All roads lead to Rome
Aug. 15th, 2012 07:58 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
nineveh_ukFortunately, so do flight paths, as overland would take a while. I am going there in September, so if anyone has recommendations for things to do and see I'd be very grateful to hear them. I have some guidebooks and will read them, but can't say I know much about the modern city.
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(no subject)
Date: 2012-08-15 08:52 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-08-16 10:23 am (UTC)"The Vatican isn't the best thing, and they rip you off, but you have to go anyway" seems to sum up several people's experience - no doubt I shall go anyway.
(no subject)
Date: 2012-08-15 09:46 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-08-16 04:10 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-08-16 08:43 am (UTC)There is a church built over the ruins of a temple somewhere in the centre of Rome - I'll ask Mum where it was. You can also visit the church with the Bocca della Verita (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bocca_della_Verit%C3%A0) as seen in Roman Holiday.
(no subject)
Date: 2012-08-16 04:25 pm (UTC)I need to see if I can watch Roman Holiday before I go.
(no subject)
Date: 2012-08-16 06:27 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-08-16 04:25 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-08-16 08:29 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-08-16 10:11 am (UTC)- Georgina Masson's guide to Rome is hands-down the best guidebook ever! I actually used my parents' old book (from 1972) when I visited Rome in 2010, and it held up remarkably. No joke, but the Forum and the Sistine Chapel really haven't changed in the last 40 years (although some of the Vatican Museum has) - and you're intelligent enough not to need a paint-by-the-numbers guidebook.
- We stayed in the Trastevere neighbourhood, and it was lovely. Not too touristy but a little bit hip. A lovely place to wander around. Worth a morning if you aren't staying there.
- Castel Sant'Angelo is Rome's Tower of London. It doesn't meet US* standards of tourist attraction up-keep and safety, and going there in the late afternoon in the winter was very atmospheric. I wasn't quite convinced that I wouldn't open a tower door and find something that had been hidden for hundreds of years. It's close to the Vatican, and I gave St. Peter's a miss, so managed to see the Vatican in the morning and Castel Sant'Angelo in the afternoon. Ice cream in between, of course.
*I haven't been to the UK for ages so I don't know what the standard is there.
(no subject)
Date: 2012-08-16 04:27 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-08-16 10:53 am (UTC)- a walking tour of the ruins etc is lovely
- if you go to the Vatican think carefully about how attached you are to seeing the Sistine Chapel. We had limited time in the museum and had to more or less walk past everything else to get to it before we had to leave and I really wish we hadn't bothered :( It was full to the brim with people completely ignoring the silence and no flash photography signs and had zero atmosphere. St Peter's Basilica is beautiful and has way more atmosphere.
(no subject)
Date: 2012-08-16 04:29 pm (UTC)I join you in hating people who ignore the signs.
(no subject)
Date: 2012-08-16 07:16 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-08-16 07:31 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-08-16 08:20 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-08-17 12:19 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-08-16 07:29 pm (UTC)I remember visiting the most amazing restaurant in Rome when I was there in 2004--Trattoria der Pallaro (http://www.trattoriaderpallaro.com/) (recommended by Rick Steves*). It was basically impossible to find so we were starving by the time we actually got there, but the food was fantastic, and at that time you could get a five-course set menu for €20, so it was one of the cheapest meals we had. The real standout was fresh strawberry juice with dessert.
We did most of the major touristy places (Coliseum, Forum, Vatican Museum/St. Peter's) during that trip. It was interesting and I enjoyed it at the time, but I've never felt particularly compelled to revisit any of them. Although now that I think about it, part of what keeps me away is probably the fact that I haven't yet managed to visit Rome in a month other than July, which is possibly the worst time of year to visit Rome. Maybe if I ever manage to convince the Vatican archives to let me look at things, I can arrange it for winter. ;)
When in September will you be gone? I'll be in Oxford from Thursday 13 to Sunday 16 September and would love to see you.
* I seem to remember this was the first time I'd ever used one of Rick Steves' books and I've been sticking to him and Lonely Planet ever since.
(no subject)
Date: 2012-08-16 08:26 pm (UTC)September should be better than July... We'll see. Thanks for the restaurant rec, I'll definitely look into that. Likewise Rick Steves, who I've never heard of but will investigate. Re. revisiting, I think that of all the amazing places I've seen, one of the things that really determines whether I'd like to go back isn't just interest, but atmosphere.
I'm returning late on the 14th and will be about on the 15th/16th so definitely keen to meet up.
(no subject)
Date: 2012-08-16 09:37 pm (UTC)Gelato of course. We stayed near the Vatican as it was so much cheaper than in Central Rome.
We prefer winter to summer (don't like heat much) and the Vatican museum
Was relatively uncrowded.
M
(no subject)
Date: 2012-08-17 06:53 am (UTC)