First come the strawberries; splashes of red on fruit stalls where before all was green and yellow. Then it's the Sicilian cherries, not due till April but here already. Finally it's the tourists, pinker and softer but just as welcome, because it means spring has made it to Rome.
Venerable signoras still strut in their furs, but they fool no one. Winter is vanquished. Warmth and light seep across the piazzas. Sunglasses resting on foreheads since October drop back to their rightful place. Azaleas bloom on the Spanish Steps. Waiters in white jackets swarm from cafés to serve the season's first outdoor customers.
A Roman spring is a wonderful thing, but this year is special. It is the Vatican's most ambitious holy year, or jubilee. Pope John Paul II has summoned tens of millions of Catholic pilgrims to celebrate the 2,000th birthday of Jesus Christ. Spurn the invitation and you will regret it, even in this life. The city has pulled out all the stops for the most extensive beautification in a century. A billion and a half pounds, political resolve and years of scrubbing, building and planning have transformed hundreds of churches, galleries, palaces, museums and monuments.
Jubilee planning glitches fuelled fears that Rome's creaky infrastructure would snap. Airports, trains, subways and hotels would be overwhelmed by the invasion, gridlock and chaos would produce anarchy, the media warned. Well, not yet they haven't. The infrastructure is working. Not quite like clockwork, but working nevertheless.
But for a spring visitor the scare stories have had the added bonus of deterring tourists, pilgrims and tour operators - they are afraid to come. So there is no invasion. A steady stream, yes, but no stampede. Museum attendance figures have plunged, and Renaissance masterpieces usually seen only after 20-minute queues reside in splendid isolation. All this may change as word spreads that a weekend in Rome is not Armageddon. Easter will attract more pilgrims. But it is a fair bet that the relative serenity will last longer than the cherries.
To make the most of a weekend, it helps to bring several things. An indifference to imminent death is the first. The imminence is almost always illusory. The two taxis, five cars and seven scooters breaking a red light as you cross the road may indeed be racing in your specific direction, their drivers and riders may blare horns, shout and make odd gestures, but they will not hit you. Pedestrians cross streets wherever and whenever they want. The traffic's highly-strung-but-finely-tuned reflex will guarantee safe passage, more or less. It is a simple system that broke down only once, when scores were squashed by liberating but uninformed GI truck drivers.
Also helpful is comfy footwear, as almost all the major attractions are within walking distance of each other. Doing as the Romans do and clicking over cobblestones in heels might strike a bella figura , but to avoid blisters wear runners and try to ignore the swivelled eyes of admonition.
Even more valuable is a large, empty stomach. Don't worry if it's small to begin with. A breakfast of corniche and cappuccino, a trattoria lunch of antipasto, pasta, steak, salad and pie, an early-evening pit stop for ice cream followed by another five-course meal will soon stretch it. Spring, when cows are fed fresh forage, is an especially good time for cheese. Count the calories and feel guilty if you must, but obesity is not a problem for Romans.
Years would not be enough to savour all of Rome's trea sures but just a few hours are enough to appreciate one jubilee glory: traffic has been banished from dozens of streets and almost 100 squares. The 1200BC Egyptian obelisk at the centre of the majestic Piazza del Popolo is circled only by pedestrians. For the first time in generations Campo dei Fiori, a vegetable market where the philosopher Giordano Bruno was burned at the stake in 1600, is a place to chat and eat, free from exhaust fumes.
London has its dome, Rome has its facelift. Scaffolding has tumbled to reveal gleaming restorations. The Michelangelo-designed Piazza del Campidoglio literally shines. The Capitoline museums - home to works by Caravaggio, Titian and Rubens - are larger and better.
The former papal stables at the 18th-century Quirinale have been scrubbed and opened to the public for the first time ever. It currently hosts an exhibition of French impressionist paintings from the Hermitage in St Petersburg.
The Villa Borghese gallery was reopened three years ago after a 13-year restoration. The park's secret gardens, where the Borghese hoarded their fruit and vegetables, was re-opened in December. Smack in the centre is the gorgeous but often overlooked Doria Pamphili gallery, owned and run by an aristocratic Anglo-Italian dynasty. Open six days a week, it boasts Breughels, Berninis, Titians, Tintorettos and major works by Caravaggio. Best of all is the world-famous Velazquez depiction of Pope Innocent X.
Squatting just across Piazza Venezia is that bombastic turn-of-the-century glorification to Italian unity, the Victor Emmanuel II monument. A huge, white wedding cake it may be, but it too has been returned to its original brightness and a visitor centre has been added.
The list goes on. Buildings restored, museum opening hours extended, new attractions, such as the ruins of Nero's palace, opened. And, of course, there are the old reliables: the Forum, the Colosseum, Byzantine mosaics, catacombs.
It would be easy, but a shame, to miss John Paul. It was he who persuaded the civic authorities to pay for the facelift. The jubilee is his glory and his twilight. At noon every Sunday, he speaks from a balcony overlooking St Peter's Square. Hold up a placard with your home town and you may get a mention. And St Peter's basilica is, of course, restored to its splendour. The church has held jubilees roughly every 25 years since 1300, when Pope Boniface VIII summoned pilgrims to Rome instead of the holy land, which had become too perilous.
The only threat the modern pilgrims have to contend with are the pickpockets. The number 64 bus from Termini station to the Vatican is notorious as the pickpocket express, but don't let this put you off - surveys show Rome to be safer from theft and violence than most European capitals. Just one tip: if beggars offer a piece of paper to read, don't hold it, keep your hands in your pockets.
Rome is a city that lends itself to raving. About the food, the drink, the sunshine, the history, the treasures. Whatever your appetite, it leaves you stuffed and wanting more. "I now realise all the dreams of my youth," wrote Goethe on arriving in 1786. And that was in winter.
10 of the best...
Places to drink
1 Caffe Greco Via dei Condotti, 86: National landmark enjoyed by Goethe, Byron, Shelley and Casanova. Pricy.
2 Caffe Sant'Eustachio Piazza Sant'Eustachio, 82: Adored by literati for ambience and excellent coffee.
3 Tazza d'Oro Via degli Orfani, near Pantheon: Also for the literati, also with excellent coffee.
4 Rosati Piazza del Popolo, 5: Gaze at Rome's most majestic square, and pay for the privilege.
5 Antico Caffe della Pace Via della Pace, 3: Cosy, touristy and trendy.
6 Caffe Farnese Piazza Farnese: People-watching central.
7 Enotecta Corsi Via del Gesu, 88: Old-fashioned wine bar.
8 Il Simposio di Costantini Via Appia Antica, 139: The poshest, plushest wine bar.
9 L'Osteria dell'Ingegno Piazza di Pietra, 45: Hip and happening in the historic centre.
10 The Drunken Ship Campo dei Fiori, 20: Young and loud. Happy hour: 7-9pm.
Places to eat
1 Baffetto Via del Governo Vecchio, 114: Authentic pizzeria. Cheap, delicious, packed.
2 La Carbonara Campo dei Fiori, 23: Pricy but spacy.
3 La Nuova Bettola Piazza delle Coppelle, 49: Good-value meat and pasta.
4 La Primavera Via del Sudario, 37: Chinese, but pasta possible.
5 Sora Margherita Piazza delle Cinque Scuole, 30: Tiny, difficult to find, worth the effort.
6 Da Vittorio Via di San Cosimato, 14: Neapolitan-style pizzas. Busy.
7 Dal Toscano Via Germanico, 58: Charcoal-grilled T-bone steaks.
8 Dolceroma Via Portico d'Ottavia, 20: All things sweet and nice.
9 Il Gelato di San Crispino Via Acaia, 55 and Via della Panetteria, 42: Said to be the best ice cream in Rome.
10 Tre Scalini Piazza Navona: Death by chocolate.
Places to shop
1 The Corner Bookshop Via del Moro, 48: English-language guides, maps, literature.
2 Mandarina Duck Via di Propaganda, 1: Leather handbags, wallets and luggage.
3 Sergio Rossi Piazza di Spagna, 97: Designer shoes.
4 Fratelli Rossi Via Borgognona, 5: More designer shoes.
5 Fausto Santini Via Cavour, 106: Designer shoes and bags, including some remainders.
6 Grandi Firme Via Germanico, 8: Designer clothes and accessories at warehouse prices.
7 Siragusa Via delle Carrozze, 64: Unusual, beautiful jewellery
8 Brighenti Via Frattina: Lingerie. Favoured by celebrities.
9 Gucci Via Condotti, 8: Flashier than ever.
10 Fendi Via Borgognona, 36: Baguette-bag capital.
The practicals
Magic cities (0990 462442 and www.magictravelgroup.co.uk) has a two-night stay at the three star Hotel Villa Glori from £320pp. Prices are based on two sharing a twin room and include return schedule flights from London and two nights' B&B accomodation.
