**NEW: Tips for Visiting Rome from Rome Travel Insider Nancy Aiello (Free Italy Travel Advice)**
Several
months ago, I needed some quick insider information on Rome to complete
an article I was writing. I've found Twitter to be an incredible
networking tool and posted a query to Dream
of Italy's Twitter feed. Nancy
Aiello, who goes by @italytravelista
on Twitter, came to my rescue answering my original question and many,
many more. I found this American now living in the Eternal City to be
an incredible resource and asked if I could interview her for the Dream
of Italy
Web site. -- Kathy McCabe, editor
Dream
of Italy: First of all, how did
you end up living
in Rome? You're American, correct?
NA:
I was born and raised in
San Francisco and due to my family's Italian heritage I
developed
a passion for Italian history and culture. In 1979, I came to Rome
for a semester to study Roman history and
once in Rome I met Giovanni, a true Roman gentleman, and it was love at
first sight. Thirty-one years later, I'm still in Rome with my husband Giovanni
and our two lovely girls
Rachel and Ann, both involved in our family travel business. A century
or so ago my Italian ancestors went to the United States from
a
tiny village on the
Amalfi
Coast so I suppose you could say
that I have come back to my roots.
DOI:
How
has Rome changed in the years that you
have lived there?
NA:
Over the last 30 years,
Rome has changed a lot, and for the better. Today the Eternal City is a
modern European capital where you can still breathe and feel her
romantic flavor, ancient history and friendly attitude. The Great
Jubilee in 2000 brought more positive changes and was a great
opportunity for Rome to get a facelift. Piazzas, churches and even the
Vatican Museums, with the restoration of the Sistine Chapel, took
advantage of the Jubilee to perform long-needed renovations.
DOI: Tell us a little bit about
your business
and how it differs from other tour businesses in Rome.
NA:
Based in Rome, Nancy
Aiello
Tours is a boutique Italy
tour-planning company focused on offering
its guests visiting Italy the opportunity to spend quality time at
quality venues with our strictly private guided tours led by
multilingual official guides. Our strengths are our people, an
experienced team of local travel consultants, highly trained licensed
tour guides, reliable licensed drivers and trusted partners across the Bel Paese
who are efficient,
professional and most of all caring.
Giovanni and I love to travel and have visited over the years five
continents and more than 80 countries and territories, sometimes on a
shoestring budget and sometimes splurging on the best hotels and
restaurants. Based on our extensive travel experience our aim is to
provide independent travelers and families visiting Italy with a vast
array of high-end Italy travel services, knowing that each guest is
unique and catering to their individual tastes requires knowledge and
the utmost attention to details.
DOI: What do you think are the
most common
misconceptions first-time visitors have about Rome?
NA:
Thanks to
informative
forums and sharp advises from web sites like Dream
of Italy,
I think travelers these days are very well-informed and knowledgeable.
When we visit a new city, especially in Europe, it's human to want to
see as many things as possible. A city like Rome provides so many
attractions that it would be impossible to fit everything in even if
you were to visit for a month.
Over the years I found that's the most common misconception first-time
visitors have when planning to visit Rome a.k.a.. Julius Caesar
syndrome:
Veni, vidi, vici -
which means I came, I saw (everything), I conquered. Rome wasn't built
in a day! Based on my experience I would suggest first-time visitors to
set priorities create a very loose schedule that is not crowded with
too many attractions and pack light. When in Rome don't
forget to
have fun, blend with the locals and enjoy traditional Roman
food!
DOI: Say a first-time visitor
has four days in
Rome? How would you recommend they spend their time?
NA:
No city on the planet
comes close to the Eternal City of Rome for history and the sheer
extent of her treasures is breathtaking. There is sooo much to see! If
you want to discover much, get up early, dress properly to visit
churches, wear comfy shoes and hit the road.
On day one, I would recommend touring ancient Rome wandering over to
the Roman Forum and Coliseum and take a leisure afternoon walk to
explore piazzas and fountains like Piazza Navona, the Spanish Steps,
the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain, Piazza del Popolo and Piazza Venezia.
Day two should be devoted to the Vatican to explore
St
Peter's Basilica, the Vatican Museums and Michelangelo's Sistine
Chapel. Michelangelo
lovers
should not miss the 5th-century Christian Basilica of St. Peter in
Chains that houses Michelangelo's stunning Moses.
Then take an afternoon tour
into the early Christian past along the ancient Appian Way to visit the
network of underground Christian catacombs and the nearby remarkable
Basilica of St. Paul outside the walls, the largest patriarchal
basilica in Rome after St. Peter's.
On day three, the lively outdoor market in Campo de Fiori
is a good starting
point to enjoy Rome's everyday life before visiting the nearby Jewish
Ghetto and the adjacent Tiber Island to reach Trastevere,
an eclectic
neighborhood full of great medieval churches and baroque architecture.
Once here go the extra mile to reach the scenic Janiculum Hill, famous
for its breathtaking view over the city.
On day four, I usually suggest my guests and friends to visit the
Borghese Gallery, home to one of the most amazing collection of
renaissance and baroque paintings in the world, housed in the park of
Villa Borghese, the greenest and most serene section of Rome. This is a
good place to picnic, relax and start planning your next trip to Rome.
Last but not least: do tour Rome by night! Pretty much all of the major
attractions that you'll see during the day are lit up at night. And
yes, definitely worth seeing again, and again.
DOI: Do you have a favorite
neighborhood and/or
hotel(s) that you recommend to visitors?
NA:
Each neighborhood
in
Rome offers a distinctive flavor and provides a unique set of emotions
but if I had the chance to choose only one place I would love to live
in the area around Campo de Fiori, probably on Via Giulia
- the most beautiful and
Renaissance street in Rome. On Via Giulia you can take advantage of the
5-star deluxe hotel St.
George Roma or perhaps
just drop by for
its amazing cocktails. As an alternative, next to Campo there's the
nice and intimate 3-star Hotel
Campo de Fiori offering good
value, good
service and a glorious 360 degree terrace on the roof.
DOI: Many of our readers have
been to Rome
numerous times. What sites/activities do you recommend for someone who
has already been to the major attractions?
NA:
Beside the Vatican Museums
and the Borghese Gallery, Rome has plenty of museums quite often
overlooked by visitors and locals alike. I tend to favor Palazzo
Massimo Museum just off the Termini Railway Station with its priceless
collection of Roman sculptures and mosaics and the Etruscan Museum of
Villa Giulia with its outstanding collection housed in this Renaissance
Papal villa.
When in Rome don't miss a walking tour of the Aventine Hill to
experience the bucolic Orange gardens and the glorious view across the
river to the Janiculum Hill and Saint Peter's, and the early Christian
Basilicas of Santa Sabina and Santo' Alessio. Last but not least enjoy
the famous grand view of St. Peter's through the Key Hole.
If you want to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city, I would
recommend a day trip to Orvieto
and Assisi
in Umbria
and/or
to Tivoli,
about an hour east
of Rome, to enjoy Hadrian's Villa and Villa D'Este, both listed by
UNESCO as World Heritage Sites.
DOI: In a similar
vein, our readers love
to get the inside scoop on what's new in Rome? Tell us about
some
of your favorite new restaurants, shops, hotels, etc.
NA:
Today you can experience a
true slice of Roman life in places like Ponte Milvio
and across the Pigneto
district. Although off the
beaten track, these two areas are becoming more and more popular with
the locals. In Ponte Milvio try the delicious cold cuts served at the
tiny vineria Peccati di Gola or
a great carbonara pasta at
Quinto Quarto.
In the multiethnic Pigneto
district, Rome's Greenwich Village, I enjoy the old-style (and noisy)
trattorias like Betto e Mary
or the trendy tapas bars like Primo
al Pigneto.
DOI: What new tours or services
are you
introducing in 2010?
NA:
We've noticed that
nowadays an ever increasing number of travelers are looking to stand
out from the crowd seeking highly personalized travel services to get
the most out of their Roman holidays. Our most successful private
guided Rome tours in 2009 were food related tours like our private
hands-on Rome cooking classes held in a apartment in the heart
of
Rome and our private culinary Rome walking tours where foodies have the
opportunity to visit outdoor food markets full of fresh produce and
meet local shoppers, have a taste of local cheese and cured meats in
colorful deli shops, and enjoy the art of fresh pasta and bread in
family run shops.
In 2010, we launched, with excellent results so far, private guided
tours of Rome and the Vatican designed for families with children eager
to explore Rome with informative and fun private tours where parents
and kids together can enjoy a truly memorable experience.
The latest personalized services we have introduced cater to the value
conscious travelers and families who want to get a different view of
Roman life and rent a self-catering apartment. On request we are glad
to inspect and assess any Rome's apartment or lodging that an
independent traveler finds on the Internet to make sure it lives up to
its web pictures and description and most important the rental agency
and/or the landlord are reputable, reliable and friendly. And for those
travelers we also offer private guided orientation Rome tours designed
for first-timers who want to explore the city on their own but need a
personalized guided tour to get acquainted in a smooth way with the
local neighborhood.
DOI: Are there any special
events you are
looking forward to in Rome this year?
NA:
OMG there are so many! In
Rome, the Caravaggio Exhibition is thriving together with the must-see
exhibition at the Capitoline Museums “Days of Rome: the Age
of
Conquest, Rome and the Greek World” and the
“Morgantina
Treasures” held at Palazzo Massimo alle Terme. The MaXXi
Museum
is set to open its doors on May 30, whilst a day trip from Rome allows
you to visit the new Giotto exhibition in Assisi, not to mention the
great exhibitions planned this year in Florence
like Caravaggio and the Caravaggesques and cameos and intaglios of the
Medici family.
Business travelers may enjoy Roy Lichtenstein and Schiele exhibitions
in Milan
or perhaps Braque, Kandinsky and Chagall on show in Ferrara.
These
are just a few of the many good reasons to visit Italy in 2010.
DOI: When you have a day off in
Rome, what is
your favorite way to spend it?
NA:
I love the endless number
of museums Rome offers and enjoy the peace of mind you get by looking
at those ageless masterpieces. I also love cooking Italian regional
recipes supervised by my husband Giovanni who is the real wine and dine
maestro. We tour food markets and deli shops like La
Tradizione to
choose the right ingredients according to the season and we create our
own signature dishes for the weekly dinner with local and expat friends
known as the Formula 4: Food and Fun for Family & Friends!!!
NOTE:
Dream of Italy print newsletter
subscribers can receive 10% off of Nancy's tours through our new
program of exclusive,
subscribers-only Italy travel discounts. Once you become a
subscriber, you'll be given the password to save on Nancy's tours!
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