2013-Rome; A day in the life of a great city
The 21st century Centurions of Rome are one of the silliest tourist annoyance but after so many years. They’ll wave their wooden swords at you, offer replica props for you …
2013-Rome; Everything Old is New Again
We often think of Rome as our second home. We know it well, from the ancient city to the Byzantine, Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque and post Unification of the late 19th …
Great Caesar’s Ghost, Rome is Haunted
Haunted Rome I recently received an email from a reader who asked if I had ever taken a ghost haunting tour in Rome. The only ghost tour we’ve ever been …
Satire, Graffiti and Talking Statues
Political satire is once again front and center in Italy. Beppe Grillo, a political comedian recently won 25% of the current Italian election for his 5 Star Movement. This is …
Legends of the Trevi Fountain
When looking for origins, it’s sometimes good to start with the name. Since the 18th century, Trevi has been considered a corruption of the “Tre Vie” or “Trivium” in Latin, …
“Saints be Praised” – The Relics of Rome
Ancient Rome was built on the mythology of Romulus and Remus. 4th century Rome was rebuilt on top of the bones of Saints Peter and Paul, the Romulus and Remus …
Cucina Romana – the tradition of eating in Rome
It’s difficult to imagine Italian food without tomatoes but prior the late 15th century they didn’t exist in Italy. They didn’t exist anywhere in Europe. The greatest treasure of the …
‘Sampietrini’ – The streets of Rome
On a dark night in 1585, an ornate carriage was crossing the Piazza San Pietro. The cadence of the horses and the carriage wheels were a comfort to his holiness …
2012 – Rome; Monti, Monuments, Baths, Churches and EUR
We are in Rome for a month. Every time we come to this great city we seem to spend the first few days just meandering around the streets. We have …
2011 – Rome, the Monti, Sant’Angelo and Palazzo Colonna
We’re staying in a great apartment with a long terrace overlooking the Coliseum, I mean literally overlooking the Coliseum. The building sits on the the ancient Fagutale Hill, via del Fagutale …
2011 – Rome; Palazzo Farnese, Cinecittà, Vatican Nights and the Hypogeum
“Hail Caesar. We who are about to fry salute you”. The temperatures in Rome are +33°C (91°F) every day. somedays we’ve gotten up close to 40°C. We like to get …
2010 – Rome, Tivoli, Tarquinia and Centrale Montemartini
We’ve rented an apartment on the Via dei Gubbonari, a couple of short blocks from the Campo dei Fiori. It’s in a great location and there is a small terrace. …
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