Ad Hoc
via ripetta 43, 00186 Rome, Italy
November 2011
I can't comment on the food but the service was below par. We didn't have a reservation but it was still on the early side of dinner time. The restaurant had plenty of open tables however we were told they were full. When we asked about a reservation the next night we were told they were full for the next 2 nights, all this without looking at a reservation log book.
Needless to say we didn't try to dine here again.
I can't comment on the food but the service was below par. We didn't have a reservation but it was still on the early side of dinner time. The restaurant had plenty of open tables however we were told they were full. When we asked about a reservation the next night we were told they were full for the next 2 nights, all this without looking at a reservation log book.
Needless to say we didn't try to dine here again.
Osteria S.Ana
Via della Penna, 68/69, Rome, Italy
Last year we dined at here twice and the service and food were always outstanding. Upon entering the restaurant we were greeted warmly and shown to our reserved table (we made reservations through our concierge). The four of us chose a red wine and flat water to start.
Then came the enormous amounts of food. We figured order a lot and we'll all share. First came the Antipasto which at Osteria St. Anna its an entire meal. We got Fava beans, chickpeas, cannellini beans, eggplant caponata, and proscuitto. We also ordered a proscuitto and melon. Outstanding!
For second courses we ordered the Carbonara (unfortunately it was a little too al dente), the risotto with porchini, gnocchi with mussels, and the lasagna. Comforting!
For the third courses we ordered the Veal Saltimboca, Oxtail, Caprese salad, mixed vegetables, fried artichoke, and the highlight of the evening were the Meatballs with truffle sauce.
Ending the meal was complimentary Limoncello and Anise biscuits! Perfect! We got all of this for $138 euros. Can not be beat!!!
November 2011
The staff, atmosphere, and food are amazing! We didn't have a reservation either time and it was never a problem.
Our first dinner was the antipasti (huge portion) which consisted of a lentil dish, Proscuitto and melon, eggplant caponata, and beans. My husband enjoyed the marinated baby fish. For entrees I had the Pasta alla carbonara (which was as good as my friend from Italy makes), and the pasta with octopus. For dessert the apple "purse" and grappa.
The 2nd time we ate here we enjoyed fried artichoke and the marinated baby fish again. For entrees the alla'matriciana and the carbonara (yes again - its that good). To accompany or meal we enjoyed a Novella (which is the new one - only two months old).
If you are in Rome I highly recommend a visit to Osteria S. Anna!
Then came the enormous amounts of food. We figured order a lot and we'll all share. First came the Antipasto which at Osteria St. Anna its an entire meal. We got Fava beans, chickpeas, cannellini beans, eggplant caponata, and proscuitto. We also ordered a proscuitto and melon. Outstanding!
For second courses we ordered the Carbonara (unfortunately it was a little too al dente), the risotto with porchini, gnocchi with mussels, and the lasagna. Comforting!
For the third courses we ordered the Veal Saltimboca, Oxtail, Caprese salad, mixed vegetables, fried artichoke, and the highlight of the evening were the Meatballs with truffle sauce.
Ending the meal was complimentary Limoncello and Anise biscuits! Perfect! We got all of this for $138 euros. Can not be beat!!!
November 2011
The staff, atmosphere, and food are amazing! We didn't have a reservation either time and it was never a problem.
Our first dinner was the antipasti (huge portion) which consisted of a lentil dish, Proscuitto and melon, eggplant caponata, and beans. My husband enjoyed the marinated baby fish. For entrees I had the Pasta alla carbonara (which was as good as my friend from Italy makes), and the pasta with octopus. For dessert the apple "purse" and grappa.
The 2nd time we ate here we enjoyed fried artichoke and the marinated baby fish again. For entrees the alla'matriciana and the carbonara (yes again - its that good). To accompany or meal we enjoyed a Novella (which is the new one - only two months old).
If you are in Rome I highly recommend a visit to Osteria S. Anna!
Casa Coppelle
Piazza delle Coppelle 49, 00186 Rome, Italy
November 2011
The restaurant was cozy, staff friendly, and the food was delicious. For starters we enjoyed the misto di fritto (zucchini flowers, onion, panzerotti, meatball) and proscuitto di parma and mozzarella. For entrees we enjoyed the Tonnarelli cacio e pepe with zucchini flowers and the lemon and thyme risotto. To accompany the meal we enjoyed a house red wine and sparkling mineral water.
The only bad part but still funny was when I said "il conto per favore" and got another bottle of water instead of the check. We ended up drinking the water and enjoying the cookies offered to us before leaving.
The restaurant was cozy, staff friendly, and the food was delicious. For starters we enjoyed the misto di fritto (zucchini flowers, onion, panzerotti, meatball) and proscuitto di parma and mozzarella. For entrees we enjoyed the Tonnarelli cacio e pepe with zucchini flowers and the lemon and thyme risotto. To accompany the meal we enjoyed a house red wine and sparkling mineral water.
The only bad part but still funny was when I said "il conto per favore" and got another bottle of water instead of the check. We ended up drinking the water and enjoying the cookies offered to us before leaving.
Life
Via della Vite, 28 00187 Rome, Italy
We had made reservations through our hotel and although we arrived a little early it was no problem at all. We opted to sit in the back of the restaurant where it was a bit quieter, shortly we were joined by 3 couples from 3 other countries.
We chose not to order starters because they either didn't sound appealing to us or they had cheese in them. For drinks we decided on still water and a bottle of Shiraz. Greg ordered the Carbonara and claimed it delicious! I ordered the Fettuccine with Porchini mushrooms and Truffles. The pasta was good although could have used more truffle flavor. The staff was good at understanding no Formaggio for me (dairy free).
For entrees Greg ordered the Fried Prawns, Squid, and Octopus. He enjoyed the dish although coming from New England it felt a little too much like what we ordered on the coast. I ordered the Turbot wrapped in potato. This dish was outstanding! The potatoes were crunch, the fish flaky, and the accompanying sauce and the perfect amount of acid.
We chose not to order starters because they either didn't sound appealing to us or they had cheese in them. For drinks we decided on still water and a bottle of Shiraz. Greg ordered the Carbonara and claimed it delicious! I ordered the Fettuccine with Porchini mushrooms and Truffles. The pasta was good although could have used more truffle flavor. The staff was good at understanding no Formaggio for me (dairy free).
For entrees Greg ordered the Fried Prawns, Squid, and Octopus. He enjoyed the dish although coming from New England it felt a little too much like what we ordered on the coast. I ordered the Turbot wrapped in potato. This dish was outstanding! The potatoes were crunch, the fish flaky, and the accompanying sauce and the perfect amount of acid.
Artemide Rooftop Restaurant
Hotel Artemide
Via Nazionale, 22 00184 Rome, Italy
Lunch
A happy surprise to see our hostess from breakfast, Lorca. The hotel offered us two free Prosecco's at check in and so we started with that and moved on to a glass of Chianti. While ordering lunch Lorca remembered my dairy allergy and thought about what I was ordering to make sure it was okay for me.
Greg ordered the Salami platter which included 4 types of cured meats. I ordered the Prosciutto and olive spread sandwich. It came on simple white bread with a savory black olive spread and warmed Prosciutto.
Artemide restaurant is definitely a good casual lunch spot.
Dinner
The Rooftop Restaurant of Hotel Artemide offers a casual atmosphere, easy going service, and fabulous food. Both Greg and I felt that the food is actually worthy of more formality.
Again, the restaurant had no problem with my dairy allergy. They even prepared a salad for me as an amuse-bouche considering the regular one contained butter. For starters we ordered the Octopus with Lime, and the House Smoked Turkey with Apples. The appetizers were beautifully plated, tender, succulent, and impressive.
For our first course we both ended up ordering the Strozzatti (pasta with tomatoes and Guanciale (pork). Greg's was sprinkled with cheese and mine remained dairy free. The pasta's were comforting, plated beautifully, and full of flavor.
Our second courses were Sea Bass with Sauteed Vegetables and Roasted Potatoes and Lemon Chicken with Roasted Potatoes. Again, both entrees were gorgeous, full of flavor, and cooked to perfection.
Knowing that desserts would contain dairy we skipped dessert and headed back to our room for a night cap and some cookies from Il Fornaio.
A happy surprise to see our hostess from breakfast, Lorca. The hotel offered us two free Prosecco's at check in and so we started with that and moved on to a glass of Chianti. While ordering lunch Lorca remembered my dairy allergy and thought about what I was ordering to make sure it was okay for me.
Greg ordered the Salami platter which included 4 types of cured meats. I ordered the Prosciutto and olive spread sandwich. It came on simple white bread with a savory black olive spread and warmed Prosciutto.
Artemide restaurant is definitely a good casual lunch spot.
Dinner
The Rooftop Restaurant of Hotel Artemide offers a casual atmosphere, easy going service, and fabulous food. Both Greg and I felt that the food is actually worthy of more formality.
Again, the restaurant had no problem with my dairy allergy. They even prepared a salad for me as an amuse-bouche considering the regular one contained butter. For starters we ordered the Octopus with Lime, and the House Smoked Turkey with Apples. The appetizers were beautifully plated, tender, succulent, and impressive.
For our first course we both ended up ordering the Strozzatti (pasta with tomatoes and Guanciale (pork). Greg's was sprinkled with cheese and mine remained dairy free. The pasta's were comforting, plated beautifully, and full of flavor.
Our second courses were Sea Bass with Sauteed Vegetables and Roasted Potatoes and Lemon Chicken with Roasted Potatoes. Again, both entrees were gorgeous, full of flavor, and cooked to perfection.
Knowing that desserts would contain dairy we skipped dessert and headed back to our room for a night cap and some cookies from Il Fornaio.
La Matriciana
Via del Viminale, 44 00184 Rome, Italy
I'm pretty sure we were the only English speaking tourists in the restaurant at lunch time. However, the staff were friendly, helpful, and the restaurant had a comforting feeling. The staff also receives high scores for me for understanding my Dairy Allergy.
We were given the customary bread basket and this time I did partake in it. Yum! We both ordered the Vegetable Soup to start. It was savory, full of fresh vegetables, and warming on a cold day. It also reminded me of my childhood. I was very fortunate to grow up with friends of the family who were from Italy (and still own property in Italy). The mother of the family is one of the best cooks I have and will ever know. This soup was traditional and warming just the way she would have made it.
For entrees I ordered the Buccatini alla Matriciana (buccatini pasta with bacon and tomatoes - without cheese) and Greg ordered the Penne alla Arrabiata (penne pasta in a spicy tomato sauce). Both dishes were cooked perfectly, full of flavor, and again very traditional.
I can not wait to dine here again and highly recommend others to visit.
We were given the customary bread basket and this time I did partake in it. Yum! We both ordered the Vegetable Soup to start. It was savory, full of fresh vegetables, and warming on a cold day. It also reminded me of my childhood. I was very fortunate to grow up with friends of the family who were from Italy (and still own property in Italy). The mother of the family is one of the best cooks I have and will ever know. This soup was traditional and warming just the way she would have made it.
For entrees I ordered the Buccatini alla Matriciana (buccatini pasta with bacon and tomatoes - without cheese) and Greg ordered the Penne alla Arrabiata (penne pasta in a spicy tomato sauce). Both dishes were cooked perfectly, full of flavor, and again very traditional.
I can not wait to dine here again and highly recommend others to visit.
La Taverna dei Fori Imperiali
Via della Madonna dei Monti, 9 00184 Rome, Italy
The evening started out nicely. We found the restaurant easily, the staff were welcoming and helpful, and the restaurant was unique.
For a started we ordered the fried artichoke. The artichoke was lightly fried, tender, and had a touch of salt. For first courses I ordered the Special Carbonara (penne with peas, artichokes, bacon, and a little bit of cheese). Yes, I did say cheese - tonight I took a chance on some dairy and ended up with positive results!! Greg ordered the Pasta Romana (noodles with sage and bacon). Both dishes were good but the salt content was a little too high.
For entrees I ordered the Steak with mushrooms and Greg ordered the pork with truffles and cheese. Again the food was good although salty.
Unfortunately, the restaurant allows street musicians to enter the restaurant and the one on this particular night ended up making light hearted jokes about my husband to the table next to us. This was the first turn off of the night. The second turn off of the night was when it came time for the check. We asked two different people for it but unfortunately they seemed much more preoccupied with the new patrons entering the restaurant.
Based on this experience I wouldn't return but seeing all of the popular reviews out there I think its worth it for others to try it out. Perhaps it was an off night for us.
For a started we ordered the fried artichoke. The artichoke was lightly fried, tender, and had a touch of salt. For first courses I ordered the Special Carbonara (penne with peas, artichokes, bacon, and a little bit of cheese). Yes, I did say cheese - tonight I took a chance on some dairy and ended up with positive results!! Greg ordered the Pasta Romana (noodles with sage and bacon). Both dishes were good but the salt content was a little too high.
For entrees I ordered the Steak with mushrooms and Greg ordered the pork with truffles and cheese. Again the food was good although salty.
Unfortunately, the restaurant allows street musicians to enter the restaurant and the one on this particular night ended up making light hearted jokes about my husband to the table next to us. This was the first turn off of the night. The second turn off of the night was when it came time for the check. We asked two different people for it but unfortunately they seemed much more preoccupied with the new patrons entering the restaurant.
Based on this experience I wouldn't return but seeing all of the popular reviews out there I think its worth it for others to try it out. Perhaps it was an off night for us.
Canova
Piazza del Popolo, 16 00187 Rome, Italy
(2012 review)
We were seated in the back row of the outside dining area which was nice with the space heaters. Unfortunately, we had a troublesome lot of adorable small birds. I will say that most of the birds won!
To start off our lunch we ordered a prosecco, a beer, and the Salami with Foccaccia. The starter was full of different salami and the foccaccia was thin but warm.
For entrees I ordered the Stracciatella Soup and Greg ordered the Canova Risotto (with Black Truffles). My soup was good although it was better last year the eggs were more like scrabbled eggs in soup rather than streams of egg as it should be. Greg's Risotto was perfect; savory, cheesy, and not too firm.
Even though it is a touristy restaurant we still highly recommend!
November 2011
On our last day in Rome it decided to rain about lunch time. Most of the restaurants weren't able to accommodate a lot of people outside because of the rain. Cassanova was able to quickly move, dry, and replace tables and chairs without affecting service to much.
We first ordered a beer and prosecco along with a grilled vegetable plate. The plate consisted of mushrooms, zucchini, eggplant, and sweet peppers, and all were very tasty.
For entrees my husband had the Straciatella soup, and I had the black truffle risotto. Both dishes warmed us up from the cold rain, comforted us, and tasted delicous!
To start off our lunch we ordered a prosecco, a beer, and the Salami with Foccaccia. The starter was full of different salami and the foccaccia was thin but warm.
For entrees I ordered the Stracciatella Soup and Greg ordered the Canova Risotto (with Black Truffles). My soup was good although it was better last year the eggs were more like scrabbled eggs in soup rather than streams of egg as it should be. Greg's Risotto was perfect; savory, cheesy, and not too firm.
Even though it is a touristy restaurant we still highly recommend!
November 2011
On our last day in Rome it decided to rain about lunch time. Most of the restaurants weren't able to accommodate a lot of people outside because of the rain. Cassanova was able to quickly move, dry, and replace tables and chairs without affecting service to much.
We first ordered a beer and prosecco along with a grilled vegetable plate. The plate consisted of mushrooms, zucchini, eggplant, and sweet peppers, and all were very tasty.
For entrees my husband had the Straciatella soup, and I had the black truffle risotto. Both dishes warmed us up from the cold rain, comforted us, and tasted delicous!
Nonna Betta
Via del Portico D'Ottavia, 16 00186 Rome, Italy
This was our 2nd time dining at this restaurant and the service was just as friendly, the food just as delicious, and the atmosphere still casual.
To start we ordered a bottle of the house wine, a fried artichoke, and marinated anchovies. My artichoke was perfectly tender, lightly fried, and just enough salt. Greg loves the anchovies here!
For entrees I was introduced to the artichoke lasagna. Greg ordered my favorite dish from last year, the semolina gnocchi's. My lasagna was hot out of the oven in a terra cotta dish. The lasagna was cheesy, well seasoned, and comforting. The gnocchi's are light, larger in size, covered with cheese and baked in a terra cotta dish. Outstanding!
We kept getting whiffs of something chocolaty all through dinner. Naturally I just had to order it! It was a ricotta cheesecake topped with pears, and brulee'd chocolate. Needless to say the dessert plate was cleaned!
Nonna Betta is a must eat in Rome!
November 2011
My husband and I truly enjoyed eating at Nonna Betta. The night we dined there must have been a slow night (after the holidays) because we had the entire restaurant to ourselves. We enjoyed marinated anchovies and a fried artichoke for starters. Our entrees were gnocchi with pesto and a semolina gnocchi made with eggs and cheese and baked in the oven. Everything was delicious! Accompanying our meal was a Novello (an Italian wine that was made only 2 months previously). I highly recommend a stop at Nonna Betta!
To start we ordered a bottle of the house wine, a fried artichoke, and marinated anchovies. My artichoke was perfectly tender, lightly fried, and just enough salt. Greg loves the anchovies here!
For entrees I was introduced to the artichoke lasagna. Greg ordered my favorite dish from last year, the semolina gnocchi's. My lasagna was hot out of the oven in a terra cotta dish. The lasagna was cheesy, well seasoned, and comforting. The gnocchi's are light, larger in size, covered with cheese and baked in a terra cotta dish. Outstanding!
We kept getting whiffs of something chocolaty all through dinner. Naturally I just had to order it! It was a ricotta cheesecake topped with pears, and brulee'd chocolate. Needless to say the dessert plate was cleaned!
Nonna Betta is a must eat in Rome!
November 2011
My husband and I truly enjoyed eating at Nonna Betta. The night we dined there must have been a slow night (after the holidays) because we had the entire restaurant to ourselves. We enjoyed marinated anchovies and a fried artichoke for starters. Our entrees were gnocchi with pesto and a semolina gnocchi made with eggs and cheese and baked in the oven. Everything was delicious! Accompanying our meal was a Novello (an Italian wine that was made only 2 months previously). I highly recommend a stop at Nonna Betta!
Castroni
Via Nazionale 71 | (Quartiere Monti), Rome, Italy
We visited Castroni on several occasions. The staff were always friendly and helpful even to my husband who can't speak any Italian. Castroni offers a large selection of wines and artisanal beers in a variety of price ranges. The coffee and pastries looked wonderful but we never had time to try them.
Il Fornaio
5 Via dei Baullari, Rome, Italy
This was our 2nd visit to the bakery and we enjoyed it just as much. Yes the cookies are still expensive but we found that the Bocconcini della Nonna cookies were comparable to everywhere else. What I enjoyed most about the cookies from Il Fornaio is that they offer almond, plain, and pistacchio flavors. The cookies have a nice crust texture, a soft interior and are full of flavor.
Gelateria's
Grom Gelato
http://www.grom.it/eng/index.php
Yes it is a chain gelato shop but Grom offers high quality ingredients with delicious flavors and a creamy texture. My favorite part of Grom gelato is that they offer customers an allergen statement. For instance with my dairy allergy I found out I can eat their fruit gelato and the Cioccolato Extranoir.
Cioccolato Extranoir is a rich, creamy, and dark chocolate gelato made without dairy. It was Greg’s favorite flavor they offer even before we knew that it was dairy free for me.
Venchi Gelato
http://www.venchi.ro/en/icecream/
Venchi offers delightful gelato as well as scrumptious chocolates. At Venchi I order the Aztec Chocolate Gelato (dairy free) and it is bold in flavor, creamy texture, and dark chocolate.
Gelateria Fatamorgana
Piazza degli Zingari 5 00184 - Roma
Finally here is a gelato shop that is not only creamy, has a large dairy free selection, but it also has unique flavors that you never knew you always wanted.
The staff were friendly, helpful, and easily explained the dairy free options. I ordered a small gelato with two flavors; pumpkin with a type of praline topping and apple with cinnamon and walnuts. Both flavors were creamy, fresh tasting, and also had some texture.
Greg ordered the Basil with honey and nuts, and the white almond gelato (both are made with dairy). I had a small taste of the basil gelato (basil being one of my favorite ingredients) and I can confirm it was sweet, savory, and delicious!!
Gelateria Fatamorgana is a little hard to find and they don't post their hours on their website (closed on Mondays) but the gelato is definitely worth the effort!
November 2011
*** Blue Ice: Fruit flavors are very tasty
***** Gelateria Venchi: My favorite gelato in Rome
****La Gelateria Frigidarium: Worth the wait
*****Gelateria Grom: My husbands favorite place for Gelato
http://www.grom.it/eng/index.php
Yes it is a chain gelato shop but Grom offers high quality ingredients with delicious flavors and a creamy texture. My favorite part of Grom gelato is that they offer customers an allergen statement. For instance with my dairy allergy I found out I can eat their fruit gelato and the Cioccolato Extranoir.
Cioccolato Extranoir is a rich, creamy, and dark chocolate gelato made without dairy. It was Greg’s favorite flavor they offer even before we knew that it was dairy free for me.
Venchi Gelato
http://www.venchi.ro/en/icecream/
Venchi offers delightful gelato as well as scrumptious chocolates. At Venchi I order the Aztec Chocolate Gelato (dairy free) and it is bold in flavor, creamy texture, and dark chocolate.
Gelateria Fatamorgana
Piazza degli Zingari 5 00184 - Roma
Finally here is a gelato shop that is not only creamy, has a large dairy free selection, but it also has unique flavors that you never knew you always wanted.
The staff were friendly, helpful, and easily explained the dairy free options. I ordered a small gelato with two flavors; pumpkin with a type of praline topping and apple with cinnamon and walnuts. Both flavors were creamy, fresh tasting, and also had some texture.
Greg ordered the Basil with honey and nuts, and the white almond gelato (both are made with dairy). I had a small taste of the basil gelato (basil being one of my favorite ingredients) and I can confirm it was sweet, savory, and delicious!!
Gelateria Fatamorgana is a little hard to find and they don't post their hours on their website (closed on Mondays) but the gelato is definitely worth the effort!
November 2011
*** Blue Ice: Fruit flavors are very tasty
***** Gelateria Venchi: My favorite gelato in Rome
****La Gelateria Frigidarium: Worth the wait
*****Gelateria Grom: My husbands favorite place for Gelato
Hotel Artemide
Rome, Italy
Hotel:
The check in staff at Hotel Artemide was friendly, funny, and personable. Unfortunately our room wasn't ready but we only had about a 2 hour wait. The staff offered us breakfast or coffee but we were prepared for not being able to check in and were ready to head out into Rome. When we got back to Hotel Artemide we were fully checked in and given room 115. We were also given two vouchers for Prosecco, a 20% off voucher for dinner, and a bottle of Chianti with glasses and peanuts was sent to our room. Off to a great start!
Hotel Tip: The hotel staff received my email (and promptly emailed me back) about my dairy allergy, had it noted in the reservation, and already informed the breakfast staff about it.
Room:
115 is the perfect Deluxe Superior Room. You enter the room into a long hallway with a closet, shelves, table, mini fridge, and a coffee/tea area. The bathroom is large with shower / tub, sink, bidet, and toilet. The bedroom has a large bed, two end tables, a chaise, desk with chair, and a flat screen tv. The added bonus were two doors leading to a small personal courtyard (no view and no privacy but still very nice to have). The room can get very loud from the courtyard and the breakfast area of the hotel (you are above it). So if you are a light sleeper this may not be the best room. With that said I still highly recommend this room and would stay here again.
The housekeeping staff did an excellent job of our room. One day our room wasn’t finished and it was around 3:30 in the afternoon but we tend to go with the flow so we went up to the roof for a drink. Another day we accidentally left the do not disturb sign on the door. The maids didn’t clean our room but did have the concierge leave us a letter under our door letting us know the situation and if we wanted to have the room cleaned just to give them a call. Excellent customer service!
Breakfast:
The breakfast staff is friendly and helpful but Lorca was the absolute best!! Right away my dairy allergy was recognized and I was told that the eggs in the buffet have milk but the restaurant would make me eggs any way I like. I was also told that I can have Soy milk for coffee, tea, or cereal. The buffet offered:
Rolls and bread, toast, and pastries
Scrambled eggs, sausage, potatoes, and beans
Yogurt, fruit
Cereals, pancakes
Fruit juices
Coffees and Teas
Fresh Ricotta
Concierge:
Several days we asked for help with reservations and this was always met with a smile and ended with confirmation. We also asked for a cab to be called a couple times and the cab always arrived within minutes.
I really can’t say enough good things about Hotel Artemide or about our experience I highly recommend this hotel and would be happy to stay here again!
The check in staff at Hotel Artemide was friendly, funny, and personable. Unfortunately our room wasn't ready but we only had about a 2 hour wait. The staff offered us breakfast or coffee but we were prepared for not being able to check in and were ready to head out into Rome. When we got back to Hotel Artemide we were fully checked in and given room 115. We were also given two vouchers for Prosecco, a 20% off voucher for dinner, and a bottle of Chianti with glasses and peanuts was sent to our room. Off to a great start!
Hotel Tip: The hotel staff received my email (and promptly emailed me back) about my dairy allergy, had it noted in the reservation, and already informed the breakfast staff about it.
Room:
115 is the perfect Deluxe Superior Room. You enter the room into a long hallway with a closet, shelves, table, mini fridge, and a coffee/tea area. The bathroom is large with shower / tub, sink, bidet, and toilet. The bedroom has a large bed, two end tables, a chaise, desk with chair, and a flat screen tv. The added bonus were two doors leading to a small personal courtyard (no view and no privacy but still very nice to have). The room can get very loud from the courtyard and the breakfast area of the hotel (you are above it). So if you are a light sleeper this may not be the best room. With that said I still highly recommend this room and would stay here again.
The housekeeping staff did an excellent job of our room. One day our room wasn’t finished and it was around 3:30 in the afternoon but we tend to go with the flow so we went up to the roof for a drink. Another day we accidentally left the do not disturb sign on the door. The maids didn’t clean our room but did have the concierge leave us a letter under our door letting us know the situation and if we wanted to have the room cleaned just to give them a call. Excellent customer service!
Breakfast:
The breakfast staff is friendly and helpful but Lorca was the absolute best!! Right away my dairy allergy was recognized and I was told that the eggs in the buffet have milk but the restaurant would make me eggs any way I like. I was also told that I can have Soy milk for coffee, tea, or cereal. The buffet offered:
Rolls and bread, toast, and pastries
Scrambled eggs, sausage, potatoes, and beans
Yogurt, fruit
Cereals, pancakes
Fruit juices
Coffees and Teas
Fresh Ricotta
Concierge:
Several days we asked for help with reservations and this was always met with a smile and ended with confirmation. We also asked for a cab to be called a couple times and the cab always arrived within minutes.
I really can’t say enough good things about Hotel Artemide or about our experience I highly recommend this hotel and would be happy to stay here again!
Rome, Italy - November 2011
Recently I wrote an article about traveling and learning how to roll with any small problems that may happen during your trip. I found this quite ironic since this trip was so much fun but at the same time filled with small problems.
Saturday the 30th of October....
Here is this years 1st and a historic nor'easter. Wind, rain, trees, hanging down to the ground and 4+ inches of snow. We are in the middle of packing, shoveling, and worrying about whether or not our flight will take off tomorrow. When we wake we are thankful that the snow isn't as bad as everyone thought for the Boston area - our flight will be on time!! We drive over to my parents house who will be baby sitting our boys (our two dogs Bucket and Fred). We get them settled and wait for my dad to take us to the airport. As we're heading to the airport our 2nd problem hits....literally! A driver swerved into our lane and hit my dads brand new car on the drivers side. Now its time to exchange information and take photographs before we can drive the other 2 miles to the airport.
Finally we get to Logan Airport! Yesterday I went online and checked in at USairways.com thinking this would expedite the process. Wrong! For some reason USair makes you check in again at a Kiosk and then speak to a person to drop off any checked bags. This took forever as there were only 3 associates to help and the kiosk we used broke. Yay, through security and ready to have a glass of wine at the bar! Now we're prepared for our flight but oops...gate changed time to find the right gate for our flight to Philly. We're only 15 minutes late landing in Philadelphia and we make our way to Terminal A (international terminal). A tip: Check in for your international flight if you just came from a change over. The agents need to verify your passports again. US airways didn't announce this until right before boarding time!
During our flight we both opted for the Vegetarian Meals.....wrong choice!!! We were given rice and vegetables which were inedible, salad, a roll, and some fruit with shredded coconut. Luckily I had a bag of chips with me!! The seats didn't provide much room (even the two seats together) but we did have our own tvs so we could choose from a variety of movies, tv shows, and music. Bon Giorno bella Roma! We arrive in Rome 45 minutes late and head to Immigration and Customs. Neither areas bothered to even look at our documents, and didn't get a stamp for into the country. We grabbed our bags and headed to the Meeting Point. We were met by Rome Cabs for our trip to the River Palace Hotel. Our driver was friendly, fast, and efficient!
We checked into the River Palace Hotel, thanks to Sergio. Unfortunately, our room wouldn't be ready for 2 more hours. We organized our bags and had the hotel hold the rest and off we went to explore!
Day 1
We headed to the Piazza del Popolo, onto the Trevi Fountain, and then to the Spanish Steps. Naturally we looked around a bit and took some photos but at this point we were pretty tired and didn't explore too much. Finally we grabbed some pizza from Cin Cin restaurant across from the Vittoriano Museum for the walk back to our hotel. Our Junior Suite had an entrance way (with large closet and safe), a sitting area (with table and chair, couch, flat screen tv, and a mini bar), a bathroom (with sink, toilet, bidet, large tub with shower attachment), and the bedroom (with a full size bed, end table, minibar, and a flat screen tv). Tip: as part of the turn down service the drapes are fully closed and include a black out curtain so set an alarm otherwise you may never wake up.
We ended up crashing asleep instead of resting for a bit. We finally got ourselves upright, cleaned up, and headed out for the night. We wondered around a bit to see Rome and night and then settled in for dinner at Osteria S. Anna. For starters we enjoyed the Antipasti (prosciutto and melon, eggplant caponata, lentils, and beans), Greg also tried the marinated fish. For our entrees we enjoyed Pasta with Octopus, and I had the Pasta alla'carbonara all accompanied by the house red wine. For dessert Greg opted for an "Italian" glass of grappa, while I enjoyed an apple purse. Back at the hotel we enjoyed our complimentary bottle of chianti as a night cap.
Day 2
At home we're not really into having large multi-course dinners so this morning we weren't too hungry for breakfast. I can tell you that the River Palace Hotel offers fruit, cereals, pastries, eggs, hashbrowns, bacon, cold cuts, and a variety of beverages including mimosas. We knew today was a holiday - All Saints Day but we underestimated the impact this would have on the city. Rome was filled with italian and non italian tourists. Yes many churches were open to the public, but also restaurants and stores were open longer, and the atmosphere was vibrant!
Today would be our longest outing! We decided to hike all the way down to Testaccio and back with many many detours! Along the way we stopped in to the Vittoriano Museum (one of my favorite buildings). We walked through the museum, and also checked out the view from the top. Next we walked through Palatine Hill, the Forum, and Circus Maximus. Along the way we also saw the Temple of Vesta, Temple of Portunus, Arch of Janus.
Our next detour is something we happened upon by accident and we were so happy that we did! Aventine Hill is a fabulous walk, beautiful churches (especially St Sabine Church), lush gardens, and an amazing view of Rome and the Vatican. I had read about the Knights of Malta Keyhole but didn't know its exact location. Hmmmmm could that line of people to the left of us be the Keyhole? Why yes it is -yay! On our way again we stopped by the Piramide for photos and made our way to Via Marmorata. For a quick break we enjoyed espresso and pastries at Pasticceria Barberini. Unfortunately, next door Volpetti was closed for the Holiday.
Heading back through Rome we decided to walk along the Tiber River. We were able to see the Ponte Rotto, Tiber Island, Ponte Fabricio, the Temple of Apollo and Theatre of Marcellus. We detoured through the Jewish Ghetto to see the area but also to find where Nonna Betta's was for dinner one night. Heading north again we were walking through the Campo De Fiori where surprise we walked past Cardinal Law (from our home state of Massachusetts). Feeling the need for a gelato break we stopped at Frigidarium - absolutely delicious gelato and totally worth the wait!
It suddenly dawned on us that besides sweets we didn't eat anything today so we decided to play ultimate tourist. We decided on some antipasti and wine in the Piazza Navona. Naturally the food was average but we ate grilled vegetables, proscuitto, mozzarella, and bruschetta. We eventually made our way to the Pantheon area where we found a market for some large waters (sold at 1 euro for a large bottle vs. 2 euros for a tiny bottle at most stands), and some kinder chocolate for later (one of my favs).
Then our happy bubble burst! Previous to our trip we opened an account with Bank of America for the sole purpose of this trip. We verified an ATM card would work in Italy, verified our daily limit, verified the fees would be waved by using BNL bank in Rome, and gave Bank of America our travel dates for reference. Guess what.....it turns out that after 3 very expensive phone calls to the U.S. Bank of America ATM cards don't work outside the U.S. only their debit cards. Okay we'll go to plan B. Again, previous to our trip I contacted my credit card company. Asked for a pin number and even explained it would be used in emergency situation in Italy if our ATM card didn't work. Also gave the credit card company our travel dates for reference. Guess what....after another expensive call to the U.S. oh this card won't work for cash advances outside of the U.S.
Lesson: Ask specific questions! Will this specific card work out of the U.S. for credit, debit, or atm!!! Luckily, I have wonderful parents who went and took money from their own accounts and sent it to us via Western Union. Unfortunately, it was now after 9:00 p.m. and all western unions were closed.
Day 3
It's 9:00 a.m. and we are walking over to the Western Union. Yay! It's open, the money is there, and we have cash!! We count the money at the Western Union, walk back to our hotel and count the money again, put the money in the safe and head to breakfast. After breakfast we take the longest route possible (not on purpose) to the Galleria Borghese. We walk through the Piazza del Popolo, around side streets and through the gardens. Our new mantra (thanks to this trip) is "all roads lead to Rome but most take you longer"!
We have made reservations for the museum before out trip and it was only a short wait to pick up our tickets. Next we waited unnecessarily in a very long line to drop off our bags. Apparently there are two lines (no designation though until the very front). One line for drop off and one line for pick up. Tip: you can not take in any bags, purses, cameras, or phones into the museum. Everything must be checked. The museum is fabulous! Between the magnificent ceilings, the Bernini statues, and my favorite painting by Raphael Portrait of Young Woman with Unicorn Portrait of Young Woman with Unicorn we were completely awestruck.
After the museum we came back to our hotel to change our shoes and for me to take some cold medicine (yes I caught a head cold on vacation once again). Unfortunately, we discovered 20 euros missing from our just picked up cash. We searched our room, verified our receipts making sure we didn't take it and spend it, searched our bags, checked underneath furniture and tossed everything we could think of. The only conclusion we could come up with was that either the safe had been tampered with or we dropped it on the floor and instead of placing it on the table someone took it. We spoke to the front desk staff at our hotel and explained that we're not mad, but concerned. The told us that two people in the hotel did have access to the safe and that they will talk to the staff. At the end of the day we felt that if someone needed the money badly enough to take it from us then it we hope it serves them better than us. We also did take better care and notice of what and where we put stuff.
All in all the first few days have been fabulous and frustrating. We feel like we did "all the right things" and yet we are still running into problems. A person can end the day with being thankful for supportive family, thankful for our blessings, and make the best of their situation. To shake off our bad mood we decided to go and enjoy the atmosphere of the Spanish Steps. We purchased some eggplant pizza, potato and rosemary pizza, and pepper pizza. Our absolute favorite is the potato pizza (something my father had years ago in Italy and makes for us at home on a regular basis). For a bit of a sweet we tried a gelato shop on Via del Corso (not really worth mentioning as it was a bit like going to dairy queen). The flavors we tried were cassata and amarena cherry.
Tonight we decided to try the happy hour at the River Palace Hotel. We enjoyed a whiskey and a bellini. Tip: River Palace Hotel offers 50% off drinks from 6 - 10 p.m. every night. It was still early to head right to dinner so we decided to grab some roasted chestnuts and take a slow stroll to the Pantheon and Piazza Navona areas. Greg has become addicted to roasted chestnuts! We have found a great way to make them at home but are still going to try to roast them outside like in Rome. Tip: Make a cut through the chestnut (lengthwise) until you can see the inside. Place the chestnuts in a pan and cover them with water and add a tsp of salt. Bring them to a simmer. Remove the chestnuts from the water and place them in an ovenproof pan. Roast the chestnuts in a preheated oven (425 degrees) for 15 minutes.
Dinner time! We made reservations at Casa Coppelle tonight. We started with the Misto Fritto (fried zucchini flower, panzerotti, meatball, and fried onion) and the prosciutto di parma with mozzarella. Our entrees were the Tonnarelli con caci e pepe with zucchini flowers and the lemon and thyme risotto. Accompanying the meal we enjoyed the house red wine and sparkling water. Casa Coppelle is a must eat restaurant! For dessert we went to GROM for gelato. We devoured the toroncino and the extra dark chocolate gelatos. Our walk back to our hotel was as usual with the addition of some protesters near the Column of Marcus Aurelius. The protest was peaceful but we still thought it best to walk around it rather than through it.
Day 4
This morning my sore throat is getting worse. Unlike 1996 (ended up with double ear infections, strep throat, and mono) I have decongestants, cough syrups, and throat losenges. It appears though that I have forgotten my aleve which would have been helpful with any aches and pains. Side note: We found the aleve in another bag on day 6 of our trip lol!
Today we walked through Prati for some shopping. I found some scarves, a pair of pants, and a dress. We then walked on to the Vatican. We were early for our assigned time of entry to the Vatican Museums so we visited St. Peter's Square first. The line for the Basilica was incredibly long so we decided to take our chances for an early visit to the Museums. In the end we worried for nothing, we were handed our tickets and walked right in. Being surrounded by history, art, and sculptures from different time periods is an undescribable feeling. I'm not sure if it was the enormous crowd or the hype but when I compare the museums and St. Peter's Basillica to the Sistine Chapel I was a bit disappointed. I feel like the grandeur of the other buildings affected me more for some reason.
My husbands fabulous idea (sarcasm) was up next. Taking all the large, small, curved, and claustrophobic stairs to the Cupola. The Vatican charges 5 euros for walking and 7 euros for the elevator and stairs, the cost didn't play into Greg's decision he thought it would be an adventure to walk. The first part of the stairs are normal, rather large concrete steps. This opens up to a roof top with some views. The second part is a bit tougher. The steps get smaller, the walls slant inward, and eventually you get to a tiny spiral staircase with only a rope to hold onto. The view from the top of the Cupola is amazing. You are able to see all of Rome and thensome. However you are on a balcony with rows and rows of tourists. To exit you have to go down the same tiny spiral staircase, then onto a roof top where there is a souvenir shop, finally an elevator which takes you down into St. Peter's Basillica. The Basillica is my favorite part of Vatican City and has been since my first visit 16 years ago. The Church is awe inspiring and welcoming if a bit formally. That's how I describe it anyways.
Here's a kind request to all tourists visiting sights. Take your time, leave your pushiness at home, respect the guidelines provided to you. Everyone will get a chance to see everything and everyone will be happier for it. We completely underestimated the time we would spend at the Vatican. We probably spent 4 hours at the Vatican Museum, an hour for lunch, and probably an hour and a half walking to and from. Needless to say we decided to go back to the hotel for some R&R.
After resting and cleaning up a bit. We walked down to the Jewish Ghetto for dinner. We enjoyed some roasted chestnuts along the way and stopped for pictures of the Vittoriano at night. Just in time and we only got lost once we made it to Nonna Betta's. We dined on artichokes in the jewish style and marinated anchovies for appetizers. Our entrees were gnocchi with pesto and semolina gnocchi with eggs and cheese. The staff were very friendly, the atmosphere was great (we actually had the restaurant to ourselves), and the food was incredible! Considering it was a 2 mile walk to the Jewish Ghetto we decided to take a taxi back to our hotel.....or not. No taxi's at the first location, or the 2nd, or the 3rd. Okay how about a gelato and a long walk back to our hotel lol.
Day 5
What a rough start to the day!!! This morning my cold is a lot worse, neither one of us can wake up, and in 15 minutes we're going to miss breakfast. Luckily, Greg has enough energy to go and get us some coffee and we'll worry about food later. We decide to do some souvenir shopping this morning. Unfortunately, we never found the store I was looking for. On to the Capuchin Crypt (for Greg not for me). Sadly, Greg was disappointed apparently only a small portion of the crypt was open due to construction. Greg was in and out of the church in under 10 minutes. For lunch we decided to try Pepy's Bar in the Piazza Barberini. We enjoyed a couple of panini's, water, and a peroni beer.
After a bit more shopping for shirts for our nieces and nephews we went back to our hotel for a quick change of clothing. The clothes that we brought were to be worn in layers. We had read that November could be cold and rainy. Fortunately, the weather was sunny and in the mid 70s all week. This was fabulous for many reasons but with our layers and all of the walking we easily got hot and in need of lighter outfits.
Off we went to the Campo De'Fiori. Apparently having no breakfast means we had a sweet tooth today lol. We stopped along the way at a delicious bakery we found near the Pantheon for some boccocino della nonna cookies, and we enjoyed Gelato at Blue Ice. Hmmm is that Cardinal O'Malley from Massachusetts. Why yes it is apparently he also enjoys the Pantheon area of Rome. We just missed the market so opted for some pictures and headed back to the Pantheon area. Today started the festivities for the 150th anniversary of Italy's unification in Rome. The Piazza del Popolo is filled with Romans, tourists, and Italy's armed forces all enjoying a classical concert. The crowd received Italian flags, and brochures about the festivities which I thought was a nice touch.
For dinner we decided to go back to Osteria St. Anna, yes it was that good! Tonight we dined on the marinated fish and fried artichokes. For entrees we tried the pasta alla'matriciana and the carbonara again. Accompanying the meal was a sparkling water and an Italian Novello (again similar to the Beaujolais nouveau in the way it's only 2 months old). After dinner we walked around a bit. Some of our favorite moments is walking around Rome late at night with all the sights being lit up and fewer people around. Naturally we had to purchase some more roasted chestnuts for our walk.
Medicine and Bed time for me!!! I love taking pictures but I hate being in them so to show some real people here are some fun pictures of Greg in and around Rome :-)
Day 6
After breakfast we make our way down Via del Corso for what seems like the hundredth time. Our goal for today is the Colosseum and the Roman Forum. We walk at a slow pace taking in the atmosphere, stop for pictures at sights along the way and finally make it to the Forum.
A few years ago we were able to visit the Forum we realized today that we only saw the Palatine Hill side. We pre-purchased our tickets so after a quick bathroom break we walked right in. Taking our time, we stopped by all the ruins, walked through the buildings, and experienced as much as possible. Unfortunately, I started feeling poorly again (stupid cold) so we decided to head over to the Colosseum.
Thanks to our pre-purchased tickets we by-passed all the lines and headed right on in. Starting at the top we viewed the "museum area," walked around to take pictures of the different view points. We then started going down a level and took pictures of the seats, windows, and views from the Colosseum. I have seen the sites of Rome several times and I always have the same feeling of awe and amazement. For some reason I didn't get the same feeling about the Colosseum (this being my 2nd time here). I'm not sure if it was because I wasn't feeling well, the crowds, or that it's just not one of my favorite structures.
We were getting pretty hungry at this point so we stopped at a restaurant near the Forum. We dined on fried zucchini flowers and potato croquettes. These starters were disappointing, they were more like Chinese chicken fingers and fried mashed potatoes. Next we were served Roman style pizza. My Margherita was average and Greg's pizza consisting of anchovies, olives, capers, and peppers was delicious. When it comes to our lunching in Rome we seem to struggle with finding a good restaurant (I planned restaurants for dinners but should have gone a step further for lunch too).
After a rest and refreshing at our hotel we headed out for the night. We decided to go casual for dinner tonight at a pizzeria near the Spanish Steps. We dined al fresco even though it was a tad windy. Greg ate an entire pizza (unfortunately I can't remember what kind) while I enjoyed a few slices of potato and rosemary pizza. For dessert we ventured over to Venchi for gelato. This was my favorite gelato of the week! I enjoyed Torrone and Aztec chocolate. Greg still maintains that Grom was the best. Venchi also offers artisan chocolates so we picked up a few boxes to bring home. Yum!!
Day 7
A Sunday in Rome is a mix of the old and the new. Some restaurants and stores are closed while others remain business as usual. You have tourists wandering around the city while families make their way to church.
We started the day with breakfast at our hotel - can't get enough of the coffee at The River Palace Hotel. We made our way down to the Campo De Fiori however there are only a few vendors here today. We purchased some pasta and nick nacks and headed to the bakery. We stopped at Il Fornai for some delicious although expensive cookies. My purchase ended up being 23 euros for a bag of almond macaroon cookies (boccacini della nonna). My opinion - totally worth it! As a side note: I came home and scoured the internet and finally came up with my own recipe for these cookies (almost as delicious).
Our last gelato in Rome was at Blue Ice again. Greg's lemoncello was bright and tart while my melon gelato was full flavored and reminded me of summer. Yes we went shopping again. I have a hard time finding presents for my parents whether it's at home or away so I visited the various shopping districts once again. Weather.com told us that it would be cold and rainy all week in Rome however the first rain drops of our vacation didn't occur until this afternoon. We were near the Spanish Steps and the rain was mild and only lasted about 20 minutes. Walking towards our hotel we stopped for lunch at Canova in the Piazza del Popolo. We started with a beer and prosecco and some grilled vegetables (mushrooms, zucchini, eggplant, and sweet peppers). For entrees we enjoyed Straciatella Soup and Black Truffle Risotto. All were delicious and the service was rushed but friendly.
The end of the trip means time to proceed with the daunting task of packing. We always throw out any old clothes or shoes and definitely don't take home any toiletries. This usually leaves us with plenty of room for any purchases. We also now travel with a luggage scale so we don't get surprised with any excessive charges from the airlines.
Let's go out for one last dinner in Rome.....think again! Downpours, lightning, and thunder! Okay we'll stay in, grab some pizza from mondo arrancina and watch tv. Hmmm the satelite tv is now out and never comes back on.
The next morning we have the bell staff help with our luggage, check out of the hotel, and our driver from Rome Cabs is already in the lobby for us. We arrive at the airport and head to US Airways counter. I will never understand why you have to check in at a Kiosk, then check in with a person, then drop off your luggage! Next up the 40 minute wait for security. We make our way through the airport purchasing little things to use up our Euros and finally board our plane home!
Saturday the 30th of October....
Here is this years 1st and a historic nor'easter. Wind, rain, trees, hanging down to the ground and 4+ inches of snow. We are in the middle of packing, shoveling, and worrying about whether or not our flight will take off tomorrow. When we wake we are thankful that the snow isn't as bad as everyone thought for the Boston area - our flight will be on time!! We drive over to my parents house who will be baby sitting our boys (our two dogs Bucket and Fred). We get them settled and wait for my dad to take us to the airport. As we're heading to the airport our 2nd problem hits....literally! A driver swerved into our lane and hit my dads brand new car on the drivers side. Now its time to exchange information and take photographs before we can drive the other 2 miles to the airport.
Finally we get to Logan Airport! Yesterday I went online and checked in at USairways.com thinking this would expedite the process. Wrong! For some reason USair makes you check in again at a Kiosk and then speak to a person to drop off any checked bags. This took forever as there were only 3 associates to help and the kiosk we used broke. Yay, through security and ready to have a glass of wine at the bar! Now we're prepared for our flight but oops...gate changed time to find the right gate for our flight to Philly. We're only 15 minutes late landing in Philadelphia and we make our way to Terminal A (international terminal). A tip: Check in for your international flight if you just came from a change over. The agents need to verify your passports again. US airways didn't announce this until right before boarding time!
During our flight we both opted for the Vegetarian Meals.....wrong choice!!! We were given rice and vegetables which were inedible, salad, a roll, and some fruit with shredded coconut. Luckily I had a bag of chips with me!! The seats didn't provide much room (even the two seats together) but we did have our own tvs so we could choose from a variety of movies, tv shows, and music. Bon Giorno bella Roma! We arrive in Rome 45 minutes late and head to Immigration and Customs. Neither areas bothered to even look at our documents, and didn't get a stamp for into the country. We grabbed our bags and headed to the Meeting Point. We were met by Rome Cabs for our trip to the River Palace Hotel. Our driver was friendly, fast, and efficient!
We checked into the River Palace Hotel, thanks to Sergio. Unfortunately, our room wouldn't be ready for 2 more hours. We organized our bags and had the hotel hold the rest and off we went to explore!
Day 1
We headed to the Piazza del Popolo, onto the Trevi Fountain, and then to the Spanish Steps. Naturally we looked around a bit and took some photos but at this point we were pretty tired and didn't explore too much. Finally we grabbed some pizza from Cin Cin restaurant across from the Vittoriano Museum for the walk back to our hotel. Our Junior Suite had an entrance way (with large closet and safe), a sitting area (with table and chair, couch, flat screen tv, and a mini bar), a bathroom (with sink, toilet, bidet, large tub with shower attachment), and the bedroom (with a full size bed, end table, minibar, and a flat screen tv). Tip: as part of the turn down service the drapes are fully closed and include a black out curtain so set an alarm otherwise you may never wake up.
We ended up crashing asleep instead of resting for a bit. We finally got ourselves upright, cleaned up, and headed out for the night. We wondered around a bit to see Rome and night and then settled in for dinner at Osteria S. Anna. For starters we enjoyed the Antipasti (prosciutto and melon, eggplant caponata, lentils, and beans), Greg also tried the marinated fish. For our entrees we enjoyed Pasta with Octopus, and I had the Pasta alla'carbonara all accompanied by the house red wine. For dessert Greg opted for an "Italian" glass of grappa, while I enjoyed an apple purse. Back at the hotel we enjoyed our complimentary bottle of chianti as a night cap.
Day 2
At home we're not really into having large multi-course dinners so this morning we weren't too hungry for breakfast. I can tell you that the River Palace Hotel offers fruit, cereals, pastries, eggs, hashbrowns, bacon, cold cuts, and a variety of beverages including mimosas. We knew today was a holiday - All Saints Day but we underestimated the impact this would have on the city. Rome was filled with italian and non italian tourists. Yes many churches were open to the public, but also restaurants and stores were open longer, and the atmosphere was vibrant!
Today would be our longest outing! We decided to hike all the way down to Testaccio and back with many many detours! Along the way we stopped in to the Vittoriano Museum (one of my favorite buildings). We walked through the museum, and also checked out the view from the top. Next we walked through Palatine Hill, the Forum, and Circus Maximus. Along the way we also saw the Temple of Vesta, Temple of Portunus, Arch of Janus.
Our next detour is something we happened upon by accident and we were so happy that we did! Aventine Hill is a fabulous walk, beautiful churches (especially St Sabine Church), lush gardens, and an amazing view of Rome and the Vatican. I had read about the Knights of Malta Keyhole but didn't know its exact location. Hmmmmm could that line of people to the left of us be the Keyhole? Why yes it is -yay! On our way again we stopped by the Piramide for photos and made our way to Via Marmorata. For a quick break we enjoyed espresso and pastries at Pasticceria Barberini. Unfortunately, next door Volpetti was closed for the Holiday.
Heading back through Rome we decided to walk along the Tiber River. We were able to see the Ponte Rotto, Tiber Island, Ponte Fabricio, the Temple of Apollo and Theatre of Marcellus. We detoured through the Jewish Ghetto to see the area but also to find where Nonna Betta's was for dinner one night. Heading north again we were walking through the Campo De Fiori where surprise we walked past Cardinal Law (from our home state of Massachusetts). Feeling the need for a gelato break we stopped at Frigidarium - absolutely delicious gelato and totally worth the wait!
It suddenly dawned on us that besides sweets we didn't eat anything today so we decided to play ultimate tourist. We decided on some antipasti and wine in the Piazza Navona. Naturally the food was average but we ate grilled vegetables, proscuitto, mozzarella, and bruschetta. We eventually made our way to the Pantheon area where we found a market for some large waters (sold at 1 euro for a large bottle vs. 2 euros for a tiny bottle at most stands), and some kinder chocolate for later (one of my favs).
Then our happy bubble burst! Previous to our trip we opened an account with Bank of America for the sole purpose of this trip. We verified an ATM card would work in Italy, verified our daily limit, verified the fees would be waved by using BNL bank in Rome, and gave Bank of America our travel dates for reference. Guess what.....it turns out that after 3 very expensive phone calls to the U.S. Bank of America ATM cards don't work outside the U.S. only their debit cards. Okay we'll go to plan B. Again, previous to our trip I contacted my credit card company. Asked for a pin number and even explained it would be used in emergency situation in Italy if our ATM card didn't work. Also gave the credit card company our travel dates for reference. Guess what....after another expensive call to the U.S. oh this card won't work for cash advances outside of the U.S.
Lesson: Ask specific questions! Will this specific card work out of the U.S. for credit, debit, or atm!!! Luckily, I have wonderful parents who went and took money from their own accounts and sent it to us via Western Union. Unfortunately, it was now after 9:00 p.m. and all western unions were closed.
Day 3
It's 9:00 a.m. and we are walking over to the Western Union. Yay! It's open, the money is there, and we have cash!! We count the money at the Western Union, walk back to our hotel and count the money again, put the money in the safe and head to breakfast. After breakfast we take the longest route possible (not on purpose) to the Galleria Borghese. We walk through the Piazza del Popolo, around side streets and through the gardens. Our new mantra (thanks to this trip) is "all roads lead to Rome but most take you longer"!
We have made reservations for the museum before out trip and it was only a short wait to pick up our tickets. Next we waited unnecessarily in a very long line to drop off our bags. Apparently there are two lines (no designation though until the very front). One line for drop off and one line for pick up. Tip: you can not take in any bags, purses, cameras, or phones into the museum. Everything must be checked. The museum is fabulous! Between the magnificent ceilings, the Bernini statues, and my favorite painting by Raphael Portrait of Young Woman with Unicorn Portrait of Young Woman with Unicorn we were completely awestruck.
After the museum we came back to our hotel to change our shoes and for me to take some cold medicine (yes I caught a head cold on vacation once again). Unfortunately, we discovered 20 euros missing from our just picked up cash. We searched our room, verified our receipts making sure we didn't take it and spend it, searched our bags, checked underneath furniture and tossed everything we could think of. The only conclusion we could come up with was that either the safe had been tampered with or we dropped it on the floor and instead of placing it on the table someone took it. We spoke to the front desk staff at our hotel and explained that we're not mad, but concerned. The told us that two people in the hotel did have access to the safe and that they will talk to the staff. At the end of the day we felt that if someone needed the money badly enough to take it from us then it we hope it serves them better than us. We also did take better care and notice of what and where we put stuff.
All in all the first few days have been fabulous and frustrating. We feel like we did "all the right things" and yet we are still running into problems. A person can end the day with being thankful for supportive family, thankful for our blessings, and make the best of their situation. To shake off our bad mood we decided to go and enjoy the atmosphere of the Spanish Steps. We purchased some eggplant pizza, potato and rosemary pizza, and pepper pizza. Our absolute favorite is the potato pizza (something my father had years ago in Italy and makes for us at home on a regular basis). For a bit of a sweet we tried a gelato shop on Via del Corso (not really worth mentioning as it was a bit like going to dairy queen). The flavors we tried were cassata and amarena cherry.
Tonight we decided to try the happy hour at the River Palace Hotel. We enjoyed a whiskey and a bellini. Tip: River Palace Hotel offers 50% off drinks from 6 - 10 p.m. every night. It was still early to head right to dinner so we decided to grab some roasted chestnuts and take a slow stroll to the Pantheon and Piazza Navona areas. Greg has become addicted to roasted chestnuts! We have found a great way to make them at home but are still going to try to roast them outside like in Rome. Tip: Make a cut through the chestnut (lengthwise) until you can see the inside. Place the chestnuts in a pan and cover them with water and add a tsp of salt. Bring them to a simmer. Remove the chestnuts from the water and place them in an ovenproof pan. Roast the chestnuts in a preheated oven (425 degrees) for 15 minutes.
Dinner time! We made reservations at Casa Coppelle tonight. We started with the Misto Fritto (fried zucchini flower, panzerotti, meatball, and fried onion) and the prosciutto di parma with mozzarella. Our entrees were the Tonnarelli con caci e pepe with zucchini flowers and the lemon and thyme risotto. Accompanying the meal we enjoyed the house red wine and sparkling water. Casa Coppelle is a must eat restaurant! For dessert we went to GROM for gelato. We devoured the toroncino and the extra dark chocolate gelatos. Our walk back to our hotel was as usual with the addition of some protesters near the Column of Marcus Aurelius. The protest was peaceful but we still thought it best to walk around it rather than through it.
Day 4
This morning my sore throat is getting worse. Unlike 1996 (ended up with double ear infections, strep throat, and mono) I have decongestants, cough syrups, and throat losenges. It appears though that I have forgotten my aleve which would have been helpful with any aches and pains. Side note: We found the aleve in another bag on day 6 of our trip lol!
Today we walked through Prati for some shopping. I found some scarves, a pair of pants, and a dress. We then walked on to the Vatican. We were early for our assigned time of entry to the Vatican Museums so we visited St. Peter's Square first. The line for the Basilica was incredibly long so we decided to take our chances for an early visit to the Museums. In the end we worried for nothing, we were handed our tickets and walked right in. Being surrounded by history, art, and sculptures from different time periods is an undescribable feeling. I'm not sure if it was the enormous crowd or the hype but when I compare the museums and St. Peter's Basillica to the Sistine Chapel I was a bit disappointed. I feel like the grandeur of the other buildings affected me more for some reason.
My husbands fabulous idea (sarcasm) was up next. Taking all the large, small, curved, and claustrophobic stairs to the Cupola. The Vatican charges 5 euros for walking and 7 euros for the elevator and stairs, the cost didn't play into Greg's decision he thought it would be an adventure to walk. The first part of the stairs are normal, rather large concrete steps. This opens up to a roof top with some views. The second part is a bit tougher. The steps get smaller, the walls slant inward, and eventually you get to a tiny spiral staircase with only a rope to hold onto. The view from the top of the Cupola is amazing. You are able to see all of Rome and thensome. However you are on a balcony with rows and rows of tourists. To exit you have to go down the same tiny spiral staircase, then onto a roof top where there is a souvenir shop, finally an elevator which takes you down into St. Peter's Basillica. The Basillica is my favorite part of Vatican City and has been since my first visit 16 years ago. The Church is awe inspiring and welcoming if a bit formally. That's how I describe it anyways.
Here's a kind request to all tourists visiting sights. Take your time, leave your pushiness at home, respect the guidelines provided to you. Everyone will get a chance to see everything and everyone will be happier for it. We completely underestimated the time we would spend at the Vatican. We probably spent 4 hours at the Vatican Museum, an hour for lunch, and probably an hour and a half walking to and from. Needless to say we decided to go back to the hotel for some R&R.
After resting and cleaning up a bit. We walked down to the Jewish Ghetto for dinner. We enjoyed some roasted chestnuts along the way and stopped for pictures of the Vittoriano at night. Just in time and we only got lost once we made it to Nonna Betta's. We dined on artichokes in the jewish style and marinated anchovies for appetizers. Our entrees were gnocchi with pesto and semolina gnocchi with eggs and cheese. The staff were very friendly, the atmosphere was great (we actually had the restaurant to ourselves), and the food was incredible! Considering it was a 2 mile walk to the Jewish Ghetto we decided to take a taxi back to our hotel.....or not. No taxi's at the first location, or the 2nd, or the 3rd. Okay how about a gelato and a long walk back to our hotel lol.
Day 5
What a rough start to the day!!! This morning my cold is a lot worse, neither one of us can wake up, and in 15 minutes we're going to miss breakfast. Luckily, Greg has enough energy to go and get us some coffee and we'll worry about food later. We decide to do some souvenir shopping this morning. Unfortunately, we never found the store I was looking for. On to the Capuchin Crypt (for Greg not for me). Sadly, Greg was disappointed apparently only a small portion of the crypt was open due to construction. Greg was in and out of the church in under 10 minutes. For lunch we decided to try Pepy's Bar in the Piazza Barberini. We enjoyed a couple of panini's, water, and a peroni beer.
After a bit more shopping for shirts for our nieces and nephews we went back to our hotel for a quick change of clothing. The clothes that we brought were to be worn in layers. We had read that November could be cold and rainy. Fortunately, the weather was sunny and in the mid 70s all week. This was fabulous for many reasons but with our layers and all of the walking we easily got hot and in need of lighter outfits.
Off we went to the Campo De'Fiori. Apparently having no breakfast means we had a sweet tooth today lol. We stopped along the way at a delicious bakery we found near the Pantheon for some boccocino della nonna cookies, and we enjoyed Gelato at Blue Ice. Hmmm is that Cardinal O'Malley from Massachusetts. Why yes it is apparently he also enjoys the Pantheon area of Rome. We just missed the market so opted for some pictures and headed back to the Pantheon area. Today started the festivities for the 150th anniversary of Italy's unification in Rome. The Piazza del Popolo is filled with Romans, tourists, and Italy's armed forces all enjoying a classical concert. The crowd received Italian flags, and brochures about the festivities which I thought was a nice touch.
For dinner we decided to go back to Osteria St. Anna, yes it was that good! Tonight we dined on the marinated fish and fried artichokes. For entrees we tried the pasta alla'matriciana and the carbonara again. Accompanying the meal was a sparkling water and an Italian Novello (again similar to the Beaujolais nouveau in the way it's only 2 months old). After dinner we walked around a bit. Some of our favorite moments is walking around Rome late at night with all the sights being lit up and fewer people around. Naturally we had to purchase some more roasted chestnuts for our walk.
Medicine and Bed time for me!!! I love taking pictures but I hate being in them so to show some real people here are some fun pictures of Greg in and around Rome :-)
Day 6
After breakfast we make our way down Via del Corso for what seems like the hundredth time. Our goal for today is the Colosseum and the Roman Forum. We walk at a slow pace taking in the atmosphere, stop for pictures at sights along the way and finally make it to the Forum.
A few years ago we were able to visit the Forum we realized today that we only saw the Palatine Hill side. We pre-purchased our tickets so after a quick bathroom break we walked right in. Taking our time, we stopped by all the ruins, walked through the buildings, and experienced as much as possible. Unfortunately, I started feeling poorly again (stupid cold) so we decided to head over to the Colosseum.
Thanks to our pre-purchased tickets we by-passed all the lines and headed right on in. Starting at the top we viewed the "museum area," walked around to take pictures of the different view points. We then started going down a level and took pictures of the seats, windows, and views from the Colosseum. I have seen the sites of Rome several times and I always have the same feeling of awe and amazement. For some reason I didn't get the same feeling about the Colosseum (this being my 2nd time here). I'm not sure if it was because I wasn't feeling well, the crowds, or that it's just not one of my favorite structures.
We were getting pretty hungry at this point so we stopped at a restaurant near the Forum. We dined on fried zucchini flowers and potato croquettes. These starters were disappointing, they were more like Chinese chicken fingers and fried mashed potatoes. Next we were served Roman style pizza. My Margherita was average and Greg's pizza consisting of anchovies, olives, capers, and peppers was delicious. When it comes to our lunching in Rome we seem to struggle with finding a good restaurant (I planned restaurants for dinners but should have gone a step further for lunch too).
After a rest and refreshing at our hotel we headed out for the night. We decided to go casual for dinner tonight at a pizzeria near the Spanish Steps. We dined al fresco even though it was a tad windy. Greg ate an entire pizza (unfortunately I can't remember what kind) while I enjoyed a few slices of potato and rosemary pizza. For dessert we ventured over to Venchi for gelato. This was my favorite gelato of the week! I enjoyed Torrone and Aztec chocolate. Greg still maintains that Grom was the best. Venchi also offers artisan chocolates so we picked up a few boxes to bring home. Yum!!
Day 7
A Sunday in Rome is a mix of the old and the new. Some restaurants and stores are closed while others remain business as usual. You have tourists wandering around the city while families make their way to church.
We started the day with breakfast at our hotel - can't get enough of the coffee at The River Palace Hotel. We made our way down to the Campo De Fiori however there are only a few vendors here today. We purchased some pasta and nick nacks and headed to the bakery. We stopped at Il Fornai for some delicious although expensive cookies. My purchase ended up being 23 euros for a bag of almond macaroon cookies (boccacini della nonna). My opinion - totally worth it! As a side note: I came home and scoured the internet and finally came up with my own recipe for these cookies (almost as delicious).
Our last gelato in Rome was at Blue Ice again. Greg's lemoncello was bright and tart while my melon gelato was full flavored and reminded me of summer. Yes we went shopping again. I have a hard time finding presents for my parents whether it's at home or away so I visited the various shopping districts once again. Weather.com told us that it would be cold and rainy all week in Rome however the first rain drops of our vacation didn't occur until this afternoon. We were near the Spanish Steps and the rain was mild and only lasted about 20 minutes. Walking towards our hotel we stopped for lunch at Canova in the Piazza del Popolo. We started with a beer and prosecco and some grilled vegetables (mushrooms, zucchini, eggplant, and sweet peppers). For entrees we enjoyed Straciatella Soup and Black Truffle Risotto. All were delicious and the service was rushed but friendly.
The end of the trip means time to proceed with the daunting task of packing. We always throw out any old clothes or shoes and definitely don't take home any toiletries. This usually leaves us with plenty of room for any purchases. We also now travel with a luggage scale so we don't get surprised with any excessive charges from the airlines.
Let's go out for one last dinner in Rome.....think again! Downpours, lightning, and thunder! Okay we'll stay in, grab some pizza from mondo arrancina and watch tv. Hmmm the satelite tv is now out and never comes back on.
The next morning we have the bell staff help with our luggage, check out of the hotel, and our driver from Rome Cabs is already in the lobby for us. We arrive at the airport and head to US Airways counter. I will never understand why you have to check in at a Kiosk, then check in with a person, then drop off your luggage! Next up the 40 minute wait for security. We make our way through the airport purchasing little things to use up our Euros and finally board our plane home!
