Anywhere you go in Rome, you're walking on a buried, ancient world. Beneath your feet lie the remnants of the city that ruled an empire: temples and streets, villas and churches, monuments and tombs. And while we've all heard of the catacombs, there are many, many other underground sights in the city that are every bit as fascinating. If not more so.
I wrote about seven of my favorite hidden, yet accessible places for an underground Rome fix for the Globe and Mail, online here.
(Update,December 2014: After I wrote that piece, one of the coolest, and longest-awaited, underground sites in Rome opened: the Domus Aurea, or Nero's Golden House. Find out more about the Domus Aurea, and how to get there, here!).
This month, New York Magazine is taking a little trip to Italy, with stories every day on the trials, tribulations, myths and magic of la bella vita. I’m excited to be contributing ten (count ’em… ten!) different pieces throughout the month. I’ll be updating this post with the links as they publish. Enjoy!
Naples: Less garbage, just as much to love. Not everyone falls in love with Naples, a city almost as maligned in Italy as it is abroad. I did. Here’s why (and why it might deserve a stop on your next Italy trip).
Why won’t Italians have cappuccino after dinner? Plus: can colpo d’aria (a hit of air) really give you a neck pain? And does a digestivo really help you digest? I talk to doctors to get to the truth behind eight rules that many Italians insist you follow — because otherwise, you might getsickandDIE.
Want real Italian food? Skip these seven dishes. From spaghetti and meatballs to fra diavolo, some of the plates most beloved by Little Italy neighborhoods across America are all but impossible to find in the motherland. Here’s why, and what to order instead.
I love sharing Rome’s hidden gems (and views) with others — so I was thrilled to do this slideshow for BBC Travel on Rome, behind the lens. Check it out to see some of Rome’s most stunning, least-known sights… and perhaps to get some ideas for your next trip to the Eternal City!
It’s spring, and you know what that means: gelato! Scoop up April’s issue of National Geographic Traveler for my piece on where to find Rome’s best. (Pun intended). I’ll also post a link here when the story goes live online. In the meantime, here’s a hint.
Yes, you can have pancakes like this in Rome… without making them yourself.
Sometimes, you don’t just want brunch in Rome. You want American brunch in Rome. You know. Pancakes. Eggs. Bagels. Filter coffee.
That can be pretty tough.
Finding brunch in Rome isn’t the part that’s hard. Like cupcakes and cocktails, brunch is what all the cool kids in Rome are doing (or consuming) these days.
And, like cupcakes and cocktails, even though some of the cool factor of brunch stems from it being a US import, it’s often not quuuuite done American-style. In fact, most Italian brunches offer up a spread that just like a noon-time aperitivo, with pastas, salads, meats, and cheeses. (And maybe some couscous or farro, if we’re getting really fancy).
But when you’re homesick hungry for American brunch, that just won’t do. Here are three places to head to instead: my three favorite spots for American brunch in Rome.
What’s living in Italy really like? Here are some of the ways you’ll know when you’ve lived here for a while—and that Rome has changed you (…for better or for worse!).
1. You walk into oncoming traffic without blinking. And you’re impatient with others who don’t do the same.
2. You know that living in the “Ghetto” isn’t dangerous or cheap. It’s luxurious. And expensive.
The “Ghetto.”
3. You set aside whole afternoons for tasks you used to think of as simple, like mailing a package or getting passport photos taken. (Every once in a while, these tasks take 15 minutes or less. When that happens, you’re so astonished, you waste the next two hours by calling your friends to tell them about it, anyway).
4. Foods you used to find normal, like chicken with pasta or carbonara with peas and cream, now turn your stomach.
This, my friends, is what a carbonara should look like.
5. You don’t go outside with a wet head—not because you really think you’ll get the colpo d’aria (and die!),but because you can’t stand the looks from everyone around you who does think you will.
Just one example of the innovative cuisine you can find in Rome these days, if you know where to go: A tarragon and hazelnut risotto, covered in edible mushroom paper, at Metamorfosi (photo courtesy of the restaurant)
These days, Rome’s food scene goes beyond the traditional mom-and-pop trattorias. (That hasn’t always been the case). In a new piece on Rome for foodies for New York Magazine, I track down the best activities, restaurants, and accommodation for foodies, from hotels that house Michelin-starred restaurants to Rome’s best spots for artisanal beers. Buon appetito!
I’ve written about the best gelato in Rome before. Last summer, I did a roundup of six of my favorite gelato shops in Rome. And three years ago, I “outed” my very favorite gelateria, I Caruso.
But you know what? Things change. (Even in Rome!). And for 2014, it’s time for an update.
For one thing, I Caruso is no longer a hidden gem. (I’ll take some of the blame for that). And on a recent visit, I found its gelato, while still good—and way better than the fake junk you’d get at most of Rome’s other gelaterias—not quite as flavorful as I remembered.
Meanwhile? Just up the street and around the corner, another gelateria, opened two years ago by a former I Caruso employee, blows I Caruso out of the water. At least if you prefer your gelato rich and decadent. Like I do. (Hey, go big or go home, right?).
Too many flavors to choose from. Just means a few more visits will be necessary.
I had high expectations for Come il Latte, since none other than gelato god renowned gelato master Claudio Torcé recommended it to me.
With one bite, I knew: Expectations exceeded.
As you might guess from the gelateria’s name (“Like Milk”), their gelato comes creamy. Really creamy. That’s because fresh cream makes up 40 to 70 percent of each gelato.
Ah, Rome at Christmas! With the festive lights a-sparkling and families a-shopping, Christmas trees a-twinkling and nativity scenes a-…um, whatever nativity scenes do — well, it really is the most wonderful time of year.
Want to make the most of it? Here’s my complete guide to Rome at Christmas… and New Year, too.
Rome at Christmas basics: what will be open, what will be closed, and other burning questions
In the short video below, I answer some of readers’ biggest questions about visiting Rome at Christmas.
What to do when visiting Rome at Christmas and New Year’s
One beloved Christmas tradition in Rome: the Christmas market at Piazza Navona
Rome has lots of special events and activities over Christmas. Here are 9 festive experiences in Rome from the end of November to the beginning of January, from ice-skating to Christmas markets.
And speaking of Christmas markets… here are some of your best bets for the 2019-20 season.
One traditional Italian gift: a beautifully-wrapped panettone
Get off of Via del Corso (no, really, please get off Via del Corso), and you’ll find tons of hidden independent boutiques and artisanal workshops in Rome — great for finding the perfect gift.
Are you finding this post helpful? Then you’ll love The Revealed Rome Handbook: Tips and Tricks for Exploring the Eternal City,available for purchase on Amazon or through my site here and now updated for 2020!
One of the biggest Christmas traditions in Rome is la befana. She’s the figure you’ll see across Rome come the holidays — and with her hooked nose and broomstick, she’s often mistaken for a witch. Here’s what to know about la befana, and this super-sweet video, below, explores the tradition further.
If you’re going to be a guest of an Italian family for any holiday meals, or you want to cook (or eat) according to Italian tradition this Christmas yourself, don’t miss this post on how to have an Italian Christmas meal.
Italian food is super-regional. But at every bakery in Rome in Christmas, you will see pandoro (a golden cake originally from Verona), as well as panettone (from Milan). Don’t miss my BBC Travel story about what you don’t know about panettone.
Tastings of torrone, panpepato and panforte at the pandoro festival in Rome
Want to know about New Year’s? These are some of the main New Year’s traditions in Italy. (Yes, my Italian friends really insist on wearing red underwear. So much so a [female!] Roman friend once even gave me red underwear as a gift… just to be sure I would).
If you liked this post, you’ll love The Revealed Rome Handbook: Tips and Tricks for Exploring the Eternal City, available for purchase on Amazon or through my site here! I’m also free for one-on-one consulting sessions to help plan your Italy trip.
‘Tis the season… when you’re more likely to experience rain in Rome. And in a city where so many of the sights are outdoors, and so much is meant to be explored on foot, a rainy day in Rome can feel like a deal-breaker.
It’s not.
Sure: There are always the Vatican museums. And if you’re lucky, maybe you booked your Borghese Gallery or Palazzo Valentini tickets for exactly the day the skies opened up.
But let’s go beyond the obvious, shall we?
Here’s what I’d call the perfect rainy day in Rome: one that takes advantage of the weather to hit up spots that are cozy, indoors and interesting. And off-the-beaten-path — so that they’re located in neighborhoods that, while charming, aren’t so cobblestoned-street-picturesque that you’ll be upset to miss the chance to photograph them at their sunny best.
So get your umbrellas ready. (By the way, one good thing about rain in Rome is that, as soon as it starts, umbrella-sellers pop up all over the city. So it’s okay if you’ve forgotten yours. Just, please, barter the sellers down to 2 or 3 euros for a small one; it’ll fall apart by the end of the day anyway!).
No matter where you’re staying in Rome, the neighborhood of Testaccio is easy to get to: You can take the metro (get off at Piramide, then walk five minutes) or a number of buses (including the 3 and 75).
