Rome 24-26 Sep 2013

Our final two nights in Italy were spent in Rome so we could settle ourselves before the 13 hour flight back to Hong Kong (this is the time when we feel the jetlag - coming home, especially travelling in this backward direction). Getting to Rome was the same as getting to Praiano - we took the Benvenuto Limo service (with the charming Umberto Benvenuto as our driver) from the main Piazza in Positano (very close to Hotel Palazzo Murat). He dropped us at Naples Train Station and we caught a pre-booked fast train to Rome (1 hr 10 mins), in first class comfort.

The BEST Italian ice cream sandwich before leaving Positano!

 

We had spent 7 night in Rome back in 2006, and although some of the major sites were amazing, it certainly wasn't our favourite place to stay in Italy. Hence the short stay, really only to fly out of Italy. We had however stayed outside of the main CBD, so travelling into the city each day was not fun. But it was more than that - we didn't enjoy the atmosphere compared to other Italian cities.

Well, these two nights changed our mind about Rome. Although we had very little time to do anything (and we really didn't want to do much anyway), it all revolved around the area we stayed in. I had found this hotel on Trip Advisor - a modern little place in the centre of Rome not far from the train station (but far enough not to be too close!). It was called Suitedreams: http://www.suitedreams.it/en/index.html

Not only was it a quiet, modern hotel with beautiful rooms, it was in a fantastic area of Rome. We were surrounded by good shopping, vintage stores, University cafes and bars... the atmosphere of this small area was just what we wanted. SO we actually had a terrific time in these 2 days...

This is the hotel... we stayed in the Woody room...

On our first evening in Rome, we walked the local streets doing some inspired on-the-spot shopping... and the next morning we did it all again, walking all the way down to the Coliseum (we didn't get too close - wayyyy too touristy)...

 

 

On the second night, we decided to reminisce and go back to the Fontana de Trevi (throw some more coins in the fountain so we would be sure to return, again!). We were also determined to find a great restaurant we had discovered back in 2006. After some arguments (and memory loss) about the name and location, between the two of us, we stumbled across it again, and had another wonderful meal... at La Scalinata we had terrific pasta and the BEST roast potatoes you could imagine...

 

 

Now it was time to say goodbye to Italy once again after only 14 days... back to the airport for another poor Cathay flight back to Hong Kong (we arrived 13 hours later, with one day lost, and lots of jetlag....)