A Weekend in Rome
By Jeannie Marshall

Though the Colosseum and the Palatine Hill are not to be missed, the traveller who ventures off the beaten path will discover a city of riches enjoyed by the Romans themselves. Spending a weekend in Rome doing as the Romans do reveals a sometimes frenzied and chaotic but always vibrant city where modern life is steeped in history.

Wake up
The coffee bar is an essential part of life in Rome and is the first stop in the morning. One of the best in the city is Café Tazza d’Oro. Here’s how to approach it like an insider. Walk directly to the cash desk, and ask for a cappuccino and cornetto. Pay first and then present the receipt along with the equivalent (in euro coins) of 10 or 20 cents at the bar. (Barmen expect their tip before serving your coffee.) The barista will slap down a cup of fragrant strong coffee with steamed milk and hand over a delicious flaky pastry (like a croissant only less greasy). Stop frequently for coffee throughout the day and follow the same procedure. But keep in mind that Italians only drink the milky coffees like cappuccino and caffé latte in the morning. After noon, it is simply espresso or caffé macchiato.

Café Tazza d’Oro, Via degli Orfani 84, near the Pantheon, 39-6-678-9792. Open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday to Saturday.

Rest
Il Cimitero Acattolico (the Non-Catholic Cemetery) is the burial place of the poets John Keats and Percy Shelley. It is one of the most peaceful places in Rome yet is right in the heart of the city, just behind the traffic chaos of Piazza di Porta San Paolo. A quiet, uncrowded spot for a weekend stroll, it’s also a cat sanctuary that’s home to some of the best-groomed stray cats in the world.

Il Cimitero Acattolico, Via Caio Cestio 6, 39-6-574-1900. Generally open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Tuesday to Sunday.

Markets
The open-air food market in Piazza Testaccio is one of the best in Rome and is much more traditional than the beautiful, though touristy, market at Campo de’Fiori. Stalls are piled high with seasonal fruits and vegetables. There are also shoe stalls with discount and knock-off designer footwear.

In the classic film The Bicycle Thief (1948), a desperate man visits the Porta Portese flea market to look for his stolen bicycle. Porta Portese is still the first place to look for anyone who has had a bike, computer or car stereo stolen. But it’s also the place to shop for antiques, old Italian hardware and beautiful bronze door knockers, among millions of odds and ends, both new and old. It’s still a den of thieves, though, so watch your wallet and bargain on prices.

Piazza Testaccio. Open Monday to Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Porta Portese, Via Portuense and Via Ippolito Nievo. Open Sundays from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Aperitivo
The narrow medieval streets of Trastevere have for years been home to the city’s alternative culture. But recent high rental prices have driven the bohemians to other parts of the city. Still, one neighbourhood wine bar remains. Enoteca Trastevere serves dozens of Italian wines by the glass at reasonable prices and offers a menu of small snacks to help whet your appetite before dinner.

Enoteca Trastevere, Via della Lungaretta 86, 39-6-588-5659. Closed Wednesdays.

Dinner
In a zone full of homey neighbourhood restaurants, Testaccio’s Tutti Frutti stands out for its sincere warmth and delicious food. Too often, the menus at most Roman restaurants read like carbon copies of each other. Tutti Frutti tries to spice things up by adding curry to Roman chicken stew or pine nuts and mint to traditional meatballs. They offer a pasta of the month that uses seasonal ingredients, such as fresh wild mushrooms with chestnuts in November or fresh figs and proscuitto in June. The desserts are homemade, including their signature mixed-fruit ice cream plate.

Tutti Frutti, Via Luca della Robbia 3A, 39-6-575-7902. Call to reserve.

Walk it off
One favourite afternoon activity on a mild day is a Sunday walk along the Appian Way (Via Appia Antica), which begins in the city and runs south for over 500 kilometres. The oldest Roman military road is still used as a thoroughfare, but on Sundays, it’s closed to all but local traffic. The road begins at Porta San Sebastiano, and you can either walk from there or take bus 118 (buy tickets ahead at a newsstand or tobacconist). The street is lined with beautiful old villas and gardens as well as numerous restaurants and a few cafés. The catacombs of San Callisto and San Sebastiano are also located on the Appian Way; both are within easy walking distance of Rome.

Getting There
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