Take a Roam around Rome

A report on Port Talbot for instance, would simply read: 'don't go there'. Rome offers the same problem in reverse however; where on earth do you start? Well luckily for you these days I'm a local, so I can show you around the place without taking you to the Colosseum or the Pantheon alongside all the other slack-jawed tourists. Go and see the ruins if you haven't before, mind you. They really are something else.

Now bare in mind that if you want a beery holiday away, Italy is not the place to go. A pint of lager will cost on average €5, and if you're unlucky enough to drink the swill on offer in the city centre 'pubs' you might be looking at €6 or more. Not good given the current exchange rate. If you take the metro down to Colli Albani, not only will be right near my flat, you'll be with a couple of minutes walk of Parco Appia Antica, which is a beautiful park. Hire one of the bicycles at the entrance to make sure you see as much as you can, as it's massive.

If you do want a good night out, Trastevere and San Lorenzo are the places to go, packed full of decent bars that sell good beer. Check out Bir&Fud on Via Benedetta in Trastevere, which has a cracking pizzeria on one side of the street and a microbrewery/pub on the other side. Tip from the top: the best thing to do if there isn't a table available is to put your name down for the next one and go to the pub. The people will come across and tell you when your table is ready. Now that's service.