It was a short but culturally enriching trip with visits to the Coliseum (gladiator arena) amphitheatre of the Flavian emperor of Rome, visits to the Palatine, Forum, the catacombs of the St. Callixto of early christians in Rome (close to St Giovanni), visit to the Vatican, and visit around the centre city of Rome.
The touristic sites were very interesting but the only problem with this short vacation is the hotel where we lodged, and customer service.
My hubby and I were lodged in a lovely hotel called Hotel Cilicia, on via Cilicia, close to Saint Giovanni metro stop. Yes the hotel is lovely but we spent 5 nights of 28°C without air conditioner. We spent the nights leaving our room window open, listening to the siren of the city ambulance and noisy vehicle engine sound, and waking up as early as 5 am tired and warned out for the days' activities.
What was surprising about all this is that the hotel did not seem bothered to try to fix the problem. After so much asking, all they could propose was to bring table fans to the room. But they already had these table fans in the rooms but wouldn't tell clients that the air conditionning systems possibly is broke down, or is just placed in the rooms for fancy.
We also had problems with finding a decent restaurant. Rome has more of pizzerias, and offers pizza at tourist price.
Considering the fact that prices were expensive for what were offered, and after eating some horrible looking empty pizzas in the tourist traps called "pizzeria", we had often had no choice but filling our appetit with the only acceptable speciality of Rome; the 'gelateria'.
Another good thing in Rome are the fresh water fountains found almost at every street corners in the city.
Ice cream in Rome is a sure option to calm your lack of choice for good food, and I so much loved to stop off at "Blue Ice". The price is cheaper than in France. You get 3 scoops for €2.50 with lovely flavors like nutella flower, nocciola, strachiatella and more. There is one in the city centre, and another close to the Vatican.
Images of my week in Rome:
Coliseum, Forum & Palatine
Outfit of the gladiators on exhibition
Monument Il Vittoriano (Victor Emmanuel) and that of the unknown soldier
Victor Emmanuel (1820 - 1878) was the first king of Italy (1861 till death), also called the father of the patrie was the unificator of Italy. This monument was put up in his honour.
Trevi fountain
TheVatican City, its Swiss soldiers, St. Peter's statut & grave, & the Double Helix Bramante stairs (where people descending or ascending never meet)
Patron of the altar boys (St. Callixto)
Good sides of Rome
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