Ciao! I’m Natalie.

I am a freelance writer in Rome, writing about a city I love (as well as about Italy and beyond but more on that in the Press Section).  In fact, I found so many places and things that I love about Rome that I decided to put them all into one app called Discover Rome.

I am originally from California but I moved to the Eternal City for graduate school and thought I might stick around for a little while longer.

Most days you can find me at my 1950s kitchen table turned desk, or running around Rome to find new unexplored areas or to visit some of my favorite spots.

 

If you are coming for a short trip, you might want to start with my posts on 24 hours in Rome or 48 hours in Rome

I love to travel throughout Italy and beyond.  You may see some non-Italian posts on my worldwide adventures but you can filter to find Italy or Rome-specific posts from the menu at the top of every page.

Even with all the travel I have been lucky enough to undertake for work and for pleasure, Rome is still the most beautiful city I have ever seen. I love the unexpected corners of Rome, and the delicious Rome restaurants (naturally).

If this is your first time on the blog and you are thinking of moving to Italy, I would recommend starting with the posts on practical expat information.

Want to keep in touch? You can subscribe to posts by email to be notified whenever there is something new on the blog. More into monthly roundups? Join the newsletter mailing list.

Finally, you will find interviews and more information about commissioning content development (did I mention I am a writer? no?) under the Press section of this site.

Happy travels,

NatalieAn American in Rom logo

 

97 thoughts on “About

  1. Donna says:

    Loved reading your blog on whats up in your world. It looks like a good place to visit( hint::hint) 😉 Be careful. I didn’t see my picture on the things I’ll miss the most. love G

  2. georgette says:

    love your blog, especially the metro police post ( happened to me ) , I still can’t believe they made you pay 50 euros! If your ever in Florence, let me know e prendiamo un caffe!

    • Natalie says:

      Georgette- it happened to you too?? Every time I see an ATAC officer, my heart beats a little faster. Florence is on my list of to-visits, so I’ll definitely let you know. Ditto if you’re ever in Roma!

  3. Beatriz says:

    Fun blog! It took me back to our first year in Italy! Enjoy every second of it, it is such a wonderful place to live at. If you are back in southern CA, we could try and find a good BAR to meet at.
    Good luck

  4. Brittany says:

    Hi, I really enjoy reading your blog! I just moved to Rome from New York City to pursue doctoral studies at Sapienza University of Rome. I’ll be here for at least 2 years so I’m looking to meet other young American expats living here. I’m still adjusting to the whole new lifestyle here in Italy. If you have any tips to offer for a new girl in Rome that would be great!
    Cheers,
    Brittany

    • Ashton Marie says:

      Brittany,
      I am an american living in Florence, but my bf and I want to move to Rome and I want to enroll to La Sapienza and of course because its Sapienza its impossible to find any kind of assistance or real information on anything. If there any thing you tell me of your enrolling experience (as an american enrolling there) that could help me on my way it would be much appreciated!! My email is [email protected].

      Ashton

      P.S. I really love this blog! And I remember last summer when I moved to Italy the first time I thought it would be magic and gelato too. It was mostly just sweating, unhelpful rude people and almost getting run over a lot.

  5. Marco says:

    Hi! I’m italian but unfortunately living in the cold baltic Europe for work, and I came to your site while googling around for some nice picture of Rome, where I was living before leaving.
    Then I saw and read about coffee, basil, olive oil, the picture of Rome, la pizza, i gelati, Trastevere, and every single word was a trip back to the Eternal City and every picture a stab in my heart …
    I love Rome, and I’m missing it so much. You are such a lucky girl to be there …
    I also enjoyed your comments about ATMs and italian men asking about cooking skills – LOL! I’m not of that kind but I know a lot of my friends that are like this.
    Thanks a lot for your site and keep it growing up!
    Greetings from Tallinn.

    Marco

    P.S.: if you have time go to Caffè S.Eustachio (just in front of the Pantheon) for having probably the best coffee in Rome. A bit expensive but it’s worth the price, you have to try it at least once in life. And greet for me Piazza Navona e la Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi, they are so close. Ciao!

  6. Bailey says:

    Hey I really love your blog! I too am an American 20 something girl living in Rome. And I have a very pressing question: where did you find quinoa here???? I’m a vegetarian and occasional vegan and I would love some helpful hints to make finding food easier (like where was the Hippy House?)
    Thanks!
    Bailey

  7. Mary Louise Tucker says:

    Hello, I have come to your blog via Bagni di Lucca’s blog! Small world.

    I agree with Marco above that Caffè S.Eustachio is a great experience, and being near the Pantheon (my favourite building in Roma) is a bonus.

    Well done for getting out there and doing it. You won’t regret having made the break. I have spent plenty of time in Italy over the years and I know it’s not perfect, but there are so many amazing things to see. Enjoy every pannini (or pizza, or gelato, or caffe…)!

    I’ve linked to my recent 10 week trip and my “regular” irregular blog below.

    Mary Louise Tucker

    http://mltucker.wordpress.com/
    http://tenweeksinitaly.wordpress.com/

  8. Fragolina says:

    I love your blog, I’m enjoying it alot as I said before. I always wanted to go live in Italy for a year or two, and I keep asking my husband if it’s gonna be possible for us to do someday… my dream is to explore every city in Italy form North to South and taste every italian specialty… and maybe work at some restaurant or a pasticceria. A friend told me also to visit Bracciano, I wasn’t sure of it, but now after seeing your pictures, I love it… we might go there…. Nice blog.

  9. Naila says:

    Hi,

    I came across your blog and I thought I’d write to you to ask you some advice. I’m from Edinburgh, Scotland and I’m going to Rome in 12 days for the first time for a week on holiday and have been toying with the idea of staying there. I thought I would do it later in the year but I have no obligations in Edinburgh tying me down and I’ve wanted to live in Italy since I was a teenager. I’m 29 now. I’m learning Italian and I don’t know if this is a really crazy idea, well it is a crazy idea but I don’t know if it’s viable, moneywise. I’ve been looking for a room on easystanza and have found various options but I would have to view properties when I visit before I made any decision. Do you have any advice you can give me? Did moving involve some months of planning etc. for you as you’re American?

    I look forward to hearing from you.

    Kind Regards

    Naila

  10. Michelle James says:

    Hi Natalie,

    I hope you don’t mind me getting in touch. I found your details on your website and I hope you might be able to help me with my strange request…

    I am a Producer working on a television show called House Hunters International which follows English speaking expats in their quest to purchase a house abroad. I wonder if you or any of your expat contacts might be interested in getting involved?! Please find a little blurb about the show below:

    House Hunters International is a half-hour program currently airing on the Home and Garden Television Network (HGTV) in America.
    The series is designed to de-mystify the international home-buying process by going behind the scenes of a house hunt where buyers and their real estate agents tour 3 homes.

    At its core, House Hunters International is a travel show concentrating on the idiosyncrasies of the locales and what makes them special and different.

    You can watch some examples of the show here:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kh0Q6DYe3QM – London from South Africa (1600 series) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLmhKEzm5kg – Dubai from Illinois (2000 series)

    Please get in touch if you have any more questions about the show. I look forward to hearing from you!

    Best wishes and many thanks,

    Michelle

    Michelle James
    ASSOCIATE PRODUCER LEOPARD FILMS
    1-3 St Peter’s Street, London N1 8JD – +44 20 7704 3300
    [email protected]
    http://www.leopardfilms.com

  11. Tori says:

    Love your blog! I ran across it planning my honeymoon to Italy. I laugh… I just told my husband last week that if I didn’t know him, I would have packed my bags, my mom and moved to Rome to freelance. Then I found your blog. Sounds so wonderful. I’m a Graphic Artist/Illustrator… how’s the job situation over there. Do you have clients here and there?

    Oh… maybe one day… in the meantime have my honeymoon in September. So, from reading your blog, I need long dresses and comfortable walking sandals.

    Tori

  12. sharon says:

    Hello,

    I’m a ‘romana de roma’ who moved to Bruxelles 4 years ago. I’m miss my born city, but thanks to your blog, I feel like I was in Italy everthing I read your post… I’m fond of your blog, you make beatiful photos, and I don’t know how, but in my opinion you understand italian culture better that the Italians…

    Continua cosi’!!

    Best wishes and many thanks,

    Sherly

    • Natalie says:

      Hi Sherly,

      How is Bruxelles? I’m glad if I can provide any reminder of Rome from an outsider’s perspective. Thanks so much for the nice note and encouragement 🙂

      -Natalie

  13. Sara says:

    Hi Natalie!

    Really enjoying your blog, I moved to Rome in June from Seattle for an internship and I am always looking for expats to hang out with since I left my whole social life behind and Italians are nearly impossible to befriend 🙂 Let me know if you ever want to get aperitivo!

    -Sara

    • Lisa says:

      Ciao Sara,
      I just read your comment to Natalie. I’m from Seattle too but moved to Roma over 4 years ago.
      Are you still here?
      Would you like to meet sometime for a caffe or aperitivo?

      Salutone,
      Lisa

  14. Justine says:

    Can’t believe you’ve already been for here for a year- doesn’t it seem like yesterday when you arrived?! Adding you to my blogroll! Keep having fun <3

  15. Mike in St. Louis says:

    Love Rome and love your blog! I’ve vacationed there many times and I keep going back. Wish I could live there myself.

    Mike in St. Louis

  16. Sara White says:

    Just wanted to let you know that I discovered your blog recently and now I’m completely addicted to it. I’m moving to Rome from Canada in September (for no reason other than feeling that I need to do something big to make my life more interesting), and I have to admit that I’ve been sifting through and enjoying your archives, all the while getting more and more excited for my own big move. Keep up the great writing, I’m looking forward to reading more!

    • Kaitlan says:

      Hi Sara
      You have no idea how happy it makes me to see a post like yours. I really want to know if you made the move!!! And if you are still there? I’m also Canadian and considering the move. I’m almost 24 and unattached to things here so I figure there is no better time. Would love to hear from you – shoot me an email if you have the chance, I’d be so appreciative.
      Katie (Vancouver Island)

  17. Javier says:

    May i (and all of us) follow you one day.
    Will be in Rome in a few months, ten years after i first landed there on a september morning as student. I have been back a few times but i can only say my being and emotianal temperature are at its center in that great place.
    Congratulations and it was a pleasure discovering your blog.
    Good luck!

  18. Kirsty says:

    Hey,
    I stumbled across your blog whilst searching the web to see if anyone else had gone through the nightmare of sorting their Dichiarazione di Valore! I plan to move to Trieste in September to start a Masters in Neuroscience hopefully, but it’s so nice to see someone else who has moved to Italy and to see a well documented take on the new life that you have embraced! Looking forward to the many more interesting stories to come :).

    Ciao!

    • Michael says:

      Hey Kirsty!

      Just found out about this blog because of excactly the same thing! Kinda like it so far 🙂

      It was fun reading the way to get it because I’m in the thick of it at the moment and can’t tell any good about it too 🙁

      I’m also planning to move to Trieste to begin studying languages next year.

      So did you start?

      I have been in Trieste before because friends live nearby but tell me how is it to really live and study there?

      Ciao
      Michael

  19. Angela says:

    Hi,
    How do suggest going about getting a work visa? I have visited Rome several times and have finally decided to make the move. I am also finding it challenging to find an apartment via email. Any suggestions?

    • L'americana says:

      Hi Angela,
      It is really difficult to get a lease without being here. I lucked out because I know my landlord personally. If you are thinking about longterm, then it might be worth (/necessary) to make a trip here BEFORE you get your visa, arrange everything, and then go back to get the visa with your lease in hand. A pain, I know. Sorry!

  20. Joanna Reese says:

    Hi!

    I am really enjoying your blog and your pictures are beautiful! I am getting very excited about my upcoming trip to Rome! I have a favor/question and wondered if you could help. My husband and I are coming to Rome in October and actually get there on a Friday, which is our 10 yr anniversary! I would like to plan a dinner and was wondering if you could recommend a nice restaurant. I would love to go to a local favorite with great food and not too stuffy. We are staying near the Colosseum. Your suggestions would be so appreciated!!

    Thank you,
    Joanna

  21. Tyler says:

    I did this very thing in 2006. Sold all my stuff, stored the rest and bought a one-way ticket to Rome. Since I came back to the States I haven’t stopped scheming how to move back… For now, I will live vicariously through you. Thanks…or rather, gracie.

    Tanti auguri!

    Tyler

  22. Lorenzo says:

    Hi Natalie! I’m Italian and I live in Rome since I was about one year old. Now I’m 20 years old. How long have you been living here? Do you like it? Which neighbourhood did you choose to find an apartment? It would be interesting to start a conversation about it 😛

    It’s always pretty funny to read about living in your city from a foreigner’s perspective and I’m enjoying your blog right now.
    Bye!

    Lorenzo

  23. Anne says:

    Hello I am an American student (also from southern California) in Rome at the moment and I just wanted to thank you for this blog. It is so inspiring and helpful when I am out and about in the city. You seem like a pretty cool person and this blog is fantastic! Please keep posting such wonderful little tidbits and I wish you well!

  24. Rebecca says:

    So happy to find your fun Rome expat blog… I love Rome and often seeing myself running away to live there. I’ve had to settle for 9 visits and counting… two of them last year and one in a couple months I think. I am loving your particular experience of every day life in Rome as an American and all your local flavor tips are treasures!!! I’ve been keeping a tumblr photoblog of my time in and obsession with Rome (and Naples) but recently began a more traditional writing/photo travel experience blog on WP of my adventures of being a ‘tourist’ in rome who loves the off the beaten path spots of rome and is trying to get to know the eternal city in a local sense when I steal away to it. Not the same as living there every day – but I am trying! And I realized I was silly to not put down my memories and favorite spots for others to read about and for my own sense of nostalgia. Thanks for creating a great guide and an interesting food centric – yay – rome site. Bookmarking you!!!

  25. Erika says:

    Hello! My name is Erika – I am 35 years old and thinking of selling many of my things, giving up my apartment in the U.S. and heading to Rome for a job opportunity over there for an undefined amount of time. I am exhilarated but terrified. Was wondering if you were still there and if you would mind becoming FB friends so I have American contacts there. If so, let me know and I can provide you with my info. Thank you! Cheers! 🙂

  26. Pingback: I should’ve listened to my mom | Audrey Liou

  27. Joanne C says:

    Hi Nathalie, dopo aver seguito il tuo blog da un pò, e che adoro, mi permetto di farti una domanda. Avrei voluto scriverti in privato ma non trovo il tuo indirizzo email. Ecco la mia domanda : vorrei approfondire la mia conoscenza della lingua italiana e seguire corsi a Roma in una scuola per stranieri (parlo francese). Una scuola che offre anche attività come visitare luoghi o musei. Sono alla mia pensione e ho tanto tempo ! Mi stavo domandando se tu avessi conoscenza di queste scuole. Sto cercando sul web comunque. Grazie per leggermi. Mi puoi scrivere in privato se vuoi. Scommetto che parli bene l’italiano ? ?

  28. Ilene Modica says:

    Just happened across your blog. Love it. We will be moving to Italy shortly (approved as dual citizens). Will be watching your posts. Can’t wait for our adventure!!! ouritalianjourney.com

  29. Kaitlan says:

    Hello!
    I am so eager (read: desperate) to connect with someone who is currently living in Rome. I’m a 24-year old Western Candian girl who has just decided that next year is the year I am going to move to Italy. For the most part I have decided where I’m going to be staying, but would love to chat with someone about the actual logistics and possible beaurocratic nightmares that await me. I was in Italy years ago as a child for just a short trip with family, but I am 100% certain I am going to make the move and make this happen for myself. I would be so thrilled to have ANY feedback/advice from someone who has done it themselves.
    Really hope to hear from you – I’m assuming my email address does get sent to you when I post here?
    Thanks so much
    Katie

  30. Holly says:

    So glad I came across your blog – it’s so heart-warming to see such wonderful pictures and posts about my favourite city. I moved to Rome in 2008 at the age of 22 – I was only meant to stay for 3 months of au-pairing but completely fell in love with the city, found a proper job and ended up staying 3.5 years. Best experience of my life! I’m so glad I made the leap. Leaving (in 2011) was tough, but necessary for my career/life to move forwards… I’m currently living in south Wales and now happily loved up with a fellow Brit. However, I still miss Rome more than any other place I’ve lived, and going back to visit feels like arriving home. I’m so glad I can treasure my memories of that time….

    To anyone debating whether to take the risk and go for it, I say just do it! I was absolutely terrified on the day I flew out to meet my au-pair family (I would have backed out I think if I didn’t feel bound to honour my deal with them) – SOOooo glad I went. I have no regrets about that time of my life. I do know some who found Rome tougher than others – the trick I think is to really go for it; speak Italian asap, even if it’s full of mistakes and hesitations (you’ll be amazed how quickly you progress if you just forget to be self-conscious!); try to make Italian friends and go to the bars/dingy clubs/dodgy looking (but AMAZING) pizzerias/trattorias that the tourists never see; shop in your local grocery store and stop by your local bar for a macchiato as often as possible… ENJOY! 🙂

    • Natalie says:

      LOVE this advice to just go for it. Totally agree that Rome is worth it. I always say that the worst case scenario is that you go home… which is not so terrifying in the end.

      Thanks so much for the note– so glad that you feel the same way about Roma.

  31. Maddie says:

    My roommate introduced me to your blog this past August when we started our freshman year abroad at John Cabot. Your information about Rome really helped us transition from high school, to college, to living on our own in a foreign country. I am are currently back in CA for winter break and I’ve found myself constantly coming back to your page in anticipation for my return later this month. Can’t wait to see what you post about next!

  32. Jessica DeRose says:

    Hi Natalie! Just found your blog and I love it! Going back to Italy in October for our second honeymoon and want to get the most of out the trip. Your blog is helping me find some great bars & restaurants. But I do need some help with my travels by train. What is the best website to buy train tickets? We’ll be going from Milan->Venice->Florence->Rome->Milan.
    Thanks in advance, I really enjoy reading your posts.

  33. Brian & Chi says:

    Ciao, Natalie! What a wonderful website you have. Happy to have found it (search return while looking for information about driving Amalfitana, busses, or ferries). We’re planning our family’s first visit to Italy from the US late May (2 weeks). The information and photos you share are just marvelous and will help us focus our planning a bit. Thanks, kind regards, B.

  34. Edie Edmondson says:

    Hello Natalie!
    I also never planned to live in Italy and then an Italian man decided to change all of that! I’m based in the Veneto area, Padova mainly. Exploring the Dolomites and local towns and cities, its a whole different life to when I was in London. I’ve started writing a blog recently called Finestrella (your peep into Italy) on stories, experiences, images. Head over there for a browse if you are intereted!

  35. Joe Daidone says:

    Tax rates are progressive and range from 23% to 43%. Additional taxes are due at the regional (0.9% to 1.4%) and local (0.1% to 0.8%) levels. If you’re a foreign resident working in Italy, you’re only taxed on the income earned in Italy.

  36. Anuj Agarwal says:

    Hi Natalie,

    My name is Anuj Agarwal. I’m Founder of Feedspot.

    I would like to personally congratulate you as your blog An American in Rome – Italy has been selected by our panelist as one of the Top 35 Italy Travel Blogs on the web.

    http://blog.feedspot.com/italy_travel_blogs/

    I personally give you a high-five and want to thank you for your contribution to this world. This is the most comprehensive list of Top 35 Italy Travel Blogs on the internet and I’m honored to have you as part of this!

    Also, you have the honor of displaying the badge on your blog.

    Best,
    Anuj

  37. Colleen Bersano says:

    This blog is absolutely fabulous, particularly as someone who is currently considering moving to Italia! I got so wrapped up in reading post after post that I completely missed my bus stop this morning. Thank you for all the incredible information and additional inspiration in considering making Italia my new home. Extra shoutout to Gardenia Cheung-Lau for introducing me to your blog!

  38. Maaike says:

    Great blog Natalie! I ended up in Rome too after a language exchange but in 2015 I moved to Milan, which is not so bad in the end and I’m writing about my life in Milan. However, I’m missing the Eternal City every single day!

  39. Frederick R Polli says:

    Hi, love your blog. My girlfriend turned me on to it as we are making our second trip to Rome this month. Love Rome. I would love to live there.

  40. Andrea says:

    Ciao Natalie,
    il tuo blog è bellissimo, mi stai insegnando molte cose sul mio paese che non sapevo.. inoltri dimostri un amore per la nostra cultura che mi fa riflettere… visto che sto pensando di lasciare l’Italia…
    Ti darei la cittadinanza onoraria!!

    Bravissima!

    Andrea

  41. Megan says:

    This is a great blog! I just arrived in Rome this morning and wish I had found it before so I could have planned more. I’m here with my two kids (7&12) and was wondering if you know any good tour guides who know how to make it all even more interesting for kids? Or perhaps a pasta making class for families?

  42. Dana says:

    I’m very happy I have found your blog! 🙂 I’m traveling to Rome in a month or so and really looking forward to it. Just came back from Florence and fell in love with the city… I wonder if Rome will live up the expectations 🙂

  43. Victor Cachia says:

    Hi Natalie. First of all want to say this blog is awesome. I will be travelling to Rome with my wife for the first time for a 5 day holiday between the 30th Oct and 03 Nov and I was wondering if there is some extra tips you can tell me about apart the ones I already read on this blog that you can give us to make our first trip to Rome as romantic and awesome as possible. Thanks and once again very well done for this amazing blog. I fell on love with your blog as I am sure me and my wife will fall in love with Rome 🙂

  44. Coline says:

    Hey Natalie, I love everything in your blog and actually i’m jealous 🙂 I’m in Rome this year for studies and i just began to create my own blog about the city and my experience but it’s nothing compared to yours !! Anyway, i was wondering wich camera do you use to take your pictures ? They’re amazing.
    Ciao, a dopo 🙂

    • Natalie says:

      Ciao Coline! Thanks so much 🙂 My advice is to keep blogging! This grew out of a student project for me as well! Enjoy Rome <3

  45. Cristina says:

    Hi Natalie,
    I came across by chance into your beautiful blog! I’m Italian, but I moved with husband in Philadelphia (Pa) in 2013.
    I wanted to tell you that I’m so glad that you’ve created such accurate and detailed blog about Rome (and Italy in general).
    It’s very helpful and rich of information, for all those interested in visiting or even moving to the Eternal City.
    Complimenti, ottimo lavoro!
    And… IN BOCCA AL LUPO for your work!
    With my deepest appreciation.
    🙂
    Cristina

    • Natalie says:

      Hi Cristina! Thank you so much for your kind words! I hope you are enjoying Philadelphia life, and I am so glad that the blog offers a detailed guide. Crepi il lupo!

  46. Mr. Abi says:

    Thank a lot as mush as I love and keep it as my running place to hide from stress and work as every time discover new staff thank you a lot I love coffee and I will try Faro

  47. Nancy says:

    Hi there, we are travelling on 31st December and staying in San Lorenzo, we are landing late at 1900h into FCO and wondering if Mercator at termini is a good option for an Irish family of four to get some dinner? thanks Nancy

  48. Janine Youngbird says:

    Hi, I just found your blog and I am looking forward to reading it. My husband and I are currently planning our first trip to Italy and plan to spend at least four days in Rome. I will probably have questions for you once I read all your posts.

  49. Nancy Hogan says:

    Wow! I just stumbled on to your blog. I’m accompanying my about-to-be 88-year-old dad to Rome next week. I can alread tell that the info on your blog and your app that I just downloaded are going to be a great help. Thank you for sharing!

  50. Cara says:

    Love your informative site! I lived in Rome a number of years ago and travel back as often as possible. It’s my favorite city in the world! I’ll definitely be reading your articles before my upcoming trip in July. I’m especially interested in the best places to find shoes (saw your Italian leather boot reco). I can’t go back to California without a pair (or two)!

  51. Josephine says:

    Natalie,
    I have just started planning a visit to Italy for the beginning of next year. I love your blog. Thank you for all the information. I have never been to Italy; however I have done a good amount of traveling. I will be traveling with my significant other (his first time in Europe!) and two of my good friends who are also avid travelers. I am going to write down all your pointers. Thanks again!

  52. Pingback: A few days roaming around Rome… – anda_ontour

  53. George Reilly says:

    Hallo Natalie,
    Not too long ago in October you posted a message about the Roman “Stolpersteine” im memory of the Jews who had been deported from Rome and who ended up in the Nazi gas chambers. I found it very touching that you brought that up. We have these “Stolpersteine” in Germany too. Not only here in Aachen where I live but also in the little town of Ettenheim on the edge of the Black Forest where my wife comes from. I cannot find your post so that is why I am reacting to it with this mail.
    In the “Museo storico della liberazione” in the via Tasso/Rome there is a lot of info about the fascist period in Italy. It is well worth a visit, (but not with a baby as you can probably well imagine!!)
    Today is the 80th anniversary of the night/day that the synagogues throughout Germany were burnt down. To commemorate that event West German radio has a programme running the whole day today which is called “Stolpersteine” and students from high schools in the state where I live (Northrhine-Westfalia) highlight in little spots the fate of Jews in their neighbourhoods who did not survive the holocaust. A lovely way of commemorating that barbarian period in German history. There was also a very alert 92 year-old woman on the radio this morning who talked about how her father lost his job because as a staunch Catholic he would not join the Nazi party and not only that but she also talked about how he managed to save Jewish friends from extermination. It was so touching because not only the old lady but also the radio reporter was in tears. The old lady’s father was one of those very, very few!! There are not many of these witnesses of those times left. They are a treasure. And much needed at the moment. One shudders when one reads how much right-wing and nationalist thought is pervading Europe again.
    Another tip which I came across today (I hope you don’t mind): In the current issue of the Smithsonian magazine there is an extract from a diary by a young Polish Jewish girl (from about 16 to 18 years old) which has recently been translated into English and which will be published next year. It is gripping and heart-wrenching. And it is a lovely and tragic young love-story. Here is the link to the Smithsonian site where you can find the diary:
    https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/unforgotten-holocaust-diary-special-section-180970537/
    The introduction by Robin Schulman is worth reading too.
    Congrats on the photos of you by Rebecca Honeycutt. They are really brilliant!! Your own photos are a real favourite of mine. I am hoping to return to Rome for a visit in May next year.
    Wishing yourself, your Irish “better half”, and your Giacomo all the best.
    Slán
    George Reilly/Seóirse Ó Raghallaigh (get your husband to read that to you!!)

  54. Wendy Murphy says:

    I’ve just booked a trip to Italy with my husband in October. I’ve wanted to see Rome since I watched Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday when I was 7 years old–35 years ago! I cried when I booked the flights 🙂 Your site is everything! Your photos are all the eye-candy I need for the next 8 months.

  55. Mario says:

    Ciao, I am an American gay man living in Rome. I speak Italian and my father is from southern Italy. I have a few Italian boyfriends. Any dating tips for foreigners dating locals? Gay or straight dating issues are probably pretty much universal. I will note to gay travelers that Rome is no gay mecca but using dating apps can help you meet fun nice locals. But I warn to avoid using apps often as Italian men seem to like to meet foreigners especially Americans and this could spread you too thin. It’s easy to alienate yourself from everyone if word spreads you’re a flake. Use discretion.

  56. Elizabeth Posadas says:

    Buongiorno Nicole,

    Just as you a am from Southern California, born and raised (San Diego, Ca). I just arrived to Rome 3 days ago with no return ticket. My plan is to teach English. Thank God I read your article about the Permessi di Soggiorno!!!!! I am on it!!!!

  57. Andrea Gonzalez says:

    I am so in love with your blog! I went to Rome three years ago and used your blog as a guide to plan my trip and I had the best time and all of your suggestions were super helpful! (I mean I would’ve never thought to eat fried artichokes but OMG YUM) I am now planning my wedding and honeymoon in Italy and was so happy that you’re still blogging and making amazing content! So excited to look through all of the places you’ve been to and all of the amazing food you’ve eaten so I can plan my trip! ALSO I love your photography all of your pictures are swoon worthy and are definite photography goals. If you dont mind me asking, what camera do you use? Thank you so much for being an amazing blogger!

    • Natalie says:

      Thank you for such a kind comment! And congratulations on your upcoming wedding! Enjoy your time in Italy and take lots of photos!

  58. Antonio says:

    Ciao Natalie! I am Antonio, I born in Rome, now I am 22 y.o. Rome is an amazing city, whitout doubt. All these monuments.. The food, the weather and the atmosphere of the center are just stunning. Sometimes like every big city, can be chaotic..
    Instead about live there.. Well, ahah, I’d to like live in America.. The contrary.. Discover the long California would be great! Ahah

    Best regards

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