Rome
In hindsight, I can say that I loved Rome. When I was there, I was not as certain. I was fortunate enough to visit Rome with my wife (then girlfriend) in 2006. Of course our schedules dictated that we travel in summer, which was fine when we reached Paris where the weather was milder and every store was having huge July sales.
In Rome it was hotter than the surface of the Sun. To compound the frustration of being hot throughout our visit, we spent at least a couple of hours every day lost. Rome is chaotic, with roads and alleys branching in every direction, no rhyme or reason to the way things are numbered (that I could discern), and buildings that overhang the alleys making it impossible to see landmarks that might give you a clue as to where you are, or should be going.
We were standing on the steps of the Church of San Luigi dei Francese. It was closed for lunch, so we found something to eat and planned to go back after their lunch hour. We searched for two hours, but were unable to ever find the church again.
The only time I felt really comfortable with my bearings in Rome was when I was running in the morning. Rome is a different city early in the morning, as most cities are. We stayed in the Trastevere neighborhood, which was perfect for running. Gently sloping roads through beautiful residential areas, little churches, sidewalk cafés, and interesting people. I would run from the hotel through the neighborhood to the river, across one of the lovely bridges, through the old Jewish ghetto, along the river through twenty-five hundred years of history.
I would go back to Rome in a heartbeat. I would visit in winter, maybe for Christmas. I would stay in Trastevere again. I would plan plenty of down time each day, so that when we were lost, it wouldn't matter, and we could just enjoy discovering each new alley.
In Rome it was hotter than the surface of the Sun. To compound the frustration of being hot throughout our visit, we spent at least a couple of hours every day lost. Rome is chaotic, with roads and alleys branching in every direction, no rhyme or reason to the way things are numbered (that I could discern), and buildings that overhang the alleys making it impossible to see landmarks that might give you a clue as to where you are, or should be going.
We were standing on the steps of the Church of San Luigi dei Francese. It was closed for lunch, so we found something to eat and planned to go back after their lunch hour. We searched for two hours, but were unable to ever find the church again.
The only time I felt really comfortable with my bearings in Rome was when I was running in the morning. Rome is a different city early in the morning, as most cities are. We stayed in the Trastevere neighborhood, which was perfect for running. Gently sloping roads through beautiful residential areas, little churches, sidewalk cafés, and interesting people. I would run from the hotel through the neighborhood to the river, across one of the lovely bridges, through the old Jewish ghetto, along the river through twenty-five hundred years of history.
I would go back to Rome in a heartbeat. I would visit in winter, maybe for Christmas. I would stay in Trastevere again. I would plan plenty of down time each day, so that when we were lost, it wouldn't matter, and we could just enjoy discovering each new alley.
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