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Flavia’s place is described well in the Airbnb pages – comfortable, convenient, clean, easy-to-live in, good location - accessible to both the centre of Rome and to the beaches/sea at Ostia Lido and, more particularly, further south towards Torvaianica where you will find those open and less-commercialize stretches of sand that contrast with the traditional seaside infrastructure of Ostia Lido. For this you need a car.
You can ride the buses from Infernetto into Rome (to Metro B at EUR or to the trains at Cristoforo Colombo station) - 15 minutes walking from Flavia’s place to the bus stops on Viale di Castel Porziano – opposite the modern café ‘HotRoad 66’.
About our accommodation, then. We enjoyed a small modern semi-detached brick-built house that is attached to Flavia’s house. There is a connecting door that was locked. We had separate front and rear entrances, a covered patio out back – where we sometimes ate breakfast and/or evening meals – and an extensive garden of grass/trees around three sides. The garden is walled with a people gate at the front and a vehicle gate at the side. Park your car inside. The place is secure with roller blinds and steel antifurto bars on all windows and doors.
The services provided by Flavia were excellent – informative and discrete; she checked us in with a walk-through introduction – kitchen, bathrooms, waste disposal and more. During our week we rarely saw her/family next door – everyone was absent; in the evening or early morning we would sometimes share a ‘buongiorno/buonasera – tutt’ OK?’ – usually with Flavia. We invited Flavia to check us out at the end of our week.
Everything in the house worked well – kitchen to one side of the living room - living room with dining table, television, floor-standing fan, two bathrooms with plentiful hot water – one with shower the other with bath, and bedroom at the far end –with a double bed and clothes storage. There was another room that remained locked – presumably a second bedroom for larger family groups. This room has a veranda into the garden. Wifi/internet worked well.
More than many other places in which we’ve stayed in and around Rome, it was the independence of the house that we enjoyed – the coming and going from a quiet suburban street of walled houses with parked cars of an evening. Take a 20-minute walk after the day has cooled and enjoy the emptiness of the neighbourhood, the trees, the heavy vegetation that hangs everywhere and the lights and sounds that escape over those garden walls. Quiet.
Sure, there are dogs barking – this is Rome remember and dogs take priority in most places locally but, apart from closing-down activities in the evening after a hot day in the suburbs (people walking dogs and dogs in gardens barking at them – and you) the neighbourhood is quiet and peaceful.
Critique? A piano in the living room is fine, but we would prefer couple comfortable armchairs instead. The living room/house has no comfortable seating (well, apart from the massage chair in the bedroom). The washing machine in the kitchen was not working. Flavia referred us to the lavandaria on the Porziano - we made three visits during our week - €5/load (additional €1 if you forget to take your washing liquid). Prompt and efficient woman serving, etc. but nothing beats your own w/machine.
Flavia welcomed us with a special ‘torta di nonna’ that she had made – and it lasted us all week – eating a slice or two for breakfast or afternoon tea. It was a kind/friendly gesture.
And, final word … apparently there were no mosquitoes in the neighbourhood this year ... amazing - sit outside with confidence/pleasure of an evening.
Peter Steele
09 August 2019