Monthly Archives: December 2006

Typical Roman Food

Planning a winter break in Rome? Or your summer holidays? It doesn’t really matter when you travel, the important thing to get the most out of it is: when in Rome, do Pastaas the Romans do, right? So what do the Romans eat? Well, pasta and pizza, of course, but the answer is not that simpleâ€¦

In Italy, itâ€™s not just spaghetti with meat balls, but you can find dozens of different forms of pasta: spaghetti, fettuccine, bucatini, penne, fusilli, farfalleâ€¦ And with hundreds of different sauces: ragÃ¹, sugo di pomodori, pesto, arrabbiata, boscaiola, porcini mushroomsâ€¦ Some of them are sort of national, eaten in all of Italy, like the classical tomato sauce or pesto, but many are regional and local delicacies. So which are the roman specialities?Roman food: Bucatini all'amatriciana

Well, some of the most famously Roman pasta dishes are the spaghetti carbonara (actually invented on the basis of the egg powder and bacon brought to the locals by American soldiers during the World War II!) and the bucatini allâ€™amatriciana, both with the delicious Italian bacon, pancetta. Then especially in the winter thereâ€™s the hearty â€œpasta ai fagioliâ€?, pasta witRoman bruschettah beans.

And itâ€™s not just pasta, of course! As starters, the Romans love to have â€œbruschettaâ€?: a kind of toast with garlic, quality olive oil, and then on top of it almost anything you want, but most tipically sliced tomatoes. Also the â€œsupplÃ¬â€? fried rice balls with mozzarella filling, are absolutely worth trying!

As to second courses, a delicacy not to miss is the â€œsaltimboccaâ€?, literally â€œjump in the mouthâ€? (probRoman pecorino cheeseably called so because itâ€™s so good!), which consists of slices of veal and prosciutto ham, cooked in marsala wine with leaves of sage. Or, if youâ€™re feeling adventurous, you can try the â€œtrippaâ€?, the traditional triple stewâ€¦ For side dish, a tipical choice would be artichokes, â€œcarciofiâ€?, cooked â€œalla romanaâ€? with butter and salt, or â€œalla giudiaâ€?, deliciously crunchy with garlic and parsleRoman local winey.

As a Roman dessert, try the â€œcrostata con la ricottaâ€?, a sort of a sweet and crusty cheese cake or the â€œtorta della nonnaâ€?. Also the local cheeses, such as the tasty â€œpecorino romanoâ€? are good and popular desserts.

To drink you should choose any of the local wines form the Castelli Romani area, white or red, popular in all Italy.

For other travel tips, restaurant recommendations, information about Rome hotels and Rome city tours see these links and booking tours or accomodation try the!

Ideas for daytrips from Rome





Capitoline Museums : Special Exhibition

Painting by Lanfranco

Palazzo Caffarelli in the Capitole Museums in Rome in Piazza Venezia is holding an exhibition of major importance until 28 january 2007, the â€œOfficina Emilianaâ€? (the Emilian Workshop), which travels throughout Italy, and where you will admire some 40 works of great painters as Correggio, Guercino and Lanfranco made between the 15th and 18th century.
The collection, which is composed of works by artists orginary from Emilia and Romagna is owned by the Bank of the same name, The Banca Popolare dellâ€™Emilia Romagna. The collection began in the 60s and was enlarged throughout the years and this is a successful example of private sponsoring aiming at art, culture and territory with a public interest since the recovering of these works also means the taking care of them, which may not have been possible and also made it possible for the public to be able to admire these works. At the beginning the choices were casual since the works were to furnish the offices only, and slowly it turned out to be a cultural project instead.
Musei CapitoliniThe exhibition proposes a chronological visit through the works of great painters of the emilian school.

The location is off Piazza Venezia, which is close to the Colosseum in central Rome and is in walking distance from Yes hotel Rome, or in easy reach by bus from the Termini station

Visits are from Tuesdays to Sundays between 9.00 am and 8.00 pm.
Ticket is 8 euro and includes the Capitole Museums too or 4,50 euro for the exhibition only.

Palazzo Barberini Rome

Palazzo Barberini

Palazzo Barberini is the building where the Nationaly Gallery of Ancient Art is hosted and is located in the very historical centre of Rome close to Via Veneto and our Bed and Breakfast Dei Cappuccini and the American Embassy in Rome.

The building was built back in the early 1600s by the family Sforza for Maffeo Barberini who then became pope as Urban VIII. It had been projected by Francesco Borromini and Carlo Maderno, and was taken over by Bernini when C. Maderno passed away. The very elegant helicoidal staircase and also many decorative elements were designed by Borromini, while the great hall was decorated by Pietro Da Cortona.

Staircase by BorrominiThe Gallery was founded in 1895 and was projected to host works from various private collections. Many great artists feature such as Caravaggio, El Greco, Tintoretto, Raffaello, Tiziano, …

Opening times are Tuesday to Sunday from 09.00 to 7.00 pm. You can book your tickets by telephone at +39 0632810 or fax at +39 0632651329. The tickets are 6.20 euro.

It is located in Via Barberini 18 , the nearest metro stop is Barberini on line A.

Rome – All about Coffee

Coffee beans

Coffee or caffe as it is called in Italian, is a very important part of the day here in Rome. You will find it available in every restaurant and bar. It is as common as water but there are loads of different flavours and lots of different ways it can be served.

Treat yourself to a caffe latte (hot milk mixed with coffee) in a glass for breakfast or a cappuccino which is also usually had in the morning. And if you are to stay in our cosy Yes Hotel you will be able to taste real italian coffee at its best when having your complimentary breakfast in the morning.

CappuccinoBe careful when ordering a caffe. You will be served coffee in what looks like a cup from a childâ€™s tea set. Complete with a miniature saucer and spoon. You have just asked for an espresso. You know the saying that dynamite comes in small packages. You have just ordered a lot of dynamite in a really small package. This cup even though it is really small should keep you on the go for hours so it should be impossible for you to run out of energy while you are touring during the day. Another nice way to have a coffee if it is really hot is to order a caffe freddo (iced coffee) or a granita di caffe con panna (coffee with shaved ice and topped of with whipped cream).

CoffeeThere are a lot of good coffee houses in the city centre. They all have their own special blends of coffee and they also sell their own coffee beans.

Another great idea would be to buy an original Italian coffee machine. Bialetti make without a doubt the best and most durable coffee pots on the market. They are operated manually and are a pleasure to use. They can be bought in loads of shops and the closest one being the SIR supermarket. Located a short walk down the road from the hotel in Piazza Indipendenza and the American Embassy in Rome.

CaffÃ¨ GrecoSizes range from a 1 shot all the way to huge 12 shot pots. Just look for the Lâ€™Omino (Little Man) with his moustache and his hat and you canâ€™t go wrong.

Another thing is to keep your eyes peeled for would be to buy some good coffee to use in your new pot. You can buy fresh beans or go for the supermarket pre-packed stuff its up to you.

You canâ€™t come to Rome without trying the coffee. It is good the whole year round!

See Rome in two days










Activities just outside Rome


Rome is perfectly situated in Italy for alternative activities besides site seeing. The most common outside sports are climbing, trekking, snowboarding and skiing. There are lots of locations near Rome to visit and get out into the open.

If you are a climbing enthusiast you will be spoiled for choice. There are plenty of places to go that are between an hour and an hour and a half away. Although bouldering and sport climbing are really popular in Italy, there are places to go traditional climbing. Although usually a summer sport, you can still climb outdoors during the winter months on a sunny day. Be prepared and dress warmly because it will be cold.

skiing.jpgsnowbord.jpgIf you need to get your climbing fix for the duration of your stay and it isnâ€™t possible to leave the city, then you can always visit a few climbing gyms. There are two that are located in the city. Club Lanciani and Ecole Verticale The gyms are bouldering only but the facilities are great with lots of interesting routes. There are also showers, lockers and even saunas available at Lanciani.

During winter, snowboarding and skiing is possible in several locations close to Rome Campo Felice, Campo Imperatore, Ovindoli, Roccaraso. Particularly in the Abruzzo National Park.The park consists of 150,000 acres of protected forests which cover two thirds of it. There are also plenty of trails to hike along and lots of wildlife to see during the summer months. The park is also only a 2 hour drive from the city. This makes it a very convenient stop for a day trip that will be unforgettable.

My bike holiday in Abruzzo

My Bike Holiday Abruzzo

Another activity that can be enjoyed during the summer in the park is mountain biking. Experienced guides will take you on several trails through this enormous park with its forests, rolling hills and mountains. Not far from the National Park, about 40 min. by car situated on the coast of the adriatic sea, a group of bikers from little town close to Pescara airport, organize, every spring and summer, lovely bike tours betwen beach-coast and mountain the will make your trip like an unforgetable experience, visit the web site My Bike Holiday and enjoy it. Alternatively for those who have only little time you will also be able to enjoy the Villa Borghese Park in the heart of Rome, which is a great place to bike.

Kite Surf

The Ostia beach is also near Rome if you want to get some sun and it’s just one stop away from Ostia Antica.

Ostia Lido is the famous beach close to rome and many activities are possible there during the summer, beach volley, wind surf, kite surf. Visit Corallo beach web site to also get info about the wheather and wind. The beach is also easy to get to from Yes Hotel Rome, Hostel-Des-Artistes-Rome, Nice-Hotel-Rome and Carlito-Hostel-Rome, by taking the metro line B from Termini station in Rome to “piramide” then take a train from there to Ostia Lido. From there it’s 10 minute walk to the beach.

Rome: Via Appia Antica â€“ Ancient Appian Way

cecilia-metellas-tomb-on-via-appia-antica.bmpThis street, Via Appia, later named Via Appia Antica to discern it from the more recent Via Appia Nuova, was constructed in 312 B.C. by the Roman concul Appius Claudius and named accordingly. It was meant t be the new main route towards the southern province of Campania. Whatâ€™s there left to see now, is it just the remains of an ancient street? No, actually thereâ€™s much more.

To start with, there is the Appia Antica Park, a protected area where you can enjoy beautiful sceneries created by nature or history, comfortably close to the city. The park offers a wide range of services to the visitors, such as guided tour, bicycle rental, horse back riding and restaurants.


Along the Via Appia Antica are also located most of the catacombs of Rome: those of Saint Calistus, Saint Sebastian and Saint Domitilla which all date to the second century. To see the opening hours and ticket prices or just to polish up your knowledge of the early phases of the Christian Church, have a look at the site of the Roman catacombs.

On Via Appia Antica you can admire the huge sepulchral monument of a remarkable lady, Cecilia Metella, daughter of an ancient Roman war hero and wife of the great general Crassus, Cesarâ€™s ally. The tomb was constructed around the year 50 BC. Along the way, you can see many more modest family tombs with the portraits of the family members sculpted on the grave.

appia-antica-park.bmpHow to get there from your hotel? Well, if youâ€™re feeling lazy, you can just jump on a tour bus â€“ the Archeobus – which does a 2-hour tour starting fro the Termini station in the city center. But if youâ€™re going on a nice sunny day, the best option is to take the bus from the center to the beginning of Via Appia and then rent a bicycle to explore the area! For example the bus number 218 from the S. Giovanni metro station (of the line A) will take you there.

While planning you stay in Rome, try also booking your accomodation in the brand new and sofisticated Yes Hotel in the Rome city center, or, if you’re looking for easy atmosphere and nice company, in the Hostel Des Artistes near the central Termini station.

Rome Tour of the Fountains

Fontana del Moro

These are absolutely everywhere in Rome. In every piazza and open space in Rome. They are all magnificent works of art. A good way to see the city is to plan your route along the locations of the main or most well known fountains. So lets begin the tour with the fountain located closest to the Yes hotel Rome. In Piazza della Repubblica you can find the Fountain of the Naiads. Naiads are nymphs who protect the ocean, lakes, rivers and he underground. This fountain was completed at the end of the 19th century. However, because the statues of the nymphs were considered too risquÃ©, it was only switched on a year later in 1900.

Fontana del TritoneThe next fountain on the list, Fontana del Tritone, is located in Piazza Barberini, a couple of minutes away from our central Rome B&Bs This triton in this fountain is seated on two valves which are supported by four dolphins. This fountain was sculpted in honour of Urbanus the VIII by Bernini. The fountain was moved to its current position because of the enlargement of Via del Tritone. It used to be situated at the beginning of Via Due Macelli.

Now it is off to Piazza di Spagna and the beautiful Spanish Steps to the next fountain, from which accomodation Jonella is only a few steps away. Fontana della Barcaccia was sculpted by Bernini and his father, Pietro. They were inspired by the flooding of the Tevere in 1588. The flood was devastating and destroyed many homes. After the waters had subsided, a small flat bottomed boat was found in the mud used to rescue people. They took this boat and used it as the symbol of surviving the flood.Fontana del Pantheon

A stroll down Via dei Condotti for fashion lovers, and onto Via del Corso will take you to Piazza del Popolo. The main feature of this fountain is the obelisk that was brought back to Rome in 10 BC under the order of Augustus. A fountain was previously in the square until the addition of the four Egyptian style lions around the obelisk caused it to be removed to Piazza Nicosia.

A walk along the Tevere and across Ponte Vittorio Emanuele II will take you into Vatican City. You are then on your way to Piazza San Pietro. There are two huge 14 metre high fountains in this piazza. One was made in 1613 by Carlo Maderno and the other was constructed in 1677 by Carlo Fontana. Both of them are made of eastern granite.

Fontana di TreviNow saving one of the best and most well known fountains in Rome, if not the world, for last. Fontana di Trevi is built on the back of Palazzo Poli. It was built by Salvi in 1735. the basin of the fountain was built with money collected from the taxes on wine. This fountain is extremely detailed and beautiful. Donâ€™t forget to throw a coin and drink the water to insure you return to Rome. This fountain is great to see during the day and at night when it is illuminated.

Of course there are hundreds of fountains dotted throughout the city and this is just an idea of a basic tour you can do by yourself and expand on it if you want to see more.

Castel Sant’Angelo: a medieval fortress in Rome city center

Castel Sant'Angelo in RomeNo great city could be complete without a castle. Rome has one too. Like everything else in Rome Castel Sant’Angelo has a long and varied history.

Originally built by Hadrian from 135 to 139 as a tomb for himself and his family. This then became a traditional burial place for the emperors of Rome. The last emperor recorded being interred here was Caracalla in 212.

In 401 it was then converted into a fortress and sadly, this and the two sackings of Rome, by the Visigoths in 410 and the Goths in 537, caused much of the tomb contents and decorative structure to be destroyed.

The popes then converted the fortress into a castle. Pope Nicholas the 3rd then had the Passetto di Borgo built. This was a fortified passage to the castle from the Vatican. The castle was also used as a prison and executions were also carried out on its premises.

The reason that the castle has its name is that legend says that an anCastel Sant'Angelogel, Saint Michael, appeared to Pope Gregory on top and sheathed his sword as a sign that the plague had ended in Rome. A stone statue was then built on top of the castle but was later replaced by a bronze one.

The museum also houses many works of art and is also home to the Museo Nazionale Militare. The location of the castle is central and itâ€™s easy to reach: if youâ€™re staying for example at our favourite hotels Yes Hotel or Nice Hotel near the Termini station, you can just take the A line of the metro from the station and get of at Lepanto. Also the following buses, that go to Lungotevere Castello, take to to walking distance of the castle: 23 (from Piramide station metro B), 64 (from Termini), 87, 280. The tickets for the museum can also be reserved on line.

Another impressive structure located close to the castle is the Ponte Santâ€™ Angelo. It used to be the bridge used by pilgrims to get to Saint Peters. The most spectacular thing about this bridge are the sculptures of the ten angels that adorn it. They were designed by Bernini and each is a representation of the Passion of Christ.

The bridge also had another more macabre use. The bridge was also used for a long time to display the bodies of executed prisoners.

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