“Facciamoci un aperitivo” or “Fare l’aperitivo”, whatever way you want to call the ritual of the aperitif before a meal, fact is that the aperitivo has a near cult status in Roman urban life.

An aperitivo is in its simplest sense is a pre-dinner drink, meant to “open” the palate and to stimulate an appetite, but it is also a casual way to meet up with colleagues, friends or even blind dates. Often used as the perfect way to start winding down your day, it gives you time to socialize or relax, while feasting on finger food, hors-d’oeuvres or a small buffet consisting of pastas, salads, meats and cheeses. Drinks during aperitivo time are generally discounted, although often have a supplement added to them to compensate for the refreshments being offered alongside. A good rule of thumb for evening aperitivo is from 6 till 9 p.m.

In the coming weeks we’ll take a look at the Roman aperitivo culture, follow us on the RetRome blog and twitter.

The exhibition, the unrepeatable 60’s, in Museo Fondazione Roma, Palazzo Cipolla pays tribute to a unique artistic era, the period that starts in the late fifties until the beginning of the seventies. On show are 170 art works that illustrate the cultural interaction and vibe between Rome and Milan in the 1960′s as two poles of opposing and complementary creativity.

Both Milan and Rome were at the creative epicenter of new experiments and research, linking the visual arts with other areas of culture, such as literature, theater, journalism, photography, news, design and fashion.
While in Rome the artists became the driving force of the national art scene, Milan had a more international perspective being at the forefront of the International avant-garde art movement. Special homage is paid to Studio Marconi, one of the leading innovation centers of the day. Studio Marconi opened her doors in 1965 in Milan and became soon one of the favorite meeting places of cultural and artistic personalities in those years.

At the end of the exhibition there is a special section where the audio-visual media screen will help the visitor through the projection of images, videos, unreleased footage and interviews. Like this the visitor can catch a glimpse the effervescent climate of the 60’s, an era we long for, every once and while.

GLI IRRIPETIBILI ANNI ’60, Un dialogo tra Roma e Milano.
From the 10th of May until 31st July (it will then move to Palazzo Reale in Milan, from 7th September to 20th November).

Fondazione Roma Museo – Via del Corso, 320 – Roma
Web: www.fondazioneromamuseo.it

In summer Rome can feel like an oven (though no reason not to visit of course), so a recipe for a nice fresh cocktail seems to be the right thing to do.
For those who are not familiar with Crodino: Crodino is a bitter is made from herbal extracts and fruits and is produced in nothern Piedmont since 1964. Crodino can serve as a refreshment, its primary use however is as an aperitif before a meal, or can be served on the rocks with a slice of orange.

Let’s create our own momento crodino:

* a cold bottle of Prosecco
* 2 or 3 bottles of Crodino
* ice
* mint

Well, you will probably understand what to do when you see the ingredients above. But, let’s be thorough:

• Pour half a bottle of Crodino into a glass, add a bit of ice and fill it up with Prosecco.
• Top it off with a bit of mint etc.
• Crodino can be found in some supermarkets or in liquor stores.
• It is a non-alcoholic bittersweet drink, which is often used at aperitivo here in Italy.

Salute!

Readers who have been with us for longer (or who have searched on this page a bit) know her sound already and know that we are fans… Caro Emerald. Back It Up is another great song with a beautiful video clip. Somehow it brings back memories of Cuba, the Caribean and the old days.

 

 
Caro Emerald – Back It Up

The song became widely known after the legendary performance by Jude Law and Matt Damon in The Talented Mr. Ripley and is a classic in the Italian repertoire. In respons to a an earlier music blog post about Caro Emerald, Stephanie C. remarked that Caro would be a great option to use in her holiday recap video. Which led us to think that we should list this new version of We No Speak Americano by Yolanda Be Cool as well. Might suite you better for the video of the late hours…

Yolanda Be Cool & DCUP – We No Speak Americano

Really it shouldn’t be our job to talk you out of Rome, but even we can imagine you’d like to get out of the city once in a while. Well, I spent last weekend on Ponza and it was definitely worthwhile. What a great place. And luckily, we’d happen to be there during the biggest party weekend of the year. Since tomorrow is San Paolo & San Pietro, the holiday for the two patrons of Rome, the island was covered with beautiful, happy young Romans.

OK, we think that Rome is known to everybody, but… to summon it up for once and for all (and remain silent ever after): what is the perfect (touristic) two day itinerary for Rome?

First day:

• Take a trip to St Peters. If possible try to visit before 9 am as you will beat the crowds.
• The Vatican museum(s).  Allow a couple of hours in the museum(s). Try to buy ticket on line in advance.
• Castel Sant’Angelo and Ponte Sant’Angelo.  Hadrian built this impressive Mausoleum (consisting of a massive 89 m solid square base topped by a cylinder shape of 64 mtr in diameter and height of 20 mtr) for himself and his successors and constructed also the bridge  in 134 AC to link his Mausoleum to the city.
• Take a bus or taxi to Maxxi, one of Zaha  Hadid’s finest works to date, in Rome’s Flaminio district. Built as a museum, Maxxi consists in fact of five separate buildings leaning against one another, so designed to withstand an earthquake.
  
• Head afterwards to Piazza del Popolo. Look south and you will see the tridente, the three streets set between two similar 17th-century baroque churches. If you look from the opposite direction you will see that the three streets lead back to the same single point.
• If you want to shop walk into the area of one of these three streets and check out the shops. Don’t forget the famous Via del Corso.
• Enough of shopping then follow the signs or your (digital) map to the Trevi Fountain. Beware of pickpockets!
• Round the corner from the Trevi Fountain you will find the famous Scalinata della Trinità dei Monti, named after after the church that dominates the square from above or more common known as Spanish Steps at Piazza di Spagna.
• After a pretty hectic day you might fancy an ice cream, aperitivo or quiet meal. There are lots of ice cream parlours, bars and restaurants to choose from.

Second day:

• If you are staying in our Colosseum B & B or apartments it just takes a five minute walk to visit the Colosseum. Try to get a ticket in advance or book a guided tour to avoid the crowds.  Be aware of people dressed up as gladiators, they can  charge you over €10 for the privilege of making a picture together.
• Then head to the head to the entrance of the Forum on Via Sacra, where you can walk around the impressive ancient ruins. Before your trip try to find a copy of Vedute di Roma van Giambattista Piranesi, one of the famous artists who has given artistic expression to the sights of the Forum in the shape of 135 etchings. Many of these etchings show different parts of the Forum.
• Probably you will end up in Piazza Venezia, walk from there to the Pantheon, just in time for a coffee break in piazza Sant’ Eustachio’s number 82 Il Caffè, or Tazza dóro at  Via degli Orfani, 84 (Pantheon).
• Walk inside the Pantheon, the most complete ancient building in Rome and one of the city’s most spectacular destinations. The Pantheon was the largest concrete structure in the world (until the 20th century) and is still widely praised for its feats of architecture and concept of space. At 43m (142 ft) wide and 43m (142 ft) high, it is a perfect hemisphere of cast concrete resting on a solid cylinder wall.
• Go to the Piazza Navona or Campo di Fiori area. Both places are fantastic spots to stop for lunch or coffee. Just lay back, take a rest and do some people watching. By the way, the back-streets are also good for some vintage or alternative shopping.
• Sunset arriving, head back to the Colosseum to take some fantastic photographs.
• Spend the evening in Celio, Monti, Trastevere or Testaccio.

And above all, don’t forget to enjoy yourself while soaking up the sights, sounds and smells of wonderful Rome.

 The RetRome project was born from a combination of our interest in art and design and our experience in the fields of tourism and hospitality. Our core business is to provide our guests with a comfortable place to stay. But that is not the only thing we do!

The RetRome is mainly managed by a small group of foreigners who are living in Rome and enjoying this wonderful city. Our experiences can be considered valuable and we want to share them with travellers around the world. Visiting a city can be challenging. We are sure you won’t overlook the Colosseum and you know where to find the Vatican. But what about the hidden treasures every city has? It takes a local to know where to go and where to be.

Our goal is to give you an unforgettable time in Rome. Please let us know if you had!

We are renewing our blog, watch our work in progress!