i heart rome

The Vatican Excavations

A few weeks ago a friend of mine told me about the Vatican excavation tour. I went online and found the information on the Vatican website.

First, to take the excavation tour you must reserve in advance via email. You tell them you available date range and language you speak and they confirm your space (if available) via email. To increase your chance of getting a reservation, give them the widest date range possible. The confirmation does not come quickly and some have said they did not receive it until a few weeks before their trip. Once confirmed, you must pay €10 via credit card.

On the day of your tour you arrive 15 minutes before your scheduled time, go to the "holy gate" and tell the Swiss Guards you have an appointment at the excavation office. Once you arrive you pick up your ticket.

One note, they do not permit any backpacks or very large bags in the excavations. I did see 2 people being turned away. If you have these with you they can be checked at the coat check which is on the opposite side of St Peters. If you are late they wil not wait for you.

The tour of the excavation is amazing. The guides are very knowledgable and follow the entire tour through the history of St Peter and the building of the Vatican. Once you are lead underground the first area you see is the main street of the cemetary which was once located above ground. It was burried in order to build St Peters and only discovered in about 1935. Along the way you get to peek into a few of the masoleums along the main street of this pagan cemetary. In addition, your guide will also point out the signs and symbols of early Christianity. In one particular small tomb there are mosaics that are said to be the earliest Christian mosaic in the world. Towards the end of the tour you finally get to see the exact location of St Peters burial and the layers of monuments built around him. Each new monument to St Peter was built over and around the original one finally resulting in the great St Peters Basilica.

The tour takes about an hour and a half and for most of the time you are underground. The chamber of the site are artificially humidified to a level of about 90% to protect the environment. Try to wear lightweight clothing or you may find it uncomfortable.

Remember that only 100 people per day are allowed into the excavations, so if you get a confirmed reservation consider yourself honored. It's difficult to really explain what you will see, but it really is amazing.

Once I return home I will post the websight where you can make reservations.

Ditirambo

Piazza della Cancelleria 74-75, Rome near Piazza Campo de' Fiore

www.ristoranteditirambo.com

Today I wandered a bit further from my hotel for dinner (but not too far). Earlier today I talk a walk through the Campo de' Fiore and scoped out 2 restaurant options for dinner. One was a place called Da Sergio, a classic red and white check tablecloth trattoria and the second was Ditirambo. Ditirambo stood out to me because when I read the posted menu I noticed it was different. Although I was really craving some classic pasta carbonara, I selected Ditirambo.

Ditirambo is a small restaurant right near the Piazza Campo de'Fiore. Out of all the restaurants I have seen and of all the menu's I have read, this is by far the most original. I also read that many of their ingredients come from organic sources. At Ditirambo, you won't find carbonara, amitriciana or alfredo on the menu. Instead there are some real creative combinations and seasonal specialties.

The interior of Ditirambo is simple, the tables are dressed in green and white checked cloths and the mood is warm. At first glance at the exterior one would think this is a mom and pop, but once you see your first dish, you realize this is more.

To start I am having the pumpkin ravioli (€9.50). This sounds basic but the dish was exquisite. There were 3 ravoli's filled with pumpkin (zucca) and in a light sage flavored cream sauce. Over the top there was finely crumbled ameretto biscuits. At least that's what I think they were because they were very sweet. As I ate I thought that I wanted this dish to last forever. Excellent.

For my main course I couldn't decide between the pork with smoked ham and chestnut puree or the Osso Buco. I asked the waiter what he thought and he suggested the Osso Buco. This is a pretty typical dish and I was curious what they would do with it.

I wasn't disappointed.

The Osso Buco (€15) wasn't prepared in the typical "red sauce" fashion but it seemed to be in a white wine and light pesto and olive oil topped with sliced almonds. Regardless of the preparation it was the best and most tender Osso Buco I've ever had. In fact it was so good I mopped up every bit of sauce with my bread.

Speaking of bread, the bread basket here was well worth the price (€1.50). There was a variety of breads, every one of them was delicious.

After my Osso Buco I had a salad of fennel, oranges and pomigranite seeds (€8). It was beautifully prepared and looked delicious. I have to say this was a lot of fennel, in fact, too much for my liking. I loved the orange slices and pomigranite though.

As I moved on I selected the Tiramisu for dessert (€6). On the menu it said it was saffron scented. What trattoria in Rome would even attempt this? If you like tiramisu, you won't be disappointed. It has a nice flavor and was very creamy, but I didn't really taste the saffron. Saffron is such a mild flavor that I think the coffee flavor in the dessert overwhelmed it.

I want to also note the wine here is also better then most places. At Ditirambo they offer a few wines by the glass, but not the typical flavorless jug wine offered in most places. I had two glasses of the Nero d'Avola and I really enjoyed it.

To finish off this fabulous meal I ended with a nice after amaro liquore from Venice. I originally asked for my favorite, Montenegro, but it wasn't available. The waiter suggested one they had from Venice. It was a real treat but I cannot remember the name.

I will say that of all the places I've dined in Europe this will be in my mind as one of the most memorable.

I originally read about Ditirambo in many of the popular guidebooks and in some they described the service here as "brusque". I disagree. I thought the service levels were friendly and personal. This also isn't the type of restaurant that positions someone on the street to hail you in.

If you want to dine at Ditirambo, either come early (they open at 1pm for lunch or 7.30pm for dinner) or reserve. I arrived at about 7.45pm and the place was near empty. At 8.30 they filled up immediately to capacity.

My meal at Ditirambo ended with my check and three small home made biscotti.

The total bill this evening was €48 ($63). Don't let the high ticket scare you. This evenings dinner included all the courses and frills including wine, sparkling water and dessert. I wasn't charged for the after dinner drink.

Regardless, the meal was worth every penny.

Tuesdays Pedometer

Here's how much walking I did Tuesday.

39,860 steps 1,741 calories burnt 17.61 miles walked
3,000 calories gained with pasta and gelato

Della Palma

Via del Madalena 19 Near the Pantheon

Tonights gelato is brought to you by "Della Palma". I have passed by this place a million times on the walk from the Pantheon to my hotel but never got gelato here because Giolitti is right around the corner. Tonight I thought I'd try it.

First of all I ordered a "triple" at €3 and it is smaller than Giolittis double.

Tonights flavor test is, marrons glaces (candied chestnuts), Nutella with caramel and cappucino. The flavors here are pretty good and the consistency is absolutely creamy but the depth of flavor still doesn't match Giolitti.

Oddly their cup says they have a location in New York City. Where the hell is it?

Maccheroni

Piazza delle Copelle 44, Rome Near the Pantheon

It's been a long day and I ended my trip from Ostia Antica witjh a long walk from Statzione Termini. I also got lost.

Tonight I am settling for a local joint since my feet are about to fall off. I passed by Maccheroni last night and saw a guy eating a beef filet on arugula. After seeing I decided I had to have it.

Before I get to my beef I am having the Rigatoni Amatriciana (€9). Amaticiana is a tomato based sauce with bacon and dried chili peppers. The menu also said it had goat cheese but I think they got their animal translation wrong. I believe they meant sheeps cheese or a Romano type.

The pasta dish is yummy but nothing spectacular. What else can you do with a tomato based pasta sauce? Hey, add goat cheese!

The beef filet with arugula came as my second course (€18). It was a generous amount of meat and I asked for it medium rare. I forgot that standards here are "one off" from American standards. My meat was served on the rare side. It was a bit bloody. What the heck does rare look like, a live cow? Regardless it was pretty good meat and a genrous portion.

To end my meal I am skipping dessert and having a glass of an Italian Amaro called "Montenegro". This is pretty much a drink you can only find in Italy. Montenegro is a perfumed type after dinner drink which tastes somewhat like geranium. It's sort of floral and like drinking aromatherapy. I don't think everyone would like this but it's quite interesting. I have to find me a bottle to take home.

Maccheroni is a decent choice in the area of the Pantheon. It's also pretty easy to find. Personally, considering the hype I read about this place, I didn't think it was worth the price. Most of the menu items are a few bucks higher then typical.

I also arrived at Maccheroni a bit late and got a table in the basement. The basement is well lighted but smells a bit dank. It's not too bad but personally I would skip it, unless you really have to eat here.

Service was prompt and friendly. Although I felt the waiters were rushed, they were easy to catch as needed.

Total bill €32 ($42) including the charge for bread (they always charge for the bread, so eat it!), 1/4 carafe of house wine and water.

This was the most expensive meal I have had and also my least favorite.

Jeans

Everyone on the Fodors forums are constantly asking about wearing jeans in Europe.

Just to let you know all I see here is jeans, jeans and more jeans. They are worn in every style you can imagine. Tight, loose, boot leg, taperd, embelished, cargo, low rise, high rise, you name it.

In all the restaurants I visit the waiters wear jeans, the people eating wear them, everyone seems to have the latest styles and designer versions.

If you don't wear your jeans you may actually feel out of place.

Ostia Antica.

8 miles.

That's how much walking I did at Ostia Antica.

This place wasn't just the ruins of a few buildings. It was an entire city. It takes you a little while to figure out what you are looking at but once you get use to Ostia, your mind starts to rebuild the city.

Here you can see everything from Roman baths to temples, homes, a charriot house and even the bakery. The ground are scattered with fragments of statues and columns which give you an idea of this once grand city. One of the things I liked the best was looking at all the mosaic floors which are still partially intact. One of my favorites was in the market area where the floor of the fishmonger was designed with a serpant or octopus and a fish.

I spent about 3.5 hours here because of the size of the site. As you wander you find yourself peeking into the backstreets and into a building here and there. What a delight it is when you come across a small statue or fresco on a wall. The funniest part is when you see the public rest room. Imagine a long marble slab with rows of toilet seat type holes carved in it. Below the holes is simple a ditch. Looking at this I have the feeling that there was very little privacy when you had to do your business. It didn't look like there was any space between holes for dividers. They did, however, have a two separate rooms for man and woman.

And If you think your toilet seat is cold, try sitting on a piece of marble.

They say if you come to Italy and can't get to Pompeii, Ostia is highly under rated and the next best thing. Unlike Pompaii which was distoyed by a volcano, Ostia Antica was burried in river mud from the nearby Tiber.

If you visit wear good shoes. Nothing is paved and the ground is uneven everywhere.

Admission with a map (you need this) is €6.

My feet hurt.

The Trip to Ostia Antica

I woke up this morning at about 9am and had breakfast at the hotel (croissants with Nutella). When I went back to my room I laid on the bed for a "second". Big mistake, I fell back asleep. After waking up and getting out of the romm by 11.30, I decided to go to Ostia Antica. Today is a sunny day and I wanted to take advantage of the good weather while it is here.

I asked at my hotel how to get to Ostia and they told me to go to Piazza Claudio and get the number 95 bus. Once arriving wandered hopelessly to find the stop. I few time I saw the 95 and followed it to find where it was stopping, but it never did.

When I finally found the stop there was a sign posted in Italian which seemed to say the the bus does not stop here and directed me to Piazza Tritone. S**t. When I foinally found the stop I got on the bus and was on my way.

I was suppose to stay on the bus to the Parimide (Pyramid) stop. As the bus weaved through the city streets I thought for sure I had missed my stop. I didn't recognize the neighborhood anymore. I had visions of the bus hitting the last stop and having to get off while Italian gagsters steal my bag and my maps, asprin, camera and guidebooks, leaving me stranded in the ghetto.

Then a relieving sight, a stone pyramid (what is that?) and a metro station by the same name. The train to Ostia Antica leaves from the train station next to the metro station. It is called Roma Lido.

Note to self, next time take the Metro.

Before boarding the train I stop at a small stand and get a proscuitto, cheese and arugula panini (€3) with a Diet Coke and a bottle of water. The panini is cooked on a press and tastes pretty good. It all cost €6.

After picking up my lunch I buy my ticket and head to the train. This train resembles a subway car and is about as dirty as a train can be. I feel like I am in India. There us so much grafitti and filth on the windows that you can barely see out of them. The trip to Antica Ostia is pretty fast, I think it was about 15 minutes.

I have arrived at Ostia and now I have to figure out where Antica is!

Reminder - The Italian public transportaion system is about as confusing as the city streets.

Mondays Wrap Up

I am laying here in my small bed in pain. Yes, I walked all day but it didn't even feel tired...

Until I sat down.

Truthfully I did nothing cultural today at all.

I spent the day walking the streets around the Spanish Steps checking out the shops and watching everyone in their Gucci, Diesel, D&G, Loius V, Fendi, plucked eyebrows, poofed hair, hats, scarves and jewelry (and that's just the guys!). Funny but along with all that are the people in their Levi's. Levi's are more of a trend statement here. I think they would feel bad if they knew the Levi's I am wearing cost only $25 at Kohl's as compared to the €100 they charge for the same jeans here.

Clothing is not cheap here. This is the first time in years that I've been to Europe and bought nothing. Actually the only thing I bought today was a washcloth at the COIN dept store. As I mentioned earlier, most hotels don't offer them, including mine.

Another thing I am looking for is a nice stove top espresso maker. I checked out a place called C.U.C.I.N.A. which is a boutique kitchen store and another place called Gusto which was another cooking boutique packed with stuff. Neither store had anything unique or different. In fact most everything I saw is also availble in New York City (cheaper).

After wandering around the shops near the Spanish Steps I walked to the Piazza de Poppolo. The obliesk in the center was scafolded. Actually this isn't the only scafold that has ruined my view. The obliesk at the top of the Spanish Steps and the big fountain at the Piazza Navona are also covered. Disappointing.

From the Piazza de Poppolo I headed up the Via Ripetta and popped in a cafe for a Macciato and a small crispy pastry filled with Nutella. I love Nutella! The price for both was right at €1.80. It gave me the pick me up I needed.

From here I crossed the Tiber and walked to the Via Cola Rienzo which is in the area called the Prati. The Via Cola Rienzo is a lively neighborhood shopping street with all sorts of stores from Benneton to COIN the local department store. It's funny but unless I missed it Rome doesn't have a grand department store like Macy's in New York City, Harrods in London or Galleries Lafayette in Paris.

Regardless it was an interesting walk. From the Prati I headed over to the Castel Angelo for some night photos and then walked the Ponte St Angelo bridge which is lined with dramatic statues of angels and people selling all sorts of fake Gucci, Prada and Louis V. handbags.

Castel Saint Angelo was built in the year 135 by the Emporer Hadrian and has served as a fortress, prison and papal residence. Can you imagine, built in the year 135! We consider something built in the 1970's old! Anyway, I think I will go tour it tomorrow.

From the Castel I walked over the bridge of angels and back into old Rome to search for a place for dinner. I really got lost in the maze of streets again. It's funny but as you wander you never feel lost and then you come upon a familiar piazza and get your direction sorted out. I feel like dropping bread crumbs.

It's difficult to follow the streets of old Rome. Sometimes they don't seem to match the map. Streets and alleys appear that aren't on the map and those that you think should be there aren't. Buildings seem to be numbered in order but the all of a sudden the pattern changes and odd number show up leaving you scratching your head. Streets change names about every 40 steps and some seem to have no name or sign at all. You can wander in circles and then all of a sudden end up at the location you were looking for.

After fighting the streets and having dinner at Fiametta, I headed to Giolitti for my flavors du giorno.

Pistachio and Coconut

I have to say that so far these are my least 2 favorites. I thought at least the pistachio would be good but I thought it lacked depth. Well tomorow is anoter day, another gelato.

One thing I do know is that my hotel is delightfully close to Giolitti. I never get lost between the two.

If you are interested I have a pedometer and today I logged the following-

40,423 Steps 1744 Calories burnt (that's all?) 18 miles walked

I think it's time for bed.

Buonanotte.

Fiametta

Piazza Fiametta 10, Rome (On the side of the Genio Hotel)

My feet are killing me.

If I showed you an a map how far I walked today, you wouldn't believe me.

Fiametta is the first restaurant I ever ate in in Italy, 7 years ago. I settled here this evening because I am eating a little late. I popped by a few other places that were on my list and either they were full or no one was in them. I always wonder how some of these places that are recommended in the books are empty. An empty restaurant is a bad sign. One of my choices was not only empty, but lighted with floresent lights. I can't eat in bad lighting.

Well, Fiametta is not lighted that great but at least it's incandesent lights. The lights hanging from the ceiling are quite odd. They are barrels surrounded with clear glass carafes with bright bulbs inside. Odd.

I am going to be a hog tonight for dinner. Since I know Fiametta has good pasta and pizza, I am ordering both and skipping the sides.

I am starting with Spaghetti al Carbonara (my personal favorite @ €7). Tonight my instinct didn't steer me wrong. Everyone may have their personal opinion about carbonara, but tonight was one of the best I have had. In case you don't know, carbonara is spaghetti in a sauce of cream, eggs, cheese, pepper and bacon. Besides for the great flavor the pasta was cooked to a perfect al dente, on a legendary scale. I gotta get that right at home!

My pizza choice was with tomato, cheese and proscuitto (€8.50). I am not a big fan of pizza but I wanted to try it here. A lot of the pizzerias in Rome make pizza in the "Roman" style. This means it has a cracker thin crust which is sometime charred around the edges. Don't fear, it adds to the flavor.

The pizza was pretty good and I ate about 3/4 of it. There was nothing wrong with it but nothing that excited me.

Fiametta isn't going to win any Michelin awards but it's a good place, which isn't a tourist trap, near the Piazza Navona. The service is basic and impersonal and atmosphere is a bit to "faux Roman" for me. For food, I would stick to the pastas and maybe a salad, unless you really love pizza.

Prices are reasonable. My meal which included a 1/4 liter of house blood (oops I mean wine) and a small bottle of water cost €22 ($28).

Note-The house jug wine sold by the carafe is uninspiring (borderline undrinkable). Since prices are resonable, buy a bottle of something better instead.

Guess where I am going for dessert?

(Hint, it's cold and creamy)