Please advise on 10 days Rome stay
 

Hi all
We will be hitting Rome next month. We are currently holidaying in Spain ( We have done Madrid, Granada and Malaga. Will be going to Barcelona next ) and my DH is all sick of visiting palaces and villages. And now I am worried that it will be the same in Rome. Can someone advise me on where we can go for our 10 days in Rome?
Thanks

What does he likes?

The sightseeing in Rome is about a different culture, era, architecture, and history. So, I think he might find it more interesting than the sightseeing in Madrid, Granada or Malaga. I would allocate at a minimum, three days to give Rome a chance. Again, what does he likes so that we can advice better as to where to go, what to do? Maybe he is ready to come home...

Maybe the Vatican and the Museum? Or is he tired of astounding religious architecture and astonishing artwork?

If he is, stick a fork in; he's done.

K

BTW, just what DOES he like?

You can easily spend 10 days in Rome and barely scratch the surface of what it has to offer. What is nice with such a stay is that you will have the ability to see many of the unique things that most tourists fail to see or have no idea even exist. If you love art and architecture, the churches of Rome are the real storehouses.

Find a sunny day and do a day trip out to Ostia Antica. It is about a 40 minute train trip from Termini, part of the local train pass. There are very few people touring. Bring a picnic lunch and enjoy among the ruins. This is kind of like Pompeii. The frescoes aren't as good, but the mosaics are better.

Figure out when "noon" is, this is local noon, not 12pm. Go to Santa Maria degli Angeli y Martyri, across from Termini and Piazza Republica. This Michelangelo designed church is in the Baths of Diocletian and is a marvel. So why noon? There is an astronomical "clock" on the floor that allows a ray of light to strike it at noon. Plus, this place really gives you an idea on the size of the big Roman bath complexes, as it is just a side room.

From Santa Maria, walk up a few blocks to Santa Maria della Vittoria, to see Bernini's Ecstacy of St. Theresa. Now walk south on Via Septembre to see the Boromini and Bernini churches. Boromini's (San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane) is a beauty in it's simplicity. A few doors down you come to Bernini's (Sant Andrea Quirinale), which he considered to be his only perfect creation.

You should also take him to the Capuchin Crypts located in the church of Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccini. The crypts are macabre and amazing, but you should also see the church. Try to meet the caretaker and he will take you on a tour of the back rooms, where the monks actually lived.

Many tourists are short for time, so places like Maria Maggiore and Giovanni Laterno are not on their itineraries, but you can also see San Pietro in Vincoli (Michelangelo's Moses) and Santa Croce in Gerusalemme. Santa Croce is an amazing place, that almost no tourists know about.

Do a night walk in the Colosseum area, but don't just stop at the Colosseum, go up the Via Sacra and turn left. This small road goes next to the Palatine. It is kind of eerie, but a beautiful walk at night.

Take the bus out to Hadrian's Villa, once again, pack a picnic lunch. Not crowded and HUGE.

Thanks daveesl..I will certainly do some of the things that you have suggested.

Bookmarking

Hello catherine, when my late husband and I got feeling like your husband is expressing we found Rome to be a wonderful place to "chill out". More then once we have stayed two weeks in Rome and inbetween visiting the sites and sights we were interested in we would walk and walk. We would walk through Roman neighborhoods that never saw a tourist. We would get a table at an outdoor cafe and have something to drink and people watch and relax. We would poke around in shops that interested us. While walking we would come across details surprises that were not on the "must see" list. We loved going to the Borghese Gardens and walking there. We always had our morning espressi at the same cafe so by the third morning we didn't even have to order, the waiter would just nod his head and get it for us. We always had a late dinner, Roman style, and after a long leisurely dinner we would again walk until we were ready to go back to the hotel. Best wishes to you two and I hope your husband enjoys Rome as much as my husband always did!

I concur with LoveItaly. I recently spent a week in Rome and on our last day, we decided we were museumed out and spent the day wondering around. We loved the park at the Bourghese museum. It was a lovely day and we would stop and people watch and just relax.

LoveItaly expressed it perfectly! I would spend the entire 10 days in Rome, but then I have to admit that Rome is my favorite place. But she's right, it's a wonderful city to go to if you want to do nothing. That probably sounds odd, I know most people would cringe at that thought because there's so much to see there, but I have been lucky enough to spend a lot of time there, and if I don't feel like doing much for a day, I don't, and as LoveItaly says, just walk around, stop into any church you pass (because you never know what wonderful things you will find there, and it's not at all like going to a museum), sit in cafes and watch the world go by, and enjoy the wonderful food and people. I can't wait to be there again in February! :-d

I have to say that I find the advice to visit Hadrian's Villa, Tivoli, and the Catholic palaces of Rome and the ruins of Ostia odd advice for someone who says they're sick of touring palaces and villages.

Catherine teh,

If you can, while you're in Barcelona, see if you can find an English-language bookstore (ask your hotel, or ask here) and buy a Rome guide that includes shopping, nightlife, and off-the-beaten track recommendations. Let your husband read it and pick what odd-ball, change of pace activities appeal to him. It sounds like he's tired of being taken to places, out of his control.

Sitting around doing nothing is great advice for Rome, but I would also recommend paying close attention to what your husband enjoys in Barcelona. There is a great food market in Barcelona, but there are even better ones in Rome. There's even a pasta museum. There is a great evening walking area in Barcelona, but there are fabulous (and safer) ones all over Rome.

Likewise, there is great and fun shopping all over Rome for menswear and anything else you can imagine.

If you enjoy going to movies in the states, try going to one in Rome. Why not? (American action movies are everywhere, dubbed, but give it a whirl). "Law & Order" is dubbed into Italian on television, and it's a kick to watch. Speaking of kicks, does your husband like sports? Go to a soccer game.

Rome can be a lot of fun if you throw away the guidebook.

I'd send DH on his merry way to do what he likes. There's no reason not to see what you want -- life is too short to deny yourself. I'm also not in favor of "throwing away the guidebook," but maybe that's just me; there's no way I'd ever do it.