Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
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Despite the gloomy economic situation and all the trials and tribulations of living in Rome
- dodgy public transport, iffy services and sky-high prices - few Romans would swap their
city for anywhere else. They know theirs is one of the world's most beautiful cities and
they enjoy it with gusto. You only have to look at the city's pizzerias, trattorias and restaur-
ants - not those in the touristy centre, but those out in the dreary suburbs where most
people live - to see that eating out is a much-loved local pastime. Groups of friends and re-
latives will typically get together in a favourite eatery to catch up over plateloads of pasta
and pizza. It's a cliché of Roman life but food really is central to social pleasure.
Drinking, in contrast, is not a traditional Roman activity, at least not in the sense of pil-
ing into a pub for pints of beer. Romans have long enjoyed hanging out and looking cool -
just look at all those photos of
dolce vita
cafe society - and today an evening out in a Ro-
man bar is still as much about flirting and looking gorgeous as it is about consuming alco-
hol.
Clothes shopping is another popular Roman pastime alongside cinema-going and foot-
ball. Interest in Rome's two Serie A teams, Roma and Lazio, remains high despite a dip in
fortunes since the heady days of 2000 and 2001, and a trip to the Stadio Olimpico to watch
the Sunday game is still considered an afternoon well-spent by many Romans. Depending
on the result, of course.
Satirist Beppe Severgnini explains the Italian system of queuing, often a shock to first-time visitors, in
An
Italian in Italy:
'Here we favour more artistic configurations, such as waves, parabolas, herringbone pat-
terns, hordes, groups, and clusters. Our choreography complicates waiting, but brightens our lives.'
Romans are inveterate car-lovers and on hot summer weekends they will often drive out
to the coast or surrounding countryside. Beach bums make for nearby Ostia or more up-
market Fregene, while those in search of a little greenery make for the Castelli Romani, a
pocket of green hills just south of town famous for its Frascati wine and foodie specialities
such as
porchetta
(herbed, spit-roasted pork).
Property prices have been falling in Italy in recent years, but Rome has weathered the storm better than
many other markets. In 2012 the going rate for a 120 sq m apartment in Rome's historic centre was more
than €6000 per sq m; in the suburbsprices average €5000 to €6000 per sq m.
