View of the Colosseum from the Palatine Hill in Rome

The best time to visit Rome is NOT in the summer, but in the early fall or in the spring. October is a perfect because the churches and museums are not as crowded, the restaurants are serving classic autumn dishes such as tagliolini with black truffel, and the air has a cool crispness that encourages walking and exploration.

Most people, myself included, have visited Rome in the sweltering heat of July when walking up the Palatine Hill feels like a death sentence handed down by Caesar Augustus. When you finally make it down from the Palatine Hill to the Forum to marvel at the columns of the Temple of Saturn and the Arch of Septimus Severus, you find yourself drenched in sweat and in such a foul mood that instead of spending the time to make out the details of the carvings on the Arch of Titus, notably, Roman soldiers carrying off loot taken from the Temple in Jerusalem, including the only concrete proof that there was a menorah in the Temple, all you want to do is seek shelter from the sun. Alas, this is the Forum and there are no trees. So you find yourself crouching behind one of the columns, together with hundreds of other tourists. Therefore, Rule no. 1 is do not visit Rome in July or August.

My visit to Rome in October of this year was simply marvelous. The weather couldn’t have been better: in the evenings, one needs a light jacket, but during the day, it is warm enough to walk around in summer clothes. Romans are already outfitted in their best fall clothes, including knit jackets with fur trim, gorgeous lightweight cashmere coats and boots. I find people-watching in Rome as entertaining and informative as a walk through the Pantheon.

I have begun posting reviews of restaurants and boutique hotels on Mapplr and will finish this week with a short guide to my favorite shops and restaurants in the city, as well as practical tips on getting around, finding Wi-Fi and more.

I posted my Rome photos in two sets on Flickr: one shows the Forum and Palatine Hill (above), and the other has shots of Rome’s neighborhoods and the Pantheon (below).

Check out my recent posts on Mapplr (with more to come):

Kame Hall: modern boutique hotel in the heart of Rome

Al Pompiere: traditional Roman cuisine in an old palazzo

Il Buco: excellent Tuscan food near the Pantheon in Rome

Mapplr’s favorite restaurants and cafes in Rome

Mapplr’s favorite hotels in Rome

Mapplr’s favorite hotels in London

Mapplr’s favorite restaurants in Stockholm