A late november week in Rome
Nov 1st, 2017, 05:34 AM
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A late november week in Rome
My husband and I will be traveling to Rome for six nights (five and a half days, with an early flight out on the last day).
In May 2015 we spent three weeks in Italy and spent 5 nights in Rome at the end of our trip. We visited the Borghese gallery, took a Walks of Italy tour through the Vatican, and another WOI tour through the forum/Colloseum.
Last time we explored the sights and this time I would like to (during the day, if it's not raining too hard) slow down and take in more of the city itself, revisit a couple of the sights, and see a couple new ones. Our hotel is centrally located, and with our waterproof shoes and umbrellas we are prepared to do some walking.
Goals:
1. I want to have later and better planned dinners (instead of throwing in the towel because we were so exhausted from seeing the sights and just eating wherever looked good and not too touristy and then going to bed at a decent hour) I would love any suggestions of where to eat.
2. I would love to go back to the Colloseum. The only rain we had in Rome last time was when we visited the colloseum, and it was a downpour. I am nervous about booking this in advance obviously because we can't predict the weather.
3. I would love to spend more time exploring in Trastevere, and spending more time around the river, parks, bridges etc.
4. Sunday (the last of the month) since the vatican museums will be free we may as well return and go at a slower pace. We did not climb to the top of St. Peters last time so we should make that happen this time.
5. I am excited to see the Trevi Fountain now that the construction is finished. (red paint aside) and any other free sights around the city. I have found several lists online, but would love suggestions if anyone has favorites.
6. I am not opposed to hopping on a train and taking a day trip, and would be interested in suggestions.
There is so much more to say, but I am out of time to write any more. This will get us started.
As we near our travel date I am starting to get that feeling that I am going to forget some important planning detail. Hopefully we can work that out. Thanks everyone
In May 2015 we spent three weeks in Italy and spent 5 nights in Rome at the end of our trip. We visited the Borghese gallery, took a Walks of Italy tour through the Vatican, and another WOI tour through the forum/Colloseum.
Last time we explored the sights and this time I would like to (during the day, if it's not raining too hard) slow down and take in more of the city itself, revisit a couple of the sights, and see a couple new ones. Our hotel is centrally located, and with our waterproof shoes and umbrellas we are prepared to do some walking.
Goals:
1. I want to have later and better planned dinners (instead of throwing in the towel because we were so exhausted from seeing the sights and just eating wherever looked good and not too touristy and then going to bed at a decent hour) I would love any suggestions of where to eat.
2. I would love to go back to the Colloseum. The only rain we had in Rome last time was when we visited the colloseum, and it was a downpour. I am nervous about booking this in advance obviously because we can't predict the weather.
3. I would love to spend more time exploring in Trastevere, and spending more time around the river, parks, bridges etc.
4. Sunday (the last of the month) since the vatican museums will be free we may as well return and go at a slower pace. We did not climb to the top of St. Peters last time so we should make that happen this time.
5. I am excited to see the Trevi Fountain now that the construction is finished. (red paint aside) and any other free sights around the city. I have found several lists online, but would love suggestions if anyone has favorites.
6. I am not opposed to hopping on a train and taking a day trip, and would be interested in suggestions.
There is so much more to say, but I am out of time to write any more. This will get us started.
As we near our travel date I am starting to get that feeling that I am going to forget some important planning detail. Hopefully we can work that out. Thanks everyone
Nov 1st, 2017, 06:25 AM
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Good luck, cb. We'll be there for a 5-nighter around the same time as you... and I've already got about 4x more good suggestions than we could possibly execute in that time. See my thread here: http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...ime-around.cfm
We'll be staying a little bit south of the Campo dei Fiori, btw. If you and hubby would like to meet up for a drink and a little travel-talk, let me know.
We'll be staying a little bit south of the Campo dei Fiori, btw. If you and hubby would like to meet up for a drink and a little travel-talk, let me know.
Nov 1st, 2017, 06:36 AM
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We will be there at the end of this month too 
Like you I have been to Italy before, and this time, want to really soak it in vs rushing around and just grabbing food. It's a rock / hard place situation - I hate to be a slave to a reservation; at the same time, don't want to just be grabbing food and being disappointed. I know - first world problems.... but just saying I can relate.
One thing I am really looking forward to is the Colosseum at Night (via WOI) - it starts at 7PM so it will be a different experience from the last time I toured it - which was also a lifetime ago so I barely remember it anyway Looks like they only do those tours on Fri and Sat nights.
We also plan to climb the dome of St Peters .
We are looking into Orvieto for a day trip. My husband hasn't been to Italy, and he keeps saying Amalfi Coast, but I keep reminding him that it is a) too far and b) weather is unlikely to cooperate. We MAY do Florence as a day trip if he is really dying to do it and weather holds.
I'll be following along for tips (and going to read mr_go's thread now)!
Like you I have been to Italy before, and this time, want to really soak it in vs rushing around and just grabbing food. It's a rock / hard place situation - I hate to be a slave to a reservation; at the same time, don't want to just be grabbing food and being disappointed. I know - first world problems.... but just saying I can relate. One thing I am really looking forward to is the Colosseum at Night (via WOI) - it starts at 7PM so it will be a different experience from the last time I toured it - which was also a lifetime ago so I barely remember it anyway
Looks like they only do those tours on Fri and Sat nights. We also plan to climb the dome of St Peters .
We are looking into Orvieto for a day trip. My husband hasn't been to Italy, and he keeps saying Amalfi Coast, but I keep reminding him that it is a) too far and b) weather is unlikely to cooperate. We MAY do Florence as a day trip if he is really dying to do it and weather holds.
I'll be following along for tips (and going to read mr_go's thread now)!
Nov 1st, 2017, 09:24 AM
#6
Compared to many churches in Rome, Santa Maria della Vittoria is a dull place, I think. It's Bernini's floating marble St. Teresa that makes the walk over worthwhile, more than worthwhile, if Bernini moves you. For me, she was a high point in my art history class and is always a thrill to see in person.
Nov 1st, 2017, 10:56 AM
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It was long my favorite Italian statue from photos but I was underwhelmed when I saw it Rome -- and felt the same about other works by Bernini that I made a pilgrimage to see. Ditto Michelangelo. But everybody should go see for themselves and make up their own minds.
Nov 1st, 2017, 11:42 AM
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My feelings are the same as massimop's. I've never much cared for Bernini. "Over the top" would describe my reaction. He was a very talented sculptor, but a little restraint would have helped. As for Michelangelo, the only sculpture of his that I truly admire is his Moses, in the Basilica of San Pietro in Vincoli. On the other hand, I'm much more enthusiastic about his architectural achievements.
Santa Maria della Vittoria is a dark and gloomy Baroque church. The "vittoria" it celebrates is a resounding defeat by superior Catholic forces over a greatly outnumbered and poorly equipped Czech Protestant army defending the city of Prague, during the Thirty Years War. The victory was followed by harsh repression and the flight of tens of thousands of refugees. Originally S. Maria della Vittoria was the Church of St. Paul, and in these ecumenical (and pacifist) times, maybe it should revert to the original name. There's a fresco of the battle in the cupola, which also seems very out of place.
Santa Maria della Vittoria is a dark and gloomy Baroque church. The "vittoria" it celebrates is a resounding defeat by superior Catholic forces over a greatly outnumbered and poorly equipped Czech Protestant army defending the city of Prague, during the Thirty Years War. The victory was followed by harsh repression and the flight of tens of thousands of refugees. Originally S. Maria della Vittoria was the Church of St. Paul, and in these ecumenical (and pacifist) times, maybe it should revert to the original name. There's a fresco of the battle in the cupola, which also seems very out of place.
Nov 1st, 2017, 12:10 PM
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To those of you who will be in Rome in the next few months, I can highly recommend the show now in the Scuderie del Quirinale, entitled, Picasso, tra Cubismo e Classicismo. It ends January 21st. It's an excellent show, with particularly interesting exhibits of his work designing costumes and scenery for the ballet Parade, based on a poem by his friend Jean Cocteau, as well as theatrical designs for other works by Cocteau. A film shows reenactments of scenes from these ballets featuring Picasso's designs. Apart from his theatrical work, there are paintings from those years, lent by museums from all over the world.
Simultaneously, at the Barberini Gallery (one of my favorite museums, newly renovated), there is a display of a seventeen-foot-long curtain which Picasso designed for Parade. We didn't have time to see that. I was attending a conference, and we really just had Sunday free.
https://www.scuderiequirinale.it
Simultaneously, at the Barberini Gallery (one of my favorite museums, newly renovated), there is a display of a seventeen-foot-long curtain which Picasso designed for Parade. We didn't have time to see that. I was attending a conference, and we really just had Sunday free.
https://www.scuderiequirinale.it
Nov 1st, 2017, 06:45 PM
#12
How about Enjoy at Chiostro del Bramante?
https://www.romeing.it/enjoy-chiostro-del-bramante/
Although there are plenty of permanent attractions I've yet to see in Rome, I have found that after many visits I really enjoy seeing temporary exhibitions. Romeing.it will give you an overview or art, music, theater, etc.
https://www.romeing.it/enjoy-chiostro-del-bramante/
Although there are plenty of permanent attractions I've yet to see in Rome, I have found that after many visits I really enjoy seeing temporary exhibitions. Romeing.it will give you an overview or art, music, theater, etc.
Nov 2nd, 2017, 06:41 AM
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My husband and I will also be in Rome late Nov (19-25), so this and mr_go's thread are really helpful! Definitely helping me get even more excited to go. This will be my third time there, and there is so much to see and do...I've not yet seen San Clemente, Terme di Caracalla, Domus Romane, and several of the basilicas mentioned, very much looking forward to them.
What are the chances that some of us November travelers will bump into one another?!
What are the chances that some of us November travelers will bump into one another?!
Nov 2nd, 2017, 08:54 AM
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You need a reservation for an English language tour at Domus Romane. This was not clear to me from their rather arty website.
Have you been to the Pantheon? That's a must for me.
We spent some time wandering around Testaccio on our recent trip and found it very lively and interesting in the late afternoon and early evening. All the shops are open, everybody's out and about, the kids are kicking a soccer ball in the square.
Finally I'd recommend Ostia Antica, the Pompeii-like ruins of Rome's ancient port, easily reachable by the Rome-Lido commuter train. But I hesitate because you really need good weather for this; it's a big area.
Have you been to the Pantheon? That's a must for me.
We spent some time wandering around Testaccio on our recent trip and found it very lively and interesting in the late afternoon and early evening. All the shops are open, everybody's out and about, the kids are kicking a soccer ball in the square.
Finally I'd recommend Ostia Antica, the Pompeii-like ruins of Rome's ancient port, easily reachable by the Rome-Lido commuter train. But I hesitate because you really need good weather for this; it's a big area.
Nov 2nd, 2017, 10:26 AM
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I think you could enjoy Ostia Antica in a light drizzle, but not on a really rainy day.
Ostia Antica celebrated yesterday the result of four years of restoration of the buildings, streets, and piazze on the left side of the decumano (the main east-west street of an ancient Roman town). This side of the road had been for years invaded by vegetation, which prevented entering the excavations and were destroying the brick work. 187 spaces were restored and cleaned and can now be visited.
I can't wait to return to see these newly opened spaces.
Ostia Antica celebrated yesterday the result of four years of restoration of the buildings, streets, and piazze on the left side of the decumano (the main east-west street of an ancient Roman town). This side of the road had been for years invaded by vegetation, which prevented entering the excavations and were destroying the brick work. 187 spaces were restored and cleaned and can now be visited.
I can't wait to return to see these newly opened spaces.
Nov 3rd, 2017, 06:01 AM
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Ostia Antica is definitely in the top 5 on our list, particularly if we get a nice-weather day.
Way, way too early to tell, of course, but...
https://www.accuweather.com/en/it/ro...weather/213490
Way, way too early to tell, of course, but...
https://www.accuweather.com/en/it/ro...weather/213490
Nov 3rd, 2017, 06:16 AM
#17
I love Ostia Antica and it seemed to me quite compact, not so much "a big area" as Mimar suggests. I was there in Spring...
http://www.travelgumbo.com/blog/a-day-among-the-ruins-1
...but suspect it'll look just as appealing in November. In fact, after all this talk, I very well may go back next week if it's something my friend might enjoy. I think she might.
http://www.travelgumbo.com/blog/a-day-among-the-ruins-1
...but suspect it'll look just as appealing in November. In fact, after all this talk, I very well may go back next week if it's something my friend might enjoy. I think she might.
