Trip Report - Rome

Then I walked back up to the station and headed to the Protestant Cemetery. Wow wow wow what a great place. In Italian it's called the "non Catholic cemetery" which is really a better name for it because I saw a few Stars of David, one star and crescent moon, one grave with unfamiliar symbols on it, and a LOT of Orthodox crosses. The cemetery was so serene and beautiful and there were roses growing - a nice change from winter weather in the Northeast US. After wandering around for a bit I headed out and walked into the Testacchio neighborhood which was beautiful and lively but still quiet. I was hungry by this point even though it was like 10. I stepped into a nice looking cafe only to get intimidated by all the loud and fast Italian and left. I headed to the Testacchio Market which was a nice place to see Italians getting groceries but if I'm honest I wasn't too impressed. Maybe I did it wrong. I got a sandwich there which was fine and only 5 euros (food prices were consistently better than in the US). The pigeons were VERY aggressive. I wish I had stopped at a sandwich shop on the main road of the neighborhood instead but you live and you learn. This had been a great into to Rome and I decided it was time to head to the Airbnb because they had said I could drop my stuff off after 10:30 even though check in was at 2. I walked along the river for most of the way and it was largely quiet. I started seeing a lot more tourists too.

The airbnb was in the Jewish Ghetto and it was a totally cute little apartment. I don't know what it's called on the site because my mother booked it but if you can find it I'd highly recommend. Little place with a loft and kitchenette. The owners who lived across the hall were seemingly not aware that someone had told me to drop my bags off after 10:30 and just gave me the keys and got me settled. Shortly thereafter my mom's plane landed and I went out to walk around some more to eventually end up at a metro stop to meet her at Termini. After we met, we walked across the street to the National Museum. It was free for some reason, perhaps because there was construction, which was nice. The Rick guidebook says there's a bag check - there isn't. There's a closet you can use but it isn't a true bag or coat check, just FYI. We dropped my mom's bag there and then went in. Good thing it was free as we stayed like 20 minutes. I must admit I didn't find the stuff there that inspiring. I think you have to be really into antiquity to get much out of it. Anyway, we then walked back to the airbnb (about 30 min) and had a quick rest. My mom was hungry so we went around the corner to a place called Il Giardino Romano where we split the Jewish style artichoke and my mom had saltimbocca. Both were good, nothing special.

After a brief return to the airbnb we went out to more or less do the "Heart of Rome" walk from the guidebook. We started at Piazza Navona and ended at the Spanish steps. This was a worthwhile walk as it hits all the places, but it also goes through some of the more crowded parts of Rome. Piazza Navona was the best part due to the combination of fewest crowds/most fountains. At the Spanish steps we hit up a gelato place - another thing to check off. The prices weren't listed and they were TWELVE EUROS EACH. I knew they'd be expensive since we were at the Spanish steps but yeesh. Then we sat at the tables belonging to the restaurant and got told we had to pay 6 euros more to sit. We stared at the server til he left and then another server came up and told us to go which is when we finally did. If you've been to Europe you'll probably recognize this attitude, but if you're planning your first trip I think this is an instructive experience - due to pesky things like "labor laws" and "fair wages" (/s) you cannot reason or Karen your way into what you want as a consumer - even when you're in the right. (2/?)

Then we walked over to the bridge by Castel Sant'Angelo because my mom remembered her mom taking her there as a little girl. The weather was perfect and it was a great night. We wandered our way back to the airbnb, stopping in Trastavere to listen to a guy use trash for drums. He was pretty good. We went straight to bed, and I'm going to have to keep the rest of the report short because this has gotten out of hand.

Day 2: The best day probably! We took the bus out to Galleria Borghese for our 9 o'clock timeslot. We learned that you have to hail the bus like a cab. Galleria Borghese is three triangles for sure. And because they only let in a few people each hour, it was very chill and quiet. After that we walked around the park nearby and then stopped at a cafe for sandwiches. We then headed back on the metro to Termini station and walked to Santa Maria Maggiore which was fine, and then to our next appointment at San Clemente Basilica. We were early so we sat in the lovely courtyard and then looked around the church. To go to the underground levels is 10 euros if you book online (which you should, they were sold out when we got there), but I think it's worth it. They have a lot of info about what you're looking at down there, and that combined with the info in the guidebook made for a really interesting and informative experience. Would highly recommend this site. We headed back to our airbnb and then out for dinner. We went to Ai Marmi pizzaria in Trastavere on the recommendation of my mom's friend, and it's also listed in the guidebook, but in my opinion it wasn't that great. The pizza was too salty and the crust was indeed thin and also covered in a ton of flour. The baccala was good though.

Day 3: Monday! Our Colosseum tour was at 10:30 through the Roman Guy. Unfortunately I can't remember our guide's name but she was great! I didn't think I was going to like the Colosseum - I went just because when am I ever going to be back in Rome. But actually, with our guide, it was so interesting! She then took us to Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum, which were interesting too (and Palatine Hill is beautiful!) but at that point I was a bit tired already and was kind of not paying attention anymore, oops. We were very hungry and went into practically the first restaurant we saw, which was called "In Roma" and claimed to be famous for their carbonara, so I got carbonara. It was too salty but the sauce was very rich. Serviceable but I wouldn't necessarily recommend. We then went to the Capitoline Museums which were practically empty. Liked this museum a lot! We weren't terribly hungry for dinner but we headed to Ba'Ghetto Milky in the neighborhood of our airbnb for a small meal that evening. We tried the Roman style artichoke this time and something that was mysteriously listed as just "Scamorza." It ended up being melted scamorza with the chosen ingredient as a topping (we went with mushrooms). Who can complain about melted cheese? After that we tried a chocolate and cream tart for dessert - too sweet.

Day 4: In the morning we took a walk to Saint Peter's Basilica (about a 30 min walk) and checked it out. The security and entrance lines were very quick and easy, but note that if you want to go up the dome after exiting the church, you have to exit the whole thing and go through security again so we didn't do that. Honestly it wasn't that interesting. There's fancy churches all over Rome. The pieta is a lot smaller than I thought it would be. The dove window is glorious though. After that we walked to Villa Farnesina and ate sandwiches across the street. We went into Villa Farnesina on the recommendation of the same friend of my mom's that recommended Ai Marmi. Not worth 12 euros, so we stopped taking her recs. Then back to Vatican City for our 3 pm museum timeslot. Note that Google Maps does not know how to get there - follow the signs and the crowds. (3/?)

They tell you to be 30 min early to the Vatican Museum and you don't really need to be, but I would recommend it. We had to wait around outside for a while but then we were like the sixth people in at 3pm and security was a breeze. They have amazing stuff in there but it is crowded. I had never been and enjoyed it. It was my mom's third time after going first as a child and second on her honeymoon and she didn't care about seeing the stuff anymore and had a bad time. I've seen pictures of the Sistine Chapel ceiling and been like whatever it's too busy but it is a sight to behold in person. We were going to take a taxi back but the drivers were trying to rip us off so we took the bus. Then we went to Ba'Ghetto (not Milky, the meat kind - it's kosher) for dinner. I had amatriciana which was again too salty but good. The beef they use instead of guanciale isn't it though - sorry to everyone who doesn't eat pork out there but it's the king of meats in my opinion. Also I had been told amatriciana is a little spicy. It is 0% spicy which is a disappointment. They forgot about my mom's goulash and she had to ask again, but it was really good. The service is very nice. Max was our server and he was a riot. Another employee tried to show me how to twist pasta around my fork on a spoon which I wasn't a fan of. I know the trick, let me get sauce on my chin if I want! Also both Ba'Ghettos gave free bread!

Day 5: Got up early to get on the 8 am fast train to Naples. I had looked up the Circumvesuviana time table and it was coming 7 minutes after our train was scheduled to arrive at Napoli Centrale and the next train made it a bit tight to get to Pompeii on time so when our train pulled up we started speedwalking down to Napoli Garibaldi. It seemed like you could use your credit card here, but we didn't notice that and went to the ticket counter. Note that the payment system for this train is tiered. I told the lady we were going to Sorrento because that was the direction and got charged extra for the longer train. Tell them they actual stop you're getting off at. The timing was perfect and we went down to the platform just before the train arrived, but it was tight and I would have missed it without careful planning. The Rick Steves guide says the trains usually come at platform 3, but ours was at platform 1. It was a comfortable train ride and we got a seat due to being the two most intense people in the universe and rushing the doors. We went to the bathroom after arriving at Pompeii Scavi and here's a note - just go down the street to the entrance and use the bathroom at the site before the entrance gates - the train station bathroom costs a euro and the Pompeii one is free. We were early for our tour but there were already people from the tour company (askos tours) hanging out there which I appreciated. We got a coffee and hung around until tour time. Our tour guide was Paolo and he was a hoot! Really enjoyed our tour with him. Pompeii was really interesting with someone who was able to explain things. He recommended we get lunch in the modern city of Pompeii so we walked out the amphitheater gate stopping at the Garden of the Fugitives on the way and I am so glad we followed his advice instead of going into Naples for lunch. We walked past the restaurants on the street directly outside the site to the center of town and ate at a place called Mercato Pompeiano. We both got the bufalina pizza and it was so good! I was concerned after the Ai Marmi experience that I didn't like Italian pizza but this pizza was great. Then we went to the other Pompei Circumvesuviana station where you definitely had to go to the ticket booth and only waited a few minutes for a train. Again, nice experience on the train especially since it was on a different line from Pompeii Scavi so not too crowded with tourists. (4/?)

We exited at Napoli Garibaldi and walked along Spaccanapoli which was quite overcrowded and touristy. Naples was very noisy with lots of car fumes in the air and a ton of motorcycles trying to kill you. We walked to the archaeological museum because we had several hours to kill before our train back and we knew it was going to rain. The entrance fee is now 20 euros. My mom was in a bad mood by this point but I really liked the museum. They have more statues and stuff but the best stuff are the mosaics and frescoes from Pompeii as well as other archaeological sites around Vesuvius. The secret room is really charming and hilarious and the museum was very quiet which was nice. Then we headed back to the train station and got back on the train to Rome.

Day 6: I left this day intentionally empty to recover from the day trip and also for spontaneity. We went to the far part of the Appian Way which was quiet and pretty. Then we stopped for lunch and coffee at an illy cafe and had broccoli and essentially pretzel dogs (it wasn't pretzel dough but it tasted a lot like it around an extremely processed sausage). They gave us free bread too! It was nice to go to a clearly very local spot. Then we took the bus back into town and went to the Galleria Doria Pamphilj on the recommendation of my mom's coworker. It was way bigger than I expected and the included audioguide is a nice touch. They have some nice Dutch and Flemish art as well as Baroque stuff. I can't believe this and Villa Farnesina have the same number of triangles according to Rick and co because the Galleria Doria Pamphilj offers about 600 times as much and only costs four euros more. Later, we went to dinner at Ristorante la Tavernaccia da Bruno which was the best meal we had the whole time. 100% recommend. We got a half liter of the house white which translated into three glasses for each of us - I was DRUNK. The burrata with tomatoes and artichokes was excellent (and came with bread!). I had the pappardelle with wild boar ragu and my mom had the suckling pig with potatoes. The potatoes were excellent and so was the pork. Then we walked back. We were up early the next morning for our flights back to the US. Our lovely airbnb host booked us a taxi in advance and made everything so easy. FCO going back was just as smooth as coming in, though they don't give you the gate number until shortly before boarding so you have nothing better to do than browse the duty free.

I'm glad I went to Rome and I saw a ton! If you're wondering where to go for a European vacation, if we are still able to fly out of the US in the future, I think Rome is a good and striking choice as it provides a lot you just don't see most places (like ancient ruins practically everywhere). I would personally go Paris or Berlin over Rome and Rome over London or Amsterdam. But that's just me.

If you've gotten to the end of this you're a real one. Cheers (5/5)

Great trip report! I liked your style of writing, felt like I was there with you. It made me miss Rome, but I’ll definitely go back!

"...to the National Museum."

They had the "Boxer at Rest" when I was there. Just that made the whole visit worth it to me. (Unless I'm thinking of a different museum in Rome).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boxer_at_Rest

Thank you Kathy! Hope you get back to Rome very soon!

Robert - yes, I saw that one! I agree it's the highlight of the collection. But I was glad I was there on a free day.

I think your free museum entry may have been on March 8, International Women's Day. It's a great day for museum hopping as long as you're a woman.

Yes, I'd agree about it being the highlight. I can't remember any of the others except the frescoes. It made such an impression on me partly from being a surprise that it was there. And, come to think of it, I was there "free" as well in that I stayed a few days at the end of the tour and one of the tour members (who was leaving) gave me an unused museum pass(ticket?).

Wow! Yay women!

Hi C ..enjoyed your trip report very honest a d refreshing. I read your description of St Peter's and the Pieta to my son who traveled with me to Rome as a teenager. He said ' She sounds like me. ! Whatever..'. St Peter's is best if you have a Catholic background or take a tour.. watch the movie Conclave...Great movie in its own right and you'll recognize sites.
Yes Napoli is intense and the motorcycles are terrifying. We loved it. Glad to read that we were not the only people who were disappointed in the piazza.
Thanks for posting.
Ps you said you grew up in NY. You may be too young for this but I first saw the Pieta at the NY worlds fair in 1965. My parents let me buy the small plastic replica souvenir. I have had that reaction to other things I've seen in books or films when first seeing it in person ' smaller than I thought' the Mona Lisa comes to mind. But the Pieta still brings tears to my eyes when I see it in person.
I hope you take another trip soon..I want to get your impressions of other places.
Was Mom pleased?

@DianeJay - "You may be too young for this but I first saw the Pieta at the NY worlds fair in 1965.". Oh yes, me too! Thinking about that now I can't imagine them letting the Pieta out of the country!

C, what a fun trip report. It's from the heart and I enjoyed it. I had to laugh at the advice from your Mom's friend...yeah, no thanks. I'll do my own research!

I hope temperatures were pleasant for you all. I have decided if I go back to Rome it will need to be in winter. May thru end of October have been too hot for me! March might be OK!

Thanks for taking the time to write and post!

@Dianejay what a cool story! I've been to the old fairgrounds in Queens and the Queens museum with all the world's fair memorabilia and have been like wish I could have gone to the 1965 worlds fair! Seems like a rush. I think my mom had a good time. Every time we went walking around she was remarking how charming everything was every thirty seconds.

@Pam The weather was perfect!!!! It said it was going to rain most of the time but all the rain was at night. During the days it was mostly partly cloudy in the 50s and 60s.

Great report!
I did a project on Michelangelo‘s Pieta in elementary school….no idea why… I had never been there.
When I finally saw the real thing in 1986 it was very moving.
I didn’t know it had been “on tour” at some point!

Loved your report --- it made me laugh several times, partly because you sound so much like one of my sons (the one who when his teacher many years ago asked his class if it would kill them to do their homework, replied calmly "I don't know but I don't want to find out.") It also made me want you to have some better restaurant and gelato experiences next time.

@nancys8 hahaha I seem to remind a lot of people of their kids! I was a teacher's pet in school but have chilled out with age :) also, as a mac grad just want to say I love St Paul so so so much!!!! Every so often I dig around for job postings in my field in the twin cities. And yes if I ever go back to Rome I will have seen most of the big sites and will be able to devote my time to finding the best gelato and pasta!

Count me among those who saw the Pieta at the World’s Fair