If towards the end of the day you wish to escape the heat and
hustle and bustle of the city we found a couple of attractions
which we enjoyed. Villa Borghese, a huge green area with
woods and a lake, criss crossed by roads. Lovely cool shady areas. Cafes and a bar. Boats can be hired on the lake and
also a childrens play area where you can hire family pedal cycles
We also loved the walk to Janiculum Hill. Spectacular
views of the City. Plenty of cool shady walks. Both very relaxing and cool after a hot day's sightseeing.

From the moment I arrived at the airport almost everyone I met whose job was in tourism was rude and arrogant and difficult. The sleaziness was appalling, the place needs a good clean and though it is supposedly heavily regulated the rip off by the cabbie (charging me 63 euro for a 30 euro trip) was done in such a threatening way even though I tried to argue I could not stop it. The people at the Albert, a small english pub run by an italian man and his scottish wife, were the only gems in what was otherwise an anwful, expensive and dreadfully dissapointing holiday. The price for english is more expensive for everything and if you happened to be asian then god help you; they are even ruder to them than to the english speaking people. Even at the train station the people in front of me were charged 20 euro for a ticket on the same train, same journey as I was charged 11 euro for. Their crime, they were asian. At the Vatican they line you up like cattle, no explanation of where you are heading and then charge 5 euro to walk up some stairs or 7 euro to hop in a lift for three floors. I am not opposed to paying for the upkeep of worthy places but in this instance the fact that I had no opportunity to refuse was what was annoying, I am about to join my family for a three week holiday and our plan had been to return to Rome to show the children the birthplace of civilisation, we will not do this now as though that might have been where it all began they have not progressed very far at all.

our last stop in Italy. i'm glad we "saved the best for last". hiring a private tour guide at the beginning of our stay in Rome was the right decision to make.

We had an incredible experience for our second trip to Rome in May 2009. We stayed at the Hotel Trastevere for 6 nights; a wonderful little hotel with very reasonable rates and free “all you can eat” breakfast. We travelled the entire city via train, tram, bus, subway, and “old-fashioned” shoe leather, including a trip to Ostia Antica. We found it very easy to travel from the airport to the city via train and tram (E6.5). We purchased the Roma Pass which was very convenient for entry into sites and for free access to public transportation. We visited the Coliseum and Forum in the afternoon to avoid the huge morning crowds – we were not disappointed. We visited the Vatican Museum in the afternoon as recommended by many and found the lines almost non-existent and the crowds more manageable. It was very warm during the week of our journey, so we enjoyed lots of gelato and one guilty pleasure – for E1 you could purchase a chocolate shake from McDonalds at the Pantheon and enjoy outdoor seating on the piazza in front of one the wonders of the ancient world. We purchased a E5 international phone card which was more than adequate for daily calls to the U.S. to check in with family. I established a Capital One Direct Banking account to save on the increasing costs of foreign ATM withdrawals – I highly recommend it.
We found the citizens of Rome to be friendly and accommodating, especially older Romans. We had several stop to help us as we were staring down at maps trying to find our way. We had some attempt to help us who could not speak English, but nonetheless tried to be helpful. Of course, there were those who met us with benign neglect in restaurants and when seeking service or direction, but we simply shrugged it off and moved on. There were plenty of others who were very helpful. I have found that it is all in approach. If you approach others with a smile, cultural humility, and are seeking to bridge the language barrier with even feeble Italian, I have found that most will respond with sympathy.
All in all, we had a magnificent experience, enjoying countless wonders that we remain with us for the rest of our lives.