Cultural Spot ...
A Week in Rome
Cultural Spot ...
A Week in Rome
With southern Europe on our doorstep, spending a weekend away from Tunis is tempting and very easy. What's not so easy is choosing where to go from the great array of direct routes on the Tunisair wesite, not a bad dilemma to be in! My boyfriend and I reached a decision however; Rome was the chosen city and it didn't fail to impress. Here are my top suggestions for things to do although thankfully it's only a short flight away as the city certainly deserves more than a long weekend, we'll be back!
1. Play gladiator at the Colosseum
Dating from AD 72, this Flavian amphitheatre is vast and impressive. With a seating capacity of over 50,000 and an ability to fill up in 10 minutes, it was the most grandiose and functional amphitheatre of its kind. The Roman remains of the city sit nearby and are also worth a visit; the Forum, Domus Aurea and the Pantheon.
2. Relax in the Gardens of the Villa Borghese
An area of calm to escape the hustle and bustle of the city and to find a shady spot away from the August heat. We walked up to the gardens from Piazza del Popolo and had a much appreciated chance to find our bearings with a stunning view point at the top. The chance to catch our breath was appreciated too!
3. Indulge in a San Crispino ice cream (while making a wish at the Trevi Fountain)
Just around the corner from the beautiful but busy Trevi Fountain, we found Il Gelato di San Crispino (ilgelatodisancrispino.it). From the review adorned walls we quickly realised many consider it to be the best ice cream in Rome - no mean feat with ice cream on every street! The flavours change with the seasons and we tried the honey, yoghurt, grapefruit, cacao and coffee. The honey was particularly good. Cone lovers stay away however, they're considered to interfere with the flavours so only tubs are allowed.
4. Pick a Piazza for an aperitivo hour (or two)
Originating in Milan but now popular in other Italian cities, this is when friends gather over drinks and snacks before going out or heading home for dinner. Piazza Navona has a plethora of bars offering aperitivo hour and with the live music playing in the piazza, it was a perfect spot to watch the city go by after a busy day of sight seeing.
5. Food glorious food
Rome requires big appetites and thankfully doing so much walking, we had exactly that. Not that we needed a reason to eat at every opportunity however; good Italian cuisine is impossible to resist! A big highlight was discovering Taverna Trilussa (tavernatrilussa.it) in a buzzing area called Trastevere. I chose a Ravioli dish which was the winner of a food contest in Rome and Milan and has a secret filling, I'm still in the dark about exactly what I ate however I can confirm it was absolutely delicious! Witnessing a marriage proposal at the table next to us was the cherry on the cake, Rome is truly a city of passion.
In keeping with the Italian theme, here's a very easy Nigella Lawson recipe from her new programme called 'Nigellissima' airing in the UK at the moment:
One-step no-churn coffee ice cream
Ingredients
300ml/10fl oz double cream
175g/6oz condensed milk
2 tbsp instant espresso powder
2 tbsp espresso or coffee liqueur (optional)
Preparation
1. Whisk all the ingredients together until soft peaks form and you have a gorgeous caffe-latte-coloured airy mixture. Fill an airtight container and freeze for six hours or overnight.
Enjoy!
Gillian
