Rome

Whilst Rome has been and will always be Italy’s most sought-after destination for pilgrims, Venice once was the ultimate market-place for merchants from all over the world, who brought splendour and riches to the city. In later ages also came the admirers of all forms of art, and this has never changed. The city seems to patiently accept all its visitors, at whatsoever time of the year or day they come. Pigeons everywhere, but also expensive as well as cheap little shops with tacky souvenirs overcrowd the streets, but the complete picture also gives imposing palaces, beautiful, ancient dwellings and of course, lots of waterways in which the rich variety in colours and forms is reflected.

The “eternal” city of Rome a rich mixture of past and present, always presents itself to all visitors in its turbulent, chaotic, lively and multi-coloured, -cultural riches and always is inviting in all its aspects. Rome is not a city to quickly get to know and love, and whoever said that, to know Rome, a lifetime would not be enough, is quite right. The city shows just too many ways of loving it; the colouring, the arts, the past, the strongly vibrating life of nowadays, to be pinned down to a simple “seen it, know it”.

The city is like a continuing market, with age-old, nostalgic carousels and modern Ferris-wheels at the same time. To give but a small example concerning a cup of coffee: On the one hand, there is the Caffè Greco, furnished in wood, messing, velvety upholstering and Mozart music, and on the other hand the café of a sales point of cars, full of neon, steel, mirrors and technology.

The visitor to this city can expect overwhelming culture and architecture, often dating from more than 200 years ago, world-famous fashion such as Valentino, Armani, Versace and the like, lots of restaurants and bars, either in most fashionable surroundings or in small side-streets where food and drink can be just as delectable, and many gardens and parks, making you feel that you are not in a metropolis at all.

Dolce Vita

The “sweet life” is, to the Romans, not necessarily always all that sweet, when on the way to their jobs they are waylaid by tourists, back-packers, traffic detours and so on, and so forth. The average Roman is always in a hurry. That is, always but not where food is concerned. The Italians, from the uppermost North till the deep South, have almost nothing in common but they can all talk forever about food and the preparation thereof. The sacro-saint art of cooking is taken very seriously in Italy, and of course, also in Rome.

So therefore, Rome does know a “dolce vita”, even if not the dolce vita of Anita Ekberg, splashing about in the Trevi fountain. You might perhaps miss a sight or two, but you will not be sorry to wander about the streets of Rome just to taste the feeling of the city. Discover where you can buy a simple but very tasteful focaccia, drink an espresso, allow yourself a sherbet ice,

try a vegetable you might never have liked in a variation which nevertheless makes your mouth water, try the great variety in wines…to get to the point: just take some time not “having to do or see anything” but form part of the daily life by walking and sitting down quite a lot at a nice terrace and enjoy a drink or a meal, whilst feasting your eyes on Roman life. When in Rome, do as the Romans do!

Discovering Rome

There are lots of travel guides helping you to discover Rome, and please note that this city is divided into a lot of townships and the like. For instance, there is Trastevere, meaning, across the Tiber (Tras = across, Tevere = Tiber) river, where the city never sleeps. Or the historic centre, with more than 2000 years visible in all kind of ways. Then the Vatican, with the St. Peter cathedral and square, sublime examples of architecture. Or the EUR part of the city, dominated by the taste of Mussolini with its depressingly “grandiose” buildings. There are too many remnants of all the ages since Rome’s existence to mention, but all of them are worth while to see. You of course already knew that Rome has been built on seven hills, and all of them contain beauties: Aventine, Palantine, Caelius, Capitol, Esquiline, Viminal and Quirinal.

A visit to Rome is always worthwhile

either in good, or in bad weather. Walks can be pleasant in all weather, provided you dress for it, and the countless museums are all worthwhile visiting. All through the year, there are open air concerts and for those who are not afraid of the dark, a visit to the Underworld, the Catacombs, can be a never to be forgotten experience.

Rome’s climate

is Mediterranean. The average yearly temperature is about 15,5 �C, and the yearly precipitation around the 800 mm. The warmest months are July and August, with average temperatures of 24,5 till 24,7 �C, and the driest months are also those of July and August, with about 14 to 22 mm. average. Wettest months are from October till December, with about 106 to 128 mm, and the coldest month is January, with an average of 6,9� C.