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Tags: Rome Field Trip / Vatican City / Convents / → All Tags
Shacking Up in a Convent in Vatican City
Is there really no place like Rome? This week Ellen Wernecke chronicles her first visit to the Eternal City.
I mentioned yesterday that I spent one night away from the hostel-packed neighborhood of Termini, a move that led me to the cheapest and nicest accommodations of the trip, even though I had to abide by a curfew to take them. Plus, it was my first time ever staying on an international boundary line! If only that boundary wasn't so depressingly porous -- no one even bothered to check my passport.
Tags: Rome Field Trip / Colosseum / Vatican City / → All Tags
When in Rome, Do as the Romans Do: Avoid Tourists
Is there really no place like Rome? This week Ellen Wernecke chronicles her first visit to the Eternal City.
First, the bad news: Despite everything you've heard and read about the downturn, you won't be able to tell from the tourism traffic in and around Rome. Those dreaming of empty museums and quiet time alone with the ruins would be best to look elsewhere, possibly in an alternate universe. At the same time, I never ran afoul of a large, obnoxious group of my countrymen, and while numerous, Italian school groups didn't bother me as much.
Visiting Rome is a balancing act between the impersonal but unmissable major sites and a more personal experience. Here's when to keep to the beaten path and when to wander away:
