. my notes say this this feast cost the stunningly low price of €63, and included wine, water and expressi for us, and mineral water for DS.
after this, we were still feeling frisky, and we were on a roll, so we decided to follow another of the recommendations Catherine had given us, and instead of going back to the apartment, to walk round the corner to the bar "quattro bellezze" on via del panico. there, allegedly, we could see a performance by "Dominot", who apparently appeared in Fellini's La Dolce Vita and does a "piaf/french chanson" act.
arrriving at 10pm, it was obvious that the act was popular as the place we already humming and packed, but we got a table round the back next to the loo, and got some drinks. we opted for cocktails as the menu said that the first drink was €11 - no point in ordering orange juice then!. [DS did and was let off, so far as I could tell from the bill we got at the end]. nothing heppened for a while, and then the "star" arrived, along with his dresser, and both headed straight for the loo!
for the next 45 mins we were treated to a pantomime of the dresser coming and going, people attempting and failing to gain entrance to the toilet, then Dominot, by now dressed in his finery, peeping out from his "dressing room" - and all this before he started. eventually the music changed, and the star, dressed in a very spangly gown and feathers, but completely bald, made his grand entrance onto the stage -actually the bar converted for the purpose. thereafter we were treated to 45 minutes or so of Piaf and other french songs...or at least those who could see the stage were. sadly we didn't get the full effect as we couldn't really see the stage, but DS had managed to get a better view, and unconteminated by his parents' world-weariness, thoroughly enjoyed the show. we, and others we talked to afterwards, felt that Dominot is probably past his best, but it was certainly a unique evening, and an entertaining experience. for anyone who's interested, the show takes place every thursday and starts at 10.30 pm, [if you're lucky] but to get a decent seat, you should arrive before 10pm, or reserve a table in advance.
Feb 22nd, 2010, 09:23 AM
#20
"....whether us of the prospect of getting rid of him, or him of that of getting away from us we were all too tactful to discuss...."
That gave me such a giggle! Remembering that I was packed a month before I left for college and parents never commented.>>
Dudette - we were by no means sure that he'd get a place at all as his results were far from stellar and the government had just announced swingeing cuts in HE funding. fortunately, this particular uni is in Wales and has therefore not only escaped the cuts, but has some £14.5 million extra this year, as it is merging with another part of the university of Wales next door. They have small classes and lots of pastoral support. the relief that he has a place, and at somewhere that seems so suited to his needs, is tremendous. we try not to let him see it!
That gave me such a giggle! Remembering that I was packed a month before I left for college and parents never commented.>>
Dudette - we were by no means sure that he'd get a place at all as his results were far from stellar and the government had just announced swingeing cuts in HE funding. fortunately, this particular uni is in Wales and has therefore not only escaped the cuts, but has some £14.5 million extra this year, as it is merging with another part of the university of Wales next door. They have small classes and lots of pastoral support. the relief that he has a place, and at somewhere that seems so suited to his needs, is tremendous. we try not to let him see it!
