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your budget, a long with everything else. So, what to do?

Fortunately, the Romans like big - big noses, big cathedrals and big portions. So, if you don't mind "sharing the love" you can simply order for one and split the meal. You may feel ghetto asking for two plates, but hey, which is more important - budget or pride?

Another popular option in Rome is to "stand while you eat". Yep. That's right, counter eating is popular sport in Rome. Since sitting at tables often costs twice as much, many tourists and locals opt to eat standing up.

Many wine bars and neighborhood cafes offer the option to "belly up to the bar" and nosh with the locals and they're not hard to find. The food tastes just as good and you'll be feeling like a regular in no time.

HOW TO GET AROUND

It's easy. When in Rome.......take public transit. European cars are really cute, I know, but the last thing you want to do is rent a car or see Rome in a taxi. Besides, Europe saw expensive gas prices long before the rest of us you do the math.

Purchasing public transit passes also affords access to several tourist sites and museums. Only $30 and good for three days, this is a good deal if you are determined to see traditional Roman attractions.

Site-seeing buses are also available. Beginning and ending at the Termini Station, buses run approximately every 10 minutes at about $24 per day. Prices fluctuate during seasons, but with audio in eight different languages and discounts at museums and sites included in your ticket; it's a good deal, any way you look at it.

Finally, do it the old fashioned way hoof it. Roman life has centered on its piazzas for centuries and still provides the most condensed experience of Roman culture available.
Cafes, restaurants, shops, fountains, street entertainers, exquisite cathedrals and plenty of ancient history are all within walking distance. With the vastness of Roman history and the richness of its culture, it seems almost a shame to miss it by zooming through town on buses or taxis.

WHAT TO SEE

It's hard to imagine going to Rome and not seeing the Parthenon, the Forum, the Coliseum or the Vatican. After all, you've traveled all this way, budgeted your money like crazy and sacrificed a little comfort to do it. So, to leave without taking in these historic and famous sites wouldn't seem right. By all means, do it. With all the tour buses and public transit available, you can get to them easily.

But, if you really want to see Rome in all of its glory and experience Italy as she really is, throw off the Hawaiian shirts, the binoculars, the wide brim hats and ditch the tourist maps.

Tourist attractions are just that, attractions. They attract people and generate revenue, but they are hardly the heart and soul of the city. Rome is rich with ancient and historic stories and all of them have left a mark on her streets, her landscape and her culture.

She has her own pulse, her own heart beat and her own soul. To know her as she really is, you have to get down to where she really lives. Put on a pair of good walking shoes and rub shoulders with the locals. Breath the air, experience the city from the inside. Then, when you leave, you can say..........I've been to Rome.

Learn more about this author, Magnolia Miller.
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