The big sightseeing news in Rome: A new elevator zips people to the very top of the Victor Emanuel monument (€7, best view in town); the Forum is no longer free (entrance is now included with the Colosseum ticket); and the Vatican Museum finally has consistently long opening hours. (I wish I could credit my earlier blog entry, where I wondered if it was “un-Christ-like” for the pope to keep all those religious and art pilgrims waiting in interminable lines by limiting the Vatican Museum hours. But the wonderful new policies are thanks to the arrival of Antonio Paolucci, the new Vatican Museum director who earned hero status after sorting out the chaos of museum policies in Florence.)
Again I learn that for years, I’ve been screwing up my Italian. When sleepy, I’ve been saying, “Io sono stanco,” which means “I’m physically tired.” To be sleepy tired — as in, ready for bed — I need to say, “Io ho sonno.”
A new wine-appreciation trick: Order tap water rather than bottled water at restaurants, and invest the savings in a better glass of wine. These days, while wines of Tuscany and the north (Brunello, Barolo, Amarone, and so on) are more famous and expensive, the wines of the south are rivaling them in quality and a much better value (look for Montepulciano d’Abruzzo and wines from Pulia, such as Pier delle Vigne).
Another change for the intermediate eater: osteria used to mean a humble, rustic, good-value eatery. Now an osteria is likely to be trendy and pricey. The new word to look for to find good value: enoteca.These wine bars serve great yet reasonably priced wine by the glass and pride themselves on simple menus featuring quality local and seasonal ingredients, well-cooked and economical.
Picnic-shopping, I bought 100 grams of prosciutto.At the cashier, after a generous triple wrapping of wax paper, it weighed 130 grams — you buy paper for the price of meat.
Always interested in new ways to connect with locals, I enjoyed a tip from an American woman I met in Rome: “When I see anyone with a dog, I make eye contact and put my hand out as if to pet an animal. This earns me a fun encounter and conversation with a local each time…along with a chance to pet a local dog.”
I loved the last paragraph about dogs. I stop for all dogs and tell my fellow travelers that is the one thing I do. I have dog photos from several countries and states. I always ask first and was only rebuffed one time. That happened in Baden Baden and the woman said “no you may not”. It really turned my day into a downer. Most people with dogs enjoy conversing with people about their dogs which leads to other local stories. Dogs and children are ice breakers for conversation!
It’s a shame that the Forum is no longer free. A few years ago, when my husband and I were visiting Rome, we were wandering around a residential neighborhood near the Forum. While walking down a small side street, I noted that we were next to the Forum, which we couldn’t see. We spotted a metal gate that was almost completely hidden by brush and growth. We decided to go through the gate; after we did so, there were some decidedly old and crumbling steps that led downward. We kept walking (carefully!) and suddenly entered the Forum! It was a nice discovery, and made us feel like we had entered through a “back door”!
I am so sad that the Forum is not free! This will be our second time in Rome and we were going to skip all the pay for events that we went to last time and just roam around! I love all the dogs in Europe, it always makes me miss my little dog when we are traveling! Judy
Rick, reading this installment about Rome prompts me to ask if you have considered interacting with the US military community in Europe? We have a USO in Rome and Naples, http://www.uso.it/ Touring in the military is different than other tourists because we are not under the pressure to see it all this week and we feel like we are home here each night. I am sure that many of us would enjoy short tours with you and, would provide another dimension. The Stars and Stripes on line (http://estripes.osd.mil/) has a weekly travel section.
I had to post (first time!). There is a delightful old, stinky, adorable dog at the Piazza Navona. Pietro’s “person” is one of the street artists and there almost every day. When we got to talking dogs he told me that Pietro is his “chick magnet”. My mom and aunts are there right now meeting him! Great encounter; great memories!
Rick, I notice you did some grocery shopping. Our best experience in Rome was the Silos Supermarket, on Via Aurelia, across the street from Camping Roma. One year we bought the best steaks we had in all of Europe, and another year the butcher cut a small Prime rib, just for us, that we fixed in the RV oven, at the Campground, on the beach at Pescara. But the most exciting thing one year, was the store with delicious ice cold watermelon. We sat on a bench and ate cold watermelon in Plaza Roma in the tiny walled village of Monteriggioni. You can’t match that in the most expensive restaurant in Rome. No, I mean in the world.
Well you know it is one of those double edged sword dilemmas when talking about the charging a fee for the Forum. Reading the articles about it, it appears it is the archeological society who is spearheading this after a decade of free visits so they can continue to perform renovations on this place and excavate new ones as they arise. So how do you blast them for that? We all understand that funds are stretched thin yet with the weakened dollar people will have to chose between historical sites to visit. However on March 10, Emperor Augustus’ frescoed palace atop the Palatine will reopen to the public after decades of restoration works. According to the article visitors willbe able to walk through decorative marvels in Augustus’ studio and in the hall where he received guests, and rooms in the nearby palace built for his wife Livia. So maybe Rick if you are still in Rome or some other Rickophite is in Rome when that opens they can report back to us. At least it is not some corporation scooping in the money or churches like Westminister charging you to enter to pray. I really liked ValriB’s story I’m sure that first glimpse will always be a wow moment.
I for one could not afford our yearly trip to Europe this year. Normally we could afford some type of housing using Ricks books but the airfare made it impossible to do this year. And as someone said in earlier posts we also found that a number of hotels had suddenly increased the price of the hotels by 20 and 30 Euros. What had been 100 Euros was now 130. Now seeing that more sites are not free that would choke us even more. It’s alarming at how quickly the Euro is catching up to the pound. Hoping we can save enough for next year but by then oil will probably be 110 a barrell and the way the euro has been out performing the dollar it will be something like 1.82 to the one dollar
Hey Rick….your travel books are awesome..I was at barnes and noble today and reading your Italy 2008 tour book, I had fun reading it…Your introduction stating that Italy is the cradle of european civilization really got my historical juices flowing…I am now doing much research into this matter, my history college professors stated that it went from Greece to the Etruscans then italians…Additionally I remember in my music appreciation class( Professor Celona stated) that Daphne was the first opera and that opera was a rebirth from ancient times…Thanks for awakening my interest in history….and Italy is one of my favorite countries as well…
Giovanni you sound like a student on a student budget. Here is a tip. If you cannot afford to put the full price out for one of Ricks books but have to have one go to and you can pick up a book from 2007 or earlier additions brand new for anywhere from 87 cents to three dollars plus shipping per book. I use to use our library until I found this gem of site. I don’t know how they do it but I have never been disappointed, the books are brand new. I just got a 2007 France book for eight seven cents plus shipping.
Oh sorry the software in Ricks blog kicked out the site to go to for the book. Give me your email address if you are interested and I will send you the address half. ebay. com
Some good news…it appears according to…http://www.forecasts.org/euro.htm..that by July the Euro is forecasted to devalue to 1.30 which gives some breathing room. A good, but dense, article on why the dollar devalues from 2004 but relevant today is at…. http://gbr.pepperdine.edu/041/devaluation.html….So it makes you wonder do you lock in on rates now to make sure you have a place to stay in the summer or fly by the seat of your pants and see how it free falls and see if hotel prices go down.
Oh Kathy, I hope that is true!! This dollar/euro thing is really a major expense. We want to do eastern europe in 2009 and just thinking of where the euro is headed makes me stress out. In regards to the Forum…the first time I was in Rome, it was with my husband who had been there before. As we walked around there were all kinds of excavation sites of who knows what. That city has a lot to uncover. So I kept asking my husband…is that the forum? No, that is not the forum. How about that? No, that is just a a few rocks with a fence around it – not sure what that is? And then….TA DA….we got to the Forum It was my first real encounter with how old and how much history that city has to offer. Every few feet there is something being restored and unearthed. Very exciting for these American eyes.
Jackie, thanks for the tip, its much appreciated…..b/t/w look up Minoan….have a great day and thanks again
Just recently, a local wine bar (I’m in Atlanta) began to serve several wines from Sicily and Puglia. They were so much cheaper than the famous Tuscans, and thanks to hearing about them on Rick’s podcast, I was not surprised to find them delicious!
Wow, the Forum is no longer free, Rick? Man, I made it there just in time, I guess (15 months ago)! *ha ha* Still, I was amazed that it was free at any time. What a treasure of Western Civilization it is. And although I think it’s cool that there is now an elevator to whisk people to the top of the Vittorio Emanuele Monument, the walk up the terraced steps are still pretty fun. And, although I must admit that the views are spectacular from the top, I preferred the views from the top of the Castel San Angelo monument even better. From there, you get incredible views of the Tevere, the Vatican (nearby), the Pantheon, Colosseo, and the V.M. monument in the distance, plus you can see the sun setting from the top. It’s truly a wonderful vista up there. But, yeah, the top of the V.M. momument is pretty awesome, too!
The forum was free when I went in February. There was a fee for Palatine Hill or Colosseum, but the forum was free.
Thinking of heading to Italy in Sept. Haven’t been in Europe since ’87. What can we expect for the cost of meals? Will be on a tour, with some provided. The exchange is giving us some pause as to whether or not this is the best time for a tour.
How do you actually request “tap water” in Italy? Every time I have asked for water in Italy, the choices I’m give are: “with gas, or natural”. How do you ask for “the stuff with which you wash your dishes?”
Thank you for the blogs regardinjg Iran. I have had many Iranian roommates, friends and co-workers over the last 35 years; one of co-worker is even attempting to teach me Farsi.
About Mr Ahmadinejad’s comment regarding the Halocaust. As narrow, uninformed, and combative Mr Ahmadinejad may be, the Farsi word he used, and that was translated into english as “Myth”, may also be translated as “Old Story”, as in a story that has lost its relevance. The word, when placed in the context of the sentance used by Mr Ahmadinejad, means a story used for ideological justification.
Translations are very tricky. The translation “Myth” was first used by the Voice of America and has suited the combative ideology of the current administration very well.
Love it!
OMG!