Ciao amici,
It’s been a while since I last wrote but we have big news…We moved to Rome! It’s been a whirlwind two months since my partner got a job offer here and we had to pack up our place in Turin and move quickly so he could start work on time. As I’m sure you can imagine it’s a little bittersweet as Torino really became home to me over the last few years, and it’s where my partner (and his family) are from. However, Rome is Rome and we are very excited!
This weekend we finally moved into our new apartment after spending the last month in temporary accommodation and it is a big relief. The airconditioner is my new favourite thing - it’s been 30 degrees plus every day since mid-May here (and I’m scared to know what August will be like!) My other favourite thing about the apartment is that we have a view of the Pyramid from the terrace! Did you know there is a pyramid in Rome?
There have been many hilarious (and crazy) discoveries since embarking on our apartment hunt (keep in mind we’re just trying to rent something). Some interesting things about renting in Italy include:
Long-term contracts: Rental agreements are generally 3+2 or 4+2 meaning you sign on for 3 or 4 years and at the end it renews for a further 2 years!
No one replies to email: This goes for most things here, but especially for finding an apartment. Old school telephone calls are where it’s at!
Good luck viewing an apartment after 6pm or on the weekend: Maybe this is just our experience but we haven’t come across any places available to be seen on the weekend.
Monolocale, bilocale, trilocale, quadrilocale: These are the kinds of places you can rent meaning 1 room, 2 rooms, 3 rooms, and 4 rooms.
Cucina arredata: This is important! Did you know that kitchens don’t always come with Italian houses? They’re obviously very expensive to install too so we’re most definitely looking for a ‘furnished kitchen’.
Arredato vs non arredato: Furnished vs non furnished. The area we’re looking at seems to be all fully or at least partially furnished. There’s pros and cons for each.
Spesa: It’s important to check how much the monthly spesa (or condominium fee) is as this isn’t included in the advertised monthly rent. It can range anywhere from 30 euros to 100 or more so it’s worth checking.
Spring on a plate in Rome
We celebrated our first weekend in Rome with a big delicious lunch at Flavio al Velavevedetto. It’s a fantastic restaurant in Testaccio that we dined at the last time in Rome and had such fond memories that we couldn’t wait to go back. It’s literally built into the Monte Testaccio which is this amazing hill built out of broken ancient Roman pottery. There is a window inside the restaurant where you can even see the pottery and it’s mindblowing! But back to the food- it’s so good, you need to eat here!
We started with a carciofi alla giudia, Jewish style artichokes (when in Rome!) If you haven’t tried them before, you must do it when you visit- they are addictive. They’re essentially a deep fried artichoke and you eat the crispy, crunchy leaves with a big dose of satisfaction. Make sure to only order them when artichokes are in season (Winter and Spring).
Next up was a plate of rigatoni alla gricia for Andrea (he’s been dreaming about it for weeks), and a big bowl of housemade fettucine with vignarola for me. I adore the Roman classic pastas but I have been keen to try vignarola for ages. It’s normally served as a side dish and made with the bounty of delicious Spring produce- fresh peas (piselli), fresh broad beans (fava), and artichokes (carciofi). This delicious contorno was paired with luscious pasta, crispy guanciale, and salty pecorino, and I think I died and went to pasta heaven.
Since that first Roman lunch, we have eaten at some other fabulous restaurants including Pizzeria Remo in Testaccio, Piatto Romano, and Piperno Restaurant in the Ghetto. My new favourite is Piatto Romano (I was brave and ordered the pajata or intestine pasta. It’s a real specialty in Testaccio which was where the slaughterhouses used to be, so when in Testaccio…!)
Here are some of our food discoveries since moving to Rome that you might like to try too:
Vignarola: Sauteed artichokes, romaine lettuce, broad beans, guanciale and peas.
Suppli': Delicious fried rice balls filled with lots of different ingredients like tomato sugo and mozzarella; cacio and pepe; the list goes on.
Porchetta: It’s all about the panini filled with delicious porchetta on the weekend here- we are very close to Umbria after all
Rigatoni alla pajata: Pasta with calf intestines
Pizza with fiori di zucca e alici: Pizza with zucchini flowers, mozzarella and anchovies. Roman pizza is different to the Napolitan one. The base is super thin- almost like a flat bread- which means it’s deliciously light.
Baccala: Fried cod before pizza
Pizza al taglio: Perfect for lunch, this is pizza by the slice and a Roman specialty.
September Puglia Tour
As if that wasn’t enough excitement to last until the end of the year, next week I’ll be heading off to Puglia with my lovely friend and colleague Katy from Untold Italy to put the finishing touches on our September tour. There’s still a few last spots left if you would like to visit Puglia with us later this year - it’s going to be spectacular.
On this trip we are going to be visiting the gorgeous Masseria accommodation we will be staying at, checking out the cooking class and olive oil grove visits, enjoying a foodie walking tour in Bari, meeting our local guide in Lecce on a private tour, heading off to our cheese farm in Locorotondo, snapping some shots in Alberobello, dining at a local’s favourite trattoria in Martina Franca, wandering through the sassi caves in Matera with our local guide, and so much more. We are so excited to take our guests to Puglia this September, and next May in 2023!
That’s it for now as there are boxes to unpack and sights to see. I’ll be sure to keep you updated on how our transition is moving from the very North of Italy to the Capital. I’ve already noticed some tiny differences and things that have made me exclaim, ‘Wow! You’d never see that in Torino!’ and it just makes me smile that there are so many wonderful distinctions between regions in just one country.
Have a wonderful week and next time I hope to share more about life in Rome with you.
x Liv
Planning a trip to Rome and trying out some of your restaurant recs—thank you!!!
we are planning a trip to Italy next year crossing fingers! loving your tips on where to stay and eat, cannot wait ❤