Rome

• Koaa2
  
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  Apr 30, 2008 11:24 PM GMT

  I am going on Atlantis cruise from Barcelona to Rome in July. I will be staying in Rome for 2 weeks after. Was wondering if anyone has been there, and could offer some tips on what to do gaywise and otherwise. Thanks

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  May 01, 2008 1:27 AM GMT

  I actually just got back a few weeks ago. That said, I was there for work and didn't have as much free time as I would have liked.
  
  Gaywise: There is a gay block down by the Colosseum that has a few bars and that is really it.
  
  Otherwise: There is a ton. Eat, site see, go to the beach.
  
  Though Rome is great it has become a bit of a tourist trap in my opinion. If you are there that long you may want to consider taking in another close by city like Naples. It will give you a little more authentic view of Italy.

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  May 01, 2008 1:43 AM GMT

  I remember on my first trip thru Europe when I was a teenager, I stayed in a nun-run hotel in Rome.... complete with moat and iron gate. hahahahahaha It was funny. I had the misfortune of having the room near the phone. The nuns couldnt speak English, so when anyone from the US, forgetting about the time difference, would call IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, they would wake me up to answer the phone.
  
  Of the moat and gate? They were there cuz there was always a crowd of Italian men on the other side of the street....they knew there were American girls in there who would come out unchaperoned.
  
  The feel of life in Italy is so different than the US. It is so much more romantic and sensual. I remember how I felt even at that young age as I toured north thru Europe, the more north I got, the more it was like the US...until I finally got in England where they even spoke the language...sort of.

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  May 01, 2008 5:14 AM GMT

  lf you are in Rome 2 weeks go visit Florence and Venice by Train and you will see Real Beauty!

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  May 01, 2008 5:27 AM GMT

  Gee, Caslon, you gotta try living here, that'll kill the romance in an instant.
  
  Rome is a lovely city.
  
  You really ought to see all of the sights including the Forum, Colosseum, Palatine Hill, Pantheon, Vatican, and on and on. The just opened palace of Augustus is mind boggling (if you can get a ticket). The Ara Pacis is controversial but if you like modern architecture than it is hard to imagine a more beautiful building (Richard Meier).
  
  My two favorite neighborhoods are right near each other Trastevere and the Ghetto.
  
  As for food you have to have the Amatriciana (make sure it is a good one) and Trippa alla Romana (tripe - you have to like it but the Roman's have been eating tripe for a long long long time). If you are a real foodie try Heinz Beck's La Pergola at the Cavaliere Hilton (which has an extraordinary view of the city - make reservations immediately because it is hard to get in).
  
  Drinks on the rooftop terrace of the Hassler is another classic.
  
  Ciao
  Terry

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  May 01, 2008 5:41 AM GMT

  ursamajor saidGee, Caslon, you gotta try living here, that'll kill the romance in an instant.
  
  Rome is a lovely city.
  
  You really ought to see all of the sights including the Forum, Colosseum, Palatine Hill, Pantheon, Vatican, and on and on. The just opened palace of Augustus is mind boggling (if you can get a ticket). The Ara Pacis is controversial but if you like modern architecture than it is hard to imagine a more beautiful building (Richard Meier).
  
  My two favorite neighborhoods are right near each other Trastevere and the Ghetto.
  
  As for food you have to have the Amatriciana (make sure it is a good one) and Trippa alla Romana (tripe - you have to like it but the Roman's have been eating tripe for a long long long time). If you are a real foodie try Heinz Beck's La Pergola at the Cavaliere Hilton (which has an extraordinary view of the city - make reservations immediately because it is hard to get in).
  
  Drinks on the rooftop terrace of the Hassler is another classic.
  
  Ciao
  Terry

  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Damn Terry !!! The more you tell about Rome, the more anxious I am to get there some day and see all these things you tell about. I didn't get any further south into Italy than Florence, from what I did see, I'm impressed, and the people I thought were very friendly.

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• GQjock
  
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  May 01, 2008 10:39 AM GMT

  Two weeks is a long time to be in Rome .... yeah I agree with the other guys
  Get familiar with the train system in Italy
  hit Florence (Firenze) and Verona
  go along the Appian way into the interior
  Gay life in Rome is kinda disappointing there are just a few bars but the Italian men are pretty good at making us visitors feel at home
  Buon Viaggio e buon fortunato

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• Koaa2
  
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  May 01, 2008 11:10 AM GMT

  Thanks guys for the comments. I will be staying in an apartment near the Spanish steps, am looking forward to it. Would like to find a guide for the first day or so.

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  May 01, 2008 5:56 PM GMT

  Another day trip by train is Assisi. It's like stepping back a few centuries; the town is so much like it was when Francis and Clare were alive. The best cappuccino/espresso in town in a little dive called the Cafe Peru (don't ask me why) across the street from St. Giovanni Baptisti di Napitolini church, down the hill and back across the river from the Vatican. It used to be run by "Emma" who was as tall as she was wide and had jet black, Marge Simpson style hair. Of course, don't miss the Forum, Circus Maximus, et. al. and the Vatican Museum is wonderful which includes the Sistine Chapel. Glad you are staying near the Spanish steps, it is a very "happening" area.

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  May 01, 2008 6:44 PM GMT

  I might agree that in two weeks you could visit some more of Italy.
  
  The trains are cheap but they are a disaster. The airlines are worse, so the train is better.
  
  If you haven't seen it then Firenze is one of the greatest cities in the world. You could get the Eurostar out of Stazione Termini and be in Firenze in 2 hours. If you go you will certainly want to spend a couple of nights.
  
  From Firenze you can pick the Eurostar back up and come on up to our part of the world. A couple of days in Venice and a nice day trip to Vicenza I suspect you might enjoy. While Verona is lovely, I think our town is nicer (we have the 500th anniversary of Antonio Palladio this year and there are 25 Palladio buildings within a kilometer of my house).
  
  We would be happy to invite you to a nice lunch.
  
  
  I did not comment on the gaywise before because there just isn't any gay life. I don't want to be negative but come for Italy for what it has to offer. If your on RJ I suspect you like beefy men and not cocktail shrimp in D&G. All of "those" Italians you will find in London, Berlin, Barcelona, New York, Sydney, Los Angeles, San Francisco, etc.
  
  Rome is a beautiful city, but it is also a very big city. Take the same precautions you would in any place you travel.
  
  Ciao, a presto
  
  Terry
  
  
  
  
  

  GQjock saidTwo weeks is a long time to be in Rome .... yeah I agree with the other guys
  Get familiar with the train system in Italy
  hit Florence (Firenze) and Verona
  go along the Appian way into the interior
  Gay life in Rome is kinda disappointing there are just a few bars but the Italian men are pretty good at making us visitors feel at home
  Buon Viaggio e buon fortunato

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• Koaa2
  
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  May 02, 2008 3:44 PM GMT

  Thanks again guys, I appreciate all the info. I will be there with my partner. We like to do some gay things, but not our main goal for traveling.
  
  Anyone know how to go about finding a good guide for the first day or so, when we get there, to help us get orientated?

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  May 02, 2008 4:35 PM GMT

  I was in Italy about 3 years ago and in Rome for 5 days, that was enough.......use their train system, its very easy & affordable and go to Florence and Venice....Both of these cities are AMAZING!!! Highly recommend it

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  May 02, 2008 4:59 PM GMT

  Hey there.
  
  I actually got to live in Rome for about 3 months for a study abroad program, so I'll add my two cents to this post. I definitely second the trips to Florence and Venice, especially if you haven't been to Italy before. They are what people dream of when they think of Italy. Also some day trips from Rome:
  
  Go to Tivoli to the Ville D'Este which are also known as the Gardens at Tivoli. Thats where they have the wall of 100 fountains (If you're really gay, thats the wall of fountains that Hilary Duff ran by in the Lizzie McGuire movie). Its gorgeous and close enough to the city to where you can leave a little later, like noon, and make it back by six or seven.
  
  Additionally, if you're into ancient ruins there's this little abandoned military city north of Rome that's been there for hundreds of years. It's called Ostia Antica. This is another day trip that you can take, leave a little earlier like 9 or 10 and be home by 6 or 7. Mostly because you want to explore on your own. And since you're going with your partner, you might be able to find a temple or something to get up to some shenanigans in. This was one of my favorite things to do while I was there, and not that many tourists know about it.
  
  Also, make it a point to check out some of the churches. I'm not religious, but some of the artwork they have on their ceilings is truly breathtaking. Check out the Caravaggios, and there is a church on Vittorio Emmanuelle 2 that is right near the Campo Dei Fiori and the Pantheon that looks like a dungeon from the outside, but has one of the best ceilings in Rome. Ah! and there's a church down by the Colosseum where you can go deeper and deeper underneath the church, seeing at each level the churches that were built on top of each other. Bring a jacket because it gets cold underground.
  
  For going out, there are like 4 gay bars in Rome, two of which are down by the Colosseum. I exaggerate, there are more, but I couldn't find them. The younger crowd goes out in Testaccio now, which is right next to Trastevere. Its pretty fun and I heard of a great gay club in that neighborhood while I was there.
  
  Wow... I went on for a while. I hope this helps!
  
  Ciao bello.

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• Koaa2
  
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  May 11, 2008 12:20 PM GMT

  Thanks again guys, appreciate all the feedback. Should be a fun trip and stay. I will be on the Atlantis all Gay cruise prior to my 2 weeks in Rome.

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