Travel & Hotspots
ROME FOR NOVELINA’S*
Oh la la, the Roman men, they’re a folk on their own. Completely glowing in the city they claim to be the prettiest city in the world. And they do make a point. Last weekend my fiancé and I jetted off to the Italian capital for the first time and we were impressed. Everywhere you looked there were old buildings. One thousand years in Rome is nothing. Some of the buildings even date back to the years before Christ. And there’s an overdose of stores, restaurants and parks… Hence the reason Rome can also be a bit tricky. Luckily we had gotten a couple of good tips from people who had been to the city prior to us. Including my friend Patrizia who was born and raised in Rome. (Patrizia happens to also be hilarious. A quote of hers: ‘Of course we arrrre not perfect… But we arrrrre close’.) Hereby a couple of our tips for your first trip to Rome.
– ‘What kind of white wine do you have?’
– ‘The best wine.’
The must see
The Colosseum of course! Even just knowing that this is where people would go to be entertained roughly two thousand years ago, how they watched innocent people be torn apart by bears, or innocent exotic animals would be brutally killed ‘live’, then you might reconsider how bad our current world really is. Since everyone wants to drop by the Colosseum, it’s wise to get your tickets online beforehand. Another tip: go in the afternoon. For some reason people are keen on going in the morning. But the afternoon is going to save you a ton of hustle and bustle.
Vatican City
The Sistine Chapel is also a must, but what I enjoyed even more was the museum with millennium old Egyptian art. Be prepared to spend hours long walking around with a massive herd of people through all the rooms and expositions before you make it into the chapel. Same story here: book your tickets online beforehand. Even better: book your tickets through www.rome-museum.com. You’ll meet up at a hotel right around the corner of a museum. A guide will take you inside and you can beat the crowds. As soon as you enter, you can part your ways. Might cost you a bit more than a regular ticket, but it will also save you a ton of time.
Restaurants
So many to pick from. Most restaurants have similar menus and service. But here are a couple of addresses that we stopped by at that are worth visiting:
Lunch
La Casetta Della Madonna
This is the cutest little lunch spot in the trendy Monti neighborhood. You can eat homemade pasta on a cute little square. The quote on the top of this post happens to be from the owner of this restaurant. And he was right!
Via Della Madonna dei Monti, 62, 00184 Roma, Italy, tel.: +39 366 655 7863.
Baylon Cafè
There will come a certain point that you’re just not in the mood for pasta and that’s why this hipster place is Trastevere is perfect. Think: men with plucked eyebrows and beards who make great coffee and smoothies.
Via di San Francesco a Ripa, 151, 00153 Roma, Italy, tel.: +39 06 581 4275.
Panino Divino
Bearded men here too and the best sandwiches in all of Rome. Their specialty is porchetta. Usually I scream when I hear the word pork, but this is worth the try. It’s divine. The place is tiny, but that only adds to its charm. They’ve also got takeout if you’d prefer to eat at home.
Via dei Gracchi, 11/a, Roma, Italy, tel.: +39 06 397 37803.
Dinner
Ar Galletto
This restaurant is right across from the French embassy. The food is tradition, but good. Order the fried zucchini, they were spectacular! And the waiters were extremely friendly.
Piazza Farnese, 104, Roma, Italy, tel.: +39 06 686 1714.
Molo 10
Another good alternative if your in the mood for a pasta and pizza free meal. Molo 10 is just outside the heart of Rome. You won’t find any tourists here, just Roman gourmets.
Via dei Prati della Farnesina, 10, 00135 Roma, Italy tel.: +39 06 333 6166.
Emma
Super thin pizzas in a restaurant without the typical red and white table cloth. Yeah!
Via Monte della Farina, 28/29 00186 Roma, Italy, tel.: +39 06 64760475.
Other useful tips:
Car2Go
You have no idea how useful this is! All you have to do is check the app and see if there is a car nearby, reserve it online, wave your pass and drive off. Once you’re done using it, you park it, swipe the pass again and off you go.
Don’t wear heels
You can buy beautiful shoes in Rome, but you can’t wear them. The rides are paved with stones which makes heels impossible to walk in. Even with regular flats, you can bet you’ll end up with some sore muscles after walking around Rome for a couple of days.
Shopping
To be honest, shop wise, it was a little disappointing. You’ve got a huge shopping district around Via del Corso, but those are stores you’ve got everywhere in the world.
Cooling down at Villa Borghese
When we were there it was about 34 degrees every day. To avoid getting exhausted, we would hang out at Villa Borghese. We headed to the park, found some grass to hang out on, preferably close to the fountain, and cooled down in the shade. With books and ice cream. If it hadn’t been so god damn hot, it would have been fun to rent Segways.
*beginners
Written by Marion Pauw
