Thanks to living in Rome for a year, I had the opportunity to enjoy autumn here to the fullest - surprisingly full. Because who knows that besides the majestic, overwhelming beauty of monuments like the Pantheon and the Colosseum, Rome also has a hidden charm that only "slow-living" tourists can feel.
The path along the Lungotevere river
Usually, autumn brings a feeling of cool sadness, at least to me when autumn comes to Hanoi, because of the silence of the fading autumn leaves. But autumn in Rome gives me the completely opposite feeling.
Summer in Rome, especially on August 15th when the whole country is on Ferragosto holiday (lasting about 3-15 days), everywhere seems to fall into a state of "summer sleep" because the weather is too hot. Autumn is also the time when all business activities return to normal and the whole city of Rome seems to be revived in the cool air. The sudden brilliance of the autumn leaves changing color makes me stunned. That is why autumn gives me an indescribable feeling of joy.
Every autumn, I take a walk along the Tiber River, called Lungotevere (meaning “banks of the Tiber”). Along both sides of the dike are rows of large trees that always bend towards the river. This image is as typical of Rome as the willow trees that shade Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi. I really like the light yellow color of the leaves, which look like maple leaves gently swaying under the sparkling sunlight without the heat of autumn. Did you know that in psychology, yellow symbolizes joy and happiness because it reminds us of the warmth of the sun? Despite the line of cars and drivers who are often angry because of traffic jams, I still feel strangely peaceful under the trees of Lungotevere.
Trastevere Old Town
In contrast to the quiet Lungotevere, the old town of Trastevere (which means “across the Tiber”) is one of the most bustling places in Rome. Tourists come here to immerse themselves in the small streets with ancient stone floors and unique artisan shops. This ancient space is dotted with rows of ivy, some luxuriant, some sparse, each beautiful in its own way. In summer, the ivy is just a single color green, but from October, nature paints the leaves with all the shades of autumn: yellow, orange, brown and red, reminiscent of sunset. Only autumn can make Trastevere so poetic.
In addition to the romantic scenery, people also come to Trastevere to visit the Santa Maria Church, one of the oldest churches in Rome dedicated to the Virgin Mary. In addition, Trastevere is also a famous dining area for its delicious, nutritious, and cheap food, very suitable for young people. The small, pretty Italian restaurants with red and white checkered tablecloths are the attraction of this old town. The pizza shop I often go to is called Dar Poeta, the most famous restaurant in Trastevere. In addition to traditional pizzas baked on a wood-fired oven, the restaurant also serves pizza with cheese sauce or cream sauce instead of tomato sauce, which is delicious and not greasy at all.
Villa Sciarra Secret Garden
Rome has no shortage of large parks, such as Villa Doria Pamphili, Villa Ada or Villa Borghese. All of them are beautiful green spaces, but in the fall there is one secret garden that I love the most. I call it the secret garden because tourists certainly don't know about it. It is often visited by locals and mainly by families with small children.
I discovered Villa Sciarra by chance because it was located opposite my school. From the outside, the garden looked abandoned, because of the stillness of the ancient fountain that often ran dry. However, inside the solid wall that surrounded the garden, there were many interesting things. The fact that Villa Sciarra was not as well cared for as other parks made it more mysterious. Every time I visited the garden, I discovered an old statue hidden in the overgrown grass that no one had cleaned.
Although not as large as other parks, Villa Sciarra is home to beautiful old trees. I still remember how surprised I was when I saw the bright yellow color of the largest ginkgo tree in Villa Sciarra. Because it is an old tree, the ginkgo has a wide canopy, occupying a corner of the garden. The bright yellow color of this canopy is much brighter than the yellow of the trees on Lungotevere. And instead of many trees, there is only one tree in the middle of the garden, looking like a fairy tree. The moment I saw this ginkgo tree was the moment I realized that autumn had truly arrived.
The flow of the Tiber River seen through the golden leaves above or the ivy with all shades of red, yellow, and orange on the ancient wall are the most vivid images in my mind about the Italian landscape. What's more, the pleasant feeling when breathing the gentle cool breeze along the Tiber River and watching the slow but no less joyful pace of life in the old town of Trastevere. Autumn is the season to discover the secrets of Rome. Is it the golden leaves that have pushed me towards the mysterious garden of Villa Sciarra? And who knows, in such a stirring scene, a fairy tale love will come unexpectedly, just like the way autumn came to Rome?
More information
Visa:Detailed information on applying for an Italian visa can be found on the official website of the Italian Embassy in Hanoi: http://www.ambhanoi.esteri.it/. However, if you have a valid Schengen visa from another European country, for example a visa from France, Germany, or the Netherlands, you can still enter Italy freely.
Itinerary: There are no direct flights from Vietnam to Italy to Rome, so travelers are forced to choose connecting flights with many airlines such as Etihad Airways; Qatar Airways; Singapore Airlines; Silkair; Vietnam Airlines... If you are not familiar with connecting flights, you should choose a minimum transit time of 3 hours (especially for Frankfurt airport) to avoid missing the second flight and have more time for shopping.
Move:In Rome and other southern Italian cities, the public transport system is very bad. Therefore, when visiting Rome, you should walk or take Uber. You can take the bus if you have a lot of time because buses in Rome often do not run on time. The whole city has only 3 subway lines A, B, C and I find the metro not convenient at all. If you take a taxi, you can easily be tricked by the driver to take a detour or use tricks when receiving money. Although Uber is expensive, tourists can feel more secure about the price.
Accommodation:
- Unfortunately, Rome's public transport system is not very convenient. Therefore, it is best to choose a hotel near Termini train station or major tourist attractions such as the Coloseum, Pantheon, Spanish Steps and The Vatican City. Convenient areas for sightseeing are: Colonna, Monti, Pigna, Roma Centro, Borgo, Trevi, Sant'Angelo, Parione.
- For those who like romance, choose Trastevere, the most beautiful place in autumn when the leaves are flying. However, if young people do not mind the long distance, like to explore and want to save money, they can stay a little further from the center. Some areas with many interesting things but few short-term tourists visit are Monteverde, Testaccio, Trieste, Ostiense, Prati.
- Visitors can book rooms in advance through online booking sites, but if they have no experience using Airbnb, they should not try it in Rome.
Cuisine:Autumn is the season of pumpkins, truffles, pine mushrooms and chestnuts. When visiting Rome in the fall, you should try specialties made with these ingredients to not only see but also taste the Roman autumn, such as risotto alla zucca (ritual rice with pumpkin), tagliolini al tartufo (spaghetti with truffles) and roasted chestnuts.
Skin:
- Fall in Rome is a bit chilly so everyone should bring a light jacket, long sleeve shirt, long pants and sneakers. It will rain occasionally so wearing a waterproof jacket is convenient.
- The best way to experience Rome is on foot so choose comfortable shoes.
- If you carry personal belongings on your person, choose a sturdy crossbody bag with many compartments to prevent theft and pickpocketing.
Also, prepare a rough outline of the places you need to go and calculate the time carefully. Rome is a big city with many must-see attractions, so it is advisable to have a specific schedule to save time.
