The Journey Genie

My favourite boutique hotel in Rome, Casa della Palma, has closed down - indeed, the entire building is gone!  This place was a gem, and I enjoyed two idyllic stays there.  Luckily, I found another place I will happily recommend.  The website I used to find it is called Venere.com.  Another favourite is Cross-Pollinate.

On my most recent trip, the first hotel I booked was in the Parioli neighborhood.  While it was a lovely hotel in an amazing neighborhood, with great value for the money, just before we arrived the bus route that used to stop very near the hotel was discontinued.  This meant it was quite a walk to alternative transportation, and at the end of a long, hot day of sightseeing, it was the last obstacle we wanted to tackle.  I found a room at a B&B directly across from the Vatican called Quo Vadis, and we happily traded places.   While it is small and quite spare, Quo Vadis more than made up for it in location, location, location. 
Run by the friendly and helpful Pasquale, we found our new home away from home while in Rome.

The neighborhood around the Vatican felt quite safe, and we had literally everything we needed within a 2-3 block radius: grocery stores, gelaterias, restaurants, tabacchis, shops, and transit via bus, tram or underground to anywhere else in Rome we wanted to go.  Plus, when we opened our windows we saw the walls of the Vatican literally right across the street (and the hoards of tourists lined up daily in the scorching heat - they didn't do their research and purchase tickets ahead of time!).

Rome is packed with world heritage sights, and after three trips there, I know there is far more that I have yet to see.  Here is a brief list of don't miss places:

* The Colosseum and Palatine Hill:  Avoid the massive queues and buy tickets before you go, from sites like tickitaly.com.  Also avoid the kitschy guys dressed as gladiators who try to force you to take photos with them.  Focus on the majesty of this grand old lady, and remember the history you learned in "Roma."

* The Vatican, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica:  Again, avoid huge queues by purchasing tickets on-line in advance.  If it's your first visit, definitely take the guided tour, but give back the headset at the end of the tour just as they head for the exit of St. Peter's so that you can stick around and explore on your own for awhile longer.  Check the Vatican's official website for ticket info.

* Tomb of St. Peter and Necropolis: This is something I missed out on the first time because I didn't plan in advance, but was finally able to go.  Beware that if you're at all claustrophobic, this will be a stretch (I'm not usually, but it took a lot of positive self-talk to make it through).  Buy tickets on-line at the Scavi Office. MAKE SURE you go and find the entrance well ahead of your tour - it is off to the far left of St. Peter's Square and there are no signs.  Even the Swiss Guards don't always know where it is (or aren't telling).

* San Callisto Necropolis:  A little ways out of town, this catacomb is on the Via Appia Antica (the original Roman highway) and is near the small church of Domine Quo Vadis, where legend has it Saint Peter met Jesus as he was fleeing persecution in Rome (he went back, was crucified upside down, and St. Peter's Cathedral was built on his grave site).

* Ostia Antica: This ancient city was once Rome's port city, but due to silting of the river, is now some 3 km away from the ocean.  You can take a train there, and then a short walk.  The city itself is huge and well-preserved, although large paving stones may not be easy for everyone to negotiate.

* The Pantheon:  This magnificent building (pan = all, theo = gods) has been in continuous use its entire history, and survived destruction when Rome became Christian by becoming dedicated to one God.  It is, to this day, the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome - not bad, Marcus Agrippa!