When in Rome

Rome is a unique city on earth. No other place has its super abundance of artistic, architectural, historical and cultural richness spanning the Ancient, Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque and Modern eras.

Apartment on Tiber

And if you can stay in Rome for a week or so – long enough to see half the essentials, if you hustle – then stay in this apartment. I’ve been to Rome seven or eight times, each visit a wonderful experience, but the week we spent here stands out as the most memorable and enjoyable. Staying in an apartment has its charms over hotels, and this particular apartment has charms not seen in most rentals.

Ponte Sisto

The location is almost perfect. Trastevere is your neighborhood. To get to the ancient city center you walk out the front door and cross the bridge (Ponte Sisto). The Vatican is a good long walk up the boulevard along the Tiber.

Dining Room View in Pencil

So in the mornings you cross the Tiber on a 600-year-old footbridge to buy groceries and goodies at the Campo dei Fiori open-air market. In the evenings you get gelato at places in Trastevere that are under your bedroom window. And your days are filled with Rome’s magnificence.

Dining Room

Every night you return to a place that feels like home. (I think this is the only rental in the building). Big windows give it bright natural light during the day. The dining and living room windows have views of Trastevere streets that are postcard material. The apartment, the building, its location, and the city have an enchanting quality that can only be known by staying there.

For fellow Upstaters: US Airways and Continental have convenient flights that currently are affordable. Depending on the airline, you go GSP > Newark/Philly > Rome. Same itinerary in reverse. You leave GSP late morning, and you’re in Rome early the next morning. Fly Tuesdays/Thursdays for less expensive tickets.

Recommendation: Along with the usual suspects, see the Galleria Borghese – it is a jaw-dropping museum. And Santa Maria Maggiore is a must-see cathedral for cathedral lovers.