Summer high-season in Rome means a flood of tourists into the already scorching city. Add in a few thousand

eager foreigners and the city becomes a humid, crowded bubble of heat. With temperatures reaching easily in the nineties, it is difficult to make your way around the city without wilting like an under-watered flower. However, there is a way (two ways in fact!) to beat the heat when Rome starts sizzling and experience Italian life at the same time. Rome is not too far from the Tyrrhenian coast line and two oases wait just outside the city.

The closest beach, called the Lido di Ostia is a mere half hour from Rome, reached by the Roma-Ostia-Lido train line. Like any other seaside town, one can expect cute shops, an outdoor nightlife, and devoted sunbathers roaming the town. Ostia is packed during summer months because of its close proximity to the city and tourists, along with Italian locals, flock to its shores when the mercury starts climbing. If you feel like staying for the weekend, there are some reasonably priced hotels, but I would advise staying in the city and making it out to Ostia as a day trip. The only downside to this beach is its cleanliness, or lack there of, but if you’re short on time, it will do in a pinch. To get to the beach, take the Rome Metro line B to the Piramide stop. Once there, take a left and you’ll find the Porta San Paolo station, which will take you directly to Ostia. It is included in the metro system, so you can use the metro ticket you’ve already purchased (€1) to get you there.

If you have more time and don’t mind venturing a little further outside the city, the sunny beach town of Sperlonga has all your sunbathing needs and more. The resort is about an hour away from Rome by train.  Trains go directly from Roma Termini station to Fondi-Sperlonga, on the Roma-Napoli line. Tickets at the time of writing cost €6.20 each way.  From the Fondi train station, you catch the constantly circulating bus to Sperlonga €1.  Make sure you look at the sign on the front of the bus to see which direction it is going; otherwise you may end up in the town of Fondi and have to backtrack to the train station and start all over again. The town is cute without being kitsch and the beaches are much cleaner than the Lido of Ostia.

Once at the beach you will find plenty deckchairs and ombrellone (large, beach umbrellas) that vary in cost, depending on your proximity to the water. However, if you continue down the beach, there are free areas where you can lay down your towel and get your tan on. In the summer, they have outdoor music festivals each night, so those who stay past sundown will still be entertained. If you find you are soaking in too much sun and want to escape the beach, you can find refuge at the WWF Nature Reserve or explore the caves of the Tiberius grotto, which once housed grand banquets thrown by the second emperor of the Roman Empire.

Sara Hefny hails from the wonderfully overcast city of Seattle, where she studied Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations at the University of Washington. She currently lives in Rome, Italy and is researching the developments in European Union migration policy following the recent influx of North African refugees. When she is not researching or writing, her time is spent appreciating Italian cuisine and wandering the Eternal City with a gelato in hand. You can read more about her adventures in Rome at http://shefny.posterous.com.

This morning I walked down to the Testaccio neighborhood of Rome, which is south-east of the centro storico where I live. It is just across the Tiber River from the trendy Trastevere neighborhood and it is about a half-hour

walk from the centrally located campo de’ fiori. Testaccio has a history similar to the Meatpacking district in New York City. It was originally a working-class district where all the mattatoi (slaughterhouses) were located (and have since closed down) and is now a gentrifying area with a dense cluster of nightclubs that is changing the population of Testaccio from an older, working-class generation to one of young hipsters.

On the walk over, along the Tiber, passersby will notice that immediately in front of a rather new bridge called Ponte Palatino, there are the remains of an older bridge, originally called Ponte Emilio (or Pons Aemilius in Ancient Rome) but is now called Ponte Rotto (Broken Bridge) that dated back to the 3rd century BC. The bridge was in use for hundreds of years, but was eventually rendered unusable after a huge flood in 1598 carried away half of the structure.

The main reason for my morning jaunt was to check out the Testaccio Market, which sells everything from shoes to housewares to books to fish.

At one stall, there was a couple of guy selling books and horrible old CDs and DVDs from the 90s for E3 each from the back of a van. I managed to snag a hardcover copy of Harry Potter e la Pietra Filosofale (Sorceror’s Stone) for less than $5! In the Italian translation, some of the characters’ names have been changed to more aptly describe their character in Italian. For example: Snape has been changed to Piton (python) in order to convey his snake-like qualities.

Aside from the literary gems hidden among the rubble, another reason to visit the market is to meet the cousin of Marcello Mastroianni, the Cary Grant of Italian cinema (you can see him in many famous films that include La Dolce Vita and Divorce, Italian Style). Despite his famous relative (he’s got pictures and tales to prove it), this Mastroianni wakes every morning before dawn to bring his fresh pesce (fish) from the waters of the Mediterranean to the market. And retiring? Fuhgeddaboutit-he is over 80 years old and still makes it to work before most of us are awake.

After wandering around the perimeter of the market, exploring the various stalls selling shoes, handbags, and various household supplies, I reached the produce stalls in the center. There, tables are piled high with fresh fruits and vegetables, grown locally at prices that will make your wallet smile. While tourists flock to the famous outdoor market in the campo de’ fiori, the market in Testaccio is a haven for all the Italian casalinghe (housewives).

And so the Testaccio Market really is a piece of Rome that has not yet given way to the burgeoning tourist industry. Testaccio, open every day except Sunday until about 1pm, is just far enough of the center to avoid tourist traps, yet close enough to the heart of Rome to warrant a pleasant morning stroll. The products at the market are almost exclusively from the Lazio region of Italy and the seafood is so fresh, some of it is still wriggling. While I had already done my grocery shopping for the week, I couldn’t resist a sack of delicious-looking pesche (peaches) and grabbed E1.50 worth (about 4). So as I meandered back to my neighborhood, I quenched my thirst from the brutal heat (which by then had reached over 95 Fahrenheit) with the juice of a fresh-off-the-tree peach. It really is la dolce vita.

Sara Hefny hails from the wonderfully overcast city of Seattle, where she studied Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations at the University of Washington. She currently lives in Rome, Italy and is researching the developments in European Union migration policy following the recent influx of North African refugees. When she is not researching or writing, her time is spent appreciating Italian cuisine and wandering the Eternal City with a gelato in hand. You can read more about her adventures in Rome at http://shefny.posterous.com.

Hotel Aficionado: Relais Fontana di Trevi

Getting a flight to Croatia from the United States was not as easy as one would think. They were either exorbantly priced or required overnight layovers. I finally settled on the plan of flying into a major European city and catching a local Croatian Airlines flight. This landed me in Rome, Italy and gave me about a day’s time to explore.

This trip was with one of my best friends who has not been to Rome (I had gone a year prior) so I wanted to be centrally-located and at a comfortable hotel since we would have been on a boat for the week prior. After debating the pros and cons of a few properties and continually posting links on Twitter for my fellow travelers to evaluate, I settled on Relais Fontana di Trevi. Best decision ever.

After being cooped up in a boat for a week, my friend, Barb, and I were thrilled to be able to run around. And with the awesome proximity of the hotel to major sites, we dropped off our bags, freshened up and began our foot journey across Rome. Best part? Trevi Fountain was literally outside our door. Some rooms even look out at it. If you choose for a less expensive room, you can always visit the rooftop restaurant and bar for a beautiful few sans the massive crowds that seem to surround Trevi 24/7.

The room itself was spacious and comfortable. The helpful bellman brought our bags up to our third floor room which provided a sanctuary from Rome’s intense July heat. Climate control, a warm shower and free wi-fi…we were happy girls. The beds were not my pillow-top mattress from home but came in on the softer side for a European-style bed. We also had nothing but good things to say about the staff. Always friendly and always helpful as a hotel staff should be.

When it was time to depart, Barb and I reluctantly left the hotel. We loved Rome and we loved this property and we’d both definitely book a multi-night stay next time.

Fact File:

Website: www.relaisfontanaditrevi.com

Address: Via del Lavatore, 44 – Roma 00187

Telephone: +39 06 6797317

Tips:

• Rooftop restaurant and bar: Indulge in your private sanctuary from tourist-rich Rome. Opt for a meal at the hotel or even just a cocktail at sunset. Bring your camera because it is a great view. Also, head down earlier (around 7pm) to snag the prime table with the best view.
• Free wi-fi: The hotel issues free wi-fi passes good for 24 hours at a time. Being the tech geek I am, I had two laptops with me and they happily issued one pass for each so Barb and I could simultaneously update our Facebook statuses as to how much we loved Rome.

The Top Ten Places to Visit in Rome (That are not the Coliseum, Vatican or the Forum)

Everyone knows the big sites to see in Rome: the Coliseum and the Forum will fulfill any ancient history buff’s needs and the Vatican will always be there to inspire people but there is so much more in Rome to see.  Rome has so much to offer every tourist outside the main sites, including churches, the largest park in Europe (and no it is not Villa Borghese), fascist style architecture and ancient monuments.  So here is my list for the top ten things to see off the beaten path, the things most tourists miss.

• The MAXXI:  The MAXXI is Rome’s newest museum and the country’s first modern art museum.  It is located in Villa Borghese and is a great spot to see the modern in such an ancient city.  The museum was built to resemble a massive transportation infrastructure and the building alone is enough to satisfy any modern art lover.
• Villa Doria Pamphili:  This park holds the title for the largest park in Europe and it is definitely a park you can get lost in.  Located in Monte Verde, there is a lake, numerous paths and a Roman aqueduct as well as the Villa that the property is named after.  It is a great place to escape the city and spend the day relaxing.  Take a bottle of Proseco and spend the day by the lake.
• Foro Italico and Stadio Olympico:  An AS Roma game is always worth catching at Stadio Olympico but if you cannot make a match you should still stop by the Foro Italico.  It was built by Mussolini and you can see the style of art he created in the statues commissioned by him, which are done in ancient styles with fascist themes.
• Pasquino:  Located just outside Piazza Navona, this statue is definitely a must see.  It was originally a piece of Hellenistic art work of Menelaus supporting Patroclus and it has been used as a monument for free speech in Rome since it was unearthed in Piazza di Pasquino Parione.  It is where Romans to this day post anonymous pieces to voice their dissent about public figures and policies.
• Via Appia Antica: This ancient road is one of the best preserved Roman roads in the entire world.  Once it was the road connecting Rome to an important port city to the west, integral to Roman trade and communication, now it is preserved so that people can visit and walk on the genius of Roman road engineering.  You can reach it easily by metro A at the stop Colli Albani – Parco Appia Antica.
• The Catacombs: The catacombs are underground tombs located around Rome; there are five in all open to tourists.  The tombs were all originally located outside the city of Rome and include Christian, Pagan and Jewish burials that date back to the second century; the tombs also contain many examples of early Christian sculptures and frescoes.
• Tomb of the Capuchin Monks: Located off of Via Veneto just up from Piazza Barberini, the crypt which is divided into five chapels is covered in decorative patterns created from the bones of over four thousand friars which were exhumed to cover the chapels in artistic patterns.  It’s the perfect place to the see the macabre but beautiful.
• Santa Maria Sopra Minerva:  This church, known as the only gothic church in Rome, not only is beautiful but also has Bernini’s white elephant statue outside and the “Christ the Redeemer” statue by Michelangelo inside.  Located just south of the Pantheon it is definitely worth stopping by.  You can also see the plaques on the outside which mark how high the Tiber River used to flood.




• The Ara Pacis:  The Ara Pacis was built by Emperor Augustus in nine B.C. and is one of the most important examples of Augustan art and propaganda.  It is now located just off Via Tomacelli near the Lungotevere in a modern building designed by Richard Meier which opened in 2006.  The building itself is quite remarkable, with the walls made almost completely out of glass and a modern style fountain located outside.  While at the Ara Pacis you can also see Augustus’ tomb just across the street and the museum located underneath the Ara Pacis.
• Pyramid of Cestius:  The pyramid was built between eighteen and twelve B.C. for a Roman magistrate by the name of Cestius.  The pyramid is most likely meant to commemorate his time spent on campaign in Egypt.  It is one of the best preserved ancient buildings in Rome as it was incorporated into the fortification walls.  Located just off the metro stop Piramide on line B.

All of these sites are wonderful sites to see in Rome and help show the visitor a little more than just the major sites.  All the big sites are wonderful of course but if you have a little extra time in Rome be sure to hit up some of these sites a little more off the beaten path!

Written by Ashley Babin who is currently living in Rome, Italy. Be sure to check out Ashley’s blog.

I knew I’d be nervous for my first solo, international trip, but I had no idea how bad it would get. I spent the entire seven hour flight—from Philadelphia to London—fighting the shakes, breathing through waves of anxiety, and trying to convince myself that it wasn’t a huge mistake.

Things didn’t improve much when we touched down. I mindlessly followed passengers towards customs, where I was quizzed about my travel plans and employment status back home. The customs officer never cracked, never smiled. She slammed my first stamp into my first passport and wished me a good day. I scampered off to the first bathroom I could find. I took my time trying to collect myself and prepare for a world of unknowns.

Outside of that bathroom, the beginning of my self-designed trip to England and Italy awaited. But I couldn’t avoid feelings of self-doubt and regret. I thought that maybe all those women who told me that they would never be able to do what I’m doing were actually right, and that I was crazy for ever believing that I could. I wondered how much longer I could go without real food and sleep.

Originally, I was supposed to meet my friend Kirsten at the airport and travel with her for the first day. But she lost her wallet and couldn’t meet me until hours later. I made it to my hostel alone, where Kirsten watched my stuff for me as I slept for thirty minutes in the lobby. Later that night, I spent $8 to talk to my mom for eight minutes, and she told me she’d fly me home if I hated it. As I cried myself to sleep, her offer sounded better and better.

The next morning, Kirsten left London to fly back to America for a wedding—talk about bad timing! She left me completely alone, but I soon began to realize that I already had everything and everyone I needed.

I took a bus to Bath after I saw everything I wanted to see in London. As I got closer to Bath, the golden canola fields contrasting with the green hills soothed me. I’m not a city girl, so the new scenery felt familiar. When I found my next hostel on Bathwick Hill overlooking the town, it finally occurred to me that maybe I could actually do this on my own. From the second floor of my restored castle hostel, I wrote in my journal, “Things are getting better.” That night, I ate my first real meal—no more white bread, water, and Pepto Bismol.

The morning before I left Bath, I sat on the steps of the Bath Abbey to write and rest. I spotted a man in a sleeping bag across the courtyard on the damp stone floor. I felt a strong connection to him. I didn’t have a home, either—nowhere on that continent, at least. “Homeless” for the first time, I found my permanent home inside myself that travels wherever I go.

A few days later, my home and I flew to Italy, the part of my trip that I looked forward to the most. It began in Venice, where I got lost on purpose on the meandering, narrow streets. As if by accident, I found Ponte Rialto and had my first Italian gelato—lemon. It made me thirsty on that 80 degree day. I drank water but thirsted for more—more gelato, more Italy, more travel.

The next night, in Milan, I very unwillingly got lost for three hours looking for my next hostel. It would’ve been much longer without an undercover policeman with an iPhone. The streets were getting dark, my feet burnt, and I was just about to cry when I found my way to my leopard-print room.

I left Milan, relieved to get away from the big city bustle. Cinque Terre along the Ligurian Sea immediately relieved all of my hard feelings about Milan. I got off the regional train below Corniglia, the middle of the five villages. A twenty minute hike later, I sat at a wine bar in the outdoor garden seating area. I had bread with pesto and olives from the surrounding hills. I looked down the valley where the ocean waited for me. Afterwards, I followed signs to the sea, down crumbling stone steps, past lemon trees, hillside gardens, and the most relaxed cats. From my spot on the concrete dock, the sun glistened onto my face and into the water before the waves crashed onto the rocky shore. I stared down into the water and oddly thought that if for some reason I fell in and drowned, I’d feel as if my life was complete because of that very moment. I’d accomplished the most important goal of mine. I was alone in Italy, living out my biggest dream. I had fallen irrevocably in love with solo travel.

I spent a few more days in Cinque Terre, letting it work its magic, making it very hard to leave. When I finally did, I continued on to Florence where I listened to the chants of Benedictine monks high above views of Ponte Vecchio. In Rome, I had the best banana gelato while sitting on the Trevi Fountain under a light rain after a long day of sight seeing. Then, I took ferries and buses along the glamorous Amalfi Coast in Southern Italy.

When it was time to fly home, I stepped onto my plane with ease, a more complete person than ever before. I cried when the plane left Italian ground. Now, I’ve been home for over a month. Occasionally, I get sad when I think about how far away my trip seems, or how detached from the experience I sometimes feel. But most often, I look back on my trip with an almost guilty smile—what I did was a little crazy, but sometimes, crazy is good. I grew so much as a person, and now I truly believe that I can do anything. We all can. The key is to stop waiting. It will be uncomfortable. It might make you sick. But what we find along the way—outside and inside ourselves—is worth everything.

Written by guest writer, April Watts, who embarked on her solo journey in May 2010. Check out April’s blog, Idaho Daisies, which features her adventures hiking, backpacking and climbing in Idaho.

DIWYY reader, Emily, is a sophomore at Saint Louis University who is currently studying abroad in Rome, Italy. Throughout her program, she will be writing about her experiences abroad. In today’s post, Emily gives advice on choosing a program and also helpful tips for preparing for departure.

Getting Started: One of the most important steps, obviously, is deciding to study abroad.  Studying abroad is truly a unique opportunity for young adults to expand their horizons and explore the world before entering into the “real world”… I think anyone who is able should study abroad.  So, once you’ve decided to study abroad, it’s important to tell your academic counselor as soon as possible.  Even if you decide freshman year that you want to study abroad as a junior, you can form your schedule so that you have a lot of flexibility to take interesting classes abroad, even if they don’t count for your major.  Also, the semester before you leave, many schools have mandatory meetings with important information about study abroad.

How Emily chose Italy: Today, American colleges make it possible to study abroad virtually anywhere in the world, if you’re willing to find the right program.  Your school might only offer programs in certain cities, but universities are almost always willing to accommodate other programs.  Obviously, choosing where to study abroad is a huge decision.  You should of course look at the classes offered by a particular program, and whether these classes relate to your major (although I know many people who took no classes for their major while studying abroad).  But I think more important than this is whether you’d want to spend a significant amount of time in the city of your choice.  Wherever you go, you will be there for a long time, so you should be sure that you’ll have the time of your life there.  Important factors to consider are whether you like the food (if you hate Asian food, Beijing might not be a good option), whether you can travel to other desirable destinations, and how well you will be able to adapt to the culture.

That said, I chose to study abroad in Rome.  I have never been to Italy, and I don’t speak any Italian.  In fact, I am actually a double major in History and French.  However, I’ve always wanted to learn Italian, and I can’t think of a better way than immersing myself in the culture.  I was able to find a program taught in English, so applicants don’t have to have taken any Italian classes, although we do have to take an Italian class when we’re there.  Since I already know French, I’m hoping Italian will be easier for me to learn.  Additionally, I have been obsessed with Italian food since I first tasted spaghetti, and I am a complete coffee freak.  Also, although studying in Rome may not be conducive to my French major, I can afford to take a semester break from French, and I’m getting two really interesting History credits while I’m here.  So, although there are several factors that should be considered when choosing a location to study abroad in, the fact of the matter is that you have to choose where you want to go – you can almost always make it work with your major.

Applying to a Program: Colleges generally want their students to study abroad, so the programs are not super competitive to get into.  However, it is important to pay attention to deadlines for applications, as these are not flexible.  You can almost always apply early, and usually you will be accepted earlier if you submit your application earlier.  So try to submit your application as soon as you can after deciding what program you want to go through.  After you get accepted, there are a ton of preparations and no time to waste!

Preparing for departure: Usually, you will get a checklist about things to do while studying abroad from either your study abroad department or the program you are going through.  I used the checklist that Saint Louis University provided me, and it was basically my bible for getting ready to go abroad. I can’t stress enough how important it is to start early on this stuff.  I put it off because I was busy with school work, and I ended up having to pay a fortune to overnight tons of documents to the Italian Consulate.  There are also other details that should be dealt with before you leave, such as international health insurance, which you will definitely want to consider.  You’ll need passport pictures for just about everything, so it’s probably smart just to get a package of 10 and be done with it. You’re probably going to have to get a visa from the country you’re traveling to, and that needs to be done at least a few months before you leave.

Some programs offer group flights to your destination. These flights are usually fairly cheap, and offer transportation from the airport to your campus, which is good if you don’t want to deal with a taxi your first day.  Also, some of these flights offer perks such as a free change of departure date from the city you’re studying in, if you decide last minute that you want to stay longer.  However, these flights sometimes don’t leave from your hometown, which could be inconvenient.  If you decide to travel on a group flight, be sure to pay attention to the due dates for those materials as well.

Typically, you will register for your classes before going abroad.  Try to sign up for classes the minute registration opens, because study abroad classes fill up really fast.  I am going through a program at another school, so when I registered, I went through the steps a few times before registration opened, so that I would be familiar with the process and be able to do it quickly.

Packing for your study abroad adventure: This step is pretty fresh in my mind because I’m actually writing this on the plane to Rome!!  So I just finished all my packing.  Packing for study abroad is kind of like the hardest parts of packing to go to college and packing for a trip combined.  You’re going to be abroad for months on end, so you need to bring enough clothes to last you that long, and you need to account for the changes in season and weather.  You also need to bring enough toiletries for several months.  Items such as laundry detergent, shampoo, makeup, etc. can be hard to find, depending on your location, or way more expensive than at home.  It’s easiest just to pack enough to last.  Don’t forget necessities such as adapters, laundry bags, etc.  Depending on where you are going, you might want to leave your straighteners and hairdryers at home, because the electric currency is stronger in Europe and it will fry your appliances (unless you have a converter, which is a pain).  You can find cheap European hair appliances once you arrive. Also keep in mind that wherever you’re going, you will probably accumulate some new purchases while you’re there.  I actually packed an empty small duffel in one of my checked bags, for things that I buy while I’m in Rome.

We will be hearing from Emily again soon as she soaks in Roman culture and ventures to neighboring European countries on weekends.