Off The Beaten Path in Rome

Rome is the city of echoes, the city of illusions, and the city of yearning.

-Giotto di Bondone

Rome, the eternal city.  I have only been once, which is not enough as far as I am concerned.  I do believe it is time for a little refresher course and am working on spending Christmas there with my family.  While doing some personal research I came across a site that I had to share in the event that some of you are thinking about heading that way.  

iDC Rome or Institute of Design and Culture is a site like none other I have discovered.  Bottom line, it is a company based in Rome that offers courses ranging from wine tasting, garden tours and in-depth museum studies for tourists who have 2 hours to spare or a whole day to immerse themselves in a cultural topic.  Think of it as Rome with a twist.  For instance, I am always amazed at the physiques of Roman statues from antiquity and the question begs to be asked, and I always ask it, "Did the ancient Romans work out?"  Funny, but a course is offered on just that topic called Body Buildings with visits to spectacular ancient bath complexes where the Romans pampered themselves. Honestly, I am so signing up for that tour!! 

The site goes beyond just its course offerings and is laid out in a most entertaining way.  There is a city shop, city library, study hall and a fabulous blog that is going on my list of favorite places to visit each day.  Whether you are planning a trip to Rome or not, you do yourself a huge disservice if you don't check it out.  You might just be convinced to go get yourself a ticket and head on over!!

Photo credit:  T.SC@flickr