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Return to Rome

Parigi

100+ Posts
Ciao Italy mavens:
I need your lumière.
We are returning to Rome for a short 2-week stay over this Xmas and New Year.
We are looking forward to doing … not much. Just vegetating at the Caffé della Pace all the time sounds good to me.
As many know, our focus is:
- food, markets, cooking,
- archeology.

My questions:
- Can you reommend lovely off-beat museums and other visits and spots ?
- Pauline and others know I live with an archelogy fanatic. This time we are not going to Naples, so no Pompeii or Herculanum, and no voluptuous waitress with deep décolleté at the Pizzeria Trianon. But we plan to visit Ostia Antica. I have seen info about it on Slowtrav. Anything new? Like (that's a real "like), is it closed ? Any change or improvement of transport to and from there? Good eats?
- Good casual eateries in Centro storico ? We live very near the epicenter.
- Odd tips ?
Mille mercis.
P.S. The Homeaway tourist info page on Rome is useless. The first thing it tells me is where to find tonuts in Rome.
 
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The last time we were in Rome was at Christmas and New Year, 2004 - 2005, and it was crowded. I couldn't believe the crowds. You could not get into the popular caffes in the center. It took 20 minutes to walk across Piazza Navona. Tourists plus Italians coming into Rome for the holidays. But, you are used to that in Paris. And it is no different from NYC at Christmas. We had lovely sunny weather.

We have visited Ostia Antica twice, most recently a couple of years ago. I really like it. We drove there so I don't know about transport from Rome. It is not crowded like Pompeii and the ruins are fantastic. There are good information signs, in Italian and English, throughout the site.

Ostia Antica is closed Mondays.

Sandra Cordon recently posted info and photos on Facebook - from her recent visit. I will add a few photos from our June 2014 trip.

We have spent several weeks in Rome, but all more than 10 years ago. One of the things I really liked was walking Via Appia (The Appian Way). I have also wanted to walk along the aqueduct remains - but we haven't done that.

Here is the info sign from the Entrance at Ostia Antica.

full
 
I don't know whether it counts as off-beat, but the art collection at the Palazzo Doria Pamphilij struck me as a bit of the tourist track last time we visited (quite a few years ago, though). I love the way that the paintings are hung, just as they were in the 17th-19th centuries, all piled up next to one another, rather than aesthetically spaced out and individually spotlit.
 
Years ago Robert from Santa Monica (from ST) took us to the Doris Pamphilij. It was very interesting. Nearby is the street with the cat statue carved into a building and another street where there is a foot from a Roman statue. I remember searching for them.
 
I replied on the slowtrav site but the wonderful Caffè della Pace has closed - http://anamericaninrome.com/wp/2016/...ace-is-closed/. For food, Armando al Pantheon (we always reserve in the summer), http://www.emmapizzeria.com and http://www.salumeriaroscioli.com are always on our list to eat. http://www.enotecaculdesacroma.it has always had a great wine selection and OK food. I visited Ostia Antica a year ago - taking the train from the Pyramide station in Rome - I think it was about a half hour on the train. The Crypta Balbi is an archeological site worth a visit if you are in the center - it is near the Largo di Torre Argentina.
 
Thank you for all this great info, just the kind of "odd tips" that I had wanted. You are the greatest.

The Doris Pamphilij is exactly the kind of dark-horse museum that I am looking for, a bit like the Jacquemart-André in Paris, a private collection in a private home: which makes it one of very rare museums where you do get an intimate glimpse into the everyday life of the collector. In fact the house - and what it documents - is more interesting than the collection.

We will also definitely explore the Ostia Antica and Via Appia, and the Crypta Balbi.

Very saddened about the demise of the Bar della Pace. Rome is a little less Rome.
 
The Doris Pamphilij is exactly the kind of dark-horse museum that I am looking for, a bit like the Jacquemart-André in Paris, a private collection in a private home: which makes it one of very rare museums where you do get an intimate glimpse into the everyday life of the collector. In fact the house - and what it documents - is more interesting than the collection.
Ooh, good - I thought it would appeal to you! (And yes, the J-A is firmly on my must-see list, for whenever we next get back to Paris)
 
Unfortunately the lovely museum of Roman Civilization out in the EU is temporarily closed for renovations, it's a good option for those who have "seen it all". http://en.museociviltaromana.it/

The train to Ostia Antica is easy to do. It's on the Roma-Lido line which starts at Porta San Paolo, which is connected to the Pyramide metro station and just around the corner from the Roma Ostiense train station.

Route info here: http://viaggiacon.atac.roma.it/?service=trovalinea&linea=LIDO&percorso=LIDOA
 
Raided the Testaccio market before Xmas. I think I will follow a strict Abbacchio scottadito diet for my entire stay.

Xmas day, since everything was closed, we toured the one thing that was not closed, all the churches on our walk.

This morning took a stroll in the astoundingly crowded Forum. I have visited it quite a few times and have never seen it so overrun. Well, after all it was a foro. Does it not mean it was meant to be sort of overrun?
And today had a blast at the sumptuous deserted Palazzo Pamphilij.

N.jump.Pamphilij*.jpg
 
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The Pamphilij is one of my favorites too. I think the present Count would appreciate your enthusiasm, Parigi. I remember how in his audio narration he described getting in trouble as a child for rollerskating on the freshly waxed floors. His personal slant made the audiotour very special.
 
Yes, Roz, I enjoyed his audioguide too - especially since he and I share a name! And, Parigi, I'm delighted the gallery delighted you :dancingcow:
 
Thank you all for helping me have this perfect trip to Rome. Tonight every building from here, on Campo de Fiori, all the way to the Trastevere hills, is shooting fireworks. Happy New Year.

Campo.Fiori.fireworks.jpg
 
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