After an early early 3:30 am wakeup call and killing time in CDG with our last French croissant and expresso breakfast, we made it to the Roma airport, took the train into the Termini, and with just a bit of cabbie drama, finally arrived at our terrific little hotel in the center of Roma. Our cabbie thought he could pull one over on us and tried to charge us 40 euros for the ride from the Termini to the hotel…a ride which according to my handy Rick Steves book should cost 10-15 euros total including luggage. I fought him on it and our hotel concierge gave him a few choice words, and we ended up giving him a 20 to go away, which he promptly ripped in half in my face. Eh - What can you do? We’re in Roma, so moving right along, we unpacked, changed clothes and got off on our merry way to see Ancient Rome. Palatine Hill, the Roman Forum, and the Colosseum were literally right around the corner from our hotel. We were both starving so we shared a tomato & mozzarella sandwich for our first quick Italian bite, and armed with my own personal tour guide pair (Rick Steves and Drew) we tackled ancient Roma. It was an absolutely gorgeous day, bright blue skies and finally a bit warmer after frigid Paris.
Arch of Constantine between Palatine Hill and the Colosseum, signifying the legalization of Christianity in Roma
We started at Palatine Hill, which if you ever go, is the best way to do it to avoid the lines. The line to get into the Colosseum and the forum were both easily over an hour, and we waited 15 minutes max at the hill, which then gives you access to both other sites. Thanks for the tip Rick!
One end of the stadium littered with marble fragments that once held up an arcade and changing rooms
Finishing our tour of Palatine Hill with a stroll through some beuatiful gardens and pavilions, we reached the edge of the hill with a spectacular view overlooking the Forum.
Drew's favorite view of the forum from Emmanuel's monument. The columns are what's left of the Temple of Saturn, the forum's oldest temple 497B.C.
We spent a good few hours on the hill and at the forum, reading Rick’s explanations of the Roman leisurely lifestyle and the emperor’s escapades, imagining the enormous extravagant palaces, and just being in general awe of their architectural skills.
my cute tour guide and historian
We walked on the stones where Julius Caesar walked and saw the “Temple of the Deified Julius Caesar,” where his body was burned and the altar now covered in flowers from the locals.
Leaving the forum we went across to the Colosseum.
I knew it would be amazing, but it’s even bigger and better than I imagined in person. It’s hard to walk through there and think about the grotesque brutal practices that the ancient Romans engaged in and celebrated for entertainment. It truly was barbaric.
The sun was beginning to set while we were inside the colosso, and it was almost magical the way the suns rays entered through the archway openings in the walls.
We were lucky to be there at that time of the day. After finishing our tour through the colosso, we began our walk back to the hotel going right through Piazza Venezzia, and decided to go up to the Top of Emmanuel’s Monument for a 360 degree panoramic view of Roma.
Rick’s book recommended going at sunset when all of Rome glows, and as usual, Rick was absolutely right. We went up right as the sun was beginning to drop below the horizon and it was truly amazing.
We could see the Vatican to the west and straight down Via del Corso, the main street in Rome to the north entrance of Rome at the Piazza del Popolo, and the Roman Forum and Colosseum to the east.
We could not have had a more perfect welcome evening into Roma. After the sun disappeared, we walked back to the hotel at twilight, where we relaxed for a bit and then got ready for our night walk across Roma. We were deciding on where to eat dinner and remembered a restaurant that we really wanted to try near the Spanish Steps, Il Gabriello. We called and realized that tonight would be the only night we could go due to their schedule and the new years holiday, so we made reservations immediately and decided we would take our night walk across Roma, ending up at the Spanish steps for our dinner. We started our evening people watching in campo de fiori at a sidewalk café where we christened our first glass of vino rosso on Italian soil. The square was bustling with people, performers, and street vendors.
From there we walked through Piazza Navona and the Trevi Fountain, where we threw in the obligatory coin to be assured a return to Roma.
We finally found our highly anticipated Il Gabriello, where Gabriello and his brother are the chef, owner, and front of house. I don’t even know where to begin in describing this restaurant, but it was everything and more that you could imagine for an Italian meal with an intimate atmosphere.
It is in the cellar of a 17th century palazzo, and had beautiful brick archway ceilings and exposed pipes making for a very cozy and charming dining experience.
Every review we read declared it the best restaurant in Rome, and I fully endorse this view. The service was impeccable, as was the antipasto, both primi pastas, our filet secondi and the wine. As for the pastas, drew had a risotto with prawns and I had a traditional penne carbonara (which I had been dying to try). Everything was more than incredible, and we couldn’t believe we still had more to come after finishing our primis. Naively thinking we wouldn’t be able to fit in another bite, as soon as the perfectly cooked filet in a green pepper sauce arrived, we devoured every last bit. Best meal in Rome, hands down. We then headed back on an evening stroll down via corso back to our hotel for some much needed rest before New Years Eve in the Eternal City and our visit to the Vatican.
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