<p>I read all of the great suggestions in the Mom/Daughter trip to Paris and wondered if anyone had suggestions for a trip to Rome and Dublin? It’s a family graduation trip with kids aged 18, 16, 14, and 12. We’re always looking for interesting fun or active things to do and would appreciate any suggestions! We plan on visiting the Coliseum and the Vatican - as do most tourists, but have several empty days to fill! We’ll only be in Dublin for a day, but wondered Trinity College and the Guiness Factory were the best ways to spend our short time in the city.</p>
<p>You will probably get lots of suggestions about Rome. Rent a car or driver and spend a day or two visiting the Amalfi Coast, Pompeii, Sorrento, Capri (boat from Naples). Or you can take a bus.</p>
<p>Don’t miss St. Peter’s Bascilica and the Borghese Gardens. For BG, you need to get tickets before hand. The Forum, Spanish Steps, Pantheon, operas.</p>
<p>You can walk from one end of Rome to the other. It isn’t that big.</p>
<p>I’ll be very interested in reading the advice in this thread, because my son and I are also going to Rome this summer, as his graduation present.</p>
<p>A few great places to visit in Rome, starting with the Capitoline Museum and the Ara Pacis. The Capitoline Museum has incredible antiquities in bronze: the wolf suckling Romulus and Remus (Romulus and Remus post-date the wolf by quite a lot), Hercules, the hand of Constantine, an unbelievable chariot with figures in bas relief, Marcus Aurelius on horseback (I think–I’m doing this from memory) and splendid Renaissance art, including Lo Spinario, the boy removing a thorn from his foot. The Ara Pacis is the Altar of Peace, dedicated in honor of Augustus and open again last year, after its museum had been closed for restoration for the previous 10 years. </p>
<p>If you can walk through the Forum without awe, I’d be surprised. The climb to the top of St. Peter’s dome will give you an incredible view of the city. You should also see the crypt, and obviously the Sistine Chapel and Vatican Museum. St. Paul’s-outside-the-wall, St. John’s Lateran, Santa Maria Maggiore, and St. Peter Ad Vincula are also impressive. We took the bus out along the Appian Way, to the Church of Domine Quo Vadis, on the spot where Peter made the decision to return to Rome–it is very plain and simple, but peaceful and practically deserted when we were there. The Baths of Diocletian are near the train station. The Cat Sanctuary at the Largho Argentino (below street level, but you view it from above) is also remarkable. </p>
<p>The Piazza Navone is lively at night, though rather touristy. We loved Babington’s Tea Room, but I’d only suggest it as a mother-daughter kind of thing.</p>
<p>I thought that the tourist bus tour in Rome was worthwhile for overall orientation–also, it will inform you that the influx of Northern Europeans and Americans into Trastavere is slowly destroying the soul of that section of the city. </p>
<p>Places we haven’t seen yet, but hope to see in the future: Nero’s Domus Aureus, unearthed on the Palatine, and the coffee shop somewhere near the Via Condotti, frequented by Goethe and Keats. </p>
<p>In Dublin, at Trinity College, you should see the Book of Kells, if you are at all interested in it. (Also I liked a large tourist-gift-shop near Trinity, called Blarney’s, I think.) St. Patrick’s in Dublin is also impressive. For scientists, Robert Boyle is buried there.</p>
<p>^^Looks like you’ll have Rome covered.</p>
<p>For Dublin:</p>
<p>I suggest you stick to walking in the City Centre, in the area roughly covered from Temple Bar (and the Ha’Penny Bridge over the River Liffey) east to Trinity College and south to St. Stephen’s Green. I’d want to include something like this:
[Historical</a> Insights Ireland | Historical Walking Tours of Dublin](<a href=“http://www.historicalinsights.ie/]Historical”>http://www.historicalinsights.ie/)</p>
<p>Plenty of shopping along busy Nassau Street that borders Trinity College on the south. Finish the day with a trip to the Guinness Storehouse to the west. [url=<a href=“Welcome to the Home of Guinness | Guinness Storehouse”>Welcome to the Home of Guinness | Guinness Storehouse]Places</a> to visit in Dublin, Dublin tourism, Dublin tourist information – GUINNESS STOREHOUSE</p>
<p>I love Rome. </p>
<p>I find navigating the Vatican Museum to be an extremely frustrating experience – enormous crowds, big tour groups, galleries closed without warning. Having said that the Sistine Chapel is to me worth the aggravation. Once you get there, wait for a seat and just sit and look for as long you as like. If you go with a tour group they’ll bounce you out in 10-15 minutes which after what you have to go through to fight your way in isn’t nearly enough time. Ross King’s book “Michelangelo and the Pope’s Ceiling” is a wonderful account of the history and drama of the chapel.</p>
<p>This organization is very helpful in circumventing the museum entrance lines. You join an adhoc “group” and enter as a group in the less onerous group line, but once you’re in you can go your own way.</p>
<p>[ROME</a> VATICAN MUSEUM Booking Museum Tickets in Vatican Rome Italy](<a href=“http://www.rome-museum.com/]ROME”>http://www.rome-museum.com/)</p>
<p>The last two times I visited Rome I concentrated on seeing ALL the Caravaggios, which by default became an art, culture and spiritual tour.
My favorites are in the Vatican painting gallery (Pinoteca), Galleria Doria Pamphilj and the churches of Santa Maria del Popolo and San Luigi dei Francesi. </p>
<p>[::</a> Galleria Doria Pamphilj - Roma](<a href=“http://www.doriapamphilj.it/home.asp]::”>http://www.doriapamphilj.it/home.asp)</p>
<p>As a nice afternoon (and easy) trip to the country, consider a visit to Tivoli and Hadrians villa. Its an easy bus trip (they leave every 1/2 hour). Its a nice break (especially for the younger set) from the churches and galleries. Kids under 18 can only take so much Baroque art.</p>
<p>I second the suggestion for Hadrian’s villa: Pictures here: <a href="http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/italy/tivoli/hadrian’svilla/hadrianintro.html">http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/italy/tivoli/hadrian’svilla/hadrianintro.html</a> </p>
<p>I also think some of the smaller baroque churches are fun. This little oval jewel is one of my favorites: [Images</a> of Sant’Andrea al Quirinale, Rome, by Bernini, 1658-70. Digital Imaging Project: Art historical images of European and North American architecture and sculpture from classical Greek to Post-modern. Scanned from slides taken on site by Mary Ann](<a href=“http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/andrea/andrea.html]Images”>Images of Sant'Andrea al Quirinale, Rome, by Bernini, 1658-70. Digital Imaging Project: Art historical images of European and North American architecture and sculpture from classical Greek to Post-modern. Scanned from slides taken on site by Mary Ann Sullivan, Bluffton College.)</p>
<p>With kids I’d be sure to go to Pompeii for a day. You can run around a bit, and there’s the gross factor of being able to see the bodies of the poor people trying to escape. You can really see how the town was put together with streets, a central square etc.</p>
<p>Another Rome suggestion: go to Perrugia & Assisi. Umbria is amazing, and less traveled than the Amalfi coast. Also, a side trip to Villa d’Esta in Tivoli.</p>
<p>Sorry–I forgot to add the macabre skeletons in the Church of the Cappuccini.
I could have done without it, but its a real hit with the pre-teens and teens.
Its off of the Via Veneto and worth a quick peek if you are already strolling the neighborhood. Also—we always go online before we leave for music concerts. Last year we heard a Bach Cantata concert at Il Jesu and later that evening went outside of of town(Parco della Musica) to catch the Gypsy Punks. A little bit of everything.</p>
<p>Great suggestions from Quantmech on the cultural side. Now, let’s move on to what’s really important – gelato!</p>
<p>The two places I can recommend are Giolitti, near the Pantheon I think – it is very famous and busy on a summer night and the gelato is delicious.</p>
<p>Another smaller place where the gelatos are presented beautifully and taste just as good is Gelateria della Palma. Can’t remember where it is, but we found it in one of the guide books.</p>
<p>Another vote for Giolitti - yes, right near the Pantheon.</p>
<p>Third vote for Giolitti - if I could have remember the name I’d have recommended it myself! It’s been an institution since 1800. (!!!) Though according to this site there may be even better places in Rome: <a href=“http://www.seeitalia.com/articles/the_best_gelato_in_italy.htm[/url]”>http://www.seeitalia.com/articles/the_best_gelato_in_italy.htm</a> You’ll obviously have to try them all!</p>
<p>What about an Irish music pub crawl in Dublin?</p>