The Roma Pass Versus the OMNIA Card Neither are Worth It

Rome’s major sites (the Vatican, the Coliseum, the Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain etc) are within walking distance of each other. Why purchase a Roma Pass or the OMNIA Card?

I had already booked my excursions online, which makes these cards redundant. Coop Culture and booking direct from the Vatican Museums and the Coliseum gave good prices.

Disadvantage of Rome’s City Pass and Omnia Card

Still, here is a quick guide to Rome’s City Cards.

There are two types of city cards available for visiting Rome: The Roma Pass and the Omnia Card. The Omnia Pass comes with a free guidebook and map but has a limit on how many attractions you can visit. The Vatican isn’t included. The Roma Pass includes the Vatican.

In both cases, you get to skip the queue. Figuring out which to use is down to which sights you want to visit.

The downside of these cards is that once it is activated, you have to use it for successive days. I had booked my holiday in mid-August, when a festival called the Ferrogosto occurs (15 August). Shops and public services apparently go quiet that day, for the Romans go away during this time. This meant that one day on the City Card could be wasted.

Another drawback was that neither card includes transport to either of the Rome airports: Fiumicino or Ciampino airports. Return taxi for me cost over 100 Euros.

The Roma pass offers no discounts for children.

Another consideration is whether to use the public transport or not. I like to walk. As Rome’s main tourist attractions are within walking distance of each other, I didn’t think I would need a city card.

I had looked for a hotel that was within walking distance of Rome, but the area was grotty and I had to get a bus pass anyway. I got neither city cards but a regular ATAC bus pass from the Ostiense Metro Station. It was really run down. There was no one in the kiosk and I had to ask a nearby stallholder to help. Thankfully, he was honest and helpful. Each card cost me 24 Euros for 7 days.

Read the truth about Rome’s public transport and more on the following link. It is nothing like what I was led to believe in travel blogs and agents.

Rome a Survival Kit

Use Rome's ATAC Busses for a Fraction of the Price of the City Pass

Rome's ATAC Bus Tickets are cheaper than the City Card

ATAC Bus Tickets

Rome: the Hotel is Not Walking Distance from Roma Central

I wanted to avoid using public transport in Rome, as the tourist attractions are within walking distance of each another. I had already read that Rome is best explored on foot anyway. I therefore looked for a hotel close to the city.

Prices of hotels within Rome will rise the nearer to the center you are. But I was ok with 1 or 2 kilometres or so which meant cheaper prices.

I searched Trivago, Expedia and TripAdviser and found a hotel that declared it was within 2 kilometres of Central Rome’s border. I looked at the map, and it was just a straight road.

The hotel looked modern, clean and spacious with air conditioning, crucial for Rome in mid-August.

I went for a modern hotel in the Colombo district. I looked at the map and it seemed I only had to walk a little way to get to the Caracalla Baths, not far from the Coliseum. The major sights of Rome are all within walking distance of the Coliseum.

Read my other articles on Rome a Survival Kit

Is the walk from the hotel safe?

On the Expedia site, it said:

‘This hotel is within 1 mile (2km) of Roma Tre University and the Baths of Caraculla. Basillica of St Paul’s and the Coliseum are also within 2 miles (3km) (of the hotel).’ I’m ok with walking because I often go on walking holidays and the map showed green areas and quiet roads to get there.

Little did I realize I could not walk to Rome from my hotel, for the district was really run down. The road leading to Rome was very busy with no usable walkway. In a word, it was horrible and felt dangerous.

The hotel was close to Rome central but I still had to get a bus

No way could I walk from my hotel to Rome. We had no choice but to get bus passes on the day we arrived despite my plans not to use public transport.

As I had already booked some excursion online, purchasing the OMNIA or ROMA Pass was pointless. These passes work only if you throw in the excursions.

Lesson learnt:

Be careful if the description of the hotel insinuates it is walking distance from the major attractions of the city. The walking route could be dangerous, dodgy or un-walkable.

Make allowances for getting a bus pass when visiting a big city, even if the sites are within walking distance.

Check out Google images or reviews to get a true indication of the area.

Rome a Survival Kit

Busy Roads in Rome with little walkway

Rundown areas of Rome

My Holiday in Rome and What Went Wrong

After getting passports for myself and children, I decided to go to Rome.

I had seen pictures of Rome on travel sites, adorned with the beautiful Coliseum, the Vatican museums, the Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain. Dining at a trattoria in a piazza seemed the perfect way to end the day. And then there is the history.

I read numerous blogs about Rome and garnered brochures from travel agents. It seemed the perfect place to go.

But I had school holidays to consider, which meant I had to go in August. I wasn’t happy about the thought of the heat and crowds.

I booked a week in mid-August, concerned about the public holiday of Ferrogosto, which occurs on 15th August, where apparently many places close. Read about my experience of theFerragosto here.

Due to unforeseen circumstances, I spent over ten days in Rome instead of the planned seven.

During this time, I learned a lot about Rome that the travel brochures and promotional blogs don’t tell you.

Read about my nightmare in Rome on the following articles. Invaluable tips and truths can be found here.
Scroll down for images.

Survive in Rome

Rome: the Hotel is Not Walking Distance from Roma Central

Rome: How to Handle the Heat in August

The Busses

The Roma Pass Versus the OMNIA Card Neither are Worth It

Rome ATAC Bus Service is it Any Good?

Don’t Get Ripped Off

Rome: Don’t Get Ripped Off by Trattorias

Hidden Charges when Using VISA Card Abroad

The Hype

Ferragosto in Rome What’s it Like?

Passport Problems

When My Son Lost his Passport in Rome

How to Get an Emergency Passport Abroad

If You Lose Your Passport in Rome: what to Do

My Experience with the Roman Police and Ostiense

Ostiense the Lost Property Office in Rome and Other Stations

Emergency Tips when Stuck in Rome without a Passport

The Vatican

How I Got Into the Vatican in Shorts and Minus a Passport

My Visit to the Vatican and the Sistine Chapel Without a Passport

Escape the Heat and crowds in Rome’s Churches

Churches in Rome to Escape the Crowds and Heat

Basillica di Santa Maria Maggiore Rome

Church of The Gesu, Rome

Church of Sant’ Agnese in Agone

Sant’ Ignazio di Loyola in Campo Marzio Rome

Church of San Luigi Dei Francesi, Rome

Parrocchia Santa Maria in Portico in Campitelli Rome

Basillica di Sant ‘Andrea della Valle Rome

The Church of San Marcello al Corso, Rome

Crowds around the Trevi Fountain

The Colosseum in Rome

Crowds on the Spanish Steps Rome

Romulus, twin with Remus founded Rome

How Too Much Omega 6 is Bad for Health

The Dangers of Excessive Polyunsaturated Fats in the Diet

An anti-saturated fat campaign has been waging for years, but perhaps consideration ought to be given to other dietary fats, which in some ways exceed the health risks.

The conventional view is that any unsaturated fat is better for health than saturated fat. Subsequent research has proved that it is not so simple.

What is Unsaturated Fat?

Saturated fat is solid at room temperature, and derives from animal sources such as meat and dairy. Unsaturated fat is mostly liquid at room temperature. Most unsaturated fats are derived from vegetables, nuts and seeds.

The Question of Polyunsaturated  or Monounsaturated Fat

What is Polyunsaturated fat?

Unsaturated fats can be further divided into two types:

Monounsaturated fat. This fat is derived from nuts and seeds. Examples include olive oil, flaxseed oil and walnut oil.

Polyunsaturated fat.  This fat is known as vegetable oil. Examples include sunflower oil, soybean oil and corn oil.

Although both types of fats are liquid at room temperature and are therefore classed as oils, they both have very different impacts upon health.

The Dietary Fats That Raise Cholesterol and Encourage Heart Disease

All fatty acids consist of carbon chains of fatty acids. These fatty acids are linked together by “double bonds.” The monounsaturated fats are linked by a single double bond, hence, “mono.” These links are stable and are therefore not highly reactive within the body.

Polyunsaturated fats are linked together by multiple double bonds, hence “poly.” This means that the chains are less stable and could react within the tissues of the body like free radicals.

Fats That Oxidizes Cholesterol

 

Extra Virgin Olive Oil Cold Pressed is best for heatlh

The danger to the body is the instability of the polyunsaturated fat, which is highly reactive within the cells. The effect this has is akin to the oxidizing effect that oxygen has upon metal, turning it to rust. Oxidized cholesterol causes the platelets of the blood to stick together and the LDL cholesterol to “rust.” It is this that damages the arteries and hardens the walls, so hindering blood flow.

How Too Little Omega-3 and Too Much Omega 6 Causes Inflammation in the Body

Because polyunsaturated fats are highly reactive, it causes inflammatory reactions within the body too. According to the University of Maryland Medical Centre, the traditional Western diet contains far too much omega 6, which is present in polyunsaturated oils. In small amounts, omega 6 is beneficial to health. However, too much in the long run will contribute to heart disease, arthritis, cancer and depression. The inflammatory effect of too much omega 6 also suppresses the body’s immune system.

Vegetable Oil That is Not a Healthy Alternative to Saturated Fat

Not so long ago, vegetable oil was thought to be a healthy alternative to saturated fat. Subsequent research has painted a very different picture. Sunflower oil still is a popular choice for cooking. However, using olive oil at a low temperature is a healthier alternative. In the long run, this will help prevent heart disease, strokes and raised cholesterol.

MIGRAINE: PART OF SOMETHING BIGGER: HOW I BANISHED MY MIGRAINES BY HORMONAL RESTORATION

Chronic migraine has hampered a large part of my adult life, sometimes occurring twice every month. As the pain is not confined to the head, I believe this horrible condition is part of something bigger. This is why I feel the definition ‘a bad headache’ is terribly inaccurate.

This inspired me to write my second book, ‘Migraine: Part of Something Bigger…’ under my pen name, Phoebe Greene, dedicated to the sufferer of migraines.

Help for the Migraineur

Buy from Amazon

After suffering a health crisis, where various ‘gremlins’ began to sap the quality from my life, including hair loss and chronic fatigue, I decided to conduct dietary trials which inspired me to write my first book, Low Body Temperatures but Not Hypothyroid. One of the aims of my research was migraine elimination.

My second book concentrates solely upon preventing migraines. Snippets of information from my first book can be found where applicable, but the subject of migraines is covered in much greater depth.

With dozens of photos and illustrations and over 15,000 words, this book provides an easy but in-depth read on how migraines occur and how they can be prevented.

Body Temperatures and Migraines

The Migraine Trust and the NHS state that the cause of migraines is ultimately unknown, but I have unearthed the chief triggers to be:

Estrogen dominance

Overproduction of the stress hormones cortisol, adrenaline and noradreline

And candida albicans.

Between them, they wreak havoc upon the endocrine system, exhausting the adrenals and deflating the output of other hormones throughout the body. Further, a sugary diet, stress and chemicals in certain products overload the liver, which underperforms because the body’s thermogenesis is malfunctioning.

Little surprise such a huge upheaval has repercussions in the form of migraine.

Supported by scholarly articles and authorative websites, I discovered a way of reducing the incidence and intensity of my migraines to a point where they now seldom occur.  Hormonal equilibrium is key. I believe most migraineurs can also do the same.

Find also a guide to the endocrine system, a guide to other treatment for migraines and an anti-migraine diet.

This book on migraines is a must for migraine sufferers.

LOW BODY TEMPERATURES BUT NOT HYPOTHYROID: The Phoebe Greene Diet: How I Restored my Thermogenesis and Lost Weight

And I had banished my migraines, thrush, hair loss, dry eyes and fatigue. Hypothyroidism had seemed the culprit, but my thyroid function was normal. So if low thyroxin had not been the cause, what was?

Well, health niggles can be explained away to seasonal affective disorder (SAD), borderline diabetes, food intolerances or an autoimmune disorder. However, blood tests and visits to specialists fail to be conclusive. After I started losing my hair, I disposed of my cabinet of medication, and took a different route.

Before and after devising my Phoebe Greene Diet to combat health gremlins

The images show improvements to my health after making changes: flaky, itchy skin, recurrent conjunctivitis, hair loss and a stubborn spare tyre around my middle.

I trialed various diets to see if any would improve my basal body temperatures and get rid of these symptoms. The aim was to eradicate my candida problem, which I believed underlied my sluggish metabolism which I found out might be caused by:

Estrogen dominance: due to high-sugar diet and xenoestrogen intake.

Cortisol dominance due to excess physical, emotional and work stress.

Candidiasis: due to high sugar and junk diets.

Nutritional gaps in the poor Western diet.

The diets I trailed were: the PH diet, the low carb diet and the anti-candida diet.

Buy from Amazon

After 50 days of testing diets and health supplements on this blog, I discovered that these diets actually lowered my body temperatures even more. The antifungal supplements and probiotics also did not work unless the body’s temperature had been restored.

I now have published my new book in order to share with you what I have learned after keeping fastidious records of how various foods impacted upon my basal body temperature on this blog.

This book is written for those who suffer the health-gremlins without a known cause despite health checks and blood tests.

You will find the hard truths here, one of which is that your health is not that far away.

With 30,000 words and over 100 images.

Note: always seek the advice of your doctor or specialist before making changes to your medication, diet, exercise or lifestyle.

Why You Shouldn’t Use Curry’s PC World and Know How.com

Curry’s PC World and Know How between them offer awful customer service. This is what happened to me.

My old oven having packed in, I ordered a new oven on 10 December 2015 from Curry’s PC World in plenty of time for Christmas and New Year.

My money went out of my account on the same day and I received a confirmation email that informed me my oven would arrive on Tuesday 15 December 2015 between 7 and 7 (outlined in red on the screenshot).

Curry's confirmation email. Highlighted in red is the delivery date of my oven.

Great, I thought. Just in time for Christmas and New Year. I can now invite my family and friends round!

I waited all day and my oven did not turn up.

I tried to contact Curry’s/PC World via their phone numbers, 0344 5611234 and 0344 5610000, but the options did not enable me to speak to a person.

Surprise, surprise!

Instead, I had to go through the automated message rigmarole that requested a 10 digit number beginning with 74 or a 6 digit number. I wasn’t supplied with either.

Surprise, surprise!

I emailed Curry’s/PC World instead, hoping to get a human response.

My email to Curry's

My email got no reply.

Surprise, surprise!

But then, on 16 December 2015, I got a confusing email informing me my order was prepared for delivery. No reference to my email.

Curry;s confusing email

Errr, what?

Again, I was not supplied with a reference number to investigate what Curry’s/PC World were on about.

Then on 17 December 2015, I was telephoned by Curry’s PC/World to be told that there had been a cockup about my order. My oven will not arrive until January 17 2016.

Is this a joke?

The ‘man’ then blithely supplied me with the 10 digit reference number I should have been given from the start. This number is used to track my order via KnowHow.com

What good is that number now? I will have to cancel all my Christmas and New Year Arrangements.

Disappointed, I asked for compensation for my ruined holiday period and for waiting in all day for a non-delivery when I could have been spending my day Christmas shopping.

All the man did was offer a paltry 10% compensation which I told him I thought insufficient.

I asked for his name so that I could begin complaints procedures and (this is exactly how it happened) the line crackled and went dead.

How strange that the line went dead at the precise moment he was going to give me his name. Hmmm.

I wrote a letter of complaint to Curry’s/PC World on 21 December 2015 outlining all these issues. This is the response that I got, which didn't arrive until January 13 2016.

Curry's letter

As the screenshot shows, they have failed to address any of my concerns, only in keeping me in the dark about what will been done about the poor customer service, which will be dealt with 'in house.'

I wrote back, expressing my dissatisfaction with this response, particularly about the...

Curry’s PC world’s Shoddy Verbal Agreement

The ‘man-with-no-name’ used a little loophole to get the customer to agree to a measly compensation for their mistakes. Curry’s/PC World can then fob off the customer with the excuse they cannot raise the refund because of the ‘verbal agreement.’ The caught-off-guard, the elderly and the vulnerable will certainly be suckered.

In the meantime,

No response.

Hmmm

I wrote again on 13 March 2016. It is now 2 May 2016.

Still no response.

Hmmm.

By the way, I still haven’t received any compensation whatsoever.

Well done. Curry’s PC World and KnowHow.com, you have earned yourself a post on my blog, open to be read by anyone thinking of using your inadequate services.