subject: Rome, the eternal city [print this page] Rome, the eternal city Rome, the eternal city
Rome. Did you know the Allies and Nazis in WW2 agreed that it shouldn't be bombed? If you've been there, you'll know why. If not, you're in for a treat. It's beautiful, like being in a film.
Sure, it's got all the tourist big guns St Peter's, Sistine Chapel, Colosseum and they look amazing after being cleaned up for the year 2000. Centuries of soot removed to reveal gleaming white. But it's the everyday things that make it so special. The cobbles that make you feel as if you've just stepped off a boat. They make you slow down and take in the scenery. The colours of the buildings, devised during the Renaissance to best capture the light. The delis with exotic jars, meats, pasta and breads. The ubiquitous sunglasses. The pure theatre of Romans talking on their mobile phones. The hairraising experience of a taxi ride.
As a city it's quite small and you can cover a lot of ground in a day. The Centro Storico is the old heart of Rome and a warren of tiny streets and little piazzas. Around every corner there are little treasures, not least stumbling on another of the 900 hundred churches. Some of these churches have paintings by Titian, Caravaggio and Raphael. And entry's free!
For a taste of real old Rome cross the river to Trastevere. This is the traditional working class part of town where everyone supports Roma, not Lazio. (Roma and Lazio share the Olympic Stadium so there's always a game played on Sunday afternoons against other Serie A teams - try and get a ticket!) You'll see little ladies in black, sitting outside restaurants, sorting rocket leaves for that night's pizza. Some of them are Sette Genitori, seventh generation or more of the same family and have never crossed the river.
Like all cities, when it comes to food avoid the tourist traps. Da Francesco does great pizza near Piazza Navona: short on glitz, big on flavour. Il Ciak in Trastevere does incredible meat dishes. Campo di Fiori has a great fruit and veg market during the day and there's a great pizza slice shop at the southern end. Grab a glass of vino in the Il Vineria bar too. Italians love their coffee and it's a source of pride: you'll never get a duff cup. Ice cream too.
Top tips? Visit the Trevi fountain at night for full effect. The Pantheon is a Roman temple, pre-dating Christianity. If you're lucky it'll be raining and you'll see water pouring through the hole in the ceiling. Be Cary Grant in "Roman Holiday" and stick your hand in the Bocca della Verita. The keyhole at Piazza dei Cavalieri di Malta. Bramante's Tempietto in S. Pietro in Montorio. The view from the top of the Gianicolo Hill. And avoid Rome during the summer months if you can!
You'll love it. This website does a good at-a-glance guide to the city for practical stuff and advice: www.WorldTravelGuide.net
