This is an honest travel review about the weekend
I spent in Rome at the beginning of September. I'm making the 'honest' point now because I'm going to go against the 'I loved Rome, it's a
must-visit' and say I had very mixed views on my time spent
in the city. Maybe I've been spoilt with other amazing places, and although
I had lots of fun, I'm not in a hurry to return to Rome.
We only had three nights in Rome so we got
started on seeing the sights as soon as we got off the plane. We booked our
hotel very last minute so the choice wasn't massive but Hearth Hotel just outside
the Vatican was the perfect location and the staff were so friendly - also a
plus we got to check-in early on arrival. After we dropped our bags we set off
over the River Tiber which is beautiful in the sun to the Spanish Steps. I'm
not sure what I was expecting but they were a bit dreary and grey.
After a walk through the Piazza di Spagna we
arrived at our lunch destination of Gina. I tend to organise my travel
itinerary around the places I'd like to eat in which actually does make it
easier to plan things, especially in
a city. Gina is a real find, located near shops such as Chanel and Louis
Vuitton, it gives off a luxury vibe without being pretentious. The whole place
is really white which is my idea of interior heaven but with unique
American-styled artwork such as the American flag in Coca-Cola cans. The food
is simple but tasty and came out very quickly - perfect for a daytime bite.
From Gina we walked to the Pantheon, one of
Ancient Rome's best preserved buildings rebuilt by the emperor Hadrian in
126AD. We decided to join an English-speaking tour as the guy that stopped us
to ask if we'd like to join was so nice! It was actually really interesting and
we discovered a lot more about the building and the streets around it than if
we'd just explored alone. The thing I was most fascinated with was the
beautiful floor in many different marbles. The ruby red colour was like nothing
I'd ever seen before. The Pantheon is an impressive sight so it's definitely
one for the to-see list.
Our guide mentioned one of Rome's most famous
cafes; Sant'Eustachio il Caffe located in a nearby piazza where they use a
'secret' method to create their coffee (the coffee machine is covered to avoid
it getting out!). Being coffee lovers we had to go for an espresso - Romans
tend not to drink cappuccino after 11am so when in Rome (I drank a lot of
coffee!). The piazzas are lovely - one of the most interesting things in Rome. There's
always some elaborate building and cute cafes with tables outside to
people-watch and of course... gelato!
Pumped with caffeine we headed to the Trevi
Fountain which again, unfortunately, did not blow me away. Perhaps we were
unlucky with our timing as there was construction work going on and no water
flowing so I can imagine it's a wonderful sight most of the time.
Our first evening in Rome was spent at Etabli
which is one of the most gorgeous restaurant bars I've been to. It's like
you're in someone’s home inside with wooden bookshelves, quirky little features,
comfy leather chairs and mismatched table settings. It's got a really relaxed
atmosphere with a great range of cocktails and they regularly put on live
music. Luckily for us, it was jazz night while we were dining there and the
young musicians were fantastic and played all night! The food matched the
laid-back nature of Etabli - fresh salads, homemade pasta and delicious
desserts. I would urge anyone going to Rome to visit.
Our first full day was 'nature day' - a day spent
enjoying Rome's Botanical Gardens followed by a 'trek' up Gianicolo Hill to
admire the view and have pizza as a reward at the top! My favourite gardens are
in Melbourne, Australia, as I've said, I've obviously been spoilt as the
Botanical Gardens did not impress me. Maybe in the height of Summer or Spring
with the flowers blooming it is lovely but not so much in September.
After lunch we literally stumbled upon a massive
park which felt more like someone's amazing back garden as within the grounds
was a very impressive villa. Dotted about the place were ruins of bridges with
Roman figures to admire, pretty statues and lovely steps. After I found out
that 'Villa Doria Pamphilj Park' is Rome's largest landscaped public park laid
out around 1650 for Prince Camillo Pamphilj, nephew of Pope Innocent X with the
villa being the Prince's summer residence. This was the highlight of my time in
Rome, hence the blog title - it was such a beautiful day well-spent.
After much walking (we got lost!), we had more to
do... a leisurely walk back into the city and then a tour around the Vatican
'after dark' which I thought would be even nicer than if we'd visited in the
day. For a limited time, the Vatican opens it's doors at night to a small number
of visitors - we booked in advance and were lucky to get a ticket I think. We
entered the impressive building and were guided by signs around the museums and
stunning hallways admiring those amazing ceilings. The Sistine Chapel was
somewhere which many people had told me I had to see so after passing through
many exhibitions and marble rooms we were excited to reach the Chapel. It's a
beautiful sight, the ceiling is obviously amazing but again, I wasn't overly
impressed! It seemed like a big build-up to the Chapel which was a little bit
of a let down. We wondered around a little (no pictures allowed) and then
exited into the courtyard and as we did a grand firework display started. Then
as part of the 'Vatican After Dark' an orchestra began playing - to me, the
fireworks and music were much more beautiful.
For our final day we decided to be proper
tourists and visit the Roman sights around the Colosseum. I found the Pallazo
Venezia, which is often overlooked, an amazing building. It was built mainly
with materials quarried from the famous Colosseum and Mussolini used it as his
official residence - the horse and carriage on the top astounded me. There's a
pretty cafe on top where we enjoyed a drink and lunch overlooking Ancient Rome.
Onto the Colosseum - I now wish I'd researched
more into the origins of Colosseum before I went to Rome so I could understand
the history fully and appreciate the sight a little more. Again, it's very
impressive, the weather was beautiful and it wasn't too crowded and I'm glad I've
seen it but once I'd looked out into the arena, I was ready to leave for more
pizza! There's a few pizza places on Via di San Vito not far from the Colosseum
and although we were advised to avoid the touristy places, we really enjoyed
eating real Italian pizza under the vine leaves there.
We booked a table at Le Jardin de Russie within
Hotel de Russie for our final meal in Rome - now that's somewhere impressive!
The setting of both the hotel's bar and restaurant is so pretty; it's like a
secret garden in the middle of Rome with greenery and waterfalls. We had a
wonderful meal - champagne, seafood and Wagu beef followed by the most amazing
melt-in-the-middle chocolate pot I've ever had. I would like to return to Rome
just to stay (and eat!) at the hotel again!
Highlights...
• Jazz at Etabli
• A wonder around Villa Doria Pamphilj Park
• The view from the top of Gianicolo Hill
Must Dos...
• Enjoy a secret garden dinner at Le Jardin de Russie
• Walk around Rome stopping off at the piazzas
along the way
Jane x
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