ROME Trip Report 10/03
Oct 14th, 2003, 11:45 AM
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ROME Trip Report 10/03
We had a wonderful trip to Rome and Positano. Thanks for all the tips and advice! Here's my feedback on Rome, which I hope will be helpful to others.
I arrived in Rome during the blackout. It was mildly chaotic (no trains to the city, no computers working to process check-in at hotels, many restaurants not able to cook) but I was able to share a cab into Rome and my hotel checked me in without their computer. I had an amazing time and saw most of the sights, as well as checking out a few other places that Fodorites recommended. Here?s my report from Rome:
HOTELS
HOTEL ROMANO- I stayed two nights here in a single with private bath. (80e /night). The room was very small, but also very clean and secure. The best part of the Romano was the location (right next to the Forum at the end of Via Cavour) and the staff of the hotel (all the people at the front desk spoke English, were very polite, gave restaurant recommendations, lent umbrullas when it rained and hailed cabs for me). This place isn?t fancy, and there are no elevators so you have to carry your bags up the stairs. But I thought it was a good price for the location, cleanliness and great service. The windows are very thick, so it?s nice and quiet at night. And my room had a great view of the Forum.
MECENATE PALACE HOTEL- I stayed here three nights in a triple room (once my friends arrived in Rome). This was a bit of a splurge for us (279e/ night) but I just loved this hotel! It?s in a wonderful location (right next to Santa Maria Maggiore, 10 minute walk from the train station). The hotel is very elegant, our rooms were large and furnished with beautiful cherrywood furniture (the bathroom was enormous and really luxurious). The service was outstanding. There is a rooftop restaurant/bar/patio here with great views that we really enjoyed. The hotel is also close to the Metro.
RESTAURANTS
SANTINI- This is a great people-watching restaurant in Trastevere (Piazza Santa Maria). You definitely want a patio seat at night. However, we thought it was really overpriced for the quality of the food. My pasta dish was great, but my friends had other meals that were just average). If you don?t mind spending the money, it?s a scenic place to sit outside. But we had better food in Rome.
RISTORANTE CLETO- We stumbled into this place entirely on accident and it ended up being the best meal we ate in Rome. It?s tucked into an alley off of Via Cavour about a block and a half from the end of the street (near the Forum). It?s got a tiny outdoor patio. The chef came out and greeted us personally and made dinner recommendations. The bruschetta here was the best we had on our whole trip, and the pasta Arrabiata was wonderful.
ANTICO CAFFE DELLA PACE- This was another wonderful restaurant (Near Piazza Navona) where we had an outstanding lunch. Tucked into a quiet and scenic little alley near Piazza Navona, this café has outdoor seating and some really great paninis and salads. If you?re in the area, I highly recommend it.
TUDINI- This was the one restaurant that seemed to be open during the blackout in Rome. It also turned out to be the best pizza I had on my trip. Tudini is on Via Cavour, only a few blocks from the train station. It?s rather elegant inside, but the prices are very reasonable. The pizzas have a wonderful, light, flaky crust and delicious cheese.
CAFFÉ SANT?EUSTACHIO- This was a tip from Fodorites and one of my favorite places in all of Rome. I ended up going here for capuccino every day! It is in Piazza Sant?Eustachio, right near the Pantheon and the cappuccino here is just exceptional. Be sure to buy a bag of the coffee beans and bring them home!
BLUE ICE- I got lost looking for San Crispino near Trevi Fountain and ended up just buying a gelato here instead. It was very, very tasty?and they have a great selection of flavors. I recommend it!
SIGHTS:
We did a lot of wandering and exploring. Saw all of the major sights and lots of other places as well. I?m only going to mention the sights I have specific feedback on. If you have questions about anything, please post!
COLOSSEUM- You really get a better sense of this place with a tour, or at least a very detailed guide book. I recommend a tour!
FORUM- I also recommend a tour here. Fortunately, many of the English-speaking tours here are free. Just look around for tour guides when you enter.
THE VATICAN- It is so, so crowded here. Even on a weekday, even in the offseason. And this is another place where you will want to have a good guidebook or take the audiotour. It helps to know what you are looking at.
ST. PETERS- They are very serious about covering your shoulders and knees, ladies! We saw several people who were made to stay outside because they were in tank tops. Bring a sweater!
GALLERIA BORGHESE- I got hideously lost taking the Metro here and wandered around in the park for 30 minutes (and heard the same story from others inside the musuem). You might want to take a cab, or at least take along a good map and be prepared to ask for directions in the park. Also, you HAVE to check your bags here. They wouldn?t even let me carry in my small purse. Still, I thought that ?Apollo and Daphne? was worth the inconvenience! This museum is filled with little treasures. The park is lovely too!
BASILICAS- I was really impressed with Santa Maria Maggiore and San Giovanni in Laterano. These are both gorgeous churches with lots of detail and interesting artwork/sculpture. They were saying masses in both churches when I went in, and the sound of the mass echoing through the church was beautiful. Neither one is too crowded-- which is nice!?and I?d really recommend seeing them.
TORRE ARGENTINA CAT SANCTUARY- I stumbled across this place and fell in love. If you?re an animal person, you will definitely want to stop and check this place out. It?s a quick 10 minutes out of your day, but I thought it was cute. I saw a sign here that said they offered tours, but it was never open when I was there.
SPANISH STEPS- Crowded and heavily policed. Still, a great place to sit and people-watch after a long day of walking around Rome. Do not eat on the stairs, though. The police get very agitated about that.
VICTOR EMANUELE MONUMENT- Climb up to the top for great photo spots! We took some great pictures of the Colosseum and Forum from here. There is no tour or anything here, so bring along a guidebook for the history of the monument.
From Rome we went on to Positano (via Formia, Gaeta, Naples and Sorrento). I will do a separate post about those areas later on. In all, Rome was wonderful! There were some things that took a little getting used to (the difficulty crossing the street because Romans drive like crazy people!) and some things we never got used to (the constant, non-stop smoking everywhere?even in restaurants!!). But we met so many wonderful people there, saw the most amazing sights and sampled some extraordinary cuisine. Rome was just incredible and I?d love to go back someday soon.
I arrived in Rome during the blackout. It was mildly chaotic (no trains to the city, no computers working to process check-in at hotels, many restaurants not able to cook) but I was able to share a cab into Rome and my hotel checked me in without their computer. I had an amazing time and saw most of the sights, as well as checking out a few other places that Fodorites recommended. Here?s my report from Rome:
HOTELS
HOTEL ROMANO- I stayed two nights here in a single with private bath. (80e /night). The room was very small, but also very clean and secure. The best part of the Romano was the location (right next to the Forum at the end of Via Cavour) and the staff of the hotel (all the people at the front desk spoke English, were very polite, gave restaurant recommendations, lent umbrullas when it rained and hailed cabs for me). This place isn?t fancy, and there are no elevators so you have to carry your bags up the stairs. But I thought it was a good price for the location, cleanliness and great service. The windows are very thick, so it?s nice and quiet at night. And my room had a great view of the Forum.
MECENATE PALACE HOTEL- I stayed here three nights in a triple room (once my friends arrived in Rome). This was a bit of a splurge for us (279e/ night) but I just loved this hotel! It?s in a wonderful location (right next to Santa Maria Maggiore, 10 minute walk from the train station). The hotel is very elegant, our rooms were large and furnished with beautiful cherrywood furniture (the bathroom was enormous and really luxurious). The service was outstanding. There is a rooftop restaurant/bar/patio here with great views that we really enjoyed. The hotel is also close to the Metro.
RESTAURANTS
SANTINI- This is a great people-watching restaurant in Trastevere (Piazza Santa Maria). You definitely want a patio seat at night. However, we thought it was really overpriced for the quality of the food. My pasta dish was great, but my friends had other meals that were just average). If you don?t mind spending the money, it?s a scenic place to sit outside. But we had better food in Rome.
RISTORANTE CLETO- We stumbled into this place entirely on accident and it ended up being the best meal we ate in Rome. It?s tucked into an alley off of Via Cavour about a block and a half from the end of the street (near the Forum). It?s got a tiny outdoor patio. The chef came out and greeted us personally and made dinner recommendations. The bruschetta here was the best we had on our whole trip, and the pasta Arrabiata was wonderful.
ANTICO CAFFE DELLA PACE- This was another wonderful restaurant (Near Piazza Navona) where we had an outstanding lunch. Tucked into a quiet and scenic little alley near Piazza Navona, this café has outdoor seating and some really great paninis and salads. If you?re in the area, I highly recommend it.
TUDINI- This was the one restaurant that seemed to be open during the blackout in Rome. It also turned out to be the best pizza I had on my trip. Tudini is on Via Cavour, only a few blocks from the train station. It?s rather elegant inside, but the prices are very reasonable. The pizzas have a wonderful, light, flaky crust and delicious cheese.
CAFFÉ SANT?EUSTACHIO- This was a tip from Fodorites and one of my favorite places in all of Rome. I ended up going here for capuccino every day! It is in Piazza Sant?Eustachio, right near the Pantheon and the cappuccino here is just exceptional. Be sure to buy a bag of the coffee beans and bring them home!
BLUE ICE- I got lost looking for San Crispino near Trevi Fountain and ended up just buying a gelato here instead. It was very, very tasty?and they have a great selection of flavors. I recommend it!
SIGHTS:
We did a lot of wandering and exploring. Saw all of the major sights and lots of other places as well. I?m only going to mention the sights I have specific feedback on. If you have questions about anything, please post!
COLOSSEUM- You really get a better sense of this place with a tour, or at least a very detailed guide book. I recommend a tour!
FORUM- I also recommend a tour here. Fortunately, many of the English-speaking tours here are free. Just look around for tour guides when you enter.
THE VATICAN- It is so, so crowded here. Even on a weekday, even in the offseason. And this is another place where you will want to have a good guidebook or take the audiotour. It helps to know what you are looking at.
ST. PETERS- They are very serious about covering your shoulders and knees, ladies! We saw several people who were made to stay outside because they were in tank tops. Bring a sweater!
GALLERIA BORGHESE- I got hideously lost taking the Metro here and wandered around in the park for 30 minutes (and heard the same story from others inside the musuem). You might want to take a cab, or at least take along a good map and be prepared to ask for directions in the park. Also, you HAVE to check your bags here. They wouldn?t even let me carry in my small purse. Still, I thought that ?Apollo and Daphne? was worth the inconvenience! This museum is filled with little treasures. The park is lovely too!
BASILICAS- I was really impressed with Santa Maria Maggiore and San Giovanni in Laterano. These are both gorgeous churches with lots of detail and interesting artwork/sculpture. They were saying masses in both churches when I went in, and the sound of the mass echoing through the church was beautiful. Neither one is too crowded-- which is nice!?and I?d really recommend seeing them.
TORRE ARGENTINA CAT SANCTUARY- I stumbled across this place and fell in love. If you?re an animal person, you will definitely want to stop and check this place out. It?s a quick 10 minutes out of your day, but I thought it was cute. I saw a sign here that said they offered tours, but it was never open when I was there.
SPANISH STEPS- Crowded and heavily policed. Still, a great place to sit and people-watch after a long day of walking around Rome. Do not eat on the stairs, though. The police get very agitated about that.
VICTOR EMANUELE MONUMENT- Climb up to the top for great photo spots! We took some great pictures of the Colosseum and Forum from here. There is no tour or anything here, so bring along a guidebook for the history of the monument.
From Rome we went on to Positano (via Formia, Gaeta, Naples and Sorrento). I will do a separate post about those areas later on. In all, Rome was wonderful! There were some things that took a little getting used to (the difficulty crossing the street because Romans drive like crazy people!) and some things we never got used to (the constant, non-stop smoking everywhere?even in restaurants!!). But we met so many wonderful people there, saw the most amazing sights and sampled some extraordinary cuisine. Rome was just incredible and I?d love to go back someday soon.
Oct 14th, 2003, 03:16 PM
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Thanks for your report Erin!
Tweeter here is a link for the TORRE ARGENTINA CAT SANCTUARY http://www.romancats.de/ I fell in love with this place too, it's like a human society for the cats & you can adopt them. Whenever I am there everyday you can find me there playing with the cats - I call it the famous romcan kitty zoo...
Tweeter here is a link for the TORRE ARGENTINA CAT SANCTUARY http://www.romancats.de/ I fell in love with this place too, it's like a human society for the cats & you can adopt them. Whenever I am there everyday you can find me there playing with the cats - I call it the famous romcan kitty zoo...
Oct 14th, 2003, 04:53 PM
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The Torre Argentina Cat Sanctuary is basically a pit of ancient ruins (sort of near the Pantheon) that has been taken over by cats. So the cats are just lying around on marble columns-- very funny. The area was turned into a sanctuary, so the cats are fed and cared for. It's just a nice place to hang out and look at cats if you're an animal lover.
Oct 14th, 2003, 05:13 PM
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Thanks for the report Erin. Are you sure that "Santini" isn't "Sabatinis?" I ate there last month and it is also in Trastevere, on Piazza Santa Maria. If it's the same restaurant, I agree that the food is good, but a bit overpriced. I ate at much better places that cost a fraction, of course those places don't cater to tourists.
Oct 14th, 2003, 06:06 PM
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Thanks for the report. I just returned from Rome myself and had Gelato several times at Blue Ice also. This one was located right off the Piazza Navona area. I agree that they serve some great Gelato and the presentation of it is wonderful.
Oct 23rd, 2003, 03:25 PM
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Actually the Torre Argentina Cat Sanctuary is a squat and they are there illegally. But fortunately it's overlooked
.
I talked with one of the young students that volunteers there.
In the past they had to feed the cats from the sidewalk but one day an animal-loving archeologist slipped them a gate key and they just slowly moved-in.
They are served with an eviction notice and fine about twice a year, which both they and the Rome gov't ignore.
There is also another cat sanctuary at the base of the Pyramid of Cestius. Regards, Walter
.I talked with one of the young students that volunteers there.
In the past they had to feed the cats from the sidewalk but one day an animal-loving archeologist slipped them a gate key and they just slowly moved-in
.They are served with an eviction notice and fine about twice a year, which both they and the Rome gov't ignore
.There is also another cat sanctuary at the base of the Pyramid of Cestius. Regards, Walter
Oct 24th, 2003, 07:24 AM
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What suprised me about the Colosseum Audio tours is that they wanted us to leave either our passport or a credit card for security. That made me feel uncomfortable so we just hooked up with a passing tour guide. I wonder if that was overly cautious of us?
Oct 24th, 2003, 09:37 AM
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applejaxs: I don't like too leave either one also. I've found that a picture ID is also accepted in Rome and elsewhere in Italy for audioguide rentals.
I've used my US driving license and a heavy equipment operating license in the past. Regards, Walter
I've used my US driving license and a heavy equipment operating license in the past. Regards, Walter
