A Roma...COMPLETELY OFF TOPIC!
Thanks. If you have any suggestions let me know. We will be staying in Rome. What are the best restaurants? I want to make a trip to my family's hometown of Abruzzi. Have you ever been there?
--I don't believe I was ever through Abruzzi...my favorite place outside Rome is Assisi--ABSOLUTELY AWESOME old city in Umbria...don't waist your time and money in Tuscany--go to Umbria--
Feel free to copy and print this info--lol
Ok, all...here are some "must-sees and dos" wilest in Roma:
1) Best Coffee--Cafe San Eustachio (a few blocks from the Pantheon), any Roman will tell you this, and it's usually packed with ROMANS--a good sign.
2) Best Gelato--"La Palma" (also a few blocks from Pantheon)
Best Restaurant-Honestly, don't spend the money. Go to one of the markets and get your food/wine FRESH. You'll not regret it, and the experience is fantastic. My favorite picnic spots include the Appian Way (Appia Antica) and the surrounding parks and Tre Fontane monastery--more on that in a sec.
Must DO:
Visit ALL 4 Major Basilicas of Rome- Mary Major, St. Peter's, St. John Laterine and St. Paul's outside the Walls. Even if you're not religious, you will REGRET not doing so.
BEST GUIDE BOOK YOU CAN GET--honestly, I NEVER left home without it--FODOR'S "HOLY ROME" millenium ed. (you can find it on amazon.com). Has awesome city maps, pictures and GREAT historical info on all the churches and artwork in each. I honestly have NO IDEA what I would've done without this book!!!
Buy a few subway/bus tickets at a Farmacia (pharmacy) or cafe (you want to try to get an abbonamenti---usually costs about 18 Euro but well worth it considering you WILL GET RIPPED OFF using taxis). Get the bus and sub info from your hotel...the sub is really easy to use.
WATCH OUT FOR GYPSIES--ALWAYS CARY YOUR WALLET in one of those travel pouches for passports UNDER YOUR SHIRT. You WILL be targeted and robbed otherwise--no doubt, the Romans HATE THEM, but they are many. Also, make some copies of your documents and lock them up--if something is stolen--like your wallet or worse, your passport--you will need that info for the US Consolate.
Also visit the following churches:
Tre Fontane (a few miles from St. Paul's...just take the bus from the station close by. Ask for "monestario Tre Fontane". You can also walk.) This is a nice break from the city, and has an interesting history behind it.
The Chiesa de Gesu--First Baroque Church in history. AWE inspiring. Built by St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuits
Chiesa de Santa Scala-- The Holy Stairs. Tradition is to go up on your knees--St. Helena, Constantine's mother, brought back the stairs of the palace of Puntius Pilot, which are marked, supposedly, by the Blood of Jesus.
The Turburtine Prison (which held both Peter and Paul, and which is very close to the Tarpeian Rock--where the Romans would throw traitors off of...lol, and the ROMAN FORUM)
Finally, the Roman Forum and, if you can get there, the ruins of Ostia Antica--the port outside Rome.
ALSO GOOD TO NOTE: If you want FREE tickets to a Wednesday Papal audience or any big event at the vatican, you need to go to the office of the NORTH AMERICAN COLLEGE. They won't take calls, you just need to walk in and get them a few days before the event. ALSO, IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN HISTORY, DO THE "SCAVI" tour. It is a guided tour of the escavations (scavi) under St. Peters and is FASCINATING! You must also get the SCAVI tickets at the North American College.
I'm planning, if I get Intel, to revist some friends and old Roman haunts in a few months...If I'm there when you are, I'd totally take you around. Find a good tour guide who will give you a tour of both the historical and religious foundations/significance of rome, because one without the other would be only a disservice to you.
Have a great time...let me know if you need any additional info!