Wandering Rome

The Palatine Hill is like Eden on earth, with beautiful views of the city. When you visit the Vatican, don't miss the modern art collection. Most visitors stampede straight to the Sistine Chapel, so when I was there, I had this whole section virtually to myself. When you go out, head for the Alexanderplatz Jazz Club on the east side of the Tiber - it's a great place for excellent music with a little history (visiting artists write their names on the walls), and it's a great place to meet people. Another way to pass the time is to just sit on the Spanish Steps and watch the people go by. Piazza Navona is lovely and good for people watching too. The Forum is amazing - even more amazing is the ignorance of some of the other visitors. I heard one woman say to her tour guide 'Why does everything look so OLD?' Sheesh. Be prepared for crowds whenever you visit a well-known attraction.

Quick Tips:

The Roman traffic and noise can be overwhelming after a while. To get away from the city for a while, take a walk through the Villa Borghese, a big, beautiful park at the top of the Spanish Steps. It's a nice retreat for a few hours. Try not to stay near Termini; there are other places scattered throughout the city that are just as cheap in nicer neighborhoods (Pensione Ottaviano, Smeraldo, Hotel Margutta, etc.). Rome during the Christmas season is fantastic - there are lights up everywhere, and there is a yearly Christmas festival in Piazza Navona. Try to go to the Vatican on a Wednesday around 10-11 am - we were lucky enough to see the Pope conduct Mass in St. Peter's Square when we were there. At night, climb the Campidoglio and veer right - you'll be able to see the Forum at night, which is beautifully lit. My fiancee and I were the only ones there at the time.

Best Way To Get Around:

Either walk or take the subway. The subway can get very crowded during rush hour, though, especially around Termini and the Piazza di Spagna. Central Rome is much smaller than you expect, so walking between the sights is easy. Just watch out for the maniacal drivers and moped riders...

My single room with a double bed was very small, but comfortable enough. The room was a little dark. The shared bathrooms were tight at best, fit for a contortionist at worst. The location was excellent, however, just around the corner from the Spanish Steps and the Spagna subway station, and for the location the room was surprisingly quiet (my room faced a closed courtyard).

There''s not much nightlife in the area (a few bars here and there), but there are good restaurants all around. There is no restaurant in the hotel itself; breakfast is not included.

Panda is reasonably priced and well located, but I''d stay there again only if I was on a tight budget. If you''re funds are limited, it''s a decent choice. For a better hotel for a similar price closer to good nightlife, try the Albergo del Sole al Biscone by the Campo de Fiori (see my other entries).

The Albergo del Sole is set on the corner of the Campo de Fiori, an excellent spot where you can wander the dozens of food stalls in the market during the day, then stumble from English pub to wine bar to disco at night. It''s also an easy walk to the Campidoglio, the Forum, Piazza Navona, and the Pantheon. Virtually everything is walking distance, actually.

The rooms are a bit small, but clean; our room had a small private shower and toilet, but the communal bathrooms were more spacious and virtually spotless. You can choose a room overlooking the street (bad idea - too much noise) or the interior courtyard (very nice and quiet, unless they happen to be working on the building, in which case the workers drag the scaffolding along the floor and it sounds like chimps in pain). The courtyard is a nice touch, as is the wonderful terrace on top. Most rooms have TV; the beds, well, they''re pretty lumpy. It may have just been our room, however.

The staff is friendly and speaks enough English to get by if your Italian is rusty. Be warned: they do not take credit cards, and they require a $100 US deposit to reserve a room.

One of the best meals I've had in Italy so far. The Trattoria is a small place located just a block or two east of the Piazza Navona (away from the crowds); the food is fresh and delicious. I had tagliatelle pasta with cracked pepper, shredded local cheeses, and just a little olive oil, as well as the veal milanese. It was absolutely wonderful. The minestrone looks good too. Wines were all local or regional, and very inexpensive. The staff was attentive, but they spoke very little English (so know what you want).

The Spanish Steps in the spring are magnificent. Whenever you go, be sure to sit down on the steps and watch the crowds for a while. You'll see incredible throngs of people, hear dozens of languages, and probably end up in about 100 photographs taken by other visitors. Just think, you could be in the background of family vacation photos all over the world... The area around the Spanish Steps is also the toniest shopping area of Rome - expect to see a lot of Prada (and Prada wearers). Look for the boutique called DuDu... Once you're there, be sure to go up the steps and visit the Villa Borghese and the Villa Medici, both nice tranquil stops away from the crowds. The Galeria Borghese is fantastic.

One of the coolest jazz clubs anywhere. Anyone who loves jazz will be in heaven - famous visiting musicians write their names on the walls around the place, and evidently the Alexanderplatz is on everyone's play list. The lighting is dark and the air is smoky, though the walls are bright white. It gives you the feeling of being in a very nice cave (there are no windows - it's in a basement). I went to see an American trio play; the crowd was very friendly, fairly sophisticated, and very into the music. You'll probably meet several locals when you go.

The club also serves dinner, but reservations are recommended; it can get packed on weekend nights. Your best bet to get there is a cab - I ended up stumbling home late because the subway was closed for the night when I left. There is a cover charge at the door for "membership," but this gets you in for a few nights.

Getting there is not very easy. It's not on the subway line; the buses go near there, but I'm not sure which one to take. The club is a few blocks north of the Vatican, and it's easy to miss beacuse it's essentially a doorway that leads to a basement room. You may want to take a cab. I did walk from the club back to my hotel by the Piazza di Spagna - it was a long walk, but the weather was nice so it made for a good trip.