Imagine a friend gave you the keys of her apartment in Rome. You climb two flights of stairs and reach a large apartment with two bedrooms, two baths, a spacious living-room, and a welcoming terrace. The living-room, adorned with antique furniture, is lined with an extensive collection of books and CDs, the walls embellished with real art works. There is a washing machine in one of the bathrooms. This is "a feel-good" place, not a tourist apartment. As such, it also has its quirks, such as an old dark kitchen (but most of us don't come to Rome to cook.) The location in the Trastevere is both a plus and a minus. The Trastevere is quaint and lovely but full of tourists, and while the terrace is wonderfully quiet, the other side of the apartment suffers from street noise due to restaurants and bars. However my husband and I were surprised to see how quickly we got used to it. This is Rome, not Montana, and Rome is full of life. We were very happy in this welcoming nest and would recommend it to our friends.