Paid Receipts
by mrclay2000
Italy probably leads Europe in the uniform distribution of receipts for every museum you see, every castle you visit and every other possible fee attraction. As often as not, the receipts are designed to be as counterfeit-proof as Italian currency, perhaps even more so.
Fontana delle Tartarughe
by sandysmith
Another lesser known fountain is the "Fontana delle Tartarughe" in the Piazza Mattei.
This lovely Renaissance sculpture is one of Rome's more secret fountains showing youths helping tortoises into a basin.
To/from Ciampino, 2 bus companies
by marielexoteria
Most of those who visit Rome via Ciampino airport know about the Schiaffini/Cotral buses (departing from Via Giolitti). While looking for where the buses leave from Termini, I found 2 other bus companies that offer transfer Termini-Ciampino and back:
- Terravision: departs from Via Marsala and costs 8€ (as of Dec 2008) one way. They recommend that you take a bus 3 hours before your flight leaves.
- SIT Bus Shuttle: departs from Via Marsala, in front of the Automobile Club d'Italia and costs 6€ (as of Dec 2008) one way. This is the company we chose because their timetable worked for us the best. We bought the tickets on the spot but you can buy them online too.
Great food and great service in Trastevere
by jungles about Hostaria del Moro 'da Tony'
Hostaria del Moro, known to its expat regulars as 'Tony's,' is a lovely restaurant in one of the small cobblestone alleyways in Trastevere. Their specialty is seafood, but there are plenty of other dishes for those who aren't seafood lovers. As an appetizer, I recommend the mixed bruschetta shared between two or more people. The lasagne is a good choice if you want a 'primo piatto,' and my favourite 'secondo piatto' is the risotto alla pescatora. They staff is very friendly; the owner Tony and the headwaiter Alex will take especially good care of you. They might even throw in a shot of limoncello on the house.
Closed on Mondays, but Tony also owns the place with the green checkered tablecloths across the street, and one of the two is always open.
Its No Yankee Stadium
by Bobsy
When I went to the coliseum an American tourist asked me where all the gladiators fought. The poor fellow was under the illusion that they battled it out in the maze of tunnels which are now visible below ground. He told me it was no Yankee Stadium. 'No', I replied, 'it isn't'.
Anyone familiar with Rome, Roman history or Russel Crowe will know all about the Coliseum. A massive theatre of death, built to appease the bloodthirsty masses. Its more architecturally impressive than Toronto's Skydome, and has bigger crowds - although the site is so big that it doesn't pose a problem. I see the Coliseum as an icon of Rome, both modern and ancient, and its well worth the admission.