the ides of march

In Shakespeare's play, Julius Caesar, a soothsayer warns Caesar to "Beware the Ides of March!" March 15 is known as the Ides of March in the Roman Calendar. So, what was the soothsayer referring to? Well, on this day in 44 B.C., the Roman leader Julius Caesar was stabbed 23 times by a mob of mutinous senators.

If you want, you can see the room where it happened. The ruins of Largo di Torre Argentina in Rome is now a sanctuary for stray cats if you can believe it. But even beyond the site of Caesar's stabbing, there are all sorts of other Roman ruins to see in Rome, not to mention the rest of Italy. 

Someone recently asked us whether the Colosseum is "worth it." Um. Yes. It's absolutely worth it, but so are the ruins of The Forum, the Palatine Hill, and the Parthenon. The Baths of Caracalla? What happened there? Ahem. You could probably spend a whole week in Rome seeing only ruins from ancient Roman times, and you'd still be missing about a zillion other sites from other eras in history.

With so much to see in Rome, we think having a little help in organizing your visit can really ensure that you won't miss a thing, but you'll still have time to relax and enjoy Rome like a local. The structure of a trip that's well-planned actually allows you to maximize the use of your time. Structure equals freedom. Sounds weird, but it's true.

We work with lots of terrific travel companies that can arrange skip-the-line sightseeing, find authentic, well-located accommodations, and provide expert guidance on where to find the best trattoria. One of those companies, Monograms, has actually put Rome on sale this month. (We've even made them one of our "featured travel deals" right now.They've got a unique model of touring--they sort of act as your personal "concierge" while you're visiting. They can set you up with some basic sightseeing, but then they step back to allow you to enjoy your vacation without feeling like you're on a tour. And it's sure to be a hassle-free experience, compared to "winging it" on your own.  Check out this video that explains how they work.

Terrific, right? I especially love the part where the kids kick the soccer ball into their luggage. Anyway, if you're thinking of doing Rome like a local, drop us a line, and we can match you up with one of our awesome travel providers to make it happen!