Trip to Rome !

ROMA : ROME

Hmmm about Rome, I guess I will start with the things you will definitely do even if I don't write anything here like the Fontana di Trevi; best of Rome or maybe even Italy! I will just recommend what we did: Buy a champagne, throw a coin and make a wish! There are great vine shops, a delicious ice-cream store and great cafes with a full view of the fountain. You will ofcourse got to the Spanish Steps and see the Vittorio Emanuele II Monument, you can  take the elevator to the top and you will have one of the best views of Rome! The Colosseum is one of the symbols of the city and is the most famous Roman arena with a seating capacity of over 50,000 people. It is close to the Forum, next to Forum the Palatine Hill, and the amazing church Pantheon which was originally built as a temple . And the Gardens of the Villa Borghese is a really nice central public park just like London’s Hyde Park and New York’s Central Park.

To get around we used the public transportation which was cheap and easy to use, but to go to Florence I rented a car online from Locauto and we received the car from Locauto desk in Termini Station. It is a short distance so I suggest you do the same if at least one of you knows how to drive (especially manual - because the automatic car rentals are a little too expensive!)

We were a little bit scared actually because while we were walking around in the city all the cars in the traffic and the ones that were parked seemed to have at least one crash :)

If you are used to a traffic like Turkey than there is no problem, but if you are travelling from US or such country with well organized traffic, than don't bother to rent a car, use the busses or the trainway :)

beautiful buildings!

One of those boutiques with a Bar in it :) Yes, I can call this an enjoyable shopping!

Loose yourself in the streets of Rome.. Shop, walk, visit the boutiques, enjoy the great and antique buildings.

LITTLE BIG TOWN - the cute toy shop!

enjoy the history all around the town

there are many pizza and fast-food buffets around, but most of them aren't as delicious as they seem! (and to be honest - I probably didn't even like any of the things I ate from the buffets!)

For good food :  Rampa (Piazza Mignanelli 18), Agata e Romeo (Via Carlo Alberto 45) , Arancio d’Oro (17 Via Monte D’Oro)

Rampa

About our trip, I believe the first thing to talk about is the hotel we stayed in : Hotel EUROSTARS Aeterna  (Via Casilina,125 / Piazza del Pigneto 9a , Rome , Italy) which was a great hotel with a helpful reception, clean and large rooms with modern bathrooms and many other facilities. I booked it online from booking.com but you may do it from its own website as well (don't forget the compare the prices, sometimes booking.com gets some discounts!).

Drink wine : I will say that you should definitely drink Prosecco at least for once cause its a local drink and I actually liked it at the end! We tried many different brands for champagne and prosecco my recommendations will be (taking price/taste in consideration) Martini and Mionetto. I will recommend Roscioli  (via dei Giubbonari, 21), Palatium (Via Frattina 94 - few steps from Via Condotti and Spanish Steps), Vino Al Vino and a restaurant close to Vatican but also has a nice shop inside thats why : Il Simposio di Constantini (Piazza Cavour, 16) for wine shopping and testing. 

For fine  wine events visit : http://www.vinoroma.com/

cute, old, little streets..

  Visit the Art Galleries & Museums : 

In Rome you may find the art of Michelangelo everywhere. Capitoline Museums, Borghese Gallery and the Palazzo Barberini Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica are the must sees in the area of art. Also other than art museums you might find these interesting:  the Pasta Museum  just because you are in Italy you might like to visit that, Museum of Purgatory, Rome Crime Museum , and the  Museum of the Sanitary Arts  (It’s interesting because it is in a hospital).

             Visit the Piazzas (Squares) 

Piazza di Spagna with the famous Spanish Steps,
Piazza di Trevi with the Trevi Fountain,
Piazza del Popolo,
Piazza della Repubblica with fountain of Naiads, Piazza del Campidoglio,
Piazza Venezia walking down from vie del Corso to Victor Emmanuel II Monument and Trajan’s column,
Piazza Navona with the amazing Bernini fountain at its center
and more ..

One of those great ice-cream shops!

famous ice-cream : San Crispino Ice-Cream via Flaminia church of Santa Maria del Popolo Fountain of the Four Rivers Church of Sant'Agnese

  Wok

   is in Termini Station
( I don't know if there are any other branches) and one of the best address for cheap and tasty food in Rome..

At least it was for us..

And you can always indulge yourself with a traditional and elegant event a night at the Opera! Will be both good to enjoy yourself with the music and the great scenery and feel that you are living the city.

Vatican City :
St Peter's Square, St Peter's Basilica, Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel surrounded with Michelangelo's art.

the nice restaurant we went.. delicious pastas! UNIVERSAL BAR

Lastly I'll suggest you learn about the book bars if you are interested : I guess I read about them online
from timeout.com before we left for the trip. We did not have time to visit one of them but I am still recommending them. And taking the recommendation from Timeout as well (because that’s the reason why I find them interesting!) “Caffè Letterario led the charge in a part of the city bustling with Terza Università students. Bohemian Trastevere, just across the river, boasts the highest concentration of book
bars, the largest of which is Bibli, where readers can mingle with artists and authors over a glass of wine.”

And I  recommend http://romerevealed.typepad.com/rome-revealed/ its a nice Rome web-site and http://unamericanaaroma.com/ if you are interested in more information from someone who lives the city.