Instead of looking at Rome through the lenses of your camera, artist and craft person, Cynthia Korzekwa, a Texas born Roman resident suggests you open your eyes to the real city.
Rome 10 Do's and Don'ts:
DO.
1. See The Hole of Rome, an ornate keyhole through which you can see the Vatican Dome framed by a tunnel of trees. Located at the Priory of the Knights of Malta (Aventino/Aventine Hill), the optical effect of the hole was created by Piranesi, obsessed with Masonic symbolism .
2. If the weather is nice, take a rickshaw ride at Villa Borghese. While there, visit the museum, once the home of Paolina Bonaparte, Napoleon’s sister.
3. See Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s "St. Theresa in Ecstacy" (near Piazza Repubblica). Bernini was fascinated with the idea of mystical marriage and hieros gamos as seen in his work. See, too, Bernini’s "Beata Ludovica" (San Francesca a Ripa church, Trastevere) who has the same estatic face as does Theresa.
4. Take a close look at the Italian minted euro coins. The 10 cent coin depicts Botticelli’s Venus, the 20 cent coin depicts Umberto Boccioni ‘s "Unique Forms of Continuity in Space" and the 50 cent coin shows the figure of the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius on horseback.
5. Check out In Rome Now, an online guide to Rome in English.
1. Don’t take taxis unless you have to. At the airport, never accept rides from unofficial taxis. Stand in the appropriate line and wait or take the shuttle from Fiumicino airport to Termini, the main train station in Rome. The taxi from the airport to the center of town costs about E45 whereas the shuttle costs E7 per person. In town, use the bus or metro. For routes, check the ATAC website (city buses for route ino). Try taking Tram #3 (ticket E1) for a cheap tour. The tram passes by the Colosseum.