Ron is an American who has been living in Rome since 2007 and sharing his experiences and giving advice on his blog.
Search Google for information about Rome and much of the stuff you get is out of date, the same information repeated for the 1,000th time or regurgitated blog spam.
So it was refreshing to come come across Ron’s blog – Ron in Rome – which provides clear, useful and thoughtful information via an uncluttered design. It’s rare to see a blog with such good content not taken over by adverts.
An example of what to expect from Ron’s blog is the very useful post titled 20 tips on Visiting the Vatican Museums. This find was particularly relevant to us as we recently launched the Vatican area of the site. Ron’s post should be required reading to anyone wanting to visit the Musei Vaticani.
Apart from writing up about what to see in Rome Rob provides a guide service for small groups of people who want to explore Rome at their own pace including what he describes as ‘aimless wandering’ (which is often when one discovers the best things).
Ron’s blog is available at: www.roninrome.com
Planning a trip to Rome and are concerned about the well-being of your Pet Society pet? Don't worry, our apartments are Pet Society friendly.
Please note that we’re not talking about old fashioned pets in flesh, blood and… fur. The question people are asking themselves is what will happen to their virtual pet they tend to with love, affection and perhaps a little bit too much much time on Facebook’s Pet Society.
Don’t know what Pet Society is?
Maybe it’s for the best. In a nutshell, it’s as digital pet that you need to feed, clothe, wash and entertain. The more you do the more gold coins you earn to… do more of the same. Pets have made on to the property ladder and own houses that they can furnish as they please. Still confused? Have a look at this YouTube clip. Better still, give it a go.
Rome Rentals Co. is Pet Society friendly!
Meet robottomatospace. She is a Royal Pet (level 31) that recently stayed 5 days at Apartment Paradiso in Campo de’ Fiori, thoroughly enjoying her time away from online:
This was the first time away from Pet Society and into the real world. I loved Apartment Paradiso… it was so charming! But I did miss my soap bar and the Mystery Boxes I’m addicted to. But I must admit that shopping in Rome is great… I got a good exchange rate for my gold coins
robottomatospace sent us this picture when she got back to her own place:
Sorting out your internet access
City Apartments prefer to work with apartment owners that offer broadband connections in their properties. When this is not the case we can let you know where there closest internet cafe. Just let us know when you book your apartment. We wouldn’t want you to miss your pet too much (and we know that if you don’t wash them frequently enough they start to smell).
Rome's council is taking steps to reduce youth-generated noise pollution during the evenings and at night.
Two resolutions have been approved to help reduce noise pollutions in the historic centre. The source of which tends to be the younger folk enjoying their nights out, rather loudly, in in spots such as Campo de’ Fiori and Trastevere.
The first resolution tackles the noise issue and the second one is an increase in the number of vigili urbani to patrol areas that are prone to noise and trouble.
As of next August anyone under the age of 16 will be prohibited from purchasing alcoholic drinks and underage kids will not be allowed to work in any position selling alcoholic drinks. Also, bouncers will be replaced with ‘stewards’ and CCTV cameras.
It will be interesting to see if these initiatives will help make Rome a more quiet place. As with most Italian rules there is usually a big discrepancy between what is agreed on paper and its implementation.
The discovery was made during the restoration of the Santa Tecla catacombs on the Via Ostiense.
Archeologists were using an innovative laser-based technique when they suddenly came across one of the most expressive and elaborate depictions of Saint Paul. The hope is that more of the same will be found.
The fresco dates back to the 9th Century and its style is typically classical, depicting a big nose, eyes and a face full of expression. The red background and yellow ring shape around it are similar to iconography found in Pompeii.
The archeologists believe that Saint Paul was chosen to protect those who were buried in the catacombs.
The fresco was discovered on 19 June during work carried out by the Pontificia Commissione di Archeologia Sacra, a commission created by the Pius IX in 1852 to “ take care of the ancient sacred cemeteries, look after their preventive preservation, further explorations, research and study, and also safeguard the oldest mementos of the early Christian centuries, the outstanding monuments and venerable Basilicas in Rome, in the Roman suburbs and soil, and in the other Dioceses in agreement with the respective Ordinaries.”
A good deal offered by Rome's council includes free entry to 2 museums, discounts to other ones and free access to public transportation.
If you search the web for feedback about the Roma Pass you’ll find it difficult to come across negative comments about the scheme. That’s because it offers…
- Free access to the first 2 of a network of over 40 monuments, museums and archaeological sites
- Discounts the other museums and sites you visit after that
- Free travel on Rome’s public transport
- A map of Rome
- Guides listing participating museums, sites, events and services where the pass will get you discounts
- A health assistance service
The pass costs €23 and is valid 3 days.
Plan ahead to make the most of it
As the first 2 places you will visit will be free it’s worth visiting the most pricey ones first. You can find a list of participating sites on the official site.
Also, as some places need reservation make sure you mention Roma Pass when you book.
More information about the Roma Pass
Check out www.romapass.it to get the full details of the scheme. Other contact details are:
Telelphone: +39 060608
Email: info@romapass.it
Renting an apartment will give you value for money and flexibility, Man U to win the final.
When important sporting events are held in Rome things can get quite hectic, especially when football is concerned. The authorities put in place extra security measures and special plans are made for transportation.
Renting an apartment for the occasion would provide for a comfortable retreat from it all. If it’s a group of you travelling it will probably save you money too.
If you are in Rome but want to avoid the game like the plague, staying in an apartment will guarantee you don’t meet any soccer fans in a hotel. Check out our sister site: City Apartments of Rome.
Whatever you reason to visit Rome don’t believe what scare-mongering journalists at The Times are saying. Rome is a safe city.
Barcellona – Manchester United 1 -2
Enough accommodation talk. Lets get serious.
Man U will beat Barca 2 -1. That’s what we think will be the final result will be. We’re sorry to disappoint our Spanish friends, but Manchester United will win it again. Ronaldo will score what will probably be his last goal for Man U.
What do you think will be the score on the 27 of May?
Dolce & Gabbana & ... a Nun, in San Giovanni's metro station. From the Photos of Rome series.
It must have been 2002 or 2003 when I was going to the outdoor market in San Giovanni.
She did notice me taking a photo and didn’t look pleased. I got away before she realised what the other half of the image was.
Announcing a new category for our blog to showcase photos that celebrate the... mundane.
Inspiration for this has come from sites such as RomePhotoBlog and eternallycool.net as much as the stuff we see around us every day.
The idea is to showcase the beautiful and interesting things that can be found away from the famous landmarks: a celebration of the mundane.
We will feature our own photos, those of our contributors as well as anyone who wishes to share their work on this site. We’ll say a few words with every photo we publish just to give images some context beyond what can be seen.
Goes without saying that we will not publish the work of people without their consent — please don’t do the same.
Temptation lurks around every corner
This is the title of our first photo, that has been submitted by our friend and contributor Pablo Moreno.
Find us on Flickr
We’re publishing our photos on Flickr too.
Why candidate old, fat, ugly politicians when the likes of Barbara Matera and Camilla Ferranti are keen to represent Italy in Europe?
However, Mr. Berlusconi’s wife (Veronica Lario – a former actress) wasn’t amused. She branded the whole thing as a ‘shameless’ election stunt.
This isn’t the case, absolutely. The truth is… two-fold:
- Berlusconi has the “mental and sexual activity of a 50-year-old” and is “almost immortal”, as his doctor, Umberto Scapagnini, explained in 2004. Veronica is obviously jealous of this.
- The candidates in question are, in fact, qualified for the job. Don’t let their background and appearance distract you from their great minds, judgement and… assets.
A fine selection of Euro candidates
- Barbera Matera – Miss Italy 2000 finalist, actress and TV presenter, now serious politician
Camilla Ferranti – Dancer and TV personality, now serious politicianEleonora Gaggioli – Former actress, now serious politicianAngela Sozio – Former Big Brother contestant, now serious politician
STOP PRESS! Eleonora Gaggioli, Camilla Ferranti and Angela Sozio did not make the cut. Perhaps they were not sexy enough.
Unfortunately based in Brussles
If they get elected, of course. So we can’t suggest visiting Rome to stalk out parliament for a furtive glimpse of them. Click on the images below instead and appreciate Italian politics at the highest level.
Thanks to the Rome Reborn Project anyone can visit the Colosseum (virtually) and experience Rome as it was about 1,600 years ago under Emperor Constantine.
Rome Reborn is a project by the clever folk at the Institute for Advanced Technology in the Humanities at the University of Virginia. The purpose is well explained on their website:
Rome Reborn is an international initiative whose goal is the creation of 3D digital models illustrating the urban development of ancient Rome from the first settlement in the late Bronze Age (ca. 1000 B.C.) to the depopulation of the city in the early Middle Ages (ca. A.D. 550)
Visit ancient Rome version 2.0 on Google Earth
The model has been built on a Google Earth layer above the modern day version. It consists of 6,000 individual building and landmarks, many of which in high detail. You can also click on each monument to learn more about its history.
All this is available free but you have to download and install Google Earth on your PC. Here’s the link:
Fly through the Colosseum
The Colosseum is a particularly good landmark to explore given its architecture and purpose. If you can’t make the Divus Vespasianus. Il bimillenario dei Flavi takes place, in part, in the Colosseum then a 3D fly-through is your second best option.
The video…
P.S. Don’t forget to visit Rome for real too!