That’s one of the best things about Twitter, the opportunity to meet and make new friends.

Lunches in Rome

The first lunch meetup I had was with @foodieintl and it was actually a last minute arrangement.  She had originally invited me to an aperitivo but as we had tickets to the Internazionale (Rome Masters) for that evening, we decided to meetup for lunch instead.

Elyse was craving for a tuna salad at Osteria dell’ Ingegno and proposed to meet up there.  That sounded perfect for me!

As it was clear she has often been here in the past, I followed her lead and ordered what she was raving about, the tuna salad – and I was glad I did.

The portions were generous and we both cleaned it up – clearly an indication of  how much we both  enjoyed this dish.  Between bites,  we had a good chat over several topics and she has a lot of fascinating experiences to share.

As we said our goodbyes, I would have been happy to get gelato with her but as I am trying to stay sugar-free for the next few weeks, it took a lot of effort for me to turn down this offer.

Osteria dell’ Ingegno
Piazza di Pietra 45, 00186 Rome
Tel: 06 6780662

Another Lunch in Rome – Trastevere

Later this week, I meet with @foodloverkathy who has the best round up of all things delicious in Italy in her weekly Italy on a Plate.

After sharing my post on the carbonara at Da Danilo, I discovered that Kathy has a preference for amatriciana.  As we had already planned to have lunch, the question was more where should we go for amatriciana.  That answer came via Revealed Rome who had just written a post on Osteria Fernanda which was meant just for us.

We were there early to beat the lunch crowd and we sure did.  We were the first there but soon enough, the place was completely packed.  We each ordered the amatriciana and then while studying the menu, we decided to also get the calamaro.

The amatriciana was beautifully presented and the crispy guanciale on top was a nice touch.  However, I would have also liked some chunks of guanciale inside too.  It wasn’t the easiest dish to eat but since it was a touch dry, I didn’t get any tomato sauce on me.

As we shared the calamaro, the kitchen was kind to have it already divided. We were glad we decided to share this second dish as we were “stuffed” after the amatriciana!

Again lovely presentation and the beans with seafood seems to be a familiar theme.  Personally, I love this combination and have attempted to make similar dishes at home before.

If I weren’t trying to stay sugar-free, I would have been happy to order the dessert.  However, I restrained – how I don’t know.  Instead I recommended Kathy try Il Gelato di Claudio Torce.

Kathy was hesitant but I told her how I too love classic flavors but am now a convert!  You have no idea how tempted I was to go with her – how could anyone turn down Il Gelato!

Besides meeting twitter friends for the first time, it is also loads of fun to have lunches in Rome with those who are in town.

1. Rome Masters Tennis (Internazional BNL D’Italia) - 12 to 20 May

As tennis fans, we have been to this event for the past 5 years and an event we look forward to every year. For me, it signals the start of warmer weather and we often make the mistake of dressing too light for the evening matches.  Take yesterday, for example.  It was a nice warm day but when the sun set, it got extremely chilly and I felt the chill right to my bones!

The tickets we bought were for the Centre Court and although they were not front row seats, they were decent.  We bought them online (you need to print your own ticket) for less than €30 which is pretty reasonable.

When we bought the tickets, we didn’t know who would be playing but were fortunate that Djokovic, the top seed and Serena Williams, the champion of the recent Madrid Open, were playing that evening. Obviously, the tickets will be more costly for matches in quarters, semis and final.

The event is a bit disorganized in the sense that we weren’t allowed on the grounds until 7.15pm as the afternoon matches were still going on.  As such, there was a huge crowd outside the main entrance and when people started to get rowdy, they let us in.

They could have easily just let us in, giving us the the opportunity to roam around the shops and restaurants as we weren’t allowed onto the Centre Court anyway until the afternoon match was done.

Last year, it wasn’t a problem and I am not sure what was the deal this year. At the end, we were only allowed to take our seats for the evening match after 9pm!

However, despite this hiccup, the grounds are gorgeous and when in such a setting, it’s very inspiring.

For more information,visit their website.

2. Compeed Golden Gala – May 31st

We have also already bought tickets for this event.  We were there last year and it was electrifying.  So much excitement was in the air when the main event, the men 100 metres between Bolt, Powell and Lemaitre got underway.

The atmosphere last year was electrifying

Again, this event was also disorganized.  We printed out our tickets and when we got to the gates, they told us we need to exchange them for physical tickets. The problem was the line for the physical tickets was incredibly long and when we got to the front, they said we didn’t have to exchange them!

Unlike the tickets for tennis, there is no assigned seating so it’s a first come first serve basis which means you are better off going relatively early.

For more information, please visit their website.

3. Komen Race for the Cure – May 20th

If we are not going away this weekend, I am going to signup last minute for this run i.e. the non-competitve 5km run.  You can still register for it up to the day of the event and if 5km sounds too much, there also have a 2km run/walk. The minimum donation is €13.

More information on their website (Italian).

It’s great to see top athletes in Rome and hopefully you will get a chance to attend one of these sport events in Rome!

 

So when I was invited to join a Rome food tour with Walks of Italy, I was thrilled as I knew it was an opportunity for me gain more insights on a topic which I am interested in. I have been on two other food tours in Rome, each very different and both very informative. I wondered this time around how this food tour would differentiate itself.

Differentiate itself, it did! There was a pizza making session. Ok, I am getting carried away here and before going any further about the pizza, let me start at the beginning.

Stunning colors and a rich variety of vegetables!

We had a wonderful local guide, Simona, who from the second I met her was already sharing some background information about the market which was our meeting place. As she gave us an overview of what our food tour will cover, I knew that it was going to be packed with information and delicious tastings, both things I revere.

We started the tour with a stop at a bakery to pick up some bread and pizza bianca. Some of the guests were excited as they adore the bread here in Italy. Can’t blame them, can you?

Wish you could smell the scent of bread!

We had a glimpse of the baking area and Simona mentioned how kilometres of pizza bianca is sold each day. I believe her when she says it’s like street food and a snack good for anytime for the day. My Italian nieces who are 3 years old absolutely love their pizza bianca which makes it the perfect bribe.

With the bread we bought, we went off to sample some balsamic vinegar. Here we were given a brief description of the two different processes of making balsamic vinegar and sampled several balsamic vinegar from each process. Something new I had learnt.

From there, things took a life of its own and we went on to sample olive oils ranging from delicate to strong and from different regions of Italy. Regarding the extra virgin olive oil, I discovered what factors lead to the extra virgin olive oil being strong versus delicate. Interesting!

This was then followed by tasting one spread after the next. We sampled olive spreads, spicy ones, and several with truffles.

By the time we were done, I think all of us realized that we had to take it easy if we were to make it to the end of the tour. After all, this was just the first hour!

Next stop: tasting cured meats. My weakness and the idea of “taking it easy” was going to be a challenge. The place was crowded and obviously this was a popular place but our tasting was ready for us.

Not a tasting - more like a feast!

With this array of cured meats, seriously, how can you take it easy? They had lard, prosciutto, spicy salame, classic salame, salame with fennels, salame with barolo and another with truffles!

What was also most welcomed was water. It was a hot day out and a nice relief to be inside with plenty of refreshments including a bottle of wine. The spread was abundant and while we each had a slice of everything, we weren’t able to finish them all.

I swear I could stay at a place like this forever. For those who loved cured meat, this is your heaven. With the rays streaming in, it felt that way.

I see the light!

From here, we had one more stop before the pizza making lesson. As you can tell, I was definitely looking forward to that.

Next up – cheese! I have had my share of mozzarella di bufala since living here and though this was not new to me, the other guests were gushing over how luscious these were and nothing like the mozzarella they get in the US. A reminder of how lucky I am to be living in Italy. In addition to mozzarella di bufala we also sampled some pecorino romano.

Say "Cheese"!

While we were munching on the pecorino Simona, shared some intriguing facts. One of them is that it takes 17 litres of milk to make 1kg of parmigiano – which is why Italian parents often give it to children as it’s packed with calcium.

After this tasting, it was time for our pizza making lesson. When we got there, it was all setup with the pizza dough and toppings ready for us to create our own pizza. Obviously, due to time constraints, we didn’t make the dough but were given the recipe and instructions. To add to the fun, we even got an apron and a chef hat with the hope that these accessories can somehow inspire us to make edible pizzas.

Pizza making lesson

I was pleased with how mine came out but for me, an indication of a good pizza is if my stomach can digest it. Often, pizza dough doesn’t get the chance to leaven long enough and if that is the case, I will have stomach problems. This pizza passed the test.

Taste-wise it could have used a bit more salt and you will probably be shocked I said this as I often have been told I don’t use enough salt when I cook.

If you think we are done, you are wrong!

To wrap up the tour, we had two more stops. One was to get some gelato and the other coffee. The gelato was good here but that’s because I have been spoilt.

Great way to cool off in sweltering heat

Presently, I have an obsession with Il Gelato and the unique flavors that they offer are now my thing. However, I seldom refuse good gelato and got a combination of chocolate and pistacchio.

The final stop in this food tour was coffee or to be more precise, espresso. I am not a coffee drinker but I am sure it’s good as the place where Simona took us is well-known among locals and visitors alike.

Final Thoughts

This was a fastastic tour not only because we sampled great food but the itinerary didn’t require us to have long walks from one tasting to another. With the hot weather we experienced that day, we were thankful for this and the stops often had a shaded area.

Simona, having been a guide for over 12 years and a Roman, has a wealth of information not only about the food we tasted, but also offered restaurant recommendations to a guest who was here on a culinary visit.

I usually like to offer constructive feedback and have a hard time coming up with one. I wasn’t going to come up with one just for the sake of doing so and this tells you how complete this food tour is. With that said, I highly recommend Walks of Italy.

I speak for myself but what I found interesting was that the other guests on this food tour had already taken several tours with Walks of Italy and had only great things to say.

For more information about this food tour in Rome, visit Walks of Italy website.

Walks of Italy extended the invitation to me to join this food tour. However, the views and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

“It’s Thursday” my sister reminded me but as I was on vacation, days don’t really matter.  “It’s Thursday, gnocchi Thursday – let’s head to l’Arcangelo” she added the second time around.  Now I remember! She had mentioned this earlier in the week about  going to L’Arcangelo for their gnocchi.

I wasn’t sure what gnocchi Thursday is all about and had asked her earlier why gnocchi is served only on Thursdays. Her uninspiring response was “It’s tradition”.

Out of curiosity, I did a search on Google and almost all the results said the same thing “It’s tradition”.  There must be more to this story or history on gnocchi Thursday, something as simple as perhaps potatoes were only available on Thursdays would satisfy my curiosity.

If anyone knows, please do share and if you want to speculate and share a crafty story, that’s welcomed too.

Going back to L’Arcangelo, I was just following the lead of BrowsingRome and hadn’t done much research on it.  So when we got there, I was impressed to see are included in the Michelin guide.

Let’s get to the food.  BrowsingRome asked if they had gnocchi as it wasn’t on the menu and they mentioned they had to check with the kitchen first.  I think my heart stopped until he came back and said yes it was available.   This was my last Thursday in Rome and I didn’t want to miss out on gnocchi!

As for myself,  I ordered the suppli antipasti as I needed to just see how well suppli can be done and whether it would be worth the $15 price tag, especially when you can get suppli for $1-$2. Then I also ordered the pasta dish with chickpeas as I’ve never had whole chickpeas with pasta before.

I went in with the thinking of how good can good gnocchi be? This was the same thinking I had with Japanese Ramen in which I was blown away by Ipuddo Ramen in Osaka.

Now, I’m blown away by Italian Gnocchi at L’Arcangelo.

It was so fluffy and not mushy. It had such a fresh taste of potato. The amatriciana sauce, in which it was served with, did not drown the gnocchi.

Usually after a few spoonfuls of gnocchi you start to feel weighed down, but not with this plate of gnocchi. Well only after you’ve finished it then yes, you realized how stuffed you are.

Although my experience with Ipuddo Ramen, sticking to the blown away theme and comparing it to hurricanes, would be a category 5, the gnocchi at  L’Arcangelo would be a category 4 hurricane. I’m just thinking perhaps that gnocchi can’t peak any further.

The suppli antipasti came with two suppli, a potato croquette and this candied almond anchovy treat. The suppli and potato croquette were so delicate. It also came with a candied almond and anchovy treat.

I always appreciate the combination of sweet and salty – even if the salty is provided by an anchovy! I actually wanted more of this treat.

It was a treat though as this antipasti cost as much as the gnocchi at $15 euro. I’d only order it again perhaps for a special occasion as the suppli was heavenly, but not something that I would splurge on a regular basis.

The pasta with ceci was light and refreshing. However, it is not a dish for me so it is unlikely I will order it again.

However, I need to go back to L’Arcangelo for the carbonara. After having carbonara at Da Danilo and Roscioli, I need to add L’Arcangelo to the Carbonara Challenge List.

P.S. I almost forgot about the complimentary Amuse Bouche, which was a eggplant soup with roasted sundried tomatoes. It was refreshing and I wish it was on the menu as I would come back to L’Arcangelo for this dish.

Have you been to L’Arcangelo? What was your dining experience there like?

To not face another round of disappointment, I had no expectations but figured that this time around, I will head there not when they are just opening at 12.00pm but after 2pm.  This should increase my odds of getting a gelato.

So off I went and got to the famous Via Bettolo. This street won’t mean much too most people but for my sister and I, it’s the “dreaded” street.  We would get off at the Ottaviano Metro Stop and make our way to Via Bettolo only to stare disappointment in the face.

When I got to this street, I was already getting jittery and wondered “Will this be the day?”  With caution, I proceeded to Via Bettolo 7 and although it was open, I didn’t dare get excited yet.

I held my breath, stepped in and didn’t see any one in the gelateria.  The previous memories of disappointment were starting to rush back but stopped in its tracks when a lady appeared and greeted me with a “Buon Giorno”.  I let out small sigh of relief and said with much eagerness “Give me one second to decide”.

In turn, she said “Just call me when you are ready” then headed to the back of the store again.

And so, here I am – finally getting to choose what flavors I will get from the ever elusive Fatamorgana. I took my time looking at the different choices and the lady came back out after a few minutes and said “Are you ready?”

I wasn’t. But I was afraid that if I took anymore time, she may decide to go to the back of the store again and then not come out to take my order.  Yes, I was a bit paranoid. This is what happens when you’ve come so close but walked away tasting defeat rather than heavenly gelato!

My choice of gelato: Peanuts, Lemon Curd and Pineapple with Ginger with of course panna on top.

So I hear you asking “Was it worth the three trips?”  Especially since Il Gelato di Claudio Torce is so much easier to get to (at least for me).

Here’s my take.

The peanut gelato was superb with chunks of peanuts and when I was done, I was craving another scoop of it. And no, I didn’t get another one!

Of all the three flavors, I was looking the most forward to tasting the lemon curd.  Unfortunately, it was a bit of a disappointment.  When I think of lemon curd, the word is “tangy”!  It wasn’t even close and just had a slight scent of lemon.

I love the ginger sorbet from Il Gelato and when I saw they had taken it one step further here at Fatamorgana with Pineapple and Ginger gelato, I was stoked!  Until I tasted it.

It could barely taste the ginger and overall, it felt more like just a pineapple sorbet.  Not impressed either as I’ve had the best pineapple sorbet in Hawaii that’s hard to beat.

Would I be back to  Gelateria Fatamorgana?

I would if I have time kill between my lessons. I am sure they have other flavors which are as outstanding as the peanut flavor and this means trying out new flavors.

However,  if I have a sudden gelato craving, my first choice would still be Il Gelato.

If you have been to Il Gelato and Gelateria Fatamorgana, which is your pick?

However, a trip to Rome is  no small hop across the pond, and just getting here can be a serious drain on your bank account. To help you keep within your budget, here’s a brief  list of four financial tips when planning your trip Rome.

 1. Credit Cards

If you don’t already have one, you should seriously consider getting a no foreign transaction fee credit card to use overseas.  There are plenty of 0 interest credit card offers out there that will allow you to easily explore and enjoy the beauty and rich culture of Rome without worrying about hefty bank fees or personal finance matters back home.

Surely after such a lovely trip, you don’t want to tarnish those memories when you get around to seeing the bank statement on your return.

2. Eat Local

When you see a restaurant offering a tourist menu, it’s a sign to stay away!  These are places that locals would not even think about stepping in. Here are few places where you can get good food that are reasonably priced.

L’Asino D’Oro – For a €12 lunch, this is probably the best deal in town.  They offer a different set menu every day and includes water and wine.  Quality and service here is excellent.

Open Colonna – They offer a “City Lunch” starting from €16 euros.  You have the option of the buffet or a set menu consisting of a first and second course together with dessert from the buffet.  With a glass roof and located in Palazzo dell Esposizioni, this a unique place for lunch at a reasonable price.

Pastificio – This is close to Spanish Steps and while it is a pasta shop, it serves lunch for only €4 including water. However, you only have two pasta dishes to choose from and regardless of which dish you choose, you will not be disappointed.

Lines at Pastificio

Lasagnam – This is Italy’s concept of fastfood and popular with teenagers.  They is often a line and some items may run out.  Overall, it is decent considering that it is a “fastfood” place.

3. Getting Around Rome

Rome’s metro system is nothing like that of some European cities but the two lines sufficiently covers many of the main attractions in the city. Apart from the metro, it is also easy to get around with other forms of public transportation such as the bus and tram.  If on a budget, this would be a good way of getting around as public transportation in Rome is relatively inexpensive.

However, the best way to discover the city is on foot and it’s free!  Many attractions are within walking distance of one another and if you do get lost, you may be pleasantly surprised to see the hidden gems that weren’t mentioned in guide books.

Finally, if you decide to take a taxi in Rome, make sure it’s an official one. There are taxi stands throughout the city and while it’s uncommon to flag down a taxi, you can get away with it.

4.  Accommodations

The Termini, or main train station area in Rome is known for its many affordable places to stay, but can be somewhat dangerous at times, which gives many travelers reasonable pause for concern.  Having said that, there are some accommodations in that area that offer quality service and accommodation.

However, if you would prefer to be closer to the main attractions, you may want to consider accommodations near the Colosseum,Piazza Navona, Spanish Steps and Vatican.  Take time to do some research and you will for sure be able to find some steals.

No matter your personal budget, there are always ways of perusing foreign destinations on a budget.  Hopefully these four considerations will help you save some money, and enjoy a wonderful trip to beautiful Rome.

Whenever I can manage to get BrowsingRome to cook or bake for me it’s an ultimate treat. Typically I can manage to negotiate only two to three items so I have to be weigh my choices carefully and prioritize. Also, BrowsingRome doesn’t always approve of my selection and so it requires a lot of negotiating skills to get her to agree.

Here are the homemade meals and baked treats that I managed to get BrowsingRome to prepare.  What a treat indeed!

1. Apple Dumplings

I remembered how she had written up a post on the Apple Dumplings. I figured it just simply looks good and didn’t have high expectations of it tasting good.

So imagine my surprise when it actually tastes even better than it looks! The caramel sauce is delish,  and the combination of cinnamon and sugar oozing from inside the apple is magical. The best thing is the pasta frolla – just the right amount of crumble, crunch and butter.

Note: I’m not being biased either. As her younger sibling I would be brutally honest.

2. Fresh Fettucine and 3. Ravioli Pumpkin in Butter & Sage sauce.

Nothing beats fresh pasta! It just taste so so (for a lack of a better word) – FRESH!

The only thing was this wasn’t cooked al dente otherwise it would have been perfect. However, BrowsingRome redeemed herself and the next day, she cooked another batch just right.

This time around it was al dente. Redeemed!

The Ravioli Pumpkin was scrumptious and hearty in that the pasta was on the thicker side.

4. Breakfast Crepe with Fresh Ricotta & Caramel Sauce

Let’s just say waking up to this was perfect way to start the day! To top it off, we went overboard and used the Caramel Sauce (that was also used on the Apple Dumpling), which I wish I could have bottled up and brought back with me.

A not too sweet, buttery goodness! Then the fresh ricotta filling, with ricotta bought at the Sunday Market, tasted so light yet rich and delightful.

Words of Advice

My advice is, if you are fortunate enough to get an invitation from BrowsingRome for a homemade meal, don’t turn it down.  She usually goes all out by preparing several courses regardless of whether it’s an Asian or Italian meal.

Her husband would say, she prepares food for an army and it’s no wonder she requires a long recovery period before sending out another invitation.

As it was a holiday on May 1st, most people took Monday off to have a 4-day weekend, and so we were expecting that we would have to make several calls before finding a room.

From the website, the exterior of the B&B Via della Piazza was welcoming but when we saw photos of the rooms from the website, they were not the most attractive bed and breakfast we have stayed in.

However,  as it would just be for a night, we went ahead and booked it.  After all, we would get there late in the evening and be exploring Pescasseroli and then out early the next morning for the Abruzzo National Park.

When we got there, we were fortunate to find parking at the entrance of the street.  We made our way to the B&B and told the person sitting by the computer we were checking in. He informed us that he was not the owner and that owner will be down soon.

Eventually, the owner showed up and shook our hands but then went about starting up the fireplace.  Meanwhile, we just hung around the lobby and I just thought it was weird that he didn’t check us in.

He wasn’t rude and even offered us something to drink and we kindly declined.  We were thinking, ok, he would probably deal with us once he was done with lighting the fireplace but that was not the case.

After a good 15-20 minutes, Luca asked “Would it be ok for us to check-in?” He, in turn, replied “We don’t have any rooms available”.

Keeping calm, Luca said “We called this morning and got a confirmation” and after giving the last name he said “Oh, sorry, I thought you were with the other group that just checked in”.

He kept apologizing and we were just glad he was not simply weird and ignoring us.   We were finally shown the room which were two connecting rooms.  It’s old and when we saw the bed in the first room, we had doubts as to whether we have made the right decision to stay at this B&B.

The bathroom was connected to the other room but the beds there were not made.

Outdated but clean enough

However, he said, if we preferred, we could move to that room. We decided to stay put and the bed was actually more comfortable than it looks.

The room was well-heated and the other room, where the heaters weren’t on, was freezing so we were glad to stay where we were.

The next morning, breakfast was served at 8am and we were there on the dot as we had the hike at 9am.  Breakfast was the typical Italian breakfast such as croissants, cakes, pies as well as yogurt, fruits and choice of beverages.  They were no warm food but it was very satisfying.

Breakfast table

Breakfast goodies!

When we checked out, the owner was again apologizing for what happened at check-in but looking back, it was just funny. As we paid €60 per room, it was value for money and I wouldn’t mind coming back here for an overnight stay if we head again for another hike in that area.

However, if we do plan a longer stay in Pescasseroli, I would most likely look for an alternative.

Bed-and-Breakfast Via Della Piazza di Toscano Salvatore
Via Della Piazza, 52
67032 Pescasseroli (AQ)
Telefono: 328-615411

I woke up Saturday morning with an urge to be outdoors as the weather has  just been gorgeous lately. The urge was also probably due to the need to work off the food marathon I had with my sister while she was in town.

However, the challenge was deciding where we could go as it maybe difficult to find accommodation. Here in Italy, May 1st is a holiday and many people have taken Monday off to have a nice long weekend.

We often try to avoid travel during peak periods but decided if we leave for either a day trip or an overnight stay coming back on Sunday, there won’t be much traffic on the road.

We had mentioned Pescasseroli and the Abruzzo National Park a few days earlier but it was only on Saturday morning that we checked on guided tours for this past weekend in the Park.

We called Ecotur and were told they had a guided walk which was rated as easy on Sunday morning at 9am.  Easy was what we wanted to hear as we really didn’t want to overestimate our own abilities and at €10 per person, it was very reasonable.

After discussing what time we would need to leave Rome to get there at 9am, we felt it would make more sense to stay overnight at Pescasseroli where we had to meet up.

We called the first B&B and was surprised they had a room available.  From the website, it wasn’t impressive but basically, it was just a place to sleep.  What is important for us is a clean place.

While we met the guide at their office in the centre of Pescasseroli, we still had to drive to Camosciara which was about a 20-minute drive. Parking fees at La Camosciara are €4 per car and there, we saw they also organized horseback rides which my niece, who loves horses, would surely enjoy.

Camosciara - Parking Area

Before we started the walk, the guide briefed us on the area and gave us some background information on the camoscio (chamois), cervo (deers) and wolves (lupo) that can be found in the park. He also mentioned the serious situation of the Marsciano bears as there are only about 40 remaining.

He said we won’t likely see of these animals as our hike is an easy one and will not get us to their whereabouts. However, a few minutes into the walk, he asked us to gather around something which looked like excrement. In my mind, I was thinking, this better be good because it’s just excrement!

Not necessary pleasant to look at!

The guide explained that this a wolf’s excrement and when a wolf attacks, it first eats the external parts like skin before going for the organs.  If it has time, the wolf then eats the rest of the animal.  The reason the guide brought this up was because a little boy with his parents on the tour were interested in wolves.

From this excrement, the guide said that the wolf had attacked a sheep from the white color of the skin in excrement and if it was a deer, it would be brown.

Ok let’s move on the more pleasant things.  If you decide to come to La Camosciara on your own, just take the asphalt path which will lead you to the waterfalls.

As for us, the guide also took us through the woods which I was surprised to see was nicely “manicured”. We also walked a good part on the asphalt path but I preferred walking through the woods as it was also much cooler and felt more like a walk in the park.

Overall, it was a “walk in the park” and although we brought bottles of water and some fruits, they weren’t really necessary as there was a bar at top.  Apart from snacks, it also sells souvenirs, has a restroom and tables and benches outdoors.

While some participants were taking a short break, the guide shared with us about the antlers of the deer.  He says deers shed their antlers annually and you can tell the age by the number of protrusions. So, if you see antlers on the walls of a rooms, it doesn’t necessarily mean the deer is dead.

This isn’t the case with chamois which has permanent horns and when you see them on a wall, that means the chamois is dead.

This deer was 7 years old when it shed this antler

From the bar, we made our way to the waterfalls which is less than a 10-minute walk up some steps.

Tre Cascate Waterfall

The second waterfall Ninfe is only a few steps away and less impressive.  You won’t miss it as it’s the end of the path and you would need to turn back.

Ninfe Waterfall

Overall, the waterfalls weren’t that impressive but I thoroughly enjoyed this walk with the guide.  As I have mentioned in the past, you get more out of a walk or tour when you have a guide.  They bring to light and share information you wouldn’t get if you just went on your own.

It was great to be outdoors and which such perfect weather, I appreciate the  beauty and incredible creation that nature has to offer.

Naturally Beautiful!

If walking is not your thing, there are some alternative transportation that can take you to the bar.  There you would still have to walk up to the waterfalls.

We saw a lot of people taking the wagons and the train but I didn’t get a chance to find out the cost.

I had a very positive experience with Ecotur and even though the tour was in Italian, I was able to understand most of it. The guide was clearly knowledgeable and I walked away not only having enjoyed a few hours in nature but more about this reserve.

I plan to be back to the Abruzzo National Park either with another hike, maybe one that is rated easy/medium difficulty or joining a group on a horseback ride.

First, it’s easier for me to get there as it’s only a few minutes walk from Barberini metro and secondly, since it claims to be an “Oriental Spa in Rome”, I just curious as to what they offer.

I love the decor in the place and with all the wooden furniture, it almost feels like my own home! It has been tastefully decorated in Oriental style and yet at the same time it was modern.

It was a nice blend of pleasant visuals, sounds and smells which created the atmosphere you would want from a spa. From the second, I walked in, I was impressed, not only by the decor but from the service I received.

It’s been a while since I have received a service way beyond my expectations. I was well taken care of and it was the small details that made a huge difference.

When I first got there, they invited me to take a seat and offered me tea and water.  I had already booked my treatment but wanted to see what other services they offered and therefore, asked for a spa menu.

The receptionist, who was Thai, politely handed me their brochure and briefly explained the different services they offered.  She didn’t feel pushy and I never felt pressured to “buy” other services.

I was then introduced to the therapist who spoke English and showed me the way to the room. The therapist was very professional and as I just wanted this as time out for me, I was glad she wasn’t chatty.  Conversation was kept to a minimum and she only occasionally checked if I was comfortable.

As you can see below, the treatment room is simple – not fancy at all compared to the common areas of the spa but it was clean.

However, I was told that they also have a suite room available for certain treatments. So if you want to be really pampered, you will need to look at their Asian Packages which will lasts anywhere from 2h 30 mins to 4h 45mins and cost-wise, from €250 – €400.

After my treatment, I proceeded down the elevator to the reception area.  I was again asked if I wanted some beverage and I requested for some tea.  This time, it was served with some nuts and dried fruits.  Very nice touch! You could take time to sip your tea and there is no sense of them rushing you to pay.

When I was ready, I went to the reception to pay and while most places would probably ask if you would like to make an appointment for the next visit. Instead, they just greeted me with “Hope you will be back again soon.  Thanks for coming”.  It was a nice surprise!

As you can probably guess from the decor, Kami Spa is a bit pricey but from the service I got, I was happy to pay the price because they went beyond my expectations.  It was also a nice break from the eating marathon I had with my sister but after my treatment, I met a friend for Chinese food.  So much for taking a break from eating!

Overall, I walked out extremely happy and hope to be back soon.This will be my go-to spa when I feel like I need some pampering.

Kami Spa
Via degli Avignonesi, 11
Tel: +39 06 4201 0039 / +39 06 4201 301
Website http://www.kamispa.com

Opening Hours:
Sunday to Thursday 10.00 – 21.00
Friday to Saturday 10.00 – 24.00

If you want to try some Oriental treatments, I highly recommend Kami Spa!