The Pussy-Park ;-) and other Rome, Italy Off The Beaten Path Tips

I called this place (Sacred Area of Largo Argentina) the Pussy Park because I have never seen so many stray cats contained in one place... And to affirm it all, there exist a shop in the area that sells nothing but cat-figurines, cat-chimes, cat-mugs, and all things are cat-designed... Alright!!! So, do you think it deserves the name I call it???! ;-)

Oh to get to this place... well, just try getting lost around the streets of Trastevere and you'll end up in this corner... Well, this was how I got into this place... ;-)

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This is the billboard of the "Pussy Park".... It talks about its history but it never mentioned how the park came to be a haven of stray cats in Rome!!! ...to think that now, this place is what it is known for - CATS! ;-)

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Most of you might think that your stay in Rome ends only in the city....

Take a 30-40 minute drive off to Uscita 27 (Exit 27 from the Racordo-Circumferencial Road of Rome). This heads to Ostia. From Uscita 27, take Via Cristoforo Colombo, then head for Castel Fusano by taking Litoranea. Litoranea is actually the park that is dedicated to the Pres. of the Republic and off limits to the public. However, along that beach line are also the public beaches.

There are 8 gates, you can choose which you want to take, all lead to the public beaches. Should you wish to go further, you will head for the Brazilian beach (famous for topless women) and the nudist beach as well.

The sun, sand and sea of Rome are fantastic you should not miss it. Though I should say nothing beats the Philippine beaches. But for a beach freak like me, Rome beaches are better than none ;-)

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While doing some researches on dark tourism sites in Rome, I decided to visit this place together with some colleagues...The place left me wanting-to-strip-my-clothes-off-right-away after I went out of the catacombs coz I wanted to shred off that "eerie" feeling (usually I feel this way after visiting a cemetary), a sign that I wanted to left the macabre feeling in the place rather than bringing it at home.

Yes, the place is indeed so ghastly and horrid. The collection of bones and arranged into some artistic masterpieces is enough to make the place horrid. Perhaps some "dark tourist" are inspired by the macabre art of the place. However, I find it too much. It's not for the hipbones that are arranged into altars or backbones made into hanging lamps (yes, those bone-lamps will be hanging over your head as you walk through the length of the crypt!) or a child's skeleton attached to the ceiling, no! It's the thought that some artists had the stomach to touch these human bones and made some pieces of artwork out of it!

I thought the place exhudes a far-fetched catholic doctrine that perhaps not so preached in church (that of the cappuchins'), which in my own opinion is too barbaric (making art out of human bones!).

Alright, if you want to "scare" yourself a bit in the eternal city, visit this place. It's a different tourist offering of Rome that is surely only for those that dare to thread the not so known spots...

Open everyday from 9am-12nn, 3-6pm.
No entrance fees but donations of any amount are accepted.

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Other Contact: Via Veneto, 27

Never miss to visit this place should you have enough time going around Rome. I suggest take the Archeobus from Termini Station (Pizza del Cinquecento) and book yourself to the next trip to Via Appia Antica. It will be a rolling trip (no stops with the guide, simply viewing while on the bus) with a bi-ligual guide (English and Italian) and you can hop on and hop off at Archeobus stops if you want to visit the museums-catacombs and the like. However, best suggested that you finish the trip (trip takes to an fro (Termini-Aquiducts-Termini) up to the Aquiducts and then hop off on your way back to sites you desire to visit. At the Roman aquiducts, you'll be given 5 minutes to get off the bus and take pictures.

The aquiducts are one of the best engineering works of the Romans that are worth a genius' mind. It used to be a water-system supplying the water needs of the Roman baths. Other than that, the place is also very, very scenic especially on a nice sunny day.

Ticket cost 8euros.

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For those who love the sights of migrating birds or circadian flights, be sure to get delighted sometime in winter (between November-January). You can see the flights at the city center like Piazza Venezia or around Termini. Wonderful especially for me who used to travel to places just to see these rare phenomena of birds.

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Villa Phampili is a public park ideal for strolling, brisk-walking or jogging anytime of the day... Just do it and follow the dirt road that goes along way....and it will take you to some breath-taking sceneries as follows... :-)

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When you enter the park, there is this lovely, lovely old residence of an old Italian family with lovely topiary gardens and a quaint little chapel.

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...and this beautiful fountain in the park's garden surrounding the mansion... truly, in Italy you can find beautiful fountains and gardens everywhere...

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