"A Wonderful Week in Rome" - A trip report
Mar 26th, 2005, 03:30 PM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 11,134
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
"A Wonderful Week in Rome" - A trip report
I am back from a wonderful week in Rome.
We had an uneventful flight on Swiss from LAX to Zurich - the only event was the non event of my staying awake the whole flight. Not to my knowledge I took a bottle of 1mg xanax instead of my usual .5 for travel and after I took one after the "dinner" of clammy pasta I fell into a sleep for about four hours. It was the first time I had ever slept on a flight - it wasn't a deep sleep but sort of like falling asleep in front of the TV, you can hear the talking but way in the background. When I awoke I thought my watch was running wild until my friend, Seashell, told me I did sleep for about four hours! Hurray.
We had an easy transition to Rome from Zurich in a plane full of skiers - tall, bulky and ruddy (and the men too). They were all friendly and on apres ski highs, so that was nice.
My luggage was on the carousel - hurray. I hate the wait to see if you have won the baggage lottery and your luggage has actually arrived with you. But there it was, sitting perkily on the conveyer belt waiting for me to wrestle it to the ground. (no, I cant just take a carryon bag).
Our driver was waiting and took us over to our apartment, it was then about 9:30 pm and after we quickly chose our sleeping spaces we ran outside foraging for food. The last morsel we had eaten was the minature blob of iceberg lettuce salad we had somewhere over the Atlantic. Oh yes, we shared some granola somewhere over the Alps.
We found a nice place near our apartment in Trastevere called La Viteretta where we had a good mushroom pizza and a nicely prepared spinach dish which was sauteed in garlic, a touch of olive oil and some pine nuts. Really good and good house wine too and inexpensive with courteous service.
Now we were energized so we scoped out our neighborhood and about midnight had some really good gelato at Blue Ice at St. Maria Trastevere square. We sat on the steps of the fountain savouring our gelato and then strolled back to the apt. enjoying, well, just being in Rome, safe, sound and happy.
I woke up with a start at about 6AM and thought, I have to get up and get ready to leave for Rome! Then I opened my eyes and thought, where am I? What is this gigantic beam of wood above my head? I sat up panting like people do in the movies, but not in real life, nearly clunking my head on the beam. Oh, I AM in Rome.
Re our sleeping arrangements: our apartment had a couch bed in the living room and a loft room above it with a full sized bed, a closet and another bathroom. Since my friend is 5'7" and I am 5'3" I got the loft. While I was unpacking I clunked my head twice on the gigantic wooden beam so I resorted to taping up some small plastic bags along it to keep from knocking myself silly. I could lie flat on the bed and touch the cross beam over me with my feet. So when I had my theatrical awakening that first morning it was good that I was on the right side of the bed.
We lounged around that morning - opened our windows and had the first feel of "living" in Rome with the street noises, passersby singing, scooters revving - the whole scene. How wonderful.
We went out late morning looking for a favorite restaurant in the Jewish section, found it but it was closed so we went to another place nearby and I had a roasted half chicken, potato croquettes, fried artichokes, sauteed pumpkin slices. We split a salad for two and had one beer and one 1/2 litre of white wine for 40 euro. Restaurant
card is around somewhere, I'll post it later.
We strolled around and a jewelry store window caught my eye, actually a beautiful pair of 24k earrings did. I had the jeweler hold them for me with a 10 euro downpayment. I would get a better deal if I paid cash and I was almost out of them. The jeweler is fair and has good items, he is David Hadad at S. Maria del Pianto 3. He speaks perfect English and as you will find out later, very honest.
We went to the TIM store to get my cell phone recharged and got my first call which was from my friend in the south of Italy who called to tell me he would like to spend the day with me, domani (Tuesday) - hurray again.
We had an uneventful flight on Swiss from LAX to Zurich - the only event was the non event of my staying awake the whole flight. Not to my knowledge I took a bottle of 1mg xanax instead of my usual .5 for travel and after I took one after the "dinner" of clammy pasta I fell into a sleep for about four hours. It was the first time I had ever slept on a flight - it wasn't a deep sleep but sort of like falling asleep in front of the TV, you can hear the talking but way in the background. When I awoke I thought my watch was running wild until my friend, Seashell, told me I did sleep for about four hours! Hurray.
We had an easy transition to Rome from Zurich in a plane full of skiers - tall, bulky and ruddy (and the men too). They were all friendly and on apres ski highs, so that was nice.
My luggage was on the carousel - hurray. I hate the wait to see if you have won the baggage lottery and your luggage has actually arrived with you. But there it was, sitting perkily on the conveyer belt waiting for me to wrestle it to the ground. (no, I cant just take a carryon bag).
Our driver was waiting and took us over to our apartment, it was then about 9:30 pm and after we quickly chose our sleeping spaces we ran outside foraging for food. The last morsel we had eaten was the minature blob of iceberg lettuce salad we had somewhere over the Atlantic. Oh yes, we shared some granola somewhere over the Alps.
We found a nice place near our apartment in Trastevere called La Viteretta where we had a good mushroom pizza and a nicely prepared spinach dish which was sauteed in garlic, a touch of olive oil and some pine nuts. Really good and good house wine too and inexpensive with courteous service.
Now we were energized so we scoped out our neighborhood and about midnight had some really good gelato at Blue Ice at St. Maria Trastevere square. We sat on the steps of the fountain savouring our gelato and then strolled back to the apt. enjoying, well, just being in Rome, safe, sound and happy.
I woke up with a start at about 6AM and thought, I have to get up and get ready to leave for Rome! Then I opened my eyes and thought, where am I? What is this gigantic beam of wood above my head? I sat up panting like people do in the movies, but not in real life, nearly clunking my head on the beam. Oh, I AM in Rome.
Re our sleeping arrangements: our apartment had a couch bed in the living room and a loft room above it with a full sized bed, a closet and another bathroom. Since my friend is 5'7" and I am 5'3" I got the loft. While I was unpacking I clunked my head twice on the gigantic wooden beam so I resorted to taping up some small plastic bags along it to keep from knocking myself silly. I could lie flat on the bed and touch the cross beam over me with my feet. So when I had my theatrical awakening that first morning it was good that I was on the right side of the bed.
We lounged around that morning - opened our windows and had the first feel of "living" in Rome with the street noises, passersby singing, scooters revving - the whole scene. How wonderful.
We went out late morning looking for a favorite restaurant in the Jewish section, found it but it was closed so we went to another place nearby and I had a roasted half chicken, potato croquettes, fried artichokes, sauteed pumpkin slices. We split a salad for two and had one beer and one 1/2 litre of white wine for 40 euro. Restaurant
card is around somewhere, I'll post it later.
We strolled around and a jewelry store window caught my eye, actually a beautiful pair of 24k earrings did. I had the jeweler hold them for me with a 10 euro downpayment. I would get a better deal if I paid cash and I was almost out of them. The jeweler is fair and has good items, he is David Hadad at S. Maria del Pianto 3. He speaks perfect English and as you will find out later, very honest.
We went to the TIM store to get my cell phone recharged and got my first call which was from my friend in the south of Italy who called to tell me he would like to spend the day with me, domani (Tuesday) - hurray again.
Mar 26th, 2005, 04:15 PM
#2
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 11,134
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
We came back to our apartment around 9pm and rested before dinner. As soon as the sun set it got really cold outside and since we had left our windows open my colorful plastic bags on my beam were fluttering in the wind like Tibetan prayer flags. I thought it was a nice touch and over the week I enjoyed them.
We found an interesting restaurant called Aristo Campo on via della Lungaretta 75 (I think it is also called La Fraschella de Trastevere). I loved this place. I ordered this wine and it was so good: Livon refosco del Peduacolo Russo - calli Orientali del Fruili, 2002 for 18 euro.
For dinner I had polenta backed with cheese and a tomato sauce (6 euro); Seashell had pecorano cheese covered in a fresh fig jam sauce (also 6 euro). Then we both had chicken baked in a fruit sauce with chunks of baked fresh fruit (12 euro each). The background music was great Italian standards and it was a relaxed, hip, upscale crowd dining with us. The whole place had a good feel about it and the food was delicious. The only foreigners were the two of us, two Japanese men and an Aussie couple, at least we were the only people not laughing and talking in Italian. But we were all laughing and talking and eating. At midnight we split a delicious dessert - homemade apple cake with vanilla gelato on the side and both drizzled over with chocolate sauce. The sauce was light but had a wonderful chocolate flavour. With two decaf expressos, two bottles of water the whole meal came to 69 euro.
It was really cold walking back home and we watched shopkeepers closing up for the night and some street performers on the square, playing some really good jazzy blues.
We passed some mimes who were packing up their stands and had to laugh as they actually did walk against the wind down the street on their way home.
Thus we ended our first whole day in Rome.
We found an interesting restaurant called Aristo Campo on via della Lungaretta 75 (I think it is also called La Fraschella de Trastevere). I loved this place. I ordered this wine and it was so good: Livon refosco del Peduacolo Russo - calli Orientali del Fruili, 2002 for 18 euro.
For dinner I had polenta backed with cheese and a tomato sauce (6 euro); Seashell had pecorano cheese covered in a fresh fig jam sauce (also 6 euro). Then we both had chicken baked in a fruit sauce with chunks of baked fresh fruit (12 euro each). The background music was great Italian standards and it was a relaxed, hip, upscale crowd dining with us. The whole place had a good feel about it and the food was delicious. The only foreigners were the two of us, two Japanese men and an Aussie couple, at least we were the only people not laughing and talking in Italian. But we were all laughing and talking and eating. At midnight we split a delicious dessert - homemade apple cake with vanilla gelato on the side and both drizzled over with chocolate sauce. The sauce was light but had a wonderful chocolate flavour. With two decaf expressos, two bottles of water the whole meal came to 69 euro.
It was really cold walking back home and we watched shopkeepers closing up for the night and some street performers on the square, playing some really good jazzy blues.
We passed some mimes who were packing up their stands and had to laugh as they actually did walk against the wind down the street on their way home.
Thus we ended our first whole day in Rome.
Mar 26th, 2005, 04:18 PM
#4
Join Date: Nov 2003
Posts: 711
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Glad you had a wonderful trip as I look forward to hearing more about it, especially the Saturday night party. I'm sorry I missed it as my trip has been rescheduled for May and with my wife in September. Welcome Home!! Mike
Mar 26th, 2005, 06:15 PM
#8
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 45,322
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Oh SeaUrchin, I feel like, on a Saturday night, that I have spent some time in Rome.
I love your report, you make one feel as though they are right there with you.
I too will look forward to more descriptions of your time in Rome. Thank you for sharing. And may I say, I wish I could write a report like you do, you are very talented.
I love your report, you make one feel as though they are right there with you.
I too will look forward to more descriptions of your time in Rome. Thank you for sharing. And may I say, I wish I could write a report like you do, you are very talented.
Mar 26th, 2005, 06:33 PM
#9
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 38
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Great to hear about the Trastavere area - my girlfriend and I will be staying there this September at the Hotel Santa Maria - Blue Ice - okay I have that written down - the restaurant you spoke about sounds like one I have read about really good food and reasonable prices --- Thanks!
Mar 26th, 2005, 06:40 PM
#10
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 2,142
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I'm jealous, it sounds like a wonderful stay.
You may have mentioned this in previous messages, but I'm curious as to what you do for a living that you have so much vacation time. Yes, I am JEALOUS!
You may have mentioned this in previous messages, but I'm curious as to what you do for a living that you have so much vacation time. Yes, I am JEALOUS!
Mar 26th, 2005, 10:41 PM
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 11,134
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thanks for the encouragement! I am a corporate drone in a glam environment.
Well, we got up nice and early, made some excellent coffee and cereal with fresh fruit from our grocer right underneath our apartment. "S" was driving up from Naples and it would take him a few hours so we went off to "town". We did see the irony of calling Rome the town, but we were across the river from the old section and most sections really. We went over to the Pantheon and to Minerva which are our favorites. We looked in the Murano glass store near P. Navona and I saw some nice beads to make a dangle bracelet later on. We dashed back to our area late morning and bought some lovely fruit, olives, meats, cheeses, some olive bread from the bakery down the street and some wine, oh, and of course some sweets and cookies. Soon I got a call on my cell phone, S was circling around looking for parking, legal parking. I leaned out of my window like a real local and called out to him and waved as he came down the narrow street. Other people looked up too, I felt like I was in a movie scene. I buzzed him in and we had a wonderful lunch which we had set out in between our corner windows. It was light and airy and we were all light and airy from the two bottles of wine (he and I like white, Seashell likes red so we drank both, why not). Seashell decided to leave to go shopping for a cooler blouse since we had packed all winter clothes and it was very warm during the day. We finished our tortes and then S looked up and said what are all those bags hanging from the ceiling? I said those are my faux Tibetan prayer flags, want to see them?
Soooo, later in the afternoon he and I walked all over Rome. And I fufilled a longtime dream of mine, to walk through Rome hand in hand with a special person without a care in the world. Finally, we went over to via Coronari to look at some of the antique shops. He was in the market for a special table of special marble and thought there might be one there. It was so nice to go into all the magnificient shops. In one he got into a discussion with the owner, there were gestures, looks of disgust on both sides, frowns, scowls, pffffting from each of them, head shaking and animated talk. Each would walk away and then turn around and start over, while I stood at the sidebar. When they shook hands and waved and we walked out I said "what was that all about"? He said "oh, he is going to look for one of the tables I want". All apart of the dance. We ate gelato and he introduced me to a great walnut flavour, we sat in P. Navona and shivered eating the cold ice cream, sitting on the cold marble, but loving every minute.
He had an early meeting in Naples so I let loose of my vicelike grip on him around 9pm. Then alone with Seashell we both said "I am starving". I called La Cisterna Ristorante and made a res. for 9:30. We changed and started off in the general direction, it is in Trastevere. We figured we were not going to find it easily after all so I called them and said we are on the corner of whereever and the man said good good, we'll see you in a few minutes and hung up, so much for directions. We asked people we passed for the street and they would direct us. After a few double eights and a few triple axels we came upon it, we had been circling it for the whole time. They had little name cards on our table and made a nice flourish of seating us and serving proscecco while we read the menu. I ordered Lazio merlot Silvestri 2003 and the waiter told us the restaurant was in the palace of the Silvestri family for 10 generations and was above the wine cellar which in 1 AD was a prison for the Roman Legions.
Seashell had a seafood plate of snapper, grouper, shrimp, scallops and crab. I had a lovely chicken dish and we both shared excellent potatoes lightly sauteed in olive oil and more sauteed vegetables on another plate. Very good meal with excellent service.
Nearing the end of the dinner, strolling musicians came to each table (I think I had seen them waiting tables earlier). When they came to ours, we both went blank on any Italian song to request. All that came to my mind was A Di La, so I asked for that. The man sang it so sweetly that it all hit me at once, that I had had the perfect day, "S" had taken the whole day to drive up to see me, we had such a wonderful time, that I started crying and almost sobbing. Seashell patted me, the singer looked taken aback and the guitarist smiled warmly at me. Finally I collected myself and we ordered dessert! I absolutely cannot remember what I had but it was delicious and Seashell had blueberry pie. Then the waiter announced that he would like to serve us more house proscecco in the dungeon way beneath us. Hmmm, ok, why not? We followed him down the stairs, thankfully it was well lit, he showed us the cistern and some ancient Roman artifacts, then poured us some proscecco, handed me the bottle and then said we could show our appreciation to him later. We took that to mean a small tip of money so we drank a little more and then on our way out onto the street we slipped him some euro.
We walked the shortcut straightest way back to the apartment and ended the second day.
Well, we got up nice and early, made some excellent coffee and cereal with fresh fruit from our grocer right underneath our apartment. "S" was driving up from Naples and it would take him a few hours so we went off to "town". We did see the irony of calling Rome the town, but we were across the river from the old section and most sections really. We went over to the Pantheon and to Minerva which are our favorites. We looked in the Murano glass store near P. Navona and I saw some nice beads to make a dangle bracelet later on. We dashed back to our area late morning and bought some lovely fruit, olives, meats, cheeses, some olive bread from the bakery down the street and some wine, oh, and of course some sweets and cookies. Soon I got a call on my cell phone, S was circling around looking for parking, legal parking. I leaned out of my window like a real local and called out to him and waved as he came down the narrow street. Other people looked up too, I felt like I was in a movie scene. I buzzed him in and we had a wonderful lunch which we had set out in between our corner windows. It was light and airy and we were all light and airy from the two bottles of wine (he and I like white, Seashell likes red so we drank both, why not). Seashell decided to leave to go shopping for a cooler blouse since we had packed all winter clothes and it was very warm during the day. We finished our tortes and then S looked up and said what are all those bags hanging from the ceiling? I said those are my faux Tibetan prayer flags, want to see them?
Soooo, later in the afternoon he and I walked all over Rome. And I fufilled a longtime dream of mine, to walk through Rome hand in hand with a special person without a care in the world. Finally, we went over to via Coronari to look at some of the antique shops. He was in the market for a special table of special marble and thought there might be one there. It was so nice to go into all the magnificient shops. In one he got into a discussion with the owner, there were gestures, looks of disgust on both sides, frowns, scowls, pffffting from each of them, head shaking and animated talk. Each would walk away and then turn around and start over, while I stood at the sidebar. When they shook hands and waved and we walked out I said "what was that all about"? He said "oh, he is going to look for one of the tables I want". All apart of the dance. We ate gelato and he introduced me to a great walnut flavour, we sat in P. Navona and shivered eating the cold ice cream, sitting on the cold marble, but loving every minute.
He had an early meeting in Naples so I let loose of my vicelike grip on him around 9pm. Then alone with Seashell we both said "I am starving". I called La Cisterna Ristorante and made a res. for 9:30. We changed and started off in the general direction, it is in Trastevere. We figured we were not going to find it easily after all so I called them and said we are on the corner of whereever and the man said good good, we'll see you in a few minutes and hung up, so much for directions. We asked people we passed for the street and they would direct us. After a few double eights and a few triple axels we came upon it, we had been circling it for the whole time. They had little name cards on our table and made a nice flourish of seating us and serving proscecco while we read the menu. I ordered Lazio merlot Silvestri 2003 and the waiter told us the restaurant was in the palace of the Silvestri family for 10 generations and was above the wine cellar which in 1 AD was a prison for the Roman Legions.
Seashell had a seafood plate of snapper, grouper, shrimp, scallops and crab. I had a lovely chicken dish and we both shared excellent potatoes lightly sauteed in olive oil and more sauteed vegetables on another plate. Very good meal with excellent service.
Nearing the end of the dinner, strolling musicians came to each table (I think I had seen them waiting tables earlier). When they came to ours, we both went blank on any Italian song to request. All that came to my mind was A Di La, so I asked for that. The man sang it so sweetly that it all hit me at once, that I had had the perfect day, "S" had taken the whole day to drive up to see me, we had such a wonderful time, that I started crying and almost sobbing. Seashell patted me, the singer looked taken aback and the guitarist smiled warmly at me. Finally I collected myself and we ordered dessert! I absolutely cannot remember what I had but it was delicious and Seashell had blueberry pie. Then the waiter announced that he would like to serve us more house proscecco in the dungeon way beneath us. Hmmm, ok, why not? We followed him down the stairs, thankfully it was well lit, he showed us the cistern and some ancient Roman artifacts, then poured us some proscecco, handed me the bottle and then said we could show our appreciation to him later. We took that to mean a small tip of money so we drank a little more and then on our way out onto the street we slipped him some euro.
We walked the shortcut straightest way back to the apartment and ended the second day.
