Revealed Rome

This Weekend, Lady Gaga Joins Rome's Gay Pride Parade

 

This Saturday, Rome hosts a Gay Pride parade unlike any other -- because the famous Lady Gaga will be in attendance.

Unless you've been living under a rock for the past couple of years, you know that this is a very. Big. Deal. For Rome, and for gay pride worldwide.

Want to see Gaga? Then be at Circus Maximus this Saturday afternoon, where Rome's annual Gay Pride parade ends. (The parade starts at 4pm at Viale Enrico de Nicola, then heads down Via Cavour to Via dei Fori Imperiali and the Colosseum).

And if anyone asks what's wrong with you, spending your time in Rome looking for an American celebrity, you know what to tell them: "Baby, I was born this way."

Update: I've posted the Youtube video, above, of Gaga performing her two (beautiful and way-slowed-down) songs at Circus Maximus. And here's Gaga's 15-minute speech on gay rights.

The Best Gelato, and Best-Kept Secret, in Rome

 

After more than a year of silence, I'm going to let you in on Rome's best-kept gelato secret: Rome's best gelato isn't at Grom, at San Crispino, or even at Ciampini (although that's still my favorite on-the-beaten-track gelateria, for when you just don't have time to make a voyage out to, say, Vice).

Instead, Rome's best gelateria is a little place in the centro storico's business district, a short walk from Repubblica.

Its name? I Caruso.

If you haven't heard of I Caruso, you're not the only one. So far, it's escaped notice even by Rome's myriad foodies and gelato lovers, never mind guidebooks. In fact, it didn't even make it onto any of the recent lists I've seen of Rome's best gelato shops (including these otherwise-great round-ups by Tavole Romane, Katie Parla, and NileGuide).

That said, if I Caruso is a local secret, it's one of the most popular local secrets I know. Every time I go, the place is crowded with Italians. Men in suits fresh from their work at one of the nearby banks, families, well-heeled women -- they're all here. And with reason. 

Rome's Newest Artisanal Gelateria Opens... Right Near the Colosseum

Sweet relief -- in the form of homemade, artisanal gelato -- has just come that much closer for those sightseeing in the Colosseum area. Right across from the entrance to the Roman forum, on Via Cavour, is "Flor," Rome's newest gelateria.

Flor just opened in the last month, and I've already taken (several) tastings. The good news: It's definitely good gelato. And it's made fresh on-site, always a absolute must huge plus. It's also a welcome addition to an area that previously, Sicilian pastry and ice cream shop Ciuri Ciuri aside, didn't have very many gelato options at all, never mind artisanal ones.

That said, it's not the best gelato I've ever tasted. Some of the flavors don't have as much "kick" as I'd like, particularly the fruity ones (is pear really that hard to turn into gelato? Because time after time, I find gelaterias failing to deliver on their pear flavors). But others are definitely worth trying. My two favorites: the variegato all'amarena, a mix of creamy vanilla and cherry, and the fondente, a super-rich dark chocolate.

Even if it's not Rome's best gelateria, Flor is still pretty darn good. Oh, and they have 3-euro milkshakes, too. You can bet I'm going back soon to try one.

Flor. Located at the bottom of Via Cavour, just above where it meets Via dei Fori Imperiali, on the left. I'll go back soon for the proper address, but if you head up Via Cavour from the Roman forum entrance, you can't miss it.

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The Colosseum's Underground: More Good News

Everyone's still excited about the opening (and then re-opening) of the Colosseum's hypogeum and third levels. Now, there's more news. And it's especially exciting for travelers hoping to get into the underground this summer.

First, Colosseum has confirmed that it'll be running tours of those newly-opened areas through July, rather than ending in June, as previously announced.* And, although it's not confirmed, rumor has it that the hypogeum and third levels will proooobably also be open through October.

*Addendum, April 5: After being closed due to floods, Colosseum officials just announced that the underground will reopen this Saturday, April 7.

*Addendum, Oct. 20: The Colosseum hypogeum and third tier will be open through December.

*Addendum, Sep. 25: The Colosseum underground will be open through the end of October.

Second, before, the Colosseum only was allowing access to the hypogeum and third level via its own tours, given by official Colosseum guides. (Even tour agencies selling the Colosseum underground hand their clients over to official Colosseum guides for the underground part of the tour). But that's changed. Now, one agency, Walks of Italy, is using its own guides for the hypogeum and third level. And, although I'm obviously a bit biased (full disclosure: I work for these guys), I think this is an alternative to consider.

Why? Well, even though the official Colosseum guides know their stuff, they can also be a bit, erm, dry. (Your spiel would start to sound dull, too, if you'd been repeating it five times a day for the past 10 years). And not all of them speak that great of English.

So, from what I can see, there are now three main ways to get into the Colosseum's underground.