Kathi


 * Benvenuto a Roma!!!**

Inspired by the interesting lecture “1000 places to see before you die”, I would like to recommend to you an additional trip, that I would add as the 1001st place you should really see when you have the time. Allora, benvenuto alla città eternal: Roma! You should not only come to visit the usual sights, but to experience the very special atmosphere that you feel from the minute you leave the airport to enter the city outskirts.



My last visit to this beautiful city took place in July 2007 – the fourth trip in the last three years, but as I experienced, no trip to this city is like another. To give you an impression of what you can do in a weekend-trip to Rome or even during an extended summer holiday, I will now try to give you a first impression of the city’s beauty, but also of its variety and all the different things that make it a city worth to visit!

media type="youtube" key="f58f-suHJXQ&rel=1" height="355" width="425" [|First impressions of Rome]

Let’s start with planning your next special trip by choosing accommodation that really represents Italian lifestyle and – what is even more important – is located directly next to one of Rome’s best ice cream parlours! (Please note that every ice cream you buy in Rome is fresh and this means made of really fresh ingredients and moreover rich in vitamins, unless you buy your ice cream at McDonalds). This small, but very special hotel is called “Hotel Brasile” and is located near Porta Pia, the first sight that you do not find in a lot of tourist guides, but that opens its gates for the visitor who starts its trip at “Hotel Brasile”. Arriving at the hotel, you recognize a prestigious late nineteenth century building right in front of the wonderful garden of the English embassy; a building with antique interior, tiny rooms that remind one of a royal bedroom and a very warm and comfortable atmosphere that is enhanced by the polite, friendly personnel at the reception desk, especially Salvatore, an 82-year old gentleman, who tries his best night and day to make your stay as comfortable as possible. (I wonder if this was only because of our hair colour or because Salvatore is a real receptionist, made for this job...) Allora, una persona veramente gentile! [|Hotel Brasile]
 * Where to stay**

After a delicious breakfast you should try to start early in the direction of the city centre. Do not take a bus or the metro – either on a 45 degree summer day, or during a trip in mid-autumn – because you would miss the beauty of the small alleys and antique palaces that decorate your way into the city.
 * What to visit**

To get a first impression of the city, I would recommend starting the day at “Villa Borghese”, the prestigious summer residence of one of Rome’s former richest families that is surrounded by a beautiful garden.
 * Villa Borghese**

media type="youtube" key="7J2agFZsHKI&rel=1" height="355" width="425"

[|Villa Borghese]

From the south side of the garden you have a wonderful view over Rome and if you take the stairs down to the centre, you cross “Piazza di Spagna” and the famous Spanish stairs.
 * Piazza di Spagna**

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[|Piazza di Spagna]

The second and even more beautiful Piazza you should have seen and enjoyed is “Piazza Navona”. Here, you can experience the special Italian atmosphere while drinking the city’s best Latte Macchiato at “Antico Caffé della Pace”. Apart from that, you can also watch the city’s most attractive young men, meeting in bars and restaurants to have lunch or just an espresso, but this just as a note for the female visitors...
 * Piazza Navona**

media type="youtube" key="h5BWiODK9Vs&rel=1&border=0" height="355" width="425"

[|Piazza Navona]

Because it is impossible to mention every place that is worth visiting – although it might be not mentioned in a single tourist guide – I will try to demonstrate the atmosphere by showing you a few impressions of my trip.

Just a note in case that you are hungry: It is indispensable to have a pizza or pasta at “babbo's ristorante”, located just around the corner from “Hotel Brasile”, where you find the cheapest but best Italian food! Feel free to ask Salvatore for the way to the restaurant in Via Cernaia, he will be pleased to help you, especially if you have the right hair colour...

I hope that you got a first impression of the city and that you will be able to visit the eternal city of Rome as soon as possible. I promise that it will be a fascinating trip you’ll never forget! Please feel free to contact me in case you need assistance in planning your trip :)