Florence
When the French writer Stendhal did his tour of Italy around the 1820s, it took him five days to travel from Florence to Rome on a horse carriage. Today the … Continue reading
Mamma’s boy
It is well known that Italian men keep a close relationship with their mother throughout their adult life. For them, she is like a queen mother, quietly ruling his family, … Continue reading
smallest cinema in Europe
Rome claims to have the smallest cinema in Europe, with a single room sitting a maximum of 60 viewers. The cinema dei Piccoli, as it’s called, is located inside the … Continue reading
Are the Romans rude?
I must have one of the worst neighbours in central Rome. His name is Domenico, and instead of being one of those lovely patriarchs out of a 1960s movie, he … Continue reading
Barbarians at the gate?
Being a foreigner living in Rome is no easy condition, as Romans tend to make it known that they are a breed apart in the city. Is it still in … Continue reading
red underwear for New Year
There’s a tradition in Italy: to wear red underwear for New Year’s Eve. All the lingerie shops display red only knickers and bras in their windows in the run-up to … Continue reading
Christmas in Rome
I find Christmas in Rome very pleasant and relaxing. There is less of the commercial pressure felt in Northern European cities, where it is all about buying and consuming. On … Continue reading
weather
Just as I was about to praise the lovely winter days we’ve just had, it started to seriously rain again…we can’t take so much water any more…..
Flooding of the Tiber
After so much rain, the river Tiber is rising fast…but is still away from the high levels reached two years ago. It was only over a century ago that the … Continue reading
Milano-Roma
I am on the fast Frecciarossa train between Rome and Milan, which is busy as usual and is a fair indicator of the number of people who regularly travel between … Continue reading
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