Hi,folks. It's been almost a week since I returned from five weeks in Italy and I think I'm ready to sift through my experiences and pass some of them along.Thanks to everyone here who helped with advice about things ranging from how to navigate the Trenitalia website to how to choose a hotel for Venice. Your advice was invaluable.

On 28 January I flew KLM from IAD (Dulles) to FCO with a six hour layover in Amsterdam. (Remind me not to fly via IAD again,it was a real pain from beginning to end. Long lines everywhere. Next time,BWI,they handle international traffic much better,IMO.)This was my first time in the Netherlands,so it was a real bonus for me. What an impressive airport,it's a whole city,really! I took the train to Centraal Station. It was still dark at 8:00 a.m.,which added to my disorientation. I made my way to the Jordaan and spent a couple of hours wandering and taking photos (and dodging bicycles!) What a lovely city,it's now on my list of places for future trips.For anyone who wants to travel to a foreign country but doesn't want to learn a new language,this would be a great destination. Everyone I encountered spoke perfect English.I picked up some Gouda to take with me to Rome and was on my way to country #2.

I arrived at FCO at about 1:00 p.m. and was met at the airport by a driver. This was my fourth time in Rome,and I've learned that this is a great investment for me,as my brain and body are pretty spent when I arrive.The car was ordered for me by the rental company I used for my apartment,IDEC,so the driver phoned Amadeo,the agent ,on the drive in so that he could meet us at the apartment.This was a great convenience,not having to worry about these details.

When we arrived at the apartment,Amadeo was waiting for us.He was lovely. I speak a little Italian,but his English was very good. Everything in the apartment was as promised. There was an electricity meter in the kitchen, and I was told what the charge would be per unit so I could keep track of what I was using. The apartment was small but very clean and comfy. You can go to their website at www.flatinrome.com and view the Via Garibaldi apartment. I had e-mailed before I left the States to ask if linens were provided,he said they were. I assumed (always a mistake) that that also meant towels,but it didn't. When I told him I had no towels, he made a call and someone came in about ten minutes with a bag of towels for me. I would use this company again.

I would rethink the location next time.The street was lovely and not far from the Ponte Sisto in Trastevere. It was not,however,as well connected to public transportation as I would have liked and that was a bigger consideration than I had realized. Also,it was near John Cabot University,so the area was loaded with American students ,not exactly the flavor I was expecting.Not horrible,just not the best for me.

The first eighteen days I was by myself,with the plan to see as much that I could never squeeze into my previous trips! I walked for MILES everyday. If you want to know about a museo or palazzo in Rome,I have probably visited it. I visited the Capitoline Museums, the Palazzo Massimo,Palazzo Altemps, Galleria Borghese, Vatican Museums, the Etruscan Museum at Villa Guilia,and probably more.

As I mentioned in an earlier post,I took several Context Rome walks as well. I went to Ostia Antica with Darius,an archaeologist who is currently working on a dig there.For anyone who wants to go to Pompeii but doesn't know how to find the time,I highly recommend this site,it's a fascinating place,a city of 75k,maybe more that died with the Roman Empire,and malaria,etc... Having Darius to show me around made the place come alive for me,though.It's only about a 25 minute metro ride from Rome,so it's a good half-day trip.

I also did the Annotated Lunch with Maureen Fant,the NYTimes writer. What a wonderful splurge!!!It was a three hour + lunch that I'll never forget. As we went through the courses,Maureen gave historical and cultural context for the type of cooking. It was a real highlight of the trip. Lani Bevecqua ,one of the founders of Context Rome ,was along for the lunch. She's a doll and getting to know her and Paul were real bonuses for me.
Time for a break,to be continued...

Sounds like a great trip!

I'm curious if you have you ever done a trip of this length in a single city before? What did you like about it as opposed to a more traditional type of trip? Would you do that part the same way again?

Can't wait for more md!

Can I ask how/why you chose Rome (as opposed to another Italian city)?

ps - glad to see your luggage joined you over the weekend!

Thanks,it was a great trip.This is the longest time I've spent on any trip and I'd definitely do it again. I fell in love with Rome three years ago,but never felt like I had enough time to really sink into the city. This was my opportunity to really do that.

Let's see...the weather was very cold when I first arrived at the end of January,but not enough to deter the hardy al fresco diehards.The restaurants had fired up their outdoor heaters and all of the women were decked out in their regulation black puffy coats. (sold everywhere for about 39 euro.) I wore my long underwear everyday with all of the accessories and kept my fingers crossed that it would get warmer. I amended my motto from "everyday a gelato" to "everyday a gelato or a cocciolatto. If you haven't been to Italy ,one of the perks of going when it's cold is the sublime hot chocolate-hot pudding in a cup. Some bars (we would call them cafes) sell 30 some varieties,my favorite is con noci,with nuts,hazelnuts usually.

Fortunately it did warm up after the first weekend and was generally cold but sunny,actually excellent walking weather. The warmer days sent me to Giolitti and San Crispino for heavenly gelato. SC makes a ginger/cinnamon that I love and Giolitti a wild cherry that is delicious with the ricotta flavor.

During the early part of my trip while I was alone,I sought out special places where I could order food da portar via,or to walk in the street with. I had wonderful pizza bianca sandwiches at Lo Zozzone near Piazza Navona,Via del Teatro Pace 32,well worth the trouble to find. Four euro buys a sandwich big enough for two.I became a connoisseur of pizza al taglio,pizza sold by the slice by weight. As I had a longer stay than I had normally done in the past with three days at the end in Venice,I watched my money fairly carefully those first couple of weeks while I was alone.I did something I had always imagined doing,buying vegetables at Campo dei Fiori that they sell chopped for minestrone. I went home and made a wonderful pot of soup that I enjoyed on the cold days. More to come....

topping my own thread!

Ah messagediva, write more please. A wonderful report. Are you unpacked, laundry done and over jetlag?
Isn't Rome wonderful!

going to Rome May 1st staying campo d so interested in cheap cheery eats in these areas especially without any septic tanks (yanks)....... would appreciate any leads to the walking type tour of the Ostia antica

Well,King Roscoe,it sounds like Lo Zozzone will be right up your alley.It's only about five minutes away. Each time,I was the only non-Italian there of any type. (This was February,however.)
In the cheap and cheerful category, I've found two places that I like in Campo dei Fiori. I found them in Frommer's ,so they're not exactly undiscovered,but like any place in Rome,the later you go,the fewer nonRomans you'll see. One is Dar Filettaro a Santa Barbara,Largo dei Librari, just off of the piazza in Campo dei Fiori. Think of this as a Roman fish and chips shop. You can go to the back to the kitchen and order fish to go,again da portar via. The second is Ristorante del Pallaro,which although far from undiscovered, is still loaded with locals.For twenty euro, you get a wonderful feast including wine,water,everything.

If you want to know more about the Ostia Antica trip,go to ContextRome.com.

Hi MD,

Looking forward to more.

massagediva,

What a wonderful report!! I feel like I am there with you. Looking forward to more.

Sally

My day in Orvieto- ok,it was cold in Rome,so logic told me,find a town that's 1000 ft higher,that should be nice and toasty! Ha ha. Anyway,I took the intercity to Orvieto,about an hour ride to frosty Orvieto. It was cold but still delightful. Any town that involves a funicular is all right with me. The gothic cathedral is amazing,alone worth the trip.(Did I mention there was snow there?)I went across the piazza from the cathedral to warm my toes in the wonderful Etruscan museum.I think it is a must,and easily seen in an hour. I thought the Romans were crafty,but the Etruscans are trully amazing.

After that,I wandered around the town a bit,some lovely shops to see there.There were three tourists in town that day,me and two young Korean men.Occasionally we'd cross paths and say hello,it was kind of funny,really.

Lunch was one of the best meals of my time in Italy. I went to Osteria San Patrizio,Corso Cavour 312. I was the only person in the restaurant,and what a lovely place it was, with an equally lovely waiter (but I digress.)I had a glass of Orvieto classico,a white wine also called Orvieto gold . For primo,I had a delicious red onion tart accompanied by sauteed chicken livers with a marsala sauce. The secondo was a flat broad egg pasta (sorry can't remember the name,and yes,although it was a pasta it was a secondo,not a primo)with a delicious duck ragout. Dessert was a walnut tart served with creme anglaise,very yummy and wintery.

After lunch I rolled down the hill to catch the train back to Rome.

FYI, lunch was 31 euro.

I'm hanging on to every word. Excluding the apartment in Trastevere, this sounds like my kind of trip. Arya and Fant, oh my! You go. Good luck writing the rest.

Loving your report MD!
I'll be staying very close to where you were (King Roscoe, looks like we'll be there the same time!). I'm glad you mentioned about the transportation issue - at least I'll know what to expect, as I had worried about it and then decided it was a worthwhile tradeoff.
Keep the restaurant recommendations coming pleeeeze!

Welcome back and please, more!

Ok,I'll try this again. I just tried to post,but it never appeared,grrr!

A little more about the public transportation issue- the apartment was about five little blocks to a bus stop with a couple of lines. The most frequent buses went to St. Paul's outside the Wall with intermediate stops at the Piramide metro stop and Ostiense. From Piramide I could get to Termini in four stops,and could switch lines there for all the usual stops-Spagna,Barberini,etc.

I could also walk across Trastevere (I was on the west side near the Ponte Sisto)to the Viale di Trastevere to catch the 8 tram,then switch to a bus at Largo Argentina. I could also walk through Campo dei Fiori to the bus stops on V Emmanuelle. So I could get where I was going,but if I woke up with feet sore from the previous day,it could be a little bit of a drag.

Topping so I don't miss a word...

massagediva -

>Ok,I'll try this again. I just tried to post,but it never appeared,grrr!<

I've begun the habit of right-clicking and copying my text prior to entering the "post my reply" for that reason.

And oh yes - I'm very much enjoying your Trip Report especially that about Context Rome, etc.

Enjoying your report!! - just writing mine now as my husband and I just returned from two months in an apartment in Piazza San Giovanni Della Malva - you probably walked by us on your way to Ponte Sisto!

We really enjoyed the area and found we could walk most places - all of the walking kept off the pounds!

Let's see,where was I...I did a lot of reading at night,so was happy to find an English language bookstore in Trastevere,(Almost Corner Booksop, Via del Moro 45.) They have a very full selection of fiction/nonfiction, as well as all kinds of historical/art/archaeological guides for Rome and Italy.

I purchased the Oxford Archaeological Guide to Rome there,which cost a fortune,but was a wonderful book to keep with me. It lists every pillar,rock and pile of rubble in Rome-priceless! I would recommend buying it at home,however,as it will be less expensive.

I also relied on a couple of Internet cafes to check my e-mail and bank account once or twice a week. One was on Via Arenula,just a couple of blocks below the cat sanctuary at Largo Argentina and charges about 2.50 euro an hour. My favorite,however, is in the Museo del Corso,on Via del Corso. If you're walking from the Pantheon to the Trevi,you can't miss it. This is a deluxe internet cafe! It's about 2.20 euro for a half hour,but boy,it's worth it. The computers are fast,the seating and lighting wonderful,nice clean toilette. They even let me tour the museum after I finished using the computer.Very nice.