Tag Archives: Rome

When in Rome …

We arrived in Rome late in the afternoon and were welcomed by Hotel Barocco with a cheerful smile – nice – and a room upgrade which was even nicer. The room included a terrazzo which only dog owners will understand is a bonus. We had two tired puppies who immediately took to the bed and settled in for a sleep.

Staying in hotels with the girls has a strict arrival routine:

  1. Paper down in the bathroom for doggie toilet if necessary (not so needed with the terrazzo but a safety measure)
  2.  Towels onto the bed to protect the beautiful white linen
  3.  ”Do not disturb” sign on the door so housekeeping doesn’t walk into a cacophony of barking
  4.  Doggie food into the fridge which usually means some drinks coming out – some to drink because we really needed a drink after the drive and some to make space for bags and containers of food
  5.  Dog bowls into the bathroom along with doggie fork and knife ready for dinner
  6.  Time for that drink and to watch some english language TV shows.

After settling in we all went around the corner to La Baita for a drink. The temperature was about 10 degrees but the addition of heaters to the bar meant we were toasty warm. The bar is located at the bottom of Via Veneto and looking up the street you could see the Christmas lights adorning the hotels. There is much time and effort put into decorating the area for Christmas – all very much appreciated by this kiwi contingent.

The next day we went to the Trevi Fountain and, for €2 thrown over our left shoulders, we ensured our return to Rome. Even in winter the fountain attracts visitors but there isn’t the absolute human crush of summer. We could actually sit and enjoy the sights for a few minutes.

That night we dined at the restaurant Trip Advisor rates as the 71st best restaurant in Rome from the 3,400 it rates. It happened to be about 20 metres from our hotel and was called Osteria Barberini. We were greeted like part of the family and the service throughout the meal was a delight.

The food was simple Italian fare but superbly done. We had entrees – one was a mix of bruschetta, the other fresh (really fresh), locally made mozzarella with rucola and pomodoro (rocket and tomatoes) followed by classic prima piatti – Spaghetti Carbonara and home-made Lasagne, all washed down with an Italian Chardonnay. Desserts of Pannacotta and Creme Brulee were followed by complimentary Limoncello and a wee stagger back to the hotel.

All up the meal cost €55 which was unbelievable value. If you go to Rome you have to try this place. If you’re not visiting soon, read the Trip Advisor reviews to get a flavour of the place – ours will be there soon.

The next day we repacked the car to the roof – much to the amusement of the porter at Hotel Barocco  and headed to our next stop. It was Chianti for lunch with our friend Olga and then on to the Portofino Coast for our next overnight stop.

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Cheats guide to Rome

Jean and I have been to Rome many times over the last few years. We have got to know the major sights as nodding acquaintances. Sitting in Piazza Navona having lunch or ambling past the Trevi Fountain after an evening meal was our forte and while we had a general idea of the history of these places it was in no way a detailed knowledge.

On our recent trip to Rome with Mike, Charmaine and James it became clear that our “and there’s the Trevi Fountain…” approach to tour guidance was not going to be sufficient. When was it built? Why is it here? Who was the sculpture? Quite rightly, all these questions came up and clearly we needed to know more.

Thankfully with the help of our iPhones and local data roaming we could instantaneously turn into Rome tour experts. As it takes a few minutes to walk between sights, we had time to secretly search Wikipedia about upcoming attractions, learn the key facts and then be able to dazzle with our knowledge when we arrived.

“The Pantheon – built in 31BC by Marcus Agrippa and rennovated in 126AD by Emperor Hadrian. The dome is 142 feet high and the diameter is also 142 feet. The largest unsupported concrete dome in the world. Originally had bronze sheeting under the portico but this was removed by Pope Urban VIII …..”.

It worked a treat.

So next time you’re in Rome and would like a guided tour by expert english speaking guides, give us a call.

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Somewhere to relax and watch the world go by

Rome is absolutely full of restaurants and cafes. Every famous monument is surrounded by them and they are on every street corner.

A place to relax - Cafe Angelina, Rome

So to pick one above the others is a big call but here goes.

We like Cafe Angelina on the corner of Via Poli and Via del Bufalo. It is a small cafe next to the apartment that Mike and Charmaine rented in Rome.

It doesn’t have a view of anything famous, in fact it has a view of the other side of the street. It doesn’t have a reputation as being a “spot to be seen”. It doesn’t have fantastic designer decor.

It does have two comfy leather armchairs facing the road, good coffee, good food, friendly staff and a constant stream of tourists and locals past the door. In the hurley burley that is Rome, this place is a wee oasis.

Next time you’re there, try it out.

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From a hotel balcony

Our room in Hotel Barocco overlooked Piazza Barberini with it’s imposing fountain the Fontana di Tritone by Bernini.  It is height of the tourist season and from our balcony you could watch an endless stream of people posing by the fountain for photos.

For the local authorities this was a perfect time to drain the fountain for maintenance much to the amusement of the aforementioned visitors to Rome.  Having said that, the workers had the fountain back and operating within 24 hours.

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Roman Holiday

After the departure of Gill, Andre, Josh and Jordan to Venice and Slovenia, the remaining team headed south along the A1 to Rome.  We arrived on Saturday and drove around Rome (scary) dropping Mike and Charmaine at their apartment, their rental car at the Hertz depot and then finding our hotel.  We had discovered a place to stay – Hotel Barocco – online.  It is located on Piazza Barberini and, importantly for us, it welcomed dogs (unlike the hotel we usually stay at in Rome – Barberini).

The temperature over the weekend was around 29 degrees so the girls could come along on our walks.  They got to see the sights and, more importantly, for them sample the smells of Rome.

The first night we left the girls in our hotel room when we went out for dinner, thinking they would sleep after the drive south.  We arrived back at about 11pm and were informed by a slightly disturbed front desk clerk that the girls had barked and kept other guests awake all evening.  We were in danger of being evicted.

Barking struck us as unusual as the girls are normally quiet unless disturbed.  It turned out that a poor housemaid had gone into our room to turn down the bed and was met by a barrage of barking, growling and general dogginess.  She left the room in double quick time but the damage had been done and girls kept on barking.

Suffice it to say from that point on we made extensive use of the “do not disturb” sign when they were in the room and in the evenings the girls came along with us to experience dinner in some of Romes most popular restaurants.