Rome Day 4

Although I enjoy getting breakfast at the Hilton Garden Inn, I eventually get tired of the same breakfast buffet items even if it is convenient. It was already included in the room rate so I couldn't really turn it down.  The plan for the day was to check out Villa Borghese Gardens and the Colosseum.

In the morning, the walk around the Villa Borghese Garden was cut short due to the extensive walking required. The Garden does not have the best signage so having a map is important to figure out where you are within the Garden.I did like the fact that the garden was heart shaped!

Given the number and size of the group, tickets for the Colosseum were booked earlier in the week. It ended up saving us a lot of time as the lines around the Colosseum were long and we didn’t wait long at all. It also helped that we booked the guided tour which always helps you fast track your way through the queues.
Before heading to our assigned tour time, we had lunch based on a friend’s recommendation and had lunch at Vecchia Roma on via Leonina, 10 00184 Rome, Italy. There are several restaurants with this name but this one is specifically near the Colosseum. The signature dish is pasta that is cooked in a parmesan cheese round. The round is supposed to be hollowed out like a bowl and the pasta is swirled in it to naturally coat the pasta with parmesan. Overall, I found it not worthwhile as it was too salty for my taste buds. The pizzas ordered were mediocre as well.

After lunch, headed out to the Colosseum to check out the site. The prepaid tour tickets were a good deal since we saw that the lines were crazy long (not as bad as the Vatican) and we were able to cut through all that to the tour counter. Also, the tour provided us access to parts of the Colosseum not available with a general ticket such as the basement level and the rooftop level. I would advise getting the guided tour if you were to visit the Colosseum.

For dinner, part of the group was separated and I decided to find an Italian restaurant that actually served good food. I found Antico Arco on Zagat and decided that trekking across town for food would be worth it. For the first time in Italy, I had an excellent meal and was happy to pay the five star prices just to eat good food. LOL. I had a taglione pasta entrée and finished with an Italian version of a napoleon. 
Taglione pasta

Napoleon

Happy ending!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

New Orleans

Image
I'm back again for a conference. Flew out on United Airlines and was able to snag a first class seat on the way out. Luckily, the Hilton New Orleans St. Charles Avenue was able to accommodate an early check-in. The room was just the same as last time. They are renovating the executive lounge which made the perk inaccessible. I was given breakfast coupons for Luke in exchange. I tried the Southern Breakfast sans meat. I found the biscuit slightly salty but I'm prone to being salt sensitive. Not a good thing when it comes to Southern cooking. For lunch, went out to Ruby Slipper Café and ordered the Catfish St. Peter and a double Bellini. The meal was tasty and the service was quick and friendly. Did some antique and second hand clothing shopping before getting dessert at Sucre . The dessert shop sells gelato, baked goods, and chocolate. The gelato was ok but the smore's skillet was super tasty. Ruby Slipper Café Catfish St. Peter Sucre S'mores skillet and a ban
Read more

Salt Lake and Park City

Image
Flew to Salt Lake City Airport for the holiday weekend on United . No new snow systems so I was not in a rush to get on the mountain and opted to bounce around the city before heading up to Park City. Although I could have opted for a cheaper rental, I stuck with the Toyota Tacoma from Avis . Lodging After landing, I checked into the Fairfield Inn & Suites Salt Lake City South . Normally, not a leisure destination but I thought it would be a good location to meet with friends who live south of the city. They ended up being unavailable that day and my companion's former colleagues weren't available (headquarters was just another 10 minutes south).  The next day, I checked into the Doubletree Park City - The Yarrow . Originally, the weekend was really expensive due to the holidays but the prices did drop to under $200 when I was checking in. I was behind a gentleman who inquired about booking two rooms last minute and he was quoted about $200 for two nights. With the continu
Read more

Park City

I joined family to a snowboard trip to Park City and hopped onto a Delta flight to get into Salt Lake City International Airport . As mentioned in prior posts, the Delta gates are in the best locations in the airport. Despite that, I still had to lug my snowboard bag across a really long way (in my opinion).  I had a rental with Hertz last minute. There are close check in gates from the car rental parking garage and the airport front counters; however, the timing of my flights were outside their hours and so I was stuck lugging 70 lbs to the regular counter. I was really sad about it as I walked past the empty counters. Delta fail. My family has a timeshare with Club Wyndham Park Ciry  and they booked a three bedroom apartment. Even though we weren’t an 8 person group, it was nice to have the space because of all the snowboard gear. Note that the hotel does not shovel snow off balconies so you will need to do so if you want to hang outside. The hotel is conveniently located at the Can
Read more