The detail and other Rome, Italy General Tips

Favorite Thing: I am a firm believer that it's all in the detail.

This photo is of a piece of the pavement in St Peter's Square (not sure why they call it a square though as it is round! haha).

I think this adds to the authenticity and historical significance of this place.

As I have said before, it is almost too much to take in, and for us 'happy-snappy' types an absolute paradise )


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Favorite Thing: I am speaking here once again as an artist and photographer.

There are so many stunning silhouttes in Rome, whether organic and natural, or straight and defined.

Simply beautiful! :)


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Favorite Thing: Before going on holiday, we always do a lot of researching and homework prior to our trip.

Since being on VT, we naturally look for advice and tips on this site.

We like to know a certain amount about the area we are going to, the culture, the history etc. It puts one on the right footing I think, and can be very handy.

One example was the coliseum.

What one learns at school can hardly do it justice.

We did research on the history of it, the timeline.. and it changed over the years and had different uses. How it has been built and rebuilt and the stone, wood and other materials used. And why.

There is always a reason why things get made the way they do, and I would rather know why. It helps one appreciate the craftmanship and skill of those times.


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Favorite Thing: I would definately rate Rome as a desired family destination for a holiday (Aside from the difficulty getting a buggy/pram around that is).

The kids are just as enthralled as the adults. The one factor that determines one's enjoyment is also the sun and its intensity!

Having kids in the searing heat is not fun.

But with extra care, sunscreen, hats and taking frequent visits to shady spots, kiddies love Rome.

They are mesmerised by the huge buildings. A pity that our little niece was too small at 1 years old, to fully appreciate where she was and what she was seeing!


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Favorite Thing: Having lived in a city for the last few years (London), the one thing we have noticed, which is troubling, is that people are often intolerant of children, especially on public transportation.

Here, Rome is refreshingly different! Instead of viewing a young child as a 'noise' and a nuisance (which is the feeling you get in the UK towards kids often).

In Rome, the Italians go out of their way to say hello to you and your child, smiling at her and sayign all kinds of lovely things about your 'bambino'.

What is different here is the culture. Italy is much more family-focussed, the family is pivocal to society and the community still.

In London (in our experience), the emphasis is on oneself more, and not the family or community generally.

I am even shocked when I read some people referring to people who have kids in England as 'breeders' (!!!!!), and that having a child is 'a lifestyle choice'... in my view it certainly isnt! It's called keeping the population going!

This kind of attitude is rife I have found and is so sad.

One of the reasons I am not keen to bring children up in London.


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Favorite Thing: Something I didn't know and was interested to find out was that Marco Polo apparently observed the practice of making ice cream in China (who were making it from about 3000 BC) and brought it home to Italy in the thirteenth century!

So the Italians were not the first to make icecream! (You learn somehting new every day)

I nabbed this interesting recipe of the net, let me know if you make it, and how it turns out! :)

Fondest Memory: Renowned for it's ice cream, we were not let down!

We tried a few different types, the only one I didnt like, as it was too strong for me, was a mango ice cream flavour.

Chocolate won hands down of course! :)

These ice cream shops are dotted all over Rome, so you wont have to look too hard to find one when you need one :)

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Favorite Thing: Rome is Italy's historic & cultural center to a large degree, packed to the brim with architectural wonders and delights, and artistic masterpieces from more than 2000 years ago.

It is like an open-air museum if you think about it! Telling stories of times gone by, yet still prevalent for today.

Fondest Memory: This window caught my eye. (As did many others!)

It is typically Roman, very characterful and pretty.

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Favorite Thing: With the advent of digital photography and so many thousands of amateur photographers out there, there must be hundreds of thousands of photos of Rome floating around!

In Rome, everything is photo-worthy.

From the cobbles you are walking on, to the old sign post on the side of the spindly road, to the peeling ochre coloured wall of the facade of an ancient building.

It is information overload.

We took an average of 200 photos per day.

Thank goodness we had enough memory cards! haha For most people, coming to Rome is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, so one needs to make sure you are well equipped for the trip in this area.


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Favorite Thing: One of the best things to do in Rome is just to pick a direction and walk.

The alleyways are enchanting, opening up into delightful piazzas, lending little glimpses into life for Romans.

Many of the alleys ways are also in the shade, which is a welcome relief sometimes.

Even though I am a South African, the sun gets to me too! haha

Fondest Memory: There is something for everyone, wherever you go. Whether you like shopping, ice creams (yum!), architecture or culture.

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Favorite Thing: The Tiber River (English) / Tevere River (Italian) is the 3rd largest river in Italy. Flowing directly through Rome, it idely snakes it's way around the ancients domes and piazzas.

We lived quite close to it, so went for little walks often.

There is so much to admire as you stroll along, and we were forever stopping and starting, something having caught our eye!

There were a few boats in the river, but not that many. It is refreshingly undercommercialised!

This could be because people are too afraid of falling in? ;)

The water is greeny and quite opaque, not clear at all. I wouldn't particularly want to do any boating in it to be honest.

Fondest Memory: Possibly the best view of the river is the one with The Vatican in the background. Simply awesome :)

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