Foreign affairs
Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, so it’s always a good idea to take in some wonderful concerts. As they say, music is the food of love and there’s no better place to take in food, love and music than Italy. So my husband and I recently headed back to Il Bel Paese, where I once studied, to check out the music scene, write up some hotels and discover some new restaurant finds.
Before we made our busy swing through Rome, we made a quick pit stop in that most romantic of cities, Venice.
We decided for once to stray from the sestiere of San Marco and review some other areas. Hotel Palazzo Stern is where we made our way and it’s a delight. With its Fortuny lamps and chandeliers, beautiful works of art, ancient brick walls and canal views, the historical palace is a hidden gem.
Located in the charming district of Dorsoduro, just across the Accademia Bridge, it gave us a chance to explore unknown territory before our big tour to the Eternal City.
Verdi was playing everywhere in town, so we stopped in for a performance at the famed La Fenice Opera House. Our seats were in the far back and our line of sight was blocked by a distracting metal bar. So beware, when making a trip here, it’s worth a few extra euros to get a decent view.
Before taking in the music, we visited old restaurant favorites like Beccafico, Antico Martini and, of course, indulged in a bellini at Hemingway’s old haunt, Harry’s Bar. But there are some fine reasonably priced places too, like Trattoria San Toma or Al Profeta for crispy, cheesy pizza or the wine bar Osteria ai Artisti, which whips up melt-in-your-mouth radicchio ravioli with soft Italian cheese.
In Rome, I couldn’t help but revisit an inexpensive hang from my student days called La Rampa. Located near the Spanish Steps, you’ll find great food and great value for money. The fritto misto is not to be missed. A new find was Da Pietro. The tables were heaving with the most impressive selection of antipasti I’d ever seen in my life (and I’ve seen many). The heavy load required four large tables for every two people just to squish in all the delectable platters of fresh, light-as-air prosciutto, tender artichokes, marinated veggies, fresh-that-day mozzarella, spiced olives and the like. Gabriele was another good pick in the Piazza del Popolo district. If your Italian isn’t the greatest, just remember Gabriel and Peter (this is Rome after all). Think Vaticano.
We were put in a more modern accommodation than I am used to. Hotel 181 Babuino is not terribly historic but it is updated, sleek and reasonable with excellent service and a great location. It’s also just a few steps away from the popular Dal Bolognese Ristorante.
Our guides gave us a fascinating tour of ancient Rome. I realized that it really does pay to go with someone in the know. You will come away with a much different experience than if you simply wandered around not having the faintest idea what you were looking at.
And finally, there’s always the glorious countryside, an adventure in itself. Sometimes there’s nothing more romantic than a little slice of the Dolce Vita to soothe the soul.