Rome: NY Times Top Tips, Options?

[TLCOhio]

From the New York Times Travel Section in December, they had this headline: “36 Hours Rome” with these highlights: “Rome, usually a city on the verge of an urban breakdown, suddenly seems on the cusp of getting it together. A refreshing breeze of possibility, not just this summer’s burning garbage, is blowing through the city. The city is hoping to host World Expo 2030, a potentially transformative prize that could improve infrastructure and reimagine Rome’s rugged eastern neighborhoods — though even now they percolate with energy. Whether it be sumptuous palaces or new restaurants eager to break free of the carbonara yoke, Rome seems eager to stop resting on its wilted laurels.”

 

This lengthy profile has a wide range of ideas and options for restaurants and bars, attractions, shopping and markets, getting around, where to stay, etc.  Many interesting visuals are also included.  Have visited Rome in 1970, 1999 and 2011.  Might share later some of my visuals from our love of Rome, its history, character, style, people, architecture, etc. 

 

In this summary report, here is an example of one "hidden gem" they shared: "Rome is a city of secrets. Behind beat-up facades are sprawling gardens and sparkling palaces. Palazzo Colonna may be the most well-managed and jaw-dropping of them all. Rooms drip with art, and the private apartments of Princess Isabelle are packed with treasures. Polyglot staff members will tell you about the room Michelangelo hung out in; the bored princess who took the (visitable) secret passageway when she escaped dressed as a man; the rare ancient marbles; and the 18th-century insomnia clock."

 

Full story at:

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/12/01/travel/things-to-do-rome.html

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio   

 

Barcelona/Med: June 2011, with stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Great visuals with key highlights, tips, etc. Live/blog now at 256,051 views.

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/1362155-solstice-livefirst-timer-reportspix’s-italycroatian-june-7-19/

 

Here is the NY Times graphic for this detailed profile about Rome.:

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[Lady President]

I look forward to reading this article.  We'll be in Rome for a couple days before our cruise at the end of April-- perfect timing!

 

Thank you-- Sue Ellen in Ohio  🙂

[TLCOhio]

2 minutes ago, Lady President said:

I look forward to reading this article.  We'll be in Rome for a couple days before our cruise at the end of April-- perfect timing!  Thank you-- Sue Ellen in Ohio  🙂

 

Appreciate this quick follow-up from Sue Ellen right here in Columbus, Ohio.  Small world??!!  Happy to share more and answer any and all questions.  

 

As a warning, Rome has such a wide range of great options that you need to research and prepare accordingly.  Am I understanding correctly that your time for Rome will be limited to a net of only two days or maybe a little less in "net" time?

 

Is St. Peter's Basilica high on your priority-so-see list?  Also, the Vatican Museum?

 

Tell us more!!  Happy to hook up directly if that works for your interests and provide more background.  What else are your interest for seeing and exploring in Rome?

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Venice: Loving It & Why??!!  Is one of your future desires or past favorites? See these many visual samples for its great history and architecture.  This posting is now at 101,204 views.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1278226

 

From my 1970 slides, below are two examples of the spectacular exterior of and around St. Peter’s.  First is the front with one of the spectacular fountains in the foreground.  Has it changed much in 60+ years?  Second is a “high shot” from the top of the dome. St. Peter's Basilica has the largest interior of any Christian church in the world, holding 60,000 people.  It was “built to impress” and it does!  Construction of the present Basilica, over the old Constantinian basilica, began in 1506 and was completed in 1626. The dome of St. Peter's rises 448 feet from the floor of the basilica to the top of the external cross. It is the tallest dome in the world.  Michelangelo redesigned the dome in 1547, taking design ideas from Florence’s famed church. St. Peter's Square is vast, 1,115 feet long by 787 feet wide.  As you tell, my visuals are from back in history when cars were allowed to park in the massive square.  Not allowed these days.:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!)

 

 

The ruins of the Roman Forum offer a glimpse for what was the social and political center of Imperial Rome.   There is a large collection of remains from temples to Roman gods, public baths, imperial arches, basilicas, the Roman senate, where Caesar’s funeral happened, etc.:

 

Piazza Navona is an elliptically-shaped area on the site of an ancient Roman chariot-racing stadium.  Now, it is one of modern Rome's premier gathering points with its famous Baroque fountain, Fountain of the Four Rivers (1651), by Gian Lorenzo Bernini.  It has a notable baroque church, Sant'Agnese in Agone, plus many dining places and areas to walk around, soaking up the great sights and amazing history.:

 

Trevi Fountain might be Rome’s most celebrated fountain and one of world’s most famous.  It took about 30 years to build (from 1732 to 1762) and depicts Neptune, the god of the sea.  Visitors toss coins into the water in hopes to guarantee a return to Rome. It is the largest Baroque fountain in Rome and at a terminal point for one of Rome's ancient aqueducts.  It was designed by Nicola Salvi, with influences from Bernini.  This fountain famously appears in the films Roman Holiday, La Dolce Vita, etc. The second picture shows its large front, but the first shows how this fountain sits much below street level and is surrounded by a close mix of large buildings.  It is 85’ wide by 66’ high.  In person, this tight physical site has a very different "feel" than what you might expect.:

 

 

[TLCOhio]

For Sue Ellen and any others planning a Rome visit, the Wall Street Journal has this travel profile coming this weekend.  

 

They have this headline: “No Place Like Rome: Unlock the City’s Old-World Romance at These Historic Hotels" with this set-headline: "Italy’s splendid capital holds lessons in history and hospitality for locals and visitors alike. Drop into one of these storied properties for a weekend stay—or just an aperitif with a view.”

 

Here are some of their reporting highlights: “Sigmund Freud used Rome as a metaphor for memory: specifically, the way the many layers of the past exist simultaneously and come to the fore when viewed from different angles. Among the most illuminating ways travelers can explore the Eternal City’s kaleidoscopic history is through its illustrious hotels. Each palatial structure is part of the modern city’s fabric but also embodies a specific moment in time. And thanks to the welcoming Roman manner, even non-guests can stop in for a coffee or aperitif while taking in the old-world ambience. A brief sojourn to these grand getaways provides a peek into Rome’s history and allows visitors to sample cultural riches along the way.”

 

Among the hotels suggested in this profile were:

At Fountain of the Naiads:  Anantara Palazzo Naiadi 

By the Pantheon:  Antico Albergo del Sole 

Within view of the Spanish Steps:  Hotel d’Inghilterra

Near Piazza del Popolo:  Hotel de Russie

Near Termini train station:  Bettoja Hotel Mediterraneo

In one of the city’s hippest neighborhoods, Trastevere: Unahotels Trastevere Roma

 

They also cite this suggested option to consider: "Historic Wonder: The magic of Rome resides around every corner: Wander into San Luigi dei Francesi, the church near the Piazza Navona, and find a trio of Caravaggios depicting the life of St. Matthew in one chapel."

 

Full story at:

https://www.wsj.com/articles/rome-hotels-guide-old-world-romance-historic-hotels-a2370776?mod=life_work_lead_story

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise from Copenhagen, July 2010, to the top of Europe. Scenic visuals with key tips. Live/blog at 246,202 views.

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/1172051-livesilver-cloud-norway-coastfjords-july-1-16-reports/

 

For this profile, here is the visual used with a view of Piazza del Popolo as seen from the Pincio in the late afternoon.:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see this visual larger/better!)

[TLCOhio]

From the New York Times Travel Section for this weekend, they have this headline: “Rome, Sacred Ground for Nearly 3,000 Years, and Counting" with this sub-headline: "Christianity is just one chapter in the Eternal City’s rich spiritual history. Judaism, Islam and ancient Roman religions are also a big part of the picture.”

 

Here are some of their reporting highlights: “According to legend, Rome was born on April 21, 753 B.C., when Romulus, the survivor of its feuding twin founders, hitched his plow and furrowed a circular perimeter in the hills above the Tiber River. 'We have a city founded by the auspices and augury,'  the Roman historian Livy wrote. 'There is not a corner of it that is not full of our cults and our gods.'  Rome, in a sense, has been sacred ground right from the start.   To many, Rome is the epicenter of Catholicism, the seat of the Vatican and home to a seemingly infinite number of churches. But in the nearly three millenniums of the city’s recorded past, Christianity is but a chapter. Rome has sheltered polytheistic pagans and monotheistic Jews, adherents of Middle Eastern cults, and, in more recent times, a sizable multinational Muslim community.”

 

Interesting background and history about Rome and its amazing, varied, changing history. Here is another item outlined: "Rome being Rome, these holy places are often jumbled together or layered — a church dedicated to the Virgin on top of pagan temples; a medieval church built over an ancient home that had a shrine to the Persian sun god Mithras in its basement."

 

Full story at:

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/01/travel/rome-sacred-places.html

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Sydney to NZ/Auckland Adventure, live/blog 2014 sampling/details with many exciting visuals and key highlights.  On page 23, post #571, see a complete index for all of the pictures, postings.  Now at 242,996 views.

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/1896175-solstice-live-australianzhawaii-many-pix’s-jan-20-feb-3/

[TLCOhio]

From Condé Nast Traveler magazine last month, they had this headline: “Best Places to Spend Christmas Around the World" with this sub-headline: "Some celebrations are worth the price of a plane ticket.”

 

Here are their reporting highlights for Rome: “Why we go: The streets around Rome will be festively alight, sure, but the home to the seat of Catholicism is an excellent option for folks seeking a more sacrosanct Christmas experience.   The one thing to get you in the spirit: Hear hymns echoing off the walls of the 1,900-year-old architectural marvel during midnight mass at the Pantheon (December 24 into the 25th).   Stay here: Aside from classically designed guest rooms, Sofitel Rome Villa Borghese offers festive amenities like themed dinners at the rooftop restaurant and chauffeured tours of Rome’s holiday lights in a vintage Fiat 500.” 

 

Full story at:

https://www.cntraveler.com/galleries/2015-12-08/copenhagen-to-quebec-14-cities-that-do-christmas-best?utm_source=nl&utm_brand=cnt&utm_mailing=CNT_Daily_AM_122523&utm_campaign=aud-dev&utm_medium=email&bxid=5db3f99524c17c23c34ecf3e&cndid=6657468&hasha=e1ca3019f9f535a4b98389997c63b892&hashb=7daf2541a0de702392cfe60ed513a5c2d1d23598&hashc=f541a9e649534cc2931bd57d58d8c2cac2bb8c5d298f722bad5b05cc8ad5ece2&esrc=IDCONDENAST_REGGATE&utm_term=CNT_Daily

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio   

 

Venice: Loving It & Why??!!  Is one of your future desires or past favorites? See these many visual samples for its great history and architecture.  This posting is now at 109,836 views.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1278226

 

[slidergirl]

If I had a shipload of money, I'd spend some time at a couple of those hotels, too.   As the saying goes, I've got champagne taste but a tap water pocketbook.   It's usually a beer pocketbook, but I've downgraded 😏

[euro cruiser]

I read the NY Times daily and these 36 hours articles are generally pretty awful.  When they write about a place you know it becomes obvious how sub-par they are.  It's as though they sent someone who had never been there, and then had them write about what they did.  These articles are often not well researched, and either rehash the same old stuff, or try so hard to come up with something "new" that they are irrelevant for most of us.