I’d never been to Italy until 1997, when I was in the process of being sacked from the Radio 1 breakfast show with Marc Riley. We’d planned to present the show in Rome when England played Italy in a World Cup qualifier, and I think they let us go almost as a farewell gift. We took our wives and we were somewhat demob happy.
Bella knew Rome because she’d lived there for a year as an au pair, and speaks Italian, so she showed me round and I just thought it was the most spectacularly stunning city. Unlike Paris, which is pretty spread out, Rome is pretty tight and I just found it extraordinarily exciting to see so many sights I was familiar with from films and photos. It got under my skin straight away, which is unusual for me – it really takes somewhere special for me to feel at home when I’m on holiday.
Bella took me to Trastevere, an area on the other side of the Tiber that has become more famous since then. It’s full of little squares with fountains spread around the main church and has this beautiful sort of pinky orangey hue to the stonework. Cars can’t go into lots of places and I found it utterly seductive. We sat out one night at a trattoria next to a huge basket of oranges and an old gramophone with a big brass horn and I sat there thinking: “I’ve found a little bit of myself here.”
After the match, where England got the draw they needed and Paul Ince wore his bloodied bandage, we hailed a taxi outside the stadium – an old Fiat – and, without thinking, asked to go back to Trastevere, where we went back to the same little trattoria. It felt like home. Life took over, of course, but we’ve decided that, because I’m 60 this year, for six months we’re going to rent a little flat there and see if we can revive the dream.
From the insider
Rosanna Melaragni is Sunvil’s product manager for Italy and Portugal
Rome is the perfect short-break location. It’s very walkable, and if you pick your months and the times you head off to do sightseeing and strolling, it needn’t be too busy. I always point people towards Trastevere, where they can eat out – and well – for half the price of the city centre, even though it’s only half an hour’s walk from the hotel district around the Spanish Steps. We recommend 3-4 star hotels – comfort, a bit of luxury, but not silly prices. When it comes to doing the main sights, of course everyone wants to see the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel, so we can recommend a personal bilingual guide for a half-day private tour – away from the crowds. We can also arrange cooking classes or wine tastings on a request basis, if that’s what people want. I love history and the number-one USP for Rome is that no matter how many times you return, there’s always something new to see and discover. Plus, there are always music events, new gallery openings and shows, for those who enjoy the arts on their holidays.
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