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Introducing – Rome!

So you want to see Rome, but you want to do it a little differently - without

breaking the bank and without being grouped together with the millions of

other tourists visiting one of the most beautiful cities in the world?

You've come to the right place!

Rome is the most romantic, the most beautiful, the most cultured, the most fascinating, the most amazing … Rome is always “the most”! But it can also be the most overwhelming, the most tiring, the most frustrating, the most likely to make you - and your kids if you‟re taking them – feel lost, crabby, and in need of another break to recover! If that‟s what you think might happen to you – read on! Why?

Because we‟re here to help you. We will …

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… be your personal guide to one of the world‟s most beautiful cities.

… show you things „ordinary‟ tourists never get to see.

… show you how to keep your kids happy.

… make sure that, like us, you want to come back to Rome time and time – and time! – again.

How?

Because we know Rome well - and love it more!

Because we started out as tourists too - but then we got married there and ended up seven years and many trips later as honorary Romans.

We know the best places to go, the places tourists don‟t often find.

We know how to see all the places everyone wants to see, without needing to drag along behind a tour guide. We know, in fact, what will make your stay in Rome extra-special.

And now – you‟re going to know it too! So sit back, know you‟re going to get the best possible information to make your journey to Rome the most memorable time of your life - and -

Enjoy!

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Chapter 1 :

Relaxation – Rome style (and it’s free)!

Need a break from Rome‟s sometimes overwhelming sights and sounds?

This is our number one favourite spot to do a bit of rest and relaxation – the

Borghese Gardens.

The Borghese Park is to Rome what Central Park is

to New York. It‟s a peaceful, tranquil, green spot, five

minutes‟ walk from one of Rome‟s main squares (the

Piazza del Popolo) but a world away from the noise

and bustle of the city.

It‟s a well-kept secret as far as tourists are concerned

– after all, there‟s nothing there to earn tour guides

money – but for Roman couples and families it is the place to be, especially on

a Sunday morning.

There are 148 acres to explore. You‟ll find no less than

seventy fountains to cool you, places to sit and have a

picnic, open spaces for the kids to play. Wander, and

you‟ll happen upon a water clock, formal gardens, a

beautiful lake, tree-lined avenues which are particularly

spectacular in the autumn.

There are ice cream stands, bikes to hire, go-karts for

the younger family members, roller-blading spaces,

four-seater pedal machines to negotiate the leafy roads and occasional hills

within the park.

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In the summer months there‟s a puppet theatre for the kids

– yes, a real, old-fashioned one - and boat rides on the

lake. The Italian mounted police and national Olympic

horse-riding team have a practice arena here, open to the

public. There‟s even a zoo!

And if you really want more culture you‟ll also find the

beautiful Villa Borghese with its beautiful orangery and flower gardens as well

as its famous picture gallery.

And here‟s the biggest secret – we love this place so much and it‟s so

unspoilt that we‟re not even sure we want to share it but – just for you …

The Café dell‟Orologia : Deep within the trees of the park is a tiny,

traditional, Italian café / bar (literally the „Clock Café – it‟s situated just by the

water clock). We discovered it by accident years ago and loved it so much we

chose it for the venue to have our wedding pre-meal drinks. It‟s run by a

lovely Italian family who will do everything they can to make you feel at home.

They don‟t speak much English but sign language can work wonders!

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Chapter 2 :

Three of the greatest places to eat in Rome without breaking the bank.

You‟ve marvelled at the sights of ancient Rome. You‟ve walked over cobbles

till your feet are sore. You‟ve shopped till you dropped. And now …

You need to eat!

Like any major city Rome can be expensive when it comes to food, and not all

of the meals you‟ll find there are great quality. These are our three favourite

eating places. Each is different, but common to them all is the quality of the

food, reasonable prices and the fact that a lot of Italian people eat there.

Mmmmm - pizza! : Pizzeria Leoncino.

Rome isn‟t known for its pizzas, but it is known

(by people who live there) for „Il Leoncino‟.

The family who own this pizza house have

been making pizza there for over eighty years.

They use traditional wood-fired ovens and if

you‟re lucky and they‟re in a good mood, the

brothers will show you how to toss pizza

dough!

Don‟t expect elegance. This is a very Italian pizzeria : informal, noisy and

boisterous. They serve wine and beer straight from the barrel (and look

askance if you ask for anything else!) and a great selection of well-priced

pizzas.

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Find it at the Via del Leoncino, off the Via del Corso. It‟s closed every

Wednesday and for two weeks in August and is always packed so get there

early or be prepared to wait in a queue.

Shakespeare was never like this : an evening at the Restaurant

„Otello alla Concordia‟.

This was another of our venues when we were

married in Rome – we‟d eaten at the „Otello‟ many

times before and loved it so much we decided to

hold our pre-wedding night meal there.

It‟s an informal, buzzy place with two separate

rooms : we‟ve eaten in both. One is a large open

„sala‟ decorated with vines and fresh fruits, usually

seating parties; the other, a series of smaller rooms

on the far side of the courtyard. Both are wonderful.

The food is typically „Roman‟; the wine is well priced;

the staff can appear a little brusque – but only because they‟re always busy so

don‟t have much time for chit-chat.

Find it close to the Spanish Steps, off the Via del

Corso in a little alleyway called „Via della Croce‟. Look

out for the sign above your head. You‟d be wise to

book – it‟s very popular, particularly on a Friday and

Saturday. Be careful – it‟s closed every Sunday.

The easiest way to book is either online, or go there a

couple of days before you want your meal and see the

lady who sits at the table in the courtyard!

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Once tasted, never forgotten : chocolate truffle ice cream at the

'Tre Scalini'.

And finally - do not, under any circumstances, leave

Rome without tasting the Tre Scalini‟s „tartufo‟ or

dark chocolate truffle, ice cream. Even the thought

of it is enough to make the mouth water.

There is a double advantage to this. You get to sit

on one of Rome‟s best-loved squares – the Piazza

Navona – where you can watch street artists and

admire the gorgeous fountains as you sit and watch the world go by.

Because of its lovely location it‟s not one of the cheapest places to eat but oh,

how it‟s worth it!

Find it at Piazza Navona 30, at the top corner of the square.

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Chapter 3 :

How to enjoy Rome with kids : go to Gladiator School!

Imagine this. You‟ve arranged the trip of a lifetime to Rome with your family. You‟ve got your plan to make sure you experience it all – the Colosseum, the Forum, the Trevi Fountain, St Peter‟s Basilica … And then - reality hits. It‟s sweltering hot, your feet are refusing to walk over any more cobbles and your kids have mutinied about seeing even one more historical site. What to do? Well, here‟s a thought …

Why not take the whole family to be Gladiators for the afternoon? Yes, that‟s right – there‟s a place in Rome where your whole family, from age seven to as old as you like, can go to learn all there is to know about being a Gladiator. And you will do it in the most fun way possible – by being one!

What is Gladiator School? Rome‟s Gladiator School is one of the best-kept secrets ever. It‟s run by a group of native Romans who are just a little obsessed when it comes to ancient Roman soldiers, battles – and Gladiators. What they don‟t know is really not worth knowing.

What happens? You‟ll be in a small group, given a toga (don‟t panic - it‟s worn over your clothes!) and a real ancient Roman name, shown the authentic pieces of equipment Gladiators used in fights, taught how to use them and then – and this is the real highlight – you take part in a real Gladiator fight in a real Arena.

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No, it‟s not the Colosseum. And no, you won‟t be using real swords or fighting lions. But you‟ll see the authentic weapons, you‟ll hear the real story, and you‟ll use the genuine moves Gladiators took years to learn. All in one half day!

This secret Rome sightseeing tip is ideal if you‟re : Any age (from seven up), any ability, male or female, and like having fun;

A worried mum or dad, about to go to Rome and not sure whether you‟ll be able to entertain the kids without them getting bored; Organising a bachelor or bachelorette (hen or stag) party and want to give the Bride or Groom -to-be the event of their life; A visitor to Rome loving its history but wanting some time out to experience it away from Roman remains.

Want to know more?

Click this picture to open our full information page.

Here you‟ll find all the details you need to know,

together with information about how to book.

Or …

If you‟ve already decided this is for you, here‟s a link to the

place where you can read all the fabulous reviews and book in

for the trip of a lifetime. Just - Click the pic!

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Chapter 4 :

Rome’s littlest known biggest view : Three countries through one keyhole!

Normally speaking you wouldn‟t go to the Aventino (Aventine Hill) – it‟s always

been one of Rome‟s classier residential areas, but there‟s not a lot of ancient

Rome left and most people think there‟s nothing worth seeing there.

We know better - and now, so will you.

For hidden away in a tiny, peaceful square called the Piazza dei

Cavalieri di Malta is one of the most spectacular views of St

Peter‟s Basilica you will ever see – through a keyhole in the

large, wooden door of a centuries old monastery.

This beautiful view crosses three countries : the monastery

belongs to the Knights of Malta and is one of the world‟s

smallest independent states; the view takes in

the rooftops of Rome, Italy; and it ends with a

perfectly framed view of the dome of St Peter‟s

Basilica in the Vatican City.

We know about it only because our Italian

wedding planner took Cath there to calm her

nerves on the morning of our wedding – it‟s one

of those memorable parts of the day. It‟s not an

easy photograph to take, but it‟s a memory that

stays in the mind forever.

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Chapter 5 :

So you want to see some tourist sites after all?

Get the scoop on when’s best to see some of the most popular sites in Rome.

OK, so you want to see some places that everyone wants to see when they

come to Rome. No problem.

But there is a time for everything.

Here we give you some tips on how and when to do some all-time great Rome

sightseeing without getting caught up in the crowds.

The Colosseum, Forum and

Palatine Hill :

Everyone wants to see these and

actually there‟s no easy way.

There are always crowds inside

and hundreds of people waiting to

get in.

The best way to avoid this, and it

just happens to be the cheapest

option too, is to buy a pass for all

three - and do it at the Palatine Hill

where the queues are less long. That means you‟ll be able to skip the lines at

both the Forum and the Colosseum – and the pass lasts for three days, so you

don‟t need to do it all at once.

Top Tip : these venues are baking hot in the summer – take water with you

or you‟ll pay through the nose at the water stands.

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The Pantheon : everyone has pictures of

the Pantheon in the sun, but this enormous

building with its famous „oculus‟ is best

seen on a rainy day, when you‟ll get

fabulous pictures of the rain cascading

through the hole in the roof.

It‟s big enough to accommodate large

numbers of visitors at any time of day, so

go whenever suits you best.

St Peter‟s Basilica : again, get there early to

avoid crowds. The Basilica itself is free but you‟ll

need to wait in line anyway.

You‟ll be turned away if you‟re dressed in shorts or,

in the case of women, sleeveless tops. Dress

respectfully.

If you want to see the Vatican museums (which

include the Sistine Chapel) we would very strongly

advise you to book a tour before you go. Otherwise you will almost inevitably

find yourself standing for many hours in a long queue in an extremely noisy,

hot, dusty street. We know, because we‟ve done it!

If you would like to book a private guided tour

of the Vatican museums now, click on this

picture which will take you to one of the best

we know. You won‟t regret it!

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The Spanish Steps :

The best time of all to see the Steps is in May, when they‟re covered in

azaleas and the only word to describe them is “stunning”. But they‟re

impressive throughout the year. Go at any time of day or night – there are

always good-natured crowds there and often street music to entertain you.

And, last but by no means least - the Trevi Fountain :

Our very favourite of all Rome‟s

attractions.

The Trevi is beautiful whenever

you see it, but it‟s best as early as

you can get there in the morning.

After that, you won‟t get near the

fountain for the crowds.

And remember to throw a coin in to guarantee you‟ll return to Rome. Make

sure you do it from your right hand over your left shoulder or it won‟t work!

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About the author.

Cath Andrews is originally from Liverpool,

England, but several years ago married her

husband Mike in Rome, Italy and a year later

bought an old Italian farmhouse where they

now live with their two dogs.

Both Cath and Mike love Italy and everything Italian and two years ago, Cath

started her own website : Explore Italian Culture which is shortly to be followed

by a second site, this time written by Mike, about the ups and downs of life on

their olive grove.

Cath‟s passion for Italy, and for Rome as its capital city, led her to write

„Affordable Rome Sightseeing‟ so she could share some of her in-depth

knowledge with anyone who might be visiting the Eternal City and in need of a

few „insider tips‟.

Resources.

For more information about Rome, visit the section on Cath‟s website wholly dedicated to

this wonderful city : Things to do in Rome.

For information about where to see the Pope during your stay, have a look at the Vatican's

own website which gives a full listing of his whereabouts throughout the year, or find out

how to apply for a Papal audience – it‟s free!

If you‟re interested to know more about Cath and Mike‟s life on an Italian farm, follow them

on Facebook at Casa Benessere, Italy or on Twitter at Our Italian Home.