Rome
The View
Rome in the summer is busy, a bit gritty and, when we were there, very hot. Even so, it was amazing to have the opportunity to explore its ancient streets and seemingly endless architectural and artistic treasures. To beat both the heat and the crowds (but not the grittiness), we left our hotel very early each day and spent two afternoons underground (more on that below).
We appreciated our morning walking tour of the Colosseum and the Forum (booked through Airbnb), where we heard the history of these magnificent structures and the people who lived and ruled in ancient Rome. The walking tour was well worth the moderate cost. We then made our way to the Pantheon, where we stopped for a quick lunch before stepping inside this cool and regal structure, and joining an in-house tour there.
What I remember most about these specific “must sees,” and Rome in general, was the overt display of power built-in to every aspect of the architectural design, including the prominent display of marble and other natural resources stolen from vanquished nations, depictions of military conquest and genocide, and statue after statue celebrating brutish men and their armies.
Also Check Out
There are so many well-regarded museums in Rome that we easily avoided the crowded and non-air conditioned Vatican museums (maybe next time). Instead, we spent a cool and peaceful few hours at the Capitoline Museum, where we enjoyed striking sculptures (including of the equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelias and the Roman She-Wolf), with breezy views towards both the Vatican and the Forum.
Once again seeking a break from the heat, we purchased tickets to visit the Basilica San Clemente, near the Colosseum and walking distance from our hotel. San Clemente is a small 12th Century church, built on top of a 4th Century church … built on top of a 1st Century pagan Temple of Mithra. Our ticket gave us access to all of this, including the opportunity to “listen in” on a private guided tour and learn a bit more. It was a good 20 degrees cooler underground, uncrowded, and well worth the visit. I was surprised how much of the original structures was available to view, including many frescoes.
A highlight of my time in Rome was a short trip outside the city to the Catacombe Domitilla, where our walking tour guide (a very energetic young Australian with clear respect for the earliest Christians of Rome) took us underground and told us about life for these ancient believers and the history of their massive burial site. This was not only a break from the heat, but a fascinating journey into a past so different from my own life.
Yes, we went to the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps. In an attempt to avoid the worst crowds, we left our hotel by 7 a.m., and still found plenty of tourists when we arrived at the fountain, including a lot of very conspicuous social media types. These were beautiful monuments, but not the highlight of our trip.
The Room
Because we planned to travel through Italy primarily by train, and sought to minimize the cost and hassle of additional logistics, most of our lodging on this 5-destination trip was located within walking distance of each location’s primary train station (“termini”). Our Roman hotel, the Princeps Boutique Hotel, occupies one floor of a historic building a 10 minute walk from the Termini, adjacent to the Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica, and was well-situated, quiet, comfortable and very nicely air conditioned. This small hotel served an abundant and varied Italian breakfast, including fantastic pastries, cheeses and hot items. I highly recommend this property.
Great Meals in Rome
To be candid, many of our food selections in Rome were fairly ordinary. We were in recovery from the overnight flight, just getting our bearings, and kept things pretty simple. In addition to our great hotel breakfasts, we enjoyed lunch at the affordable, quiet and air-conditioned Pantha Rei (no website) near the Pantheon, and a dinner at the Trattoria Vecchia, walking distance from our hotel. Trattoria Vecchia is popular and busy. We arrived at least 30 minutes prior to opening (as did many others, lining up outside), and were able to secure a table without a reservation.
Rome’s food selection was less varied than expected, with most of the accessible restaurants serving many of the same Roman dishes. Since we had two weeks of Italian food ahead of us, we sought out some non-Italian options and found a few. On our way back from San Clemente, we enjoyed a great Sri Lankan dinner at Seven Lanka on Via Merulana. We also explored the hipster food hall located in the Termini, the Mercato Centrale Rome, prior to our train ride south, and found some nice fresh salads to offset our pasta-heavy diet. (The Mercato Centrale in Florence was even better.)
How We Got Around
We flew into Rome non-stop from Newark Airport. After fighting the crowds to get tickets, we took the Leonardo Express train to the Termini Roma (along with seemingly everyone else), where we walked to our hotel. We traveled around Rome by foot, with the exception of our visit to the Catacombs, located about 30 minutes outside of Central Rome. To get there, we followed bus directions provided by the walking tour provider. I note that bus tickets in Rome (and elsewhere on our trip) are purchased from a “Tobacconist,” which required a bit of planning ahead (these shops are not open 24/7) and an inquiry at the hotel. Otherwise, our bus trip was simple and uneventful.
