Rome, the Eternal City, February 2024
Grappa in Rome
NB: This trip is now sold out. We are planning a similar for the autumn 2024
NB: Rome is the perfect match to our company name. The idea behind Parnassos.dk is to be found in Claude Debussy’s piano pieces, Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum, written to his daughter; a humourous play on words and music.
Parnassos, or Parnassus, is the mountain where the Greek gods lived and, figuratively speaking, the cultural apotheosis of our civilization. Each of our tours is an invitation to climb that mountain, with the clear goal of making the trip a cultural feast.
The City of Rome is, without comparison, the Parnassos. First the Etruscans, followed by the Romans; almost a copy/paste duplicate of the Greeks. First an empire, then the foremost Christian centre; Rome has it all.
We have a number of the keys to the city in February 2024. You can read about which doors these keys will open. And as mentioned, you are invited.
Parnassos.dk is a Danish company and member of Rejsegarantifonden ↗, the Danish equivalent of ABTA (You can verify our membership by following this link↗). Just type our company name in the relevant field.
Rejsegarantifonden guarantees your money – independently from where you book your trip – whilst we guarantee your adventures.
Via degli orti d'Alibert 4 - our Penthouse
When Parnassos begins a new odyssey with our guests, we usually have a room at our disposal, where we, the guides, every evening, look at the plan for the next day; in front of us a huge map of the city. Here we can alter the strategy and tactics and move around the pieces with large sticks.
Not dissimilar to the war room in the Pentagon in the 1950s. A bit of exaggeration perhaps.
For our trip to Rome we will try something a bit different. We are three guides with Danish sounding names: Erik, Poul and Søren. We have rented a penthouse in Trastevere, a 13-minute walk from our guests’ hotel. During our stay in Rome, we will all regularly meet at the penthouse, where Parnassos will offer wine and drinks on the house, on our large balcony, as an alternative to the hotel bar, where drinks may be relatively expensive.
The address is Via Degli Orti, Alibert 4. The bar closes around midnight 🙂
L'antico Cimitero non Cattolici
At the periphery of the Ancient Rome, hidden away from today’s hustle and bustle, and just next to the Aurelian Wall, we will visit a piece of European cultural history and a green oasis in the city. Here, at L’antico Cimitero non Cattolici, is the resting place for the English poets John Keats, Percy Bysshe Shelly, and many others, including, seen from a Danish angle, the poet Carsten Hauch and the painter Harald Jerichau.
The area is called Testaccio – the old workers’ quarter – which, ever since Ancient Rome, has been home to the more anonymous and hard-working part of the Roman population.
Close by, on the River Tiber, Rome’s first harbour was situated; where marble blocks from Tuscany and amphoras with wine and olive oil from the provinces were unloaded.
A stone’s throw away from the Protestant Cemetery you have Monte Testaccio: a 45-metre-high artificial mountain, comprising of all the amphoras that were, over the Roman Empire centuries, broken or no longer in use – their resting place, so to speak. From the top of the mountain we will have a spectacular view over Rome.
It is closed to the public, but we will have access. We will literally walk on top of the Roman civilization. It’s a rather special experience.
Signature Dinner at Empress Agrippina
Adjacent to the Vatican City is Villa Agrippina, an area of Rome where the emperor Nero’s mother, Agrippina (15AD-59AD), lived and Nero was born. Sadly, he would turn out to be a very naughty boy, with matricide and persecution of the Christians being just a couple of his troublesome personal traits.
Today Villa Agrippina is a luxury hotel, and this is where we are going to spend our Saturday evening. The hotel’s restaurant is managed by Luciano Monosilio, arguably the most celebrated Italian Michelin-star chef.
We have made reservations for a sumptuous dinner with dishes inspired by menus from antiquity, and it will be the trip’s culinary highlight. We have the hotel’s Vatican Suite for our pre-dinner drink. It’s difficult to find a more impressive view over Rome. You have an unrestricted view of the Vatican and Castel Sant’Angelo.
When I was there to finalize our evening, I was told by one of the waiters that when Swiss tennis star Roger Federer is in Rome, this is where he stays. And yes, what is good enough for us is obviously good enough for Federer.
Vores middag med smag af antikken
Seared duck, quince and grape must Tortello pasta stuffed with lamb, pecorino foam, mint and Falerno wine reduction Beef in “candidus” bread crust, crunchy vegetables and “garum” sauce Hazelnut namelaka and honey ice cream.Middagen vil naturligvis blive introduceret af køkkenchefen selv kl. 20.00 lørdag d. 17. februar.
Eva Ravnbøl and Silvio Berlusconi
Who better to introduce our evening than Eva Ravnbøl? She is Denmark’s TV2’s Italy correspondent (TV2 is a Danish TV network, comparable to ITV) and best-selling author of Gud er italiener (God is Italian).
After her talk we will head towards the restaurant, to enjoy the remarkable cuisine of Signor Monosilio. After the feast we will head to the uber-exclusive bar next door, where we will be entertained by a live jazz band.
As an aside, Eva told us over an espresso, when we visited her in Rome, that she had met non other than Italy’s former
Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusoni, when she was very young. We hope that a couple of glasses of Amerone will encourage her to tell us a bit more about that encounter.
About Eva.
Eva Ravnbøl has spent most of her adult life in Rome. For the first few years she worked as an extra in movies, including a Fellini film, shot in Cinecittá, Italy’s answer to Hollywood (which we will visit on the Tuesday).
She has hosted a number of Danish television programs, like Pasta Plus and Min Italienske Drøm (My Italian Dream). Among the subjects she has covered over the years, according to her home page, are: The refugee crisis, food culture, Pope Francis, Italian politics, the Mafia, corruption, Italy in the EU, earthquakes, economic crisis, climate, drought, Coronavirus pandemic, Salvini, Meloni, Draghi, Berlusconi, garbage problems, terrorism, football, tourism, Venice floods, culture, school, family, healthcare, intelligence, Costa Concordia, Genoa bridge collapse, fashion, design, wine, music and
international events.
The Guardian Angel of Music
On Saturday morning we will head towards the southern, less-visited part of Trastevere. Here the nuns of the Benedictine order have, for more than 600 years, cared for Santa Cecilia, her church – and corpse. Their abbey is formed as a protective ring around the church.
Who is Santa Cecilia? She is a Roman virgin martyr, venerated by the Catholic Church, and also, curiously, by the protestant Swedish church as well. She lived from 180 AD – 230 AD.
As a Christian she was persecuted. She was given a death sentence, but survived the Roman soldiers attempts to execute her for six days. During her ordeal, it is said that – while she was imprisoned in a steam bath – she sang with an otherworldly beautiful voice, which has ever since made her the guardian angel of all musicians, especially singers.
The steam bath didn’t do it. She was let out so the soldiers could decapitate her instead. Apparently not an easy job either, but after three days she succumbed to her injuries.
Her church, Santa Cecilia in Trastevere, is among the secrets of the city, and is built over the place where she was murdered. Her remains are represented by a marble sculpture in the middle of the church, and, according to myth, her earthly body had not deteriorated when they opened her coffin 800 years after her untimely death.
We will also visit the labyrinthian catacombs beneath the church, where we will find remnants of Roman baths. We will encounter the holiest part of the chapel, surrounded by Byzantine columns, at the exact place where she was executed.
The Danish-Italian Soprano, Susanne Bungaard
Apropos Santa Cecilia: for our Friday evening we look forward to introducing, and listening to, the Danish/Italian opera singer Susanne Bungaard – who trained at the Santa Cecilia conservatory in Rome.
She will be performing at a small, intimate, renaissance church in the city center. She has promised to tell us a little about her life in Italy and her career in the fine arts. Naturally, we will also enjoy her Santa Cecilia-trained singing voice in this acoustic gem of a chapel.
Mercati di Traiano
Mercati di Traiano was the Roman Empire’s first and largest shopping mall. It was inaugurated in 113 AD, during the regime of Trajan, arguably the most successful of all Roman Emperors. When he died in 117 AD the Roman Empire had reached its largest extent.
As well as shopping, the mall housed a number of administrative buildings, and the complex has a magnificent view over Forum Romanum.
This huge complex is ours to explore on Sunday evening, after closing hours. An official guide will lead us from one shop to another, all of which, sadly, have been closed since the year 400 AD. Seen from our perspective, they must therefore all be described as antique shops.
In Roman times the mall was split in two, separated by the road Via Biberatica. Bibere is Latin for drinking, and this is where you would have found all the pubs and bars. When our guided tour is over we will head to Via Biberatica to enjoy a glass or two. It’s our conviction that this is the most authentic way to understand the past.
A 2000 Year old Olive Tree near Rome
We leave Rome for a few hours on Sunday morning, heading towards Europe’s largest olive tree, to be found in the Sabiner mountains, 30 miles/50 kilometres from Rome. The tree, called L’Olivone, has just entered its third millennia, and continues to produce olives: up to 80 kilos each year. Its circumference measures 7 metres at the ground and 30 metres at the top.
After the visit to L’Olivone, we will pass through this idyllic landscape to visit an olive grove, including a detour to an oil mill, where a guide will take us through the olive pressing and
processing.
The farm consists of several century-old trees and when the journey comes to an end we will all be experts in olive oil tasting: the quality of the oil, and what to use for which dishes. There is an outlet where you may purchase olive oil, if any take your fancy. Lunch and wine will be served, before we head back to Rome.
Accademia di Danimarca, Roma
Just north of Villa Borghese, which is to the east of the Spanish Steps, there are about 20 institutes and academies, representing as many countries, within a square kilometre of European culture and cultural exchange.
One of them is the Danish Academy; its neighbour, the Swedish Academy. Across from these Scandinavian academies you find the Rumanian Academy, and so on. It’s an interesting neighbourhood, off the beaten track. The manager of the Danish Academy, Charlotte Bundgaard, will greet us on Monday afternoon and will be delighted to show us around.
Here we will offer entertainment and refreshments; and then it is a countdown to our trip’s cultural highlight: a kilometre-or-so from the institute we find Auditorium Parco della Musica…
Lang Lang - and Repeat
If you are well versed in classical music, an introduction to Lang Lang is wholly unnecessary. He is the most fêted of all concert pianists worldwide. His artistic level is beyond any discussion. He will monopolize the stage of Auditorium Parco della Musica in Rome – also called Accademia
Nazionale di Santa Maria – on Monday evening at 8pm.
Sit back and be transported to the Romantic era with the following program:
Franz Schubert
Impromptu, op. 90. No. 3
Robert Schumann
Kreisleriana op. 16
Frédéric Chopin
Mazurkas: op. 7, 17, 24, 30, 33 and 59
Polonaise op. 44
The Labyrinthian Arches and Alleys in the Ghetto
The Jews of Rome were, for almost 300 years, up until 1849, imprisoned behind walls in the ghetto. They were only allowed to leave the district at certain times, and they had to wear a particular dress: the same clothes that prostitutes had to wear.
These days the Ghetto is, besides the echoes of the past, a lively quarter that has kept its Jewish characteristics and historical idiosyncrasies. Here you’ll find antique buildings organically fused with modern constructions; small dark alleys with kosher butcher outlays and shops that still bear marks from past infamies, when the Jews were only allowed to sell household items and vintage clothing.
This area offers a number of high-end restaurants today, which serve the age-old special Jewish-Roman dishes that made an impact on the food habits of all Romans. We will explore the area that resonates with, and is a micro cosmos of, the Jewish diaspora, from the time they were brought to Rome 2000 years ago as slaves.
We also look forward to introducing the Turtle Fountain, a sculpture that stands somewhere between particular and peculiar.
Rome in February
And the reason for arranging the trip to Rome in February?
You’ll find part of the answer in the photo, taken when I was in Rome in early June. Huge tourist crowds trampling through the city, and absurdly long queues even at Starbucks! It pushes up the hotel prices and this is already happening come late March.
February is the new March, April even.
Global warming warms up Europe at least a month earlier than usual. (Similar to Cairo, which we visit in November 2023 . In the not-that-olden days, October was the month where things became well-tempered. Now the citizens have to wait till November).
We could, in principle, have chosen any week in this time of year, but Lang Lang’s concert on 19th February clinched the deal. February it must be.
Poul Arnedal and Søren Rud
Poul Arnedal and Søren Rud are two Danish journalists with long careers behind them. Poul is also an author and portrait editor at the Danish online newspaper POV; Søren is co-founder of Danish company Life Exhibtions ApS, and has recently written an in-depth article for Politiken, the Danish equivalent of the Guardian, the subject being Rome, of course!
They are guides for both Rome and London. When we meet in Rome we drink Grappa, when in London G&T. Each drink has its own geography.
They are on their home turf in Rome and their network is second to none.
We have for a long time wanted to arrange a tour to Rome that, to use an English phrase, would ‘blow your socks off’. We are of the opinion that the program is unrivaled.
Hotel Ponte Sisto, Rome
We have reserved rooms at the perfectly-situated four-star hotel, Ponte Sisto – with the city centre immediately to the right, and Rome’s most charming district, Trastevere, to the left. For the latter, you just have to cross the Ponte Sisto bridge.
The hotel has been renovated recently, and is, in our opinion, the best mix between cost, quality and location. On top of that, we have a couple of anecdotes attached to the hotel.
The price for the trip is dkk 13,000 (around €1,740) per person, for a room for two. (Please note, you arrange your own flight, to offer you as much flexibility as possible).
You can choose to extend your stay and order extra nights at Hotel Ponte Sisto through us, as we can offer you a better rate than you would get directly with the hotel. The same applies if you wish to arrive a day or two earlier than the official program.
Single rooms are available, if required, when you go through the booking process.
And our Purpose is?
We want to create exclusive experiences – without excluding anyone.
Granted, our tours are not among the cheapest, but they are still accessible to most of those who walk in the footsteps of Hans Christian Andersen, the Danish poet who once said, ‘to travel is to live’.
The ‘trick’ is to be a large group. We’re talking about around 40 people. Being many has its own dynamic. And a larger budget allows us to offer truly unique adventures that surely will be beyond most of us if we acted on our own. Sometimes we will split up in 2 groups of 20 when that makes more sense.
Our purpose is to tear us away from our day to day lives, to ensure that when you are back home again, you will ask yourself, ‘did I really experience what I think I experienced’?
What Exactly do you get for your 13,000 dkk? (aprox € 1,750)
- Four nights at the 4* hotel Ponte Sisto. Breakfast included.
- Tickets to all concerts and museums.
- 3 dinners, including the Gala dinner at Villa Agrippina (the latter including wine-pairing).
- Bus transports.
- Our day-trip to the olive grove outside Rome. Lunch included.
- Wines and amuse-bouches at our own events.
- Free bar at ‘the Penthouse’.
- A one year membership at the Scandinavian institute.
Please Note:
The amount covers the stay and events during our days in Rome. It does not include the flight as this give our guests much more flexibility.
Please note, if the trip is cancelled, no matter the reason, we wil reimburse your for the cost of your flight.
