Bikes & Bites Rome

02/02/2024

Have you ever visited an ancient Roman house? In Rome, usually under the actual level of the city, are hidden beautiful ancient Roman houses full of astonishing frescos of thousands of years ago.

If you are planning to visit the Eternal City, you can’t miss this place: it’s 5 min walking from the Colosseum and 5 min walking from my cozy apartment in Rome available for travelers on Airbnb.

If you want to learn more, don’t hesitate to click on the link in my bio or send me a DM!

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29/01/2024

07/01/2023

Welcome to the San Giovanni neighborhood in Rome! Located just a short distance from the city center, this vibrant area is known for its rich history, beautiful architecture, and diverse cultural scene.

When you stay in San Giovanni, you'll be within easy walking distance of some of Rome's most iconic landmarks, including the Colosseum, the ancient Roman forum, and the Trevi Fountain. You'll also find a wide range of excellent restaurants, cafes, and boutiques to explore, offering everything from traditional Roman cuisine to international flavors.

In your free time, be sure to visit the Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano, one of Rome's most important churches and the official cathedral of the Pope. The neighborhood is also home to a number of beautiful parks, such as the villa Celimontana and the Parco della Caffarella, which are perfect for a leisurely stroll or a picnic on a sunny day.

Overall, San Giovanni is a wonderful place to experience the the city as a local and we can't wait to welcome you to my apartment in this beautiful neighborhood!
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08/08/2021

It's the biggest triumphant arch in Rome and it celebrates the victory of Costantino emperor o Massenzio in the 312 A. D. The marble and other materials used to build this arch were taken from other monuments. Close by this arch there are some ruins of a big fountain called Meta Sudans used until the V century a. D., period when the Colosseum Valley started to be buried and all the water flows were interrupted.
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Are you planning to visit the ? Come to join the bicycle tour in ! Check the link in bio for availability or send me a DM!
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04/07/2021

Last Friday the tour reopened after COVID and I was so grateful to show Rome's hidden gems to .vanessa_ and .ericam!
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Since I launched this travel experience thanks to , I decided to avoid plastic and minimize wastes.
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I always buy fruits & veggies - 100% organic from my beloved local GAS (Gruppo di Acquisto Solidale = Fair Trade Shopping group) at or from my neighborhood farmers market and I try to offer to my guests delicious local and seasonal Roman food with .
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During the Bikes & Bites Rome picnic I use steel cutlery only and reusable dishes and glasses (sterilized in the dish washer) and the food is packed in paper or reusable containers.
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While you are on travel, do you pay attention to sustainability? Would you prefer an experience with a low carbon footprint?
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If you are planning to visit Rome in September and discover Rome off the beathen paths don't miss Bikes & Bites Rome tour! More info in the link in bio ;)
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23/05/2021

If you are in Rome and you have a huge desire to smell, listen and watch the beauty of the rough sea you can't miss the beautiful trail to Ladispoli. Escaping from Rome by bicycle isn't easy, so I prefer to jump on a train and arrive in Bracciano and from there cycling on amazing roads off the smelly and noisy cars traffic along colorful fields full of flowers.
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Would you like discovering amazing trails around Rome? Send me a DM!
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12/04/2021

The "tagliatelle" are a typical pasta from Emilia Romagna, but it's popular also in the North and Central of Italy. The name come from the Italian world "tagliare" that means to cut (the dough is rolled and then cutted in order to form the strips).
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I love making tagliatelle at home and then eating them with the best seasonal ingredients (now it's the time of asparagus sauce or artichokes one).
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My recipe for 3 people contains:
3 eggs
300 g flour (250 g "0" flour and 50 g durum wheat semolina)
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Procedure: mix the flour in a bowl and make a well. Add the eggs in the well and then with a fork start to wisk them while slowly incorporating the flour from the sides of the well until the dough start to shape. Knead the dough with your hends for 10 minutes and then put it again in the bowl with a plate or a humid cloth on top and left it to rest for 30 min. Then start to use the rolling pin (or a pasta maker) rounding the dough of 90° while working on it until the dough is 5 mm thin. Now it's time to roll it and cut it in order to form the tagliatelle!
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Don't miss Rome as soon as it will be ok and safe to travel again! Come to join me for a sightseeing off the beaten paths and to taste amazing local food 😉 Check the link in the bio!
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03/04/2021

This year Spring is arrived quiet early here in Rome. Since the end of February flowers started to blossom in each flowerbed and green area of the Eternal city. ⁠
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Cycling and walking in my favorite roman park are two relaxing activities perfect for my mood, my health and my soul during this horrible period with all these restrictions due to COVID. How is the situation in your country? What things make you feel good at the moment?⁠
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26/02/2020

These delicious sweets are called "chiacchiere" or "frappe" and they are typical of this period: the Italian Carnival.
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The recipe is quite ancient. It reminds the "frictilia", the ancient Roman fried sweets. *
The ingredients are all-purpose flour, butter, sugar, eggs and marsala liquor or brandy or sambuca. Once mixed all the ingredients, the drought is cutted in strips and then fried or baked. The final step is to sprinkle with iced sugar. *
Did you ever hear about them? Did you tried? If you are in Rome or planning to come soon you can't miss them! *
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19/02/2020

By the 3rd century AD, the boundaries of Rome had grown far beyond the area enclosed by the old Servian Wall, built during the Republican period in the late 4th century BC. Rome had remained unfortified during the subsequent centuries of expansion and consolidation due to lack of hostile threats against the city. The citizens of Rome took great pride in knowing that Rome required no fortifications because of the stability brought by the Pax Romana and the protection of the Roman army. However, the need for updated defences became acute when barbarian tribes flooded through the Germanic frontier and the Roman Army struggled to stop them.
Aurelian's construction of the walls as an emergency measure was a reaction to the barbarian invasion of 270. The walls were built in the short time of only five years, though Aurelian himself died before the completion of the project.
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This in the photo is the Porta Latina (Latin Door) and it's one of the 17 ancient door of the Eternal City. Philologists of the XIV century wrote about a legend related to the name of this door: it's the place where the god Saturn (Latens called by Roman's) concealed himself after was overthrew by his son Juno
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Do you want to discover more about the most interesting and beautiful Roman hidden gems? Come to join the tour with me! All the info in the link in bio and for discounted price send me a DM!
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🇮🇹 ❤️

03/02/2020

February is arrived with the Italian Carnival and my favorite sweets! In every "pasticceria" (pastry shop) of the Eternal City are already available my beloved "castagnole".⁠
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It's a famous Italian carnival deep fried sweet ball empty or filled with delicious custard cream.⁠
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The recipe of this mouthwatering pastry is quiet ancient (1700) and it has simple ingredients.⁠
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Recipe by ⁠
250 g fall-purpose flour⁠
40 g sugar⁠
50 g butter⁠
2 eggs⁠
1/2 glass rhum⁠
lemon or orange zest⁠
1/2 backing powder⁠
iced sugar for the topping⁠
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Tip the flour into a mixing bowl and form a well in the middle. ⁠
Add the baking powder, the sugar, the butter and start to mix. Add one egg at the time, the zest, the rhum and continue to mix until the drought is smooth and homogeneous. Cover and put in the fridge for 1h.⁠
After 1h, take the drought and form balls as big as ping-pong ones.⁠
In a pan put the vegetable oil and when is hot, fry the balls (not too many in the pan) until they are golden brown colored.⁠
Stick a ball with a toothpick in order to understand if they are cooked inside: if the toothpick is clean they are ready.⁠
Put them on absorbent paper and sprinkle them with the iced sugar.⁠
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For the custard cream recipe check the one by , it's the real Italian custard cream recipe written English!⁠ * * * * *