Rome

La Dolce Vita

By Diana Addison Lyle

We recently spent two weeks in Rome and immersed ourselves in the multi-faceted flavors of this ancient city. Being Roman carries deeply rooted sentiments that include great pride in a city that is steeped in artistic splendor and architectural feats. Much of the city retains the splendor of those masterpieces, and no matter how many times you visit this inspiring city, the sight of these man-made achievements never ceases to draw the appreciative awe of visitors from around the globe.

Most of the magnificent architecture, statues and paintings have been artfully retained and restored from the weathering of time. Trades like masonry or anything to do with the restoration of ancient artifacts carry great levels of pride as Romans endeavor to retain the splendor of their history.

Rome’s iconic architectural masterpieces span ancient times, the Renaissance, Baroque, and modern periods. They include the Colosseum, Pantheon, and St. Peter’s Basilica. Other significant sites are the Piazza Navona, Roman Forum, the Trevi Fountain, Castel Sant’Angelo, the Sistine Chapel, and the contemporary MAXXI museum.

On this trip, we made a point of socializing with the Roman residents, most of whom have families that have lived there for centuries. They are immensely loyal to their heritage (no matter the course of history in the last 100 years), and the thought of leaving their beloved city is an inconceivable notion.

We changed up the locations wherein we stopped for coffee. We began with Piazza Navona where tourists and locals gather at the delightful pavement cafés surrounding this iconic landmark. The sheer number of Italian cafés and restaurants in one quarter-mile radius is astounding, and the fact that all of them are crowded with the sea of humanity, is indicative of the number of times local Romans eat out a week, particularly in the extensive summer months. Of course there’s a significant tourist population in places like Piazza Navona.

We became particularly fond of meandering down the charming, narrow cobble-stoned side streets wherein some of the most charming cafés and restaurants are situated. Nights pulse in Rome with eateries and bars staying open until very late. The side streets feel festival-like with loud, animated conversations permeating the air as Romans indulge in la dolce vita (the good life).

Andrea Bocelli Performing at St. Peter’s Square

Our timing in Rome was stupendous in that Andrea Bocelli was performing at St. Peter’s Square in Concerto Grace for the World. It was the Vatican’s first public concert in 2,000 years, part of the World Meeting on Human Fraternity and a message of unity with live performances from international superstars. Co-directed by Pharrell Williams and Andrea Bocelli, the program also featured Jennifer Hudson, Karol G, K-Pop star BamBam, and rap duo Clipse.

Food

10 Traditional Roman Foods You Need to Try in the Eternal City

• Pasta alla Carbonara.
• Tonnarelli Cacio e Pepe.
• Bucatini all’Amatriciana & Pasta alla Gricia.
• Trippa alla Romana.
• Coda alla Vaccinara.
• Abbacchio allo Scottadito.
• Cicoria ripassata.
• Carciofi alla Romana e Carciofi alla Giudia.

We dined at Poldo e Gianna Osteria and were blown away by their Pasta alla Carbonara. It was lip-smackingly delicious, and we highly recommend this place with owners who are exceptionally passionate about their food and their visitors.

Accommodation in Rome

We stayed in the most charming old building on one of those delightful cobble-stoned side streets. It’s a cleverly converted intimate, small boutique hotel that only has about six guest rooms. Each room is huge with high ceilings and the artwork on our ceiling was a sight to behold. The attention to detail at this lovely location was exceptionally special. We highly recommend that you find one of these boutique gems with its huge wooden doors and classically elegant interiors.

Time of Year to Visit

If you can avoid visiting Rome in June, July and August, we highly recommend that you do so. We went in September when the weather is not quite as hot, and the mildly humid evenings mean that strolling the city’s streets at night was comfortably warm and balmy. Rome’s southerly latitude means that it stays warm right into October, and of course if you can visit in April or May, those are optimum times crowd-wise and weather-wise.