
villa mercede : frascati : lazio : italy
The hotel, about 1km down the hill from Frascati historical centre, ticked all the boxes – and more. If you want something with a bit of character, first impressions as you pull into the car park. might be a bit disappointing. It looks very new (a plus point of you want modern) & does look as if it might lack character. However, once we checked in, we were delighted. Perfect for an overnight stay. Everything we had wanted was there – including a very big shower. The bed definitely stands out as one of the most comfortable on our current trip – and having travelled a lot in Italy over the last few weeks, we’ve slept in a lot of Italian beds.The hotel has a pool and an outside terrace – it was a hot afternoon in late September & we took advantage of the pool still being open, followed by an ice-cream & a vino from the bar located right next to the hotel. The gelateri had an extensive choice and is clearly a destination for locals, because as we sat relaxing, there was a steady stream of families & couples arriving, buying ice-cream & driving off. The hotel is about 1km from the centre of town – although it is uphill on the way there, it’s not steep and the compensation is that it’s downhill on the way back. All in all, a great find for a short stop over in a beautiful city in the hills above Rome.
Our stay in Frascati was made all the more special by a spectacular sunset over Rome. The centre of the town was packed with locals and holiday-makers, clearly making the most of the late summer, Sunday evening sunshine.
We found a very cool restaurant, with views down and across to Rome, which by the time we ate, was twinkling in the distance.
And then, as we were having a drink – frascati, obviously – out of nowhere, appeared a religious procession, followed by a fireworks. We’re not religious in any way, but somehow when you’re in Italy, the spectacle and theatre of religion, is just so *right*…