Ron Knows Rome

From a previous post at ItalianAmeriangoingHome



I try to fly in or out of Rome on every trip Home To Italy.


There is so much to see, you could visit every year and never see it all! It would be a dream to have an apartment in the center of Rome and wake early and walk the streets of Rome with the vision of Roman women and men in togas going about their daily business on the stone streets and along the river to the Colosseum or the forum. And late at night when the crowds thin you can see the lights of modern Rome glowing on the 7 hills.


Even if i can not live in Rome I can visit and explore a new area each year. Some places I like to visit repeatedly: St Peters, the Vatican museum (if the line is not too long) The neighborhoods where all the Italians live, walking through the local markets, visiting the small shops that sell one particular product: cheese, pasta, veggies. Shopping is an adventure not a trip to the supermercato.


But I am here to tell you about Ron in Rome! Ron has the job I want. He is the authority on Rome. He has a fabulous resource web site. Great details on the things a traveler needs to know. The train station, arriving from the airport by train. My favorite is the Bus. The bus in Italy scares me. I have been left in places (always during the 4 hour lunch) with NO WAY TO GET BACK or to my destination. My adventure on the bus with 35 teenagers getting out of school was like one of the horror movies that keep you up at night.

But I have had a very kind lady continue to tell me we had not arrived at Fiesole every time I tried to get off the bus. Or the bus driver who i asked to tell me when we got to Fuggi (yes i was speaking Italian but with my skill level, he may have thought I asked him to tell me when his birthday way) arrives at a stop where everyone got off including the driver! Guess we are here. Of course it was lunch so i could not ask: Dove sono? where am I?
 
The bus is easier WITHOUT LUGGAGE. It is crowded enough without dragging 2 bags with you and having other riders trip over you. Now I use a backpack, a small bag and ship the rest ahead.**

**see my blog on Mailbox etc. to be posted soon.


Back to Ron in Rome. Read his story on how he got started. Now he posts features on different
parts of Rome, challenges for travelers and MY FAVORITE: The many, many markets in Rome.
http://www.roninrome.com.




Before my next trip home to Italy, I shall be printing out many of Ron's articles so that I don't miss anything.




I sent him an email recently asking if Rome has a map of public bathrooms? My favorite thing from the tourist office in Firenze is their map of the public bathrooms in town! How great is that???


In Rome it is a little more difficult for me to find them. Some of the best and cleanest are at St Peters Square (right and left of the center)


The train station has many locations, but they charge and last year it was .80 e or about $1.00 + in 2010 it was up to $1.30.



Anyone familiar with Roma, please email me where you found a rest room in Rome. There is one dept store on the main shopping street that has a rest room and of course the McDonald's near the Spanish Steps but there have to be more............