March 23, 2016
Continued from this post. My second visit to Testaccio was on a food tour with Eating Italy. On a rainy day in January we took an Uber black car to the meeting place in Piazza Testaccio and met our guide Bethany who was keeping dry under a blue umbrella outside Zi Elena Bar Gelateria. Bethany is an America living and working in Rome, fluent in Italian and usually does the tours in Trestevere where she lives.... View Article
March 22, 2016
If you love food and cemeteries you are sure to like Testaccio and that’s because Testaccio has the most delicious, authentic Roman food and a very beautiful and interesting non-catholic cemetery where famous people are buried. Testaccio, considered the “working-class” neighbourhood of Rome, is situated across the river and south of the famous Trestevere but doesn’t share in the tourism that Trastevere attracts and this is a good thing. Wedged between the river to the... View Article
March 8, 2016
Traditional open air food markets are a function of a life style that is sadly disappearing. They are meant for daily shopping for ingredients for dinner that night, along with a a crusty loaf of bread and local wine. This life style is on its way out even in places like Rome, where restaurants and conveniently located neighbourhood supermarkets are redefining the eating and shopping habits of todays’ households. That’s not to say however that markets... View Article
February 24, 2016
If Romans have to break the holly ritual of sitting down for lunch in early afternoon they do it in a very specific way. There is no grabbing a chocolate bar or a 16 oz caramel macchiato (both non-existent in Italy) as a substitute for food. They may not have time for a sit down lunch, but they still eat real food. Pizza bianca The most common and authentic fast food in Rome is... View Article
February 3, 2016
The Spanish Steps in the heart of Rome is probably the best known and most visited part of a town so full of historical monuments. Originally the steps were constructed to connect the Spanish embassy to the church Trinita dei Monti on top. Today, the Spanish Embassy is located at the magnificent Palazzo Borghese off Via del Corso, extending all the way to the river, quite a sight. Later the Spanish Steps and Piazza di... View Article
January 28, 2016
Usually I am wary of eating around historical monuments but this is not necessarily true for Rome. We have found some incredible food near places like the Spanish Steps, the Pantheon and even Piazza Navona. Today was a take it easy day as we are wrapping up our 6 weeks stay in Rome. I can’t say that I “know” Rome like a local but I do feel that I got a good sense of the... View Article
January 18, 2016
Cover image credit I was recently asked by a friend what my favourite culinary experience was during my travels. After giving it some thought I realized that my favourite experience was not as much about the taste of the food as it was about the setting and how it was experienced. And my most memorable food experience was here in Rome many years ago when I was still in my 20s. I was visiting Rome... View Article
January 16, 2016
When we travel, I try to learn about local customs and adapt to them the best I can. Most places are pretty lax about “rules” and you only have to figure out a couple of local customs, but when it comes to Italy, food is a serious business and there are “rules” to follow if you don’t want to annoy the locals to no end, which occasionally we manage to do. Take coffee for example.... View Article
January 10, 2016
Whether you are a foodie or not, one of the best ways to get a sense of local culture is through its food and I can’t think of a better place to do this than in Rome. In Italy food is important, and Italians take the time to enjoy it in a way that is unique and truly inspiring. To do a food tour it’s always best to sign up with a local company and... View Article
January 4, 2016
Before we left for Italy my Roman friend Gabri Ella Stone of Gaby’s Italian Kitchen introduced me (online) to her friend Elvira Zilli, a foodie and a blogger living just outside of Rome. I checked out Elvira’s blog EZy Cooking and More and was taken with her photography, food and engaging prose. I emailed Elvira asking if she was offering any cooking classes or food tours. Here is what she said: “I think I know... View Article
January 1, 2016
We left Florence by train, travelling to Rome in executive class. First class was fine as well but I was curious about travelling executive and wanted to experience it en route to Rome. Our luggage has grown by a suitcase by now so we accepted the offer of a porter to pile our luggage onto his cart, drop us and the luggage off in a cafe at the station, come back to get us when... View Article
