Rome

Let’s agree that there are four places you must visit in Rome - the Colosseum, the Forum, the Pantheon, and the Vatican.  Each of these wonderful tourist sites has whole books written about them, so we’ll focus on some student-friendly activities that you might not find in the standard guidebooks.

If you go where the Romans go, you will end up in Trastevere (‘beyond the Tiber’) and you can get there on many buses which cross the river daily. Trastevere has a completely different atmosphere - very relaxed and a bit “New Age”. Silver jewellery, perfumes and handicrafts are sold from street stalls that line cobbled streets. By night, Trastevere is the home of many little bars where people drink an aperitivo before heading out for dinner.

Don’t miss Villa Borghese - this astonishing villa contains a world class collection of Baroque art and the grounds have many exotic plants. It’s astonishing that this beautiful building with its manicured gardens exists right in the heart of Rome. Many locals spend their days off here, soaking up the calm atmosphere, surrounded by orange trees and rare flowering plants.

While you might think all Rome’s gelaterias (ice cream shops) are much the same, Giolitti, near the Pantheon, has a special place in the Roman heart. It’s been serving ices since 1900 and there are two ways to buy - sit down and have table service or queue and take your gelato away. If you queue, you pay first and then choose your flavours - this is how most gelaterias operate.

Rome’s mini-buses are electric and very useful for getting across the city - but be warned! They tend to travel completely different routes at weekends to weekdays, so if you hop on the bus on Saturday or Sunday you might find yourself at an unknown destination!

Romans love dogs - many of which are carried in bags or under arms. Don’t be surprised to find dogs in cafes or even restaurants.

Romans walk slower and talk a bit faster than most other Italians - be prepared for this and allow extra time for every journey on foot. And be ready to say “Parla più lentamente per favore” (please speak more slowly).

Rome is the home of coffee lovers. There are so many different varieties of coffee here that you can experiment for weeks, but one thing is quite unusual - ordering coffee to go. Most Romans will stand to drink a quick coffee, particularly a ‘doppio’ (two shots of espresso) but they won’t usually expect it to be delivered in a takeaway cup.

Learn Italian in Rome, a magnificent city!