thing55000
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Well you know, Rome is a big city and it isn't ... You can see a LOT of Rome by foot (if walking is your thing) in a relatively short period of time. And the buses are excellent and very cheap! (This is the historical older side of Rome, I mean, not the new suburbs and so on, which are themselves very interesting, but I mean 'inside the wall'.)
Depending where you are staying, you can simply get a map and decide where you want to go. I was staying near the Colosseum, and as well as the local area, I walked to and from the Vatican, Trastevere, Aventine Hill, Porte Portese, the Trevi Fountain, Termini Railway Station, St john Lateran (San Giovanni Laterano), the Spanish Stairs, Castel st Angelo, the Botanical gardens area, Villa Borghese, Campo di Fiori, long walks beside the Tevere ... most of the well known 'sights' and everything in between. It really didn't take that long, although I did wear out three pairs of shoes, lol!
Despite some hills, walking in Rome is very easy, it's safe (of course, take the usual precautions) and even a walk that doesn't seem much can suddenly turn into a magical experience as you turn a corner and come upon a local wedding in an ancient church, complete with ferraris, lots of elegant gowns and suits, and an amazing traditional band playing wonderful music ~ talk about your free street entertainment!
As far as quaint shops, they are everywhere, but one place I loved was the big open air market at Porte Portese. I know there is a mixed reaction to this place, but I loved it. So much hustle and bustle, anything you wanted to buy, a real 'world wandering past my window' experience ~ and on the way there I stopped in at the 'Bocca della Veritie' and several other places of historic interest ... everything is so accessible. Do try and visit the non-tourist local shops. You might be surprised how gorgous some of the things on offer are. I was a bit thrown that there were not really any 'shopping centres' like in Australia, but every shop was an adventure!
One thing though, if you are going to any major attraction ~ get up early and get there early. I arrived at the Colosseum for sightseeing at 8 am, and was the first in the door. It was beautiful! when I left a few hours later (after taking a tour), I couldn't believe the change ~ the queue was miles long, the outside was wall to wall people ... it was the same everywhere I went. the earlier, the better.
And lots of things close between 1 and 3 pm, so be aware of that and make that the time to see churches (they don't close but are usually quiet then).
At night, there are lots of open air concerts and things near the Colosseum and in other places, in fact for music lovers Rome is a non-stop concert.
Re drinking ~ even very small, basic restaurants will have wine for purchase by the glass. When in Rome ... go with the recommendation of the person serving. Romans take their food and drink very seriously, and most 'house' wine is good quality. Italian style wine is crisp and dry, if you prefer a sweeter wine, you will have to ask for it.
Have fun, I am really jealous and wish I could be there for the summer myself! :-) |
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