An Awesome Week in Rome

Il Gelatone is one of MANY places that sells gelatto in Rome. This one is off the beaten path and is frequented by locals. It is about 2 blocks off of Via Cavour.

There are MANY flavours to choose from. All of the names of the flavours are in Italian, however the if it is a fruit or vegetable, there is a piece of the corresponding item in the corner of the container. They also have sherbert in the far corner.

You can get the gelatto in a cone or in a cup. Be careful when asking for the size, as the 3 Euro size is about twice the size of the 2 Euro. I always ordered in the price range I wanted versus saying small or medium as they have a large variety of cup sizes.

We liked this place so much we went there almost daily. They are very busy but they work fast so there usually is not a long wait. They don't close for the afternoon.

For this museum you have to book ahead, whether it be by phone, in person, or over the internet. However, they did not make us pay ahead of time. You are given a 2 hour time frame in which you are allowed in the museum. We went at the last time of the day. When our time was up the cafe and souveneir shop were closed - if we had wanted anything we would have had to go their first. There is a coatcheck available.

The amount of artwork in this museum is extensive - just like everywhere in Rome though. Since your time is limited and the art is everywhere (don't forget to check out the ceilings) some type of guide is highly recommended. We took a guide book with us that gave some of the highlights to see. We would occasionally come across guided groups and listened in on some descriptions of some of the art. If you are not knowledgable about art a guided tour can be very educational.

I was most impressed by the Bernini sculptures.

Caravaggio, Raphael, and Rubens are some of the other famous artists who have work displayed here.

The Galleria Borghese is located in a nice park, one of the few green spaces we saw in the city. It is a short walk from 2 metro stops. Just outside the park, there are some good restaurants.

The Vatican Museum houses a large collection of artwork. Large is an understatement. There is no way to see everything. I recommend reading about the museum before you go to decide if there is anything you are especially interested in viewing.

Take a guided tour or a guidebook with you. It is easy to miss things as there is art EVERYWHERE - on the walls, the ceilings, the floor. A map is especially useful. There is a sort of one-way direction you are supposed to follow. There aren't many signs and things aren't really labelled, which makes a guide of some sort useful.

My favourite section was the Egyptian rooms. There are artifacts that are from about 2000 BC, a mummy, hieroglyphics (excuse the spelling). There are antiquities and modern art as well.

There is art from many famous artists(example Raphael) located throughout the museum as well. You can take pictures throughout the museum, except for the Sistine chapel (no flashes though).

Check ahead to make sure the museum is open, as it is not open every day. When it is open the front doors are open from 8:30-4:00. The cost was 14 Euro. There is one day a month it is free. Be sure to go early as there is often a line-up. There can be crowds, especially in the hallways with the maps that lead to the Sistine Chapel. There are two Metro stops nearby, Cipro is closer but harder to find.

The Colosseum is one of Rome's most famous landmarks. It is centuries old (like most things in Rome) and a huge man-made feat. Originally it could hold 50,000 people to watch gladiator contests and other public events. Over the years it has been damaged by earthquakes and people(stone was taken for other projects, at least some of them government sanctioned).

It is a large structure to see, but there are very few signs inside explaining what you are looking at. As always, I recommend some sort of guide - either a book or a tour. We tried booking the audio tour for just one person (reasonably priced) and the one listened and repeated to our group. It wasn't very practical and if money is not an issue - everyone should get their own.

The cost is 15.5 Euro, which also gets you entrance to the Forum. Opening times vary during different parts of the year, but generally it is open just in the daytime. I recommend going on a nice day as this is mostly outdoors.

A picture of the Colosseum is a must for every tourist. You can even pay to have your picture taken with a "gladiator". Many of them can be found roaming around in front of the Colosseum.

Trevi Fountain is a fountain, don't expect to see more than that. It is a popular tourist place, which means it will be crowded (watch out for pickpockets). The saying is you are to throw a coin over your shoulder into the fountain so that you will come back to Rome one day.

We went here just to say we saw Trevi fountain. We tossed our coin, took our pictures, then moved on to something less crowded.

If you are a people watcher this is an excellent place to go.