Travel Decisions....

[Jeannaisais]

Heading to Rome this weekend with my program here in Spain....we arrive in Rome Friday night at 7pm, leave monday morning at 7am and I have one optional guided tour that takes us to a whole bunch of plazas by bus that saturday morning.

 

Right now I'm thinking of taking Saturday to go the Coliseum, the Vatican and the Panthenon (and yes, in that order). Then I wanna take Sunday to just roam around the city and maybe visit some of the other famous places to visit, like the plazas? But there's also the chance of going to Pompeii on Sunday and I'm at a loss for which would be better.

 

The main reason I keep turning down Pompeii is that I've never really had much interest in going there as my top Italy cities to see have been Venice, Rome and FLorence...and Milan....and somewhere in Sicily...and maybe Pisa too....not that I've thought about visiting Rome a lot...ya know...

 

Ideas? Thoughts? Opinions? Tell me I'm crazy?

 

Ok! GO!

[Volkeskirata]

your crazy! just go with the flow. spend sunday just exploring the place. you know hit some shops, maybe a resteraunt or two. just have fun. that kinda stuff. ^.^

[Corki]

The Coliseum, the Vatican (expect queues!) and the Pantheon are a good starting point. Don't forget the Trevi fountain - toss a coin in over your shoulder and you'll be going back to Rome some day in the future. There are some good ice creams shops around that area as well - if you fancy ice cream in February!

 

Maybe you should get someone to utter the following lines from Gladiator (since you are sort of from Spain...): "Oh, you should see the Colosseum, Spaniard. Fifty thousand Romans...watching every movement of your sword...willing you to make that killer blow. The silence before you strike...and the noise afterwards. It rises. It rises up like - like a storm...as if you were the thunder god himself".

 

Another top spot are the Spanish Steps. And the Castel Sant' Angelo.

 

I have never been to Pompeii, so I can't pass comment. I am pestering Northie to come onto DM and pass her views on as I know she had been to both Rome and Pompeii.

 

If you aren't keen on going to Pompeii, then don't go. That will give you two days to explore Rome. That way, you can do it justice.

 

Forget guided tours. I dislike them with a passion...unless it is the only option. Get a good guide book (Lonely Planet), read up on what to do, look at the maps in there and off you go. It's a much better way of exploring a city.

[F Horn of Valere]

I know very little about this, but aren't there some religious icons in the vatican and catacombs in Rome? As a historian, I find stuff like that fascinating!

[Krakalakachkn]

Pompeii is really cool, but it's all ruins. It's also not worth going unless you have a tour guide (otherwise you have no idea what you're looking at).

 

If you stay and wander around Rome, you absolutely must go to Piazza Navona and see the Fountain of the Four Rivers. I would also suggest the Palazzo Barberini (a museum) and checking out the Triton Fountain nearby at the Piazza Barberini. Piazza Popolo is really cool too, but it's on the other side of Rome from the Vatican and nearer to the Trevi Fountain. If you end up going to Popolo, check out the churches surrounding the square - they are beautiful and contain some incredible art including Caravaggio, Genteleschi, and others.

 

The Vatican museums are really cool, but if you're going to pick one museum, I would go to the Villa Borghese (and look at Bernini's Apollo and Daphne). However, you have to go online and order a ticket at least 2 hours (I think) beforehand and you only get 2 hours to tour it (which should be plenty of time). While you're at the Coliseum, check out the Roman Forum ruins and the memorial of Vittorio Emmanuele (both are nearby and easily within walking distance).

 

I'm so jealous you're going to be in Rome, I want to go back so bad!

[Krakalakachkn]

Also, a heads up, I found that almost every place that offers a tourist menu isn't very good and is overpriced. If you want an absolutely fantastic meal at a reasonable price, go to a place called Taverna della Scala. It's pretty close to the Vatican (20 minutes walking - ish). When you're leaving the Vatican, walk to the river and take a right (walking parallel the river, but across the street from it). After about 5-10 minutes, the sidewalk you're on will go downwards and the road will rise quickly. Keep on the low road for another 5-10 minutes. If you keep a careful eye out you will notice landmarks - you should see John Cabot University (where I went to school!) on your left and right after you will walk under an arch and come to a 4 way stop. Keep going straight. This is where I'm a little hazy, either it's in the first piazza you come to (I don't think it is) or it's in the second. Either way, follow the street and you will see it right in front of you. The road will pass right to the left of it - and you can ask anyone for directions, just say "dove taverna della scala?"

 

Don't feel inclined to go, but it's a really good restaurant. if you go, I would suggest the gnocchi della taverna (best meal I had in Rome) and their house wine is pretty good. If you go there and feel like sightseeing, if you go walk past it, you will eventually hit a dead end. Take a left and the next piazza you hit is Piazza Santa Maria. It's a popular place where the locals in Trastevere gather at night. The church there is one of the oldest in Rome and extremely beautiful. The Blue Ice gelato place in that piazza is particularly good as well.

[Corki]

It is a general rule in Italy to avoid restaurants that offer "Tourist Menus". As Krak said, they are not very good and extremely overpriced.

[Jeannaisais]

So...Pompeii for the non-history major equals a no and staying in Rome for two days equals lots of walking around roaming! yay! I get roam in Rome (I just love saying that!)

 

And I already know I'm gonna be back in Rome because my mom and I are flying out of Rome at the end of Holy Week and planning on roaming the city some. Yes I know, day before Easter it'll be crazy but that's okay, at least we aren't flying out on Easter, right?

 

And....I'm gonna have to write all those suggestions down!

[Jarviee]

Hey yo,

 

I spent all last year January in Italy traveling around.

 

Florence!! You must see it if you have time. There is no city in the World like it. My first impressions of the city weren't that high. I enjoyed a lot of the city but My memories are the fondest when I think of the time I spent traveling through Florence.

 

Assisi!! So tight. This is one of the few cities in Italy without an airport that is somewhat of a touristy area. You must see this city. Built on a Hill. This is where Francis of Assisi is from. He is the patron saints of brewers. He is the coolest.

 

Finally... Anything on the Amalfi Coast. This is the stuff out of movies. Cities built on mountains that drop right off into the coast. I stayed in Sorrento. It was incredible. Seriously. The most beautiful crap I have ever seen.

 

Rome is Tight. I stayed there for two weeks and I really felt like I only saw a 1/4 of it. Watch out for the clubbing scene there. They target Americans and roofie the crap out of them. I got roofied twice. Well not really...

The Pantheon is incredible. That was my favorite sight there. If you have time, just 30 minutes outside of Rome is Hadrians Villa. Pretty sweet stuff there. All ruins but what a palace!!

I know you mentioned Pompeii. Dude. I spent the whole day walking through a burned out ruined city. Cool but not worth your time. I walked all over that place and got sick of it after three hours. I recommend going to Herculaneum instead. Its about an 1/8th of the size and you can go through it in about a few hours. Its a mini-Pompeii. Check it out online. I thought it was way cooler than Pompeii and its the exact same thing.

 

W/e you do. Don't waste your time in Naples. The place smells like piss and is dirty than a garbage dump. Thats where the mafia is. I went there for a few days and regretted wasting my time.

 

Good luck and enjoy Italy. One awesome nation for sure.

[Jarviee]

Oh P.S. I am a history buff/minor/major.

 

Do Everything I say... HA

[Corki]

I know as a Classicist (Ancient Greek and Latin), I would love to go to Pompeii. Ostia (the ancient port of Rome) was great when I went as it was a lot of ruins. But I do love my ruins!

[Imperium]

I agreed with Jarviee Herculaneum is a much better to look around than Pompeii. More of it is still intact or was when I went round in like 2001.

 

I love my ancient history though especially Roman.

 

The Pantheon was a spectacle I have to admit. The Collessium was actually smaller than I imagined it would be.

 

One cool place I enjoyed visiting was Solfatara (part of a massive volcano under Italy). I also went up Vesuvius but I'm not the greatest fan of hearts and well there was no barries on the outside of the mountain when you get to the crater...

[Jeannaisais]

well, I didn't go to Pompeii or outside of Rome at all actually, and I'll be traveling to Venice during Holy Week with brief stops in Rome and hopefully getting to Florence and maybe even a brief stop to Pisa if I go to Florence.

 

As for what I did in Rome....

 

Friday night: Piazza Navona and dinner (amazing spaghetti and meat sauce with some rice crochettes) and some gelato (nutella flavor mmmm)

Saturday: Vatican museum first thing in the morning, followed by walking around Castle San Angelo, then heading down to a restaurant a certain someone suggested (no I didn't try the gnocchi because I wasn't sure if it had lots of milk products in it or not but I had this chicken followed by some amazing chocolate cake), afterwards we stopped by the Pantheon before heading over to the Trevi Fountain and then to the Spanish steps and then a brief stop at the hotel to rest for a couple of hours before heading back out to Piazzo Popolo for some dinner and a surprise Michael Jackson impersonator (I got a little bit of video that I might put in my review ;) ). Oh and we also stopped by Campo di Flori, which was interesting. Oh and after dinner was another cone of gelato :)

 

Sunday: Little later start before heading to the Colosseum and surrounding area. We took a brief side jog to the Spanish steps (our hotel was right across the river from Piazza Popolo so the Spanish steps and Trevi fountain were on our way to the Colosseum), but it's a good thing we stopped by those at 9am on a Sunday because there was almost no one there, it was pretty awesome. We eventually found our way to the Colosseum, thought about doing a guided tour, then decided to just take our time and enjoy the scenery of the Colosseum, the Roman Forums and Palintine Hill. After taking about 3 and a half to four hours on those three, we headed towards the Pantheon and then to lunch before heading to the Trevi fountain again, getting some more gelato (tiramisu flavor this time) and then over to see some monk's bones, which was weird and kinda disconcerting. Oh we also went through the church that has the dome painted on the top, don't remember what it's called though, i'd have to look that up....Sunday night I think was our best dinner there as we found a small pizzeria near our hotel with lots of amazing food...my friend and I bother ordered almost 16euro worth of food! It was a great pick me up considering it started raining sunday night.

 

Monday: Hightailed it to the airport

 

I think I should move to Italy just so I can eat lactose free ice cream every day :)

[Corki]

Tiramisu flavoured ice cream is awesome! I think I had mine in Florence.

[Imperium]

Italy, Greece, Spain

 

I have consumed much tiramisu ice cream in those countries.

 

Tiramisu Crepes in Greece.Awesome!

 

The ice cream in Italy was good

[Krakalakachkn]

then heading down to a restaurant a certain someone suggested

 

Score!!! Were my directions satisfactory?

 

 

we also stopped by Campo di Flori, which was interesting. Oh and after dinner was another cone of gelato :)

 

 

I spent quite a bit of time at Campo di Fiori. The Drunken Ship was there (an American Bar) and I hated it with a passion, but it seemed like everyone wanted to go there every weekend.

 

Did you try Blue Ice gelato?

[Jeannaisais]

Pretty sure I never went to blue ice gelato, I don't remember the gelaterias we went to I just know they were all good!

 

As for your directions, we weren't to sure about it at first but then we just stumbled upon it

[Krakalakachkn]

Well I'm glad you had a good time

[Jeannaisais]

Yep, twas fun, and I didn't realize until after we left the restaurant that we were close to the Trastevere area, or was the restaurant in that area?

 

Nevertheless, I've told my mom that we definitely need to stop by the Trevi fountain and the Colosseum for our brief stop sin Rome.

[Krakalakachkn]

Yeah, that's right in the middle of the Trastevere area.

[Jeannaisais]

I didn't realize that until I looked at the map again yesterday lol I spent so much time making sure I knew what street I was on and where i was going that I had no idea what area we would be in