Viva Rome!

If you are staying in Rome for any extended period of time then I would highly suggest you look into using the public transport system. You see Rome and all of Europe has a great public transport system that rivals almost anything we have here in America. Riding the metro is definitely an experience that you should do even it is just for fun. You can ride the metro for a week unlimited for only 16 Euros which is very reasonable as you can also ride the busses and trams in the city. Since they are all connected you have full access to almost every part of the city.

I have found that riding the metro to be one of the easiest options for me. All of the stops of the metro take me exactly where I want to go. There is even a stop right in front of the Coliseum so I found that to be really handy when I went there. As well there is a stop for the Spanish Steps.

One tip about riding the metro make sure you know ahead of time the direction or directions you want to go. I say directions as to get to every part of the city you need to change lines, from line A to line B for instance, at the terminal. It is fairly easy to do as you just follow the signs and you really only need a very basic understanding of the language to navigate.

If you want to be driven from one place to another I am sure you can get yourself a taxi. But you can not hail a taxi on the street. The taxis here all congregate either near a major hotel or a tourist stop. So if you are lost just follow where a whole bunch of taxis are going and there may be a metro stop nearby and certainly there may be some buses as well. That is how you can find your way back I found out. I just looked for a nest of white official Roman taxis and that led me to a way home. So please remember this tip if you should ever get lost in Rome. Just look for the white taxis and they will show you the way.

Well I think I am starting to get a real feel of what life is like in Rome and Italy in general. It is quite nice actually with an emphasis on being a real person. Now I am a bit unusual for many Italians as I get up really early in the morning. After all I am in Rome for one month so I would like to see as much of it as possible.

Typically before I go to class I have a cup of coffee of one sort or another. For me I just love the Cappuccinos that this small cafe makes on Via Padova. The cafe is called Costa Rica as that is where they get their coffee beans. Many of the locals also usually stop there in the morning as well. I find that I can really operate in the day if I have a great cup of coffee in the morning.

You can really tell much about the city by watching the hustle and bustle of the locals. The same people walk by the shoppe everyday so I guess I am becoming a fixture of the neighborhood. I know that the baristas know I go there just everyday for my coffee.

Now those that know me back home know of my love for a great cup of coffee and I usually stop by Starbucks in the morning. Since Starbucks basically ripped off the idea of the whole coffee culture from the Italians I guess I am not really breaking any new ground here. But still when you have a routine you have at home it is nice to continue it in a foreign land. Brings some sort of normalcy to your day and makes the day more complete. That is my thinking on the whole experience here.

Even though the last couple of days it has been wet. Cold and raining the city is still beautiful. I went out today to the Trevvi Fountain to not only see the fountain but I am on a mission to find this one snack bar we went to the first time we came to Rome. But since basically all of the snack bars serve the same food finding that particular sandwich shop has not been too high on my list. You see all of their Procuttoo Paninis taste very similar. If you really want to save money and are on a budget just stop by any snack bar for your dinner or lunch the food is pretty good and very cheap. A typical Panino and Coke is around 7 Euros and if you want it with wine then it is around 9 Euros depending on the wine you choose.

Well that is it for now.Will keep you all updated on my further adventures in this Eternal City. Ciao.

Well I guess I am getting settled here. I went out to eat in my first real day in Rome. Nothing really fancy but something I have been longing to do for a while. I ate my first Roman pizza in a small pizza shop in Piazza Bologna. I had your typical Neapolitan pizza or the Margherita Pizza which is real simple pizza of tomato, basil and cheese. While many people may scoff at such an idea this is a typical Italian experience and you should really try this. The restaurant I ate at was called Pollo Dorro which I am not sure of the meaning.

Now the price of this mean was under 4 Euros so I guess I really made out. You see a pizza like this from a chef I know would cost close to double that amount of money. The prices of the meals in Rome do not have to be extraordinary.

One thing I am really regretting doing is not taking my camera along as I am sure many of you would probably like to see what I am talking about. I am going to have to make sure I bring my camera in the future.

Oh and one thing I am I am kind of proud of is getting a better feel for the traffic here. While I did almost get run over by a car I am actually kind of proud of that fact. I wear it like a badge of honor as I feel more like a local.

It is good to be back in the city again. Of course there was a bit of apprehension when I first arrived as I am not fluent in the language the locals are very accommodating and you should try to speak their language.

All in all I would say that today was a successful day. It does take time to get accustomed to a different culture. But in time you do start to get a feel for a place. After some time I am sure I will get more of a feel for this city as well. Only time will tell and I have plenty of it right now.

Well I have already made my offical announcement on my Venice, Italy website so i decided that I would make another announcement on my Rome, italy website.

It is official I am heading back to Rome, Italy for a month in April and will be gone until May. The reason for this trip is to get a stronger grasp of the Italian language and totally immerse myself in the italian culture. My first website on Venice, Italy was supposed to help me get there but as it turns out i believe that Rome is the better place to be to start out. In Rome you can get a stronger grasp of real Italian life as there are more places where real Italians hang out as opposed to Venice which is a beautiful city but sometimes a bit of a tourist trap.

I still love the city of Venice and I know I will be going back there as well. However, for this trip I am going to focus solely on the Roman experience and see how that is different from Venice, Italy.

The school I chose to visit is called Torredibabele and I firmly believe that they will do a great job in teaching me the fundamentals of the Italian language. For those that actually know me personally you know that Ialian is not the only language I am attempting to learn but it is really top on my list.

I think that I will have a great time in this city and am really looking forward to it. Who knows I might get some sponsorships for my blog network out of this whole experience. I am going to use this trip to really launch my  International Travel Writing career and see how far it can take me.

So there you have it a realization of a long term goal! It feels good to be actually accomplishing a goal instead of just talking about it all the time. I also have a travel writing website which I will also be posting to about how to get published as  a freelance travel writer for those that want to break into that field.  Hopefully you will find it useful.

Like many people when they are approaching retirement age there is a desire to relocate to someplace other then where you have been living your whole life. This is perfectly understandable as you want to spend your golden years exploring a new culture and land. But have you really sat down and considered the costs involved? For many this dream is to move to Rome, Italy for retirement. While this may certainly sound romantic you should always consider the practical as well.

Italy has an excellent health care system. It can perhaps said to be better then the United States in some cases. While this is a debatable point I am sure you will agree that Italy is one of the most modern western nations in Europe so there is really no need to fret or fear about the lack of proper health care.

Now when it comes to finding real estate the city of Rome can be one of the most expensive places in Italy. If you want to stay in the city the prices are extremely high and many American retirees can not afford to move there. However, just like America, Italy is experiencing problems in the real estate market. This is good news for bargain shoppers who want the best deal on the latest listings of Rome properties. But where can you find such good deals? Good question. And since the Universe abhors a vacuum someone has been thoughtful to produce a listing guide for foreclosed homes in Italy.

You can find this resource here.