The Adventures Of Mr. & Mrs. Claus: Off The Beaten Path In Rome

So this week we are doing something a little bit different. Recently, Lisa and I were in Rome, but before we went we received an email from someone I care about. This email detailed a bunch of things to do and see that were off the beaten path in Rome.

While we were there, this email helped us find some very cool places. Places that we probably never would have seen otherwise. So I asked this person If I could share it with all of you. Luckily enough, he agreed! There was one condition though. He wanted to be left anonymous in name and location. Therefore, we agreed on a pseudonym for him and his lovely wife. Mr. & Mrs. Claus. 

Before we begin our journey off the beaten path in Rome, I want to thank the Clauses for allowing me to post it. I have done as little editing as possible, just for grammatical and congruity purposes. I assure you, my edits change nothing regarding the message or Mr. Claus’ humour.

The Claus’ Recommendations For Things Both On And Off The Beaten Path In Rome

Hi Everyone,

Hope you guys are well and getting pumped about your respective upcoming trips to Europe and Rome. People had asked about “three things to see in Rome” that are a bit off the beaten path for tourists, so here are some ideas.

Mr. Claus’ Quirky Top 3 List:

Ok, so you only asked for three unique, off the beaten path places in Rome. But I don’t know what you already plan to see, so I’ve listed way more than three – but if you made me pick just three they would be:

Pantheon

Dinner in Trastevere, with carciofi guidia to start

Basilica di Santo Stefano Rotondo al Celio

The full list:

Since you didn’t say what you ARE planning to see, I assume you are at least doing the most popular tourist “must do” sights (and where applicable will get skip the line / tour tickets in advance!!) which are:

Colosseum & Forum

Pantheon

Vatican (St.Peters, Vatican Museum & Sistine Chapel)

My personal favourite in the above list is the Pantheon; it is a perfectly intact Roman temple to “all (pan) the gods (theos)” which was repurposed as the Church of all Saints (Chiesa di Ognisanti). Best to show up early as it can get pretty busy, and it is still a church, so they don’t allow tourists in during mass.  Afterwards, grab an outdoor table at one of the bars in the piazza and have a cappuccino (if it’s still before 10 am) or Campari soda (or Aperol Spritz if you like it sweet) and watch the tourists.

Also very popular are:

Piazza Navona: 

A great place to chill for a while and check out what the artists are painting today. It features the ”four rivers” fountain by Bernini, a prolific sculptor and sometimes architect in the 1600s (he also did the Baldacchino, a bronze cover with spiral pillars over the high altar in St Peters). Also, the piazza has fountains of “The Moor”  and Neptune by Della Porta.  

Fontana di Trevi: 

The custom is to turn away from the fountain and throw a coin over your shoulder into the water, thus guaranteeing you will return to Rome one day. But don’t succumb to the temptation to wade into the water and pick up coins.

Campo di Fiore:

“Field of Flowers” is an open-air market. It is best to arrive before noon, but it’s open from 7 am to 2 pm.

Lesser known but definitely worth considering are: 

Chiesa di San Carlino alle Quattro Fontane: 

This is perhaps my favourite church in Rome, designed by Borromini, a contemporary and rival of the sculptor Bernini (and a much better architect IMHO – more on their rivalry here). Most church interiors from this period are highly ornate and covered with gold and paintings of cherubs etc, but this one is almost pure white inside and the design so organic the ceiling almost seems to be breathing.  Open 10 am to 1 pm except on Sundays. 

Basilica di Santo Stefano Rotondo al Celio: 

One of the oldest basilicas in Rome, dating from the 400s, and the only round basilica in Rome. Though there are other round churches.  Very old original architecture, most of the other old churches from that era were destroyed by fire and rebuilt at some point.

San Giovanni in Laterano: 

The oldest and most important church in Roman Catholicism, because it is the parish church of the Pope (NOT St. Peters, as one might think). Originally built in 324 AD, it was destroyed by fire in the 1300s and rebuilt by Borromini in the 1600s.

PS: The bronze front / main doors were taken from the Curia. Which is a Roman Senate building in the Forum. About 2 millennia old!

National Museum Of Rome & Baths of Diocletian: 

The largest public baths of ancient Rome, stunning in their scale and engineering. 

Ara Pacis: 

A beautifully preserved “altar of peace” beside the Tiber, commissioned by emperor Augustus in 9BC. 

Unfortunately, we didn’t get there on this trip.

Hadrian’s Mausoleum:

The mausoleum is also on the Tiber, quite close to the Vatican. Now in Museum commonly, formerly the castle “Castel San Angelo” in the Middle Ages, and originally the burial place of emperor Hadrian. The man who built the wall across northern England to keep the crazy Scotsmen out.

We didn’t get there on this trip either.

Capuchin Crypt: 

The crypt holds artwork made out of the bones of the Brothers of the order (the coffee confection is named cappuccino because it is the colour of the monks’ habits). Creepy AF, but one of the most unique sights in Rome.  Then just off Piazza Barberini, check out the Fountain of the Triton where there is yet another Bernini sculpture.

We managed to get there, but they no longer allow photos in the crypt. So you’ll have to settle for a pic of the fountain:

Quarto Coppedè: 

A small, unique neighbourhood with very cool architecture.  There you can check out the Fontana Delle Rane (“fountain of frogs”). It is so off the beaten path that practically no tourists ever make it here. So if you do, you get bragging rights.

Via Appia Antica: 

An ancient Roman road with original paving stone sections, some cool ruins, and villas of movie stars (and probably Russian oligarchs nowadays). You can drive on it if you’ve rented a car (it’s one-way and runs from south to north). There are probably bus tours that will take you there and perhaps can be combined with a visit to some of the catacombs.

We didn’t get there on this trip either.

MANGIARE! 

And of course, good food is an essential part of experiencing everything on and off the beaten path in Rome. The best food isn’t necessarily in the touristy areas but a little more off the beaten path, like in the Jewish quarter or Trastevere. You cross the Roman-era bridge over the Tiber Island to get there.  Some highlights:

Cacio e Pepe: 

Pasta with pecorino, romano cheese, and pepper. Unquestionably THE signature dish of Rome.

Note that cacio e pepe is the fundamental basis of the Unified Pasta Theorem:

Scottaditto: 

Piping hot lamb chops. Eaten as finger food. The name means “scorch your fingers”!

Cannelloni Alla Romana: 

My personal favourite, but it can be hard to find a really good version. The meat interior should be finely minced and redolent of nutmeg, with a faint undertone of organ meat (e.g. chicken liver) to lend it a tang. Then it’s covered with white béchamel and tomato sauces, and baked.  Omigawd so gooood.

Alla Fiorentina, with ricotta and spinach stuffing, instead of the meat-filled alla Romana… but still very good:

Carciofi Alla Guidia:

Deep-fried “Jewish style” artichokes.  A quintessential Roman specialty, very yummy.  

Rosette Buns:

 Italy is of course famous for its fantastic breads. Yet my absolute favourite is this breakfast bun, shaped like a “little rose”, with a crusty outside, chewy dough, and hollow inside. Put some butter on the segments as you tear it apart, eat it with a cappuccino and prepare to enter paradise. Apparently, they can be a little hard to find these days. That’s because making the special “bigi” dough is a labour-intensive and time-consuming process. However, you can find them at a bakery called Il Forno (“the oven”) at the Campo di Fiore market.

Have fun deciding and enjoying the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of the Eternal City!

Updated & annotated below with some pics from our trip:

BTW, for the Jewish artichokes (carciofi giudea) I recommend a restaurant called Nonna Betta in the Jewish quarter:

Located right by the Portico of Octavian:

and just around the corner from the Theatre of Marcellus (no, it’s not the Colosseum, it’s older):

Have lunch and check out these spots. Then it’s only a short hike to the church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin where you will find the Bocca de Verita or the “Mouth of Truth”. A statuary mask of a face where the legend is, if you put your hand in its mouth and tell a lie, it bites your hand off!

Bonus – you might see some of the goofy little 2-seater econobox cars they drive in Italy!

And here’s another:

Bonus thing to do:

 Drink from a nasone (“big nose”). You use your thumb to plug the big hole and a drinking fountain will spout out of the top! The water is fine to drink. That is unless there is a sign that says “aqua non potabile”.

Cheers,

Mr. Claus

Back To The North Pole

Honestly, I loved this e-mail and all the pictures along with it. We love “off the beaten path” travel, so off the beaten path in Rome was right up our alley. I am hoping that this is the first of many updates we get from the Clauses. Hell, if they allow me to, I’d love to make this a recurring series. “The Adventures Of Mr. & Mrs. Claus” has a pretty good ring to it if you ask me. What do you think?

We are well aware that Mr. Claus is a dapper and attractive young man. If you are wanting to contact him for any reason, you can send him a letter. If you address the letter properly, it should get to him. You’ll reach him at: Mr. Claus, North Pole, H0H 0H0. I can’t promise you’ll receive an answer, though. Not before Christmas, at the very least.

As always, we believe we should live with intention, travel with purpose, and let the world inscribe its stories upon us.

So until next time, stay authentic, stay Nomadic, and let the world inscribe its stories upon you more than you do upon it.