I love Rome’s Via Appia. (That’s why I’ve written about the Appian Way before). The other day, I decided to go for a bike ride on the world-famous ancient road… and share the ride with you! Enjoy (and hold on to your handlebars—thanks to the 2,000-year-old paving stones, this is one rocky ride!).
Revealed Rome’s 12 Most Popular Posts in 2012
As we approach 2012’s end, I was pretty curious about which blog posts were the most popular on Revealed Rome this year. A little stats-checking proved to me that my readers are (unsurprisingly) big fans of Rome, especially when it comes to food, Christmas, shopping, and more!
Without further ado, here’s the list of the 12 most popular Revealed Rome posts in 2012… a couple of which surprised me! Do any surprise you?
#12: 5 Favorite Places for Food Near the Vatican: Oh lists, how I love thee. This one, on where to grab lunch in the food desert touristy area around the Vatican, was one of my first (semi-regular) “Five for Friday” posts—and one of the most popular.
#11: Rome’s Best Shopping Streets: Via del Boschetto: It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of Rome’s shopping… when it’s done far, far away from chain-store-choked Via del Corso. One great alternative is this little street in Monti, near the Roman forum, which is chock-a-block with fantastic artisans and boutiques.
#10: How Safe is Rome, Really?: A question readers found even more pertinent in 2012 than in 2011 or 2010, when it was first published. Not sure what that says about Rome’s reputation. Or about crime in the world in general.
Hey, 2012, You Weren’t So Bad
At the end of the year, I always like to look back on what I did—or didn’t—accomplish. And I think it’s safe to say that, as much as I felt like it was impossible to “get it all done,” 2012 was a big year for Revealed Rome.
So much of that was thanks to my readers and followers, who have helped me with ideas and support—and, not least of all, with the inspiration to keep going even when it all felt overwhelming. So a huge thank you. Seriously. I couldn’t have done it without you.
What am I talking about? Let’s see. In 2012, Revealed Rome…
With Revealed Rome and Passports with Purpose, Enter to WIN the Perfect Rome Getaway!
Want to win the perfect break to Rome—including a 5-star hotel stay, fantastic experiences, skip-the-line tickets to the Vatican, and a ton of travel advice, including an hour-long travel chat with yours truly?
Now’s your chance!
I’m participating in this year’s Passports with Purpose fundraiser. And that means that I’ve put together a fabulous prize package… that one lucky person will win!
The best part? It’s for a good cause.
Like Revealed Rome? Then “Like” (or Re-Like) It On Facebook!
Want to stay up to date with the newest Revealed Rome blog posts, see photos, get up-to-the-minute tips, and chat with other lovers of (or travelers to) Rome and Italy? Then "like" my Revealed Rome Facebook page! And (this is important…) even if you've "liked" it before, you have to "re-like" it again if you want to keep following. Due to some bugs that Facebook wouldn't fix, I had to completely delete my old page and relaunch it today.
So head on over and like it here! Thank you so much for your follows and support!
Featured on Radio Show “How to Tour Italy”
Tired of reading my tips and tricks to Rome and Italy—and want to sit back, relax, and listen instead? Then tune into my half-hour chat with Anthony Capozzoli on the radio show "How to Tour Italy." From the best way to experience Umbria in a day trip, to my take on Italian graffiti, to (most importantly) why funky-looking Italian lemons don't bother either of us, but the sight of puffy, pretty gelato does, we covered a lot of—very varied—ground.
Here are some of the other great guests Anthony has had on his show.
Anthony, it was a pleasure to appear on your show, and I look forward to chatting with you for more episodes in the future!
New Revealed Rome Tool: A Map!
My new map of Rome
As my site expands, I'm finding myself trying to think of new ways for it—and, by extension, for Rome—to be navigable to readers.
Enter a suggestion from a friend of mine, who says he used Revealed Rome to plan his trip last week, but could have used a little more help on where was what: a map. Um. Brilliant. (Thanks, Billy!).
So here it is. A map of Rome in which I impatiently lovingly inserted every single sight, restaurant, shop, hotel, and church I've written about on Revealed Rome. At your service.
I hope it helps you plan your trip—or, if you're already in Rome and have a smartphone, for seeing what I might recommend in the area. Just two things to keep in mind:
1) I don't recommend every place I've mapped without reservations. Some are sights that not everyone might like; others are restaurants that have gone downhill. So, when you click on a pushpin to see what it is, please also click where it says "website" to read what I wrote about it in my linked blog post.
2) Please note that this is not an exhaustive guide to everything I recommend doing and seeing in Rome. (That's for another day!). Instead, it's a more visual way to navigate the blog posts I've written.
What do you think? Any other ideas to help improve Revealed Rome? Let me know in the comments!
Code of Ethics
There’s a lot of ambiguity in the travel blogging world over ethics.
The debate isn’t something I’m going to delve into… at least right now. But because people look to Revealed Rome for honest advice about what to do, where to stay, and where to eat in Rome, I wanted to make sure that my readers know what my personal code of ethics is regarding commissions, paid links, and so on.
In short: I don’t take any commissions from any of the places I write about. I’m a passionate person, so if I’ve looked at a hotel in Rome and loved it, you can probably tell when I write about it. But that shouldn’t make you wonder, “She seems so enthusiastic about this place, she must be getting some kind of kickback for writing about it!”I’m not.
The same goes for my writing about restaurants, shops, and, well, everything else.
I also don’t do paid guest posts. Nor do I do paid links. So if you click on a link I’ve inserted into a post, rest assured that I used it because I think it brings you to a helpful, trustworthy website—not because I’m paid for it.
Finally, if there’s a professional relationship with a place I’m writing about, I always will disclose it. The fact that I once freelanced for a tour company, for example, shouldn’t preclude me from being able to mention the company when it’s relevant. But it does mean that, if I mention them, I will always disclose that I also blog for them.
And yes: All of these rules also apply to my travel-consulting sessions. If I recommend a place during consulting, it’s not because I’m getting paid to do so. It’s because I like the place that much.
So how do I make money? Good question. There are three ways: My Italy travel consulting sessions. The Google ads you see on the side of the page (the content of which I don’t control). My Amazon affiliation. And, occasionally, other ads. (Hoping to advertise with Revealed Rome? Contact me for more information!).
As you can imagine, though, these “revenue streams” aren’t exactly enough to live on. So if you’re a fan of the site, and want to help me be able to feed myself while continuing to keep it up, consider scooping something up from the (new!) Revealed Rome store, booking a consulting session with me… or, hey, I’ll take donations, too ;).
Got any questions? Comments? Let me know here or email me at revealedrome@gmail.com. I’d love to hear what you have to say!