It’s Sunday and you have a whole day off to spend in the best possible way to distract yourself and recharge your batteries for the upcoming week of study.
What is typically done in Rome on a Sunday? There are a lot of options, it is really up to you.
Italians often devote their Sundays to their family, with long and excruciating lunches with relatives that one would otherwise never see. After lunch it is usually “soccer” time. As you probably already know, Italy’s favourite sport. The most “popular” soccer teams in the capital are Roma and Lazio, which you might want to go and watch out of curiosity, not only at a friend’s house but perhaps in a far more characteristic “Olympic stadium” packed with fans.
An experience that will also give you the opportunity to learn a number of Italian words never heard before (and certainly not to be repeated)!
If you’d like to spend some time just relaxing outdoors, you could take a walk in one of the many Roman villas: villa Borghese, with its magnificent terrace of the Pincio overlooking Piazza del Popolo, the huge villa Pamphili, Villa Ada, or Villa Torlonia, with its architecture dating back to the Mussolinian period, villa Sciarra, villa Celimontana, the Janiculum Hill with its breathtaking panoramic view over Rome, or the garden of Oranges on the Aventine.
If the weather its not that good or is getting a little to cold, a good solution would be to visit an exhibition at one of the many museums. There is plenty of choice to suit your preferences: from ancient to contemporary, from photography to fashion. Or, what about a movie? Maybe in one of the historic theatres of the capital such as the Barberini, the Adriano, the Four Fountains, the Eden, or the Giulio Cesare or in one of the many cinemas you can find in all of the city’s biggest shopping centres like Porta di Roma, Parco Leonardo or the so called Roma Est mall, where the choice is really wide. Besides, watching a film in the original language is also a great way of practicing Italian.
A perfect way to end the day would be with an aperitif or a cocktail dinner, not only in the “traditional” Trastevere or Campo de’ Fiori, but also in one of the many clubs, pubs, cafés and wine bars of the city’s newest and youngest districts: San Lorenzo, Pigneto, Quadraro and Ostiense, rich in murals and street art work created by talented artists from all over Europe. These murals have made these neighbourhoods not only great for their nightlife, but also modern, colourful and pleasant to walk around in.
So, how will you spend your Sunday?