The Pantheon and Piazza della Rotondo
Our home in San Francisco is close to Dolores Park, a beautiful sloping green hill with postcard views of the city skyline. The park is famous for San Francisco’s oldest …
Attack on Rome!
Sturnus Vulgaris descended on the city and Romans flee by the thousands. Check out this You Tube video. No it’s not a nuclear Godzilla type monster trampling buildings or a …
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 …
Malta; Knights, Limestone and Megalithic Temples
The Knights of St John (Knights Hospitaller) arrived in Malta in 1530. They were tired, worn out and down to around 180 of the once mighty Order of Knights. They’d …
Istanbul and Ancient Constantinople
Byzantium started out in the 660 BC as an ancient Greek city named for Byzas, the son of Poseidon, raised by Spring Fairies who was instructed by the Oracle of …
Ravenna, the city of Byzantine Mosaics
In 49BC, Julius Caesar assembled his troops in Ravenna for his famous march across the Rubicon River, an action that started a civil war and basically ended the Roman Republic. …
Rimini: Augustus, Malatesta and Fellini
From June through August, this small city becomes one of the most famous seaside resorts in Italy. There are literally hundreds of hotels and hundreds of bars and discos. The …
Torino; Savoy Kings and the Molè Antonelliana
Torino (or Turin) is a beautiful architectural gem that sits along the Po River under the vista of the Alps. Most of the year you can see the snow covered …
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, …
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