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Down By the River in Rome

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Want to know one of the best things about summer in Rome?  It’s Lungo il Tevere, the open restaurant, bar, shopping and music festival along Rome’s Tiber River.  It’s so nice to have so many entertainment options in one place.  Not to mention, it’s nice to be near to the calm, flowing waters of the river on a warm summer night.  If you’re looking for a romantic night out with your sweetie or for something the whole family will enjoy, the Lungo il Tevere is great for everyone!  

So what can you expect to find at Lungo il Tevere?  Just have a look at the photos below for an idea of all the fun you can experience.  If you’re interested in going while you’re in Rome, you have until September 2nd.  The fun starts to pick up when the sun starts going down.  Entrance is free, but if you would like to shop or have something to eat or drink, you will need to pay for your items.  

The venues along the river are getting set up for the evening before the sun starts to set.  

The sun is beginning to set, and patrons have already made their way down to the river for an enjoyable evening.  

There are plenty of little bars/pubs set up for you to relax and enjoy a cocktail.  

There is also a free basketball court and tennis court set up for you to play games.  (We’ve had a lot of fun with this!) 

There are also plenty of restaurants to choose from for riverside dining.  

You can also lounge along the river’s wall while you enjoy a cocktail or smoke from hookah.  

There is always fun musical acts performing, and it’s nice to sit out and enjoy the bands.  

You can also do a little shopping.  You can find art, clothes, jewelry, purses and many other items.  

You can also stop to challenge your friends in a game of foosball, or table football.  

Looking for a little more family fun?  You can play fair-style games to win prizes and stuffed animals.  (You will have to pay to play these games.)

As you can see, Lungo il Tevere is quite a popular place at night time.  

The venues extend down the river, and the lights they project are so pretty from the bridges above.  

Have you been to Lungo il Tevere?  What’s your favorite thing to do there?
 

Beating the Heat at a New Gelateria

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For a while now I’ve been hearing good things about a certain gelateria.  It’s located in an area I don’t frequent often, and I had not made it a point to stop in and visit.  The other day I was in the area, melting from the heat of the day, and decided to locate the gelateria to get a frozen treat to help cool off.  
 
The gelateria is named Palazzo del Freddo Giovanni Fassi, but is commonly known as Fassi.  The gelateria has been run by the Fassi family since 1880.  It is located on the other side of Termini Station, opposite direction from most of the main tourist sights, and near to Vittorio Emanuele metro station.  

When I first entered, I immediately noticed two things.  1. The gelateria was huge.  I have not seen another gelateria in Rome even close to this size.  2. Apparently everyone had the same idea as us to get a gelato to help beat the heat outside because the place was packed.

When I saw how many customers were waiting to get their gelato and how many were already sitting at the tables enjoying their frozen treats, combined with the fact that this gelateria had been in business for well over 100 years, I was expecting magic.  I was expecting to be wowed.  In the end, I was left satisfied, but the satisfaction did not involve a wow factor.  Let me explain.


In my opinion, the ordering process is dysfunctional.  The crowd of people in the photo above never formed an actual line.  You pay at the cassa (register) off to the side, then maneuver your way through the crowd to make it to the counter and flag down a server. With all the people crowded about, it made it very difficult to see the various gelato types offered.  There is a large sign above with pictures of ingredients for you to see the different gelato flavors available.  This just does not work for me.  I am a visual person.  I want to see the actual food options, not just a graphic display of the ingredients.  Once we made it to the front, I was able to see the gelato options directly in front of me, but none of the options in the cases on either side of me.  The ordering process left me feeling a little frustrated.

I ended up with pistachio, chocolate and lemon.  I did a no-no and paired chocolate with a citrus, but that’s just what I was in the mood for.  To me, the chocolate was a little bitter.  I love intense dark chocolate (which is normally a little bitter), but I wasn’t a big fan of this and wouldn’t order it again.  The pistachio was fine.  It was tasty, but not the best I’ve had.  The winner for me was the lemon.  The lemon was great!  It was tart and refreshing.  If we go back to Fassi, I’ll definitely order the lemon again.
  

One good thing about Fassi is the space itself.  There is a lot of space inside and plenty of tables are provided for you to sit and enjoy your gelato.  My theory is that many people frequent Fassi in the summer months because of the air condition (somewhat of a rarity in Italian homes) and plenty of seating with no cover charge (another rarity among Italian restaurants and eating establishments).

Another good thing is the price.  A medium sized cone or cup with three flavors is only €2.

So, to sum up Fassi, I wouldn’t go out of my way to frequent here, but I would return again if I were in the neighborhood.  I would also order the limone (lemon) gelato … it was quite good!  


Gelateria Fassi
Via Principe Eugenio, 65
00185 Rome, Italy
http://www.palazzodelfreddo.it/
Closed Mondays
Open Tues – Sun from 12:00 PM – 10:00 PM, and until midnight on Friday and Saturday

 

Piazza Treasures: The Treasures of Trastevere

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Listening to music and enjoying the evening in Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere
The piazzas in Rome are always a great place to relax, visit and pass the time.  In the main piazzas, you can usually find an endless array of street performers to keep you entertained.  Taking time out in one of the piazzas is one of my favorite things to do, and as you can tell by the photo above, I am not the only one who loves to take a break and enjoy the energy in the piazzas.  
 
I spend a lot of time in Trastevere, and Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere is one of my favorite spots to walk through and stop for a break in.  Below are photos of several street performers I spotted showcasing their talents around Trastevere’s main piazza.  Enjoy! 
 

A one man band – drums, guitar, harmonica and sing … he could do it all … and do it all at the same time.

Pompi: Dessert Heaven & The Perfect Pick Me Up

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The name Pompi kept coming up for places to head to for great desserts.  I even heard and read claims that they have THE BEST tiramisu in Rome.  I actually dismissed this claim.  I would say I am somewhat of a tiramisu connoisseur, and several tries of the dessert here in Rome failed my taste buds miserably.  I guess I should clarify that statement.  I don’t meet many sweets that I don’t like, and even some of the claimed tiramisu desserts tasted good, but they should have not been termed as being tiramisu.  One I tasted had a vanilla pudding type custard, and another had a cake crust, or bottom layer, instead of lady fingers.  To me, those are simply desserts, and shouldn’t make a claim to fame as being tiramisu.  
 
With that said, I set off to try Pompi.  I wanted to see what all the fuss was about, but I didn’t have overly high hopes for the tiramisu.     
 
Upon arrival there was a steady flow of customers entering and leaving, and all the cafe tables in front were filled.  A good sign!   
I was blown away as soon as I entered.  I was so excited to discover all the different types of desserts!  I immediately declared I wanted to try one of everything.  They had a variety of gelato, along with an array of sweets and baked goods.  They also not only had tiramisu, they had several kinds of tiramisu!  Who knew?  

They also had a refrigerator case full of beautifully decorated, drool-inducing cakes.    

After I snapped out of my dolce trance, I noticed the rest of the large refrigerator case was filled with prepared and packaged tiramisu.  At that moment, I knew this place meant business with their tiramisu if they had that many prepared to walk out the door.

In addition to the side walk tables in front, Pompi also has a large sitting area in the back.  As typical in Italy, sitting down comes with a charge.  Your dessert of choice will run you an extra few dollars if you decide to sit down and be served at a table.  It was a such a beautiful day, we decided to get ours to go and sat down to enjoy our (very tasty) treats in the park area near to the pastry shop.

We opted for a classic tiramisu, and another tiramisu with a twist.  I wanted to taste the traditional tiramisu, and just as I had read and heard before, it was delicious!  It was the best tasting tiramisu I have had in Rome so far!

We also shook things up a bit with a non-traditional tiramisu (something I did not know even existed).  Instead of the espresso and chocolate, it had hazelnuts and caramel.  I was a little leery of it at first since it was something I had never even heard of, but it was absolutely delicious!  It will definitely be ordered again.  In fact, Pompi also has several other flavors (strawberry, pistachio and banana & nutella), and I can’t wait to see if they are all equally as delicious.
Needless to say, I loved Pompi, and can’t wait to go back to try more of their delicious desserts!  It actually reminded me of my favorite 115-year old Italian pastry shop in New York, Venieros.  If something can transport me back to New York (my favorite city) and give me a taste of home, I’m definitely going back!   
 
Pompi is not far from the Metro A stop Re di Roma, and is open daily from 6:30 AM – 1:30 AM. They also have a smaller location (with the same great tiramisu) near Piazza di Spagna (Via della Croce, 82).  

Pompi
Via Albalonga, 7
+39 06 7000418

 

May Flowers Bloom in Rome

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Spring is here, and in full effect with a beautiful array of colorful flowers blooming all throughout the city.  Even in the heart of the busy city, pops of color stand out and delicate, sweet aromas drift by.  It’s lovely here!

If you would like to enjoy Rome in all its flower glory, below are a few places where you can do just that.  Ancient city + historical ruins + lots of lovely flowers = recipe for swooning!  At least in my book it does. 😉

 
Rome’s Rose Garden


Rome’s Rose Garden, Il Roseto Comunale di Roma, is located on the Aventine Hill across from Circus Maximus, and has been open to the public since 1931.  It is truly a beautiful place, and a quiet oasis in the heart of the city. 

The garden contains more than 1,200 different varieties of roses.  It features two sections … upper and lower.  The upper section contains the permanent collection with classic specimens, and is currently open to the public.  The lower section showcases the competition entries from the international floral competition of ‘Premio Roma’, an annual competition among international floriculturists.  The 70th edition of the Premio Roma competition will be held on May 19th.  After the prize ceremony, the lower garden will be open to the public for viewing until June 24th.

 
Entrance to the garden is free.  It is open from May throughout the summer months from 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM, although the best time to visit the garden is during the May/June flowering season.  The garden is located at Via di Valle Murcia, 6.  For additional information, or to schedule a free guided tour of the garden, email premioroma@comune.roma.it, or call +39 06 574 6810.
 
Flowers on the Spanish Steps

Each day thousands of people pass by the Spanish Steps in the heart of the city.  The grand staircase is the perfect place to stop and rest, visit with friends, relax, people watch and watch the world go by.  Now throughout the month of May, you can do all that amongst flowers.  Each year the city decorates the steps with an abundance of pink azaleas.  Below is a short video on the yearly blooming event.
 
 
Flowers on the Palatine Hill 

When visiting the Palatine Hill from now until October 14th, you will be able to step back in time and visit the ancient area in all its glory.  New flower gardens have been added in an attempt to recreate the vibrant gardens the area held 2,000 years ago.  The exhibit features a variety of vegetation such as, flowers, plants, trees and fresh produce.  The chosen vegetation derives from years of study by Italian archaeologists.  You will be able to walk in the path of emperors, and experience the Palatine Hill almost as they did 2,000 years ago.

Tickets to the Palatine Hill are €12.  Tickets also include admission to the Coliseum and Roman Forum.