Latium
Latium, or Lazio is the Region with Rome. A visit to this Region of course would include some time in Rome and other locations, some of which can be seen as day-trips from Rome. These would include Tivoli and some of the hill towns.
For us, a good number of our visits to Italy start in Rome and then we drive to other locations across the country. We have stayed just outside of Rome and traveled in by train, or stayed in Rome and taken some trips out of the city by train. Overall, stay in Rome to see the city itself. There is much to see. The many sights outside of Rome are best is you have a car but train travel is workable.
Locations such as Viterbo can be seen as a day trip from Rome, we have typically visited the city as part of a stay in Tuscany or travels to other areas. However you decide, it is a city to be seen. There are plenty of churches, palaces and medieval streets to walk. The imposing gray walls create quite the atmosphere especially if you visit on an overcast day!
Established by the Normans, its location near Rome, its safety on the hill with its walls, meant it was the town were about a dozen popes were either crowned, died or resided. In the 1300s when Avignon was established as the residence of the Popes, Viterbo started to lose much of the power it held. In the good times, quite a city was built!
South of Rome, we found the sea-side town of Sperlonga to have a wonderful beach and an plesant old town section. Being just a few hours from Rome, Sperlonga is a spot we have used to end a trip, spend a few days by the sea relaxing before we return for a few days in Rome and then fly back to Canada.
Civita di Bagnoregio
 |
 |
 |
Located around 100 km from Rome, or just 28 km from Viterbo, a visit to Civita di Bagnoregio is a quick trip back in time. It sits on a outcrop of volcanic stone and appears like an island surrounded by its valleys. At one time it was connected to the city of Bagnoregio but that land eroded away and today you enter the city by walking across a footbridge to go up to the old medieval town.
Pass through the stone gate and you have gone back in time. There is one main piazza, with the church San Donato dominating structure. This was the cathedral for the town of Bagnoregio until 1699. Along the piazza and the main street there are some three story buildings The Palazzo Alemanni is now owned by the local government and rooms on the upper level are used to host art exhibitions and conferences.
We were here in 2000 and while taking a fast shot of a woman on a chair, her son, Frabizio, joined us and invited us into this small restaurant/kitchen. We had some great bruscetto and wine in his basement kitchen. Very good.
Gaeta
Even though now when we look at pictures it looks spectacular, and tour books describe it as a beautiful site with charming Mediterranean architecture -- we just were not impressed. It was one of those occasion where we parked the car, said we would meet back a 7:00 pm and within a short time we were all heading back to the car hoping the others would be there. We all met early and headed back to Sperlonga.
The ancient city is on a narrow peninsula with the cathedral dating back to 1276. Yes there was a medieval feel, but I think it is just one of those places that we will have to return for a second visit.
Sperlonga
Here was a real surprise. In 2003 we were aiming for Gaeta. Our good friend, Carmen Grant, had seen the town of Gaeta featured on a cooking show and it looked like quite the destination. So that was the start of booking a vacation around Gaeta!
We could not find suitable hotel accommodations in Gaeta so we decided to say in the next town, Sperlonga, located about a half an hour along the coast. This turned out to be a very good thing. Gaeta did nothing for us, although even today, we see shots of the town featured on travel shows and it does look scenic. Oh well, it was off to Sperlonga.
The old part of Sperlonga is located on a precipitous ledge that hangs over the sea. Just walk down the road and climb the narrow maze of stairways into the old town. There you find network of small white-washed buildings with walkways for just that, walking. There are no cars in this town.
 |
 |
 |
There are a couple of cafes where you can sit, enjoy a drink and soak of the feeling of Italian life. Nothing hectic in this small town. No vespas, no cars.
So if you need a great beach location that is located not that far from Rome, Sperlonga is the place. After this, I don't think you find beaches this fine and unsploit until you are well down the coast. We have this as a place to which to return. As so we will.
Our 2008 visit to Italy has us spending a couple of days on the beaches of Sperlonga to relax as a way of winding down and ending the trip. Then it is a reasonable drive into Rome, a little pen shopping, and then back to Canada
Rome
We have stayed many many times in Rome, each time finding it such a pleasurable city to visit. We will try to summarize some of the sights that we have seen on the following page.