Basilica diSan; Piano, 1‘-
the golden arches. the coffee is freshly ground and brewed in front of you. and tastes surprisingly good. And with not a Starbucks in sight. you've got to do your bit to help the global empires somehow . . .
Talking of which. when you go to the Vatican. go early. We went to St Peter’s Basilica first and had to endure long waits. After three hours of shuffling cattle-like through claustrophobic corridors. l regressed 2() years to the mentality of a small child: tired. grumpy and hungry. It wasn‘t until our final emergence at the Sistine Chapel that any sense of wonder occurred.
For real jaw-to-the-floor ama/ement. head to the Altare della Patria building. (‘ompared with the Vatican‘s gaudy display of power. the Altare della Patria is an architectural grandeur and sheer magnitude.
88 THE LIST "-- ,ia'r ‘ let) 7007
wonder of
You can imagine Jupiter himself dictating the fate of mortals from here (UK. so it was Mussolini who gave the speeches. but the god complex is still the same). The (‘olosseum is the other genuine must-see. and if you book
FOR REAL JAW- TO-THE-FLOOR AMAZEMENT HEAD TO THE ALTARE DELLA PATRIA BUILDING
online in advance you'll avoid the queues. It‘s very cheap — around to — and the tour guides are a lot more accurate than Russell (‘rowe’s Maximus.
After a few days of tourist trekking we were ready for some proper R&R. The Botanical
(iardens in the 'I‘rastevere quarter (off Via della Lungara) aren’t fantastic. but they do provide an excellent opportunity to feel like you‘ve escaped the chaos of the city. One afternoon of hori/ontal chilling wasn’t enough for our weary bones. so we took a short taxi ride to the other side of town. through the gardens of Monte Pincio. There you'll find the Hotel Aldrovandi Palace (Via l'lisse Aldrovandi). which allows you to use the outdoor pool as a guest. At
€40 (£25). it's not cheap but after
days of walking around town we were ready to pay anything for the chance to rest our feet.
You can't go to Italy and not talk about the food. and in Rome there’s an abundance of cheap. exquisite options. Ignore the expensive. touristy Via Veneto and give a wide berth to the restaurants around the Trevi Fountain and Pantheon — tellingly.
The Spanish Steps 1: night: Ice-cream on th Via de Macce Ili (leg
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the worst food and service of our trip was at IfArcano near the Pantheon (Via della Pavte I()2). Instead. tour the back streets near Pia/la de Spagna and mingle with the real Romans. The (iioia Mia restaurant (Via Degli Avignonesi 3-1. near the Piazza Barberini). recommended to us by Italians. serves delicious. affordable. authentic food. Be warned though: the younger waiters will do all they can to steal your lady from right under your nose. and there‘s not much you can do about it when service is included.
After a few days surrounded by sartorial elegance. you may want to splash ottt on your own new threads. Don't let the magnitude of designer shops fool you — there are plenty of affordable places around the Spanish Steps. and Benetton. Lacoste and Zara all offer reduced rates to the L'K. Which is helpful when you have to compete with lothario waiters.
FACTFILE: ROME
Getting there and around Thomson Cities and Short Breaks Prree offer three night packages from I-(Irn'ourgh wrth BIIIISII Airways ma 1 option (Traits/rely to Rome from {Soil per person. Price includes bed anti breakfast aeeorhmorIat:oh. return flights ant: taxes >870 (306 1-1/6. y'wsrt'stl\orhso'teitresx: >.;r r. Ine- (ireet tram pet‘nreen I rurhrerr‘o Arrport and ICHV‘IIII Station (:osts € 9.50 (’l'ltl ILIKOS 30 minutes. from there you will need to use buses or tax:s to get to your hotel. Most (:ahs travel from I :urnrerho Airport orreet-y to your note. for >9: fut). Home has a gooo’ bus and metro network rtrarns t'rou‘. i».15(,arn untrl
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