The Rialto Market

You must visit the Rialto in Venice, Italy for two good reasons: the Rialto Bridge and the markets. It is often said that the Rialto has something for everybody, whether you are looking to admire the architectural beauty of the bridge or go grocery shopping for local produce. Gourmets, tourists, shoppers and locals frequent the Rialto area and it is a wonderful way to feel the pulse of the city.

Getting to the Rialto is easy and you can take the Vaporetto lines along the Grand Canal and then cross the Rialto Bridge to reach the markets. The Rialto markets have been the lifeline of Venice ever since 1097, with people visiting them for their daily fish, fruits, vegetables and other produce.

A visit to the Rialto markets is the best way to really understand this fascinating and romantic city. You will be able to spot fresh farm products being unloaded from the barges, food shoppers examining fish for freshness and quality, handcarts packed with vegetables and fruits being pushed around and many more fascinating market sights on your trip there.

I recommend an early morning visit to the Rialto markets. I found my before-breakfast visit quite rewarding because there was hardly any crowd around which allowed me to see the market at its best. The restaurant chefs and the stall owners were the only people around and the fruits, vegetables and fish stocked there were absolutely fresh. In addition to this, some of the stall owners had their music on and were singing along to Opera and Italian songs.

The Rialto market is the very heart of Venice and a walk along the Rialto Bridge in the early morning will grant you some fantastic views of the area. The crowds start pouring in after breakfast and then you can really view Venice at its busiest. The area is also home to San Giacomo, one of the most ancient of Venetian churches dating back to the eleventh century.

I purchased some great fruit for a picnic I was planning and enjoyed an espresso in a coffee shop before leaving the market.

3 Best British and Irish pubs in Rome, Italy

While Italian wine may appeal to many, there is something to be said for the familiar and refreshing taste of an cold beer or ale. It is for that reason that are several British and Irish pubs in Rome, that are popular with both the locals and tourists, not only for the drinks and food, but for the sports that they show including FA Premiership matches.

So if you are in Rome and looking for a place to get a decent pint of Guinness, some traditional English food or watch the football, here are three of the best choices.

1. Finnegan's - The only pub, out of over 100, in Rome that is actually owned by an Irish family. Finnegan's is extremely popular with the ex pat community for the beer and the best place to watch Sky Sports. As well as showing the football, the pub also shows rugby, Formula 1 and American Football.

2. Druid's Pub - Druid's Den and Druid's Rock are two of the best Irish pubs in Rome due to the excellent food, good craic, fine Guinness and traditional Irish music nights. Every Monday evening, the pubs play host to local bands singing traditional Irish songs.

3. Morrison's - One of the first Irish pubs established in Rome, Morrison's feels like a traditional Irish bar as soon as you walk through the door. With strong ties with Guinness, Morrison's has been popular with the population of Rome for over five years thanks to its musical choices and fine food.

Autumn Events in Rome

Rome is one of the best destinations in Europe on account of its incredible architecture, historic atmosphere and romantic culture. This Italian city has been the setting for many a movie and the destination for several honeymoons; it is also just a great place to visit for those who want to relax and unwind with their loved ones. There is no bad time to visit Rome as the city always has something to offer and for this reason Rome has always been on my top ten places to visit in Europe.

I visited Rome in autumn last year and was so thrilled with the great weather and exciting events that I plan to revisit Rome this autumn. Although Rome draws hundreds of tourists in autumn, the crowds are not as large as they are during summer and spring. Rome in September and October is bright and sunny, giving tourists the opportunity to walk along its paved streets and feel the city’s pulse.

Rome is also a great place to visit in autumn if you love theatre, dance, music and other cultural activities. The highlight of Rome in autumn is the Roma Europa Festival, which will be held from September 21st to December 2nd this year. This annual event illustrates the best of Roman culture and you can enjoy several theatrical and musical performances. If you visit Rome during this time, as I plan to do, you can enjoy the performances of “The Irrepressibles,” a British team of rock musicians and “Delusion,” a multimedia performance of puppetry, visuals and violin by Laurie Anderson. This is just the tip of the iceberg of cultural splendour that Rome presents in autumn.

If you love theatre, you should not miss the International Festival of Urban Theatre, an annual theatrical event, which includes a lot of amusing activities for kids too. Another great thing about Rome between September 3rd and October 29th is that the Vatican Museum are thrown open at night. You are sure to enjoy a sightseeing trip at the Vatican Museum even if you are not a religious person.

My weekend in Rome, Italy

Despite my busy schedule, I decided to get away to Rome for a weekend and get the most out of it. Now Rome is a huge city and one cannot do full justice to it in one weekend, but I believed that, with the right planning, I would experience most of what Rome has to offer.

I arrived in Rome on Friday, having taken care to book the room well in advance since hotels in Rome tend to be crowded. I also needed to get a good night’s sleep in preparation for the tough itinerary ahead.

Next day, I started my weekend on a religious note at the Vatican, which is actually a tiny city in its own rights. Since I reached the Vatican early, I was able to miss the long queues and view the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel, St. Peter’s Cathedral and Castle Sant-Angelo in peace.

By then it was time for lunch and I am glad I was sensible enough to have a light lunch or else I might have wasted the rest of my day sleeping. Post lunch, I got a taste of Roman history at the Coliseum, a huge amphitheatre, the Roman Forum, the ancient center of the city, and the Palatine Hill. I was told that the best place to spend the evenings and enjoy night life is the Trastevere and that’s where I went next before calling it a day.

I started the second day of my weekend throwing coins into the legendary Trevi Fountain and wishing for a longer vacation in Rome, after which I visited the Spanish Steps, admired the shops of Via Condotti and the stupendous Piazza de Popolo. I spent the afternoon wandering around Villa Borghese, enjoyed the sight of Rome at sunset from the Pincio and had a sumptuous Roman dinner before leaving.

Summer in the City in Rome

Rome rings to the sound of music during summer, when most of its main musical events take place. Although some concerts are staged indoors, many are held outside, making the most of those long, languid Roman nights.

The baths at the front of Hadrian’s Villa make a dramatic setting for The International Festival of Hadrian’s Wall (until July 18th) which features international acts as diverse as the Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan (June 22 and 23) and Elvis Costello, who will close the festival.
Another festival with a stunning setting is Cosmophonies (until July 28th) at the Roman Theatre of Ostia Antica. Acts here will run the full spectrum, from the disco icons The Village People (July 20th) to the punk rock poet Patti Smith and a narrated piece on Chopin accompanied by his sublime piano music (July 28th).

All throughout July, Rock in Roma presents big names in the world of contemporary music at the Ippodromo delle Capannelle, kicking off with The Cranberries on July 5th and finishing with Jamaican singer Shaggy on July 30th

Architect Renzo Piano’s stunning Parco della Musica will host Luglio Suona Bene (July Sounds Good) from June 26th to end-July. This year’s programme is fantastic, with concerts from Tricky, one of the pioneers of trip-hop, the perennial Buena Vista Social Club (whom are always guaranteed a warm welcome in Italy) and Norah Jones, to name a few.

Classical music fans are not left out either. Musical Festival of the Nations will take place in two superb, open-air settings: the Teatro de Marcello archaeological park and the garden of the Villa Torlonia. The festival, which runs until early October, focuses on recital and chamber music. Rome’s Opera House will launch its summer season on July 5th, and features three productions: Romeo and Juliette, Aida and Rigoletto.

Trastevere: West of the Tiber in Rome

When most visitors come to Rome, they prefer to stay in the city centre, close to major sites such as the Piazza Narvona and the Pantheon. Whilst this logical, a lot of people overlook a neighbourhood that is close to central Rome and can offer a much more local experience; Trastevere.

Its name comes from the Latin Trans Tiberim, meaning ‘beyond the Tiber’ and in many other ways this lovely, picturesque neighbourhood feels separate from the rest of the eternal city. Sure, by day its narrow, cobble-stoned streets receive a fair amount of tourists, but by evening most have headed back to their accommodation in the centre, leaving Trastevere’s dozens of charming bars and restaurants to the locals and particularly its large student population (there are many universities in the immediate area).

Trastevere has had an interesting history; in very early times it was populated with sailors and mariners who worked on the Tiber, but the area didn’t really become part of the city until the emperor Augustus included it in his zoning of Rome into 14 regions. Later on many important figures decided to build their villa there, including Julius Caesar. The beautiful Basilica di Santa Maria was first built in 337AD and is believed to be the oldest place of worship in Rome dedicated to the Virgin Mary.

The Great Race: the Mille Miglia

Italy and luxury cars and inextricably linked. The Mille Miglia (thousand miles) celebrates this tradition by selecting the most beautiful vintage cars in the world to participate in an endurance rally around the country. The 2010 edition (May 5-9) departs from Brescia and journeys through Bologna, Urbino, San Marino and Rome (with a stopover at Castel Sant'Angelo) and then back to Brescia via Viterbo, Siena and Florence.

This history of the rally goes back to the 1920s when Brescia was furious at losing Italian Gran Prix to Monza. It soon became very popular, attracting drivers from all over Europe and forging the reputation of ‘grand touring’ cars such as Alf Romeo and Maserati (it generally ended in a stand off between an Italian-made car and a Mercedes). The race was banned in 1957 when a Spanish driver, his co-driver and many spectators were tragically killed in a crash.

In 1987 the Mille Miglia was revived and downgraded to a road rally as opposed to a race. Vintage cars from all over the world participate, and guidelines are strict. Their year of manufacture, for example, must be between 1927 and 1957 (the period of the original Mille Miglia) and are personally selected by the organisers as sterling examples of classic racing cars, ensuring the Mille Miglia is equalling as enthralling for spectators as it is for participants. No wonder it has been called ‘The Most Beautiful Race in the World.’

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