We arrived in Rome on Thursday mid-day. After our many train mishaps, we decided that we would leave from Bologna early and give ourselves enough time to meet the train as scheduled and still have enough time to account for any problems that could occur along the way. As it turns out, this was one of our only train experiences since we have been on the road that went without a hitch. Great!
We are staying at a very nice hotel called Hotel Relais 6. It is in a residential area in the north eastern section of Rome. The room is a tiny bit tight, but very nicely appointed with antiques, nice linen, thirsty towels and a pair of slippers for both of us….how nice. No tissues, though. Isn’t that funny?! They provide slippers, but no tissues. You would think it would be the other way around. Mike and I have both picked up colds and are searching for tissues everywhere we go. This could be a real hardship for us!
I can honestly say that this is probably the friendliest hotel that we have stayed in on our trip. The front desk staff is very attentive and eager to assist with setting up tours, answering questions, etc. I talked to one of the staff this morning about this and he said it is a condition of hire at this hotel. They want you to feel like you are visiting someone in their home rather than staying at hotel, which makes customer service a key factor. As he said, there are lots of hotels in Rome to pick from, they want to be a step ahead of the pack. In the hustle and bustle of Rome and as we are getting more fatigued as we wind up our trip, this is very refreshing and appreciated.
The hotel really is set up like someone’s home! There is a lovely sitting area near the main lobby that is also appointed with antiques and large comfortable chairs where you can sit and read your own book or pick from one that is available from the shelves that are scattered throughout the common area. There are also 2 smaller sitting rooms in the common area as well as a small breakfast room where we have had our morning meal in the days since we have been here. It really is delightful!
We also like the little neighborhood where the hotel is located and have found some really tasty food here, so far. We had pasta at a couple of little neighborhood places in our first days here that were good and at minimal cost. Last night, we had a fantastic meal at a newer restaurant near the hotel, which was quite different. I had the leg of a pig, which they called proscuitto. I don’t know about you, but the proscuitto that I know is the kind that is sliced wafer thin and served with melon, breads, etc. This was a different story. It was actually the upper part of the pig’s leg that still had the hip joint attached. It had been slow roasted in the oven and was so tender that it was falling off the bone. It’s been a long time since I have had ham/pork that was quite this tender and juicy. Just great!
The restaurant is also known for its antipasto bar, which we sampled. It was like a salad bar, but more. My 2 favorite things on the bar were a skewer lined alternately with fresh mozzarella and cherry tomatoes…..a little bit of a cappresse salad….really good. The other winner was an eggplant dish that was done up like an eggplant parmesan. We could have just done this for dinner. So good!
If there is a downside to our little haven outside of the hustle and bustle of Rome, it is that we are a little far out from the main sites. There is a close metro stop and pretty good bus connections, but it still takes a good long time to get to where you want to be each day. We have used taxi service a few times, but they are expensive and the taxi drivers are anxious to trick you with incorrect change, etc. So, we are trying to stay clear from using them if we can.
There are also few services for travelers available. Laundry is the most needed at this point, and literally non-existent. On our first day here, I did a walk of the neighborhood and found 4 dry cleaners. There were no laundry services, either self serve or those that will do the laundry for you. Hard to believe! But, true. The hotel will do laundry for you for about a million dollars. Since we don’t actually have a million dollars, we are recycling our clothing and hoping we don’t get too sweaty or spill anything, a particular challenge for me! Wish us luck!
In our first few days here, we have covered a lot of ground. We did an evening walking tour of the city that started at the Spanish Steps and ended at the Piazza Navona. We had a great tour guide who was a Floridian, of all things, with a Master’s Degree in art history. She was transplanted here through marriage about 10 years ago. She was a very interesting and entertaining host who guided us through some of the must-see sites in Italy. Although we looked at other things, the highlights for me were the Trevi Fountain, The Pantheon and the Piazza Navona……and, of course a stop at the best gelateria in Rome. All (including the gelato) are really great examples of the history, art and /or architecture of Rome. In these venues we saw sculptures by Raphael and Bernini as well as other lesser known artists and heard the stories behind the pieces. All were very moving and interesting…..and, experiencing this by night is also a treat with the lights of Rome in the background.
We are off to a great start in Rome!!
By the way, I stopped off in one of the bathrooms in a delightful wine bar near our hotel yesterday and had another “PRE” sighting (you remember this from a few blogs ago). This particular restaurant also chose to identify the men’s and women’s room with pictures. These were quite different from those in Bratslava that I talked about in my earlier post. They were much more sophisticated, with their antique look and feel. No one’s butt cheeks or cracks were hanging out. But, the very proper woman on the women’s room picture was bare-breasted…….HMMM….a little sexist if you ask me. But, again, no question on which bathroom was which.
We are off in a few minutes to attend a concert of the Vivaldi Four Seasons at an old church in the middle of Rome. We will go on the bus, which we haven’t used yet. I hope we get there……and on time! You never know in Rome!
Travel With Betsy 
Leave a comment