Christmas and New Years Vacation is a great time to Travel.
With two college-student children, my husband and I annually plan one vacation where the four of us can get away from the pressures of school and jobs and be a family again.This means our days must be filled with a unique blend of city and culture, outdoors and adventure. Part planned and part come what may.
With the Christmas, Hanukkah and New Years just around the corner, we are trying to figure out what to do. Maybe we should stay home and let our kids go into the city to see their friends. Try we might to celebrate the holidays with extended family, but they are geographically scattered. Like cream rising to the top, the idea of traveling to another part of the world always seems to win out. Do we want the beach, skiing, history, adventure, culture, art, city or pastoral – a U.S. destination or travel to another continent? At this late very date we need to hurry up and decide!
Unforgettable Fireworks and Food are a must
One thing is for sure, the fireworks display and viewing must be memorable. So must be the food and drink. Like many empty nested and multi – generational families, the holiday destination must be very carefully chosen. There must be lots to do and unusual places to see and the kids must have independence to explore their surroundings on their own. Our accommodations must be spacious and have wifi connection for all the technology. There has to be a great kitchen. Most importantly, we must feel the comforts of home and the warmth of the hearth.
As I am writing this blog post on the plane returning from three weeks at the Casale Sonnino for the October wine harvest and olive gathering, I realize that there is no place like Rome!
On New Years Eve, raise a glass of crisp Frascati Superiore and watch the fireworks pop up across the valley from the city to the mountains. Have a party and celebrate at the Casale Sonnino!
"New Year’s Eve can’t be described. At midnight the view of whole city from the terrace lit up with fireworks and the floating candles from Frascati made it like a fairytale! Read more...
Rome is a great Holiday destination
The Palace Doria Pamphilj, also near the The Casale Sonnino located in the Castelli Romani in the Alban Hills on the outskirts of Rome is a fantastic Christmas and New Years destination. There is enough to see and do and wonderful restaurants to discover to easily fill two weeks and then some. If you wish to take day trips, touring around Central Italy from Florence to the Amalfi Coast and east to the Lazio interior then the sky really is the limit!
So Many Things to Do in Rome and the Castelli Romani
On your holiday, take some days to explore the charming towns of the Castelli Romani: Frascati, Grottaferrata, Nemi and our own sweet Monte Porzio Catone to name a few. The most popular historic sites nearby that can be easily visited are: Tusculum, Tivoli Gardens and Villa D’Este, Museo Archeologico Nazionale in Palestrina, Hadrian’s Villa, Ostia Antica, Castel Gandolfo and Lake Albano. You can visit any of these spots in a morning and then top off the siteseeing with wonderful lunch at a local restaurant.
The Pope’s Palace at Castel Gandolfo, for centuries the summer residence of the Pontiffs, was recently opened to the public as a museum showcasing 20 never-before-seen rooms, including the Hall of the Swiss Guard, the Room of the Throne, the chapel, library and the private papal apartment and study.
The Palace also features a beautiful gallery with oil paintings of popes and religious garments dating back to the 16th century. For a memorable lunch with a fantastic view of Lake Albano, reserve a table at Il Grottino or Antico Ristorant Pagnanelli 1882.
Any stay at the Casale requires, several days or more of visiting Rome, taking the convenient train from Colle Mattia (1K from the Casale) or Frascati (4K). Both stations have parking and it takes no more than 30 minutes to arrive at Rome Termini station in the heart of the city. One could spend a lifetime visiting the city’s famous historic sites and museums, but holiday time is extra special because Rome is dressed up in lights and the atmosphere is festive.
Be sure to stroll the streets of the centro storico and visit famous squares like the Campo di Fiori, Piazza Navona, Piazza Farnese and my favorite jewel, Piazza Sant’Ignacio and the church of the same name with it’s intriguing trompe l’oeil cupola. At night, there are sure to be concerts in many churches and other venues. Piazza Navona has a Christmas market that runs from December 1 – January 6 where at night in addition to the traditional sugary treats; there are street performers, jugglers and artists. If you want a warm-me-up, you can get the best cappuccino, and anything else coffee, at Sant’eustachio Bar just a short walk on your way to the Piazza del Pantheon. This bar has justly received its fame, but I can proudly say that I’ve been going there religiously since my college semester abroad!
The Palace Doria Pamphilj, also near the Piazza Navona, is worth seeing. It is open during the holiday season and they are offering specially priced tickets on their website.
You’ll want to spend one day in Vatican City, visiting St. Peter’s Basilica, The Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel. A morning or afternoon can be spent at my favorite museum by far, the Borghese Gallery that houses Renaissance masters and the incredible statues by Bernini, perhaps the most famous being Apollo and Daphne. Tickets or timed entry slots can be reserved on-line for the museums and Christmas mass with the Pope.
For a break from the old, visit the exhibit “Altri Tempi, altri miti” (Other times, other myths), at the Quadriennale d’Arte at the Palazzo Esposizioni. Eleven curators have chosen 150 works by 100 artists focusing on Italian visual art since 2000.
Jewish Rome: Hanukkah 2016
For who are interested in Jewish Rome and for those who celebrate Hanukkah, which this year runs from December 24 – January 1, there is something for everyone in the eternal city. The food, especially traditional Roman Jewish cuisine and fried favorites like carciofi alla giudia (artichokes Jewish style) have their roots in this place. Make sure that you visit the ghetto area near the main synagogue and the Porto Ottavia on the Tiber river. The best restaurants are Nonna Betta, Ba’’ Ghetto and Al Piperno which is no longer kosher, but has been around a very long time and is a Sonnino family favorite as Piperno was our grandmother’s maiden name.
For all you need to know about spending the winter holidays in Rome, the following web sites are very helpful.
http://www.romewise.com/rome-at-christmas.html
http://www.romewise.com/rome-new-years-eve.html#rome-new-years-what-its-like
https://darkrome.com/blog/rome/hanukkah-in-rome
Whatever you do and wherever you go during your stay at the Casale Sonnino, on New Years Eve, be sure to get back to the villa long before the stroke of midnight. You may not meet your handsome prince, but from our large terrace you will witness the most incredible fireworks display dancing across the panoramic view stretching from the city to the mountains. Ring in the New Year at the Casale and make our home, your home for a few weeks of celebrating and togetherness you will never forget!