Author Archives: Natalie

Where to Run in Rome

bike path tiber Rome

I see Rome making slightly more of an effort post-pandemic to be a city for the people. There are bike lanes appearing sporadically and plenty of pedestrianized areas of the center. With the upcoming Jubilee year, and the millions of pilgrims it will bring, there are also some new pedestrian passageways in the works. However, […]

Fiocco Nascita: Italy’s Sweet Approach to Birth Announcements

If you wander through an Italian city or village, you might spot the occasional bow tied outside an apartment door. This ‘Fiocco Nascita’ is a birth announcement – letting the world outside know that a new little person has arrived. A birth ribbon tends to be pink or blue to indicate the arrival of a […]

Ristorante La Campana in Rome

La Campana, down a small street not far from Piazza Navona, is supposedly Rome’s oldest restaurant. The eatery has been welcoming patrons for over 500 years- and I’m sure many of the dishes are unchanged for decades if not centuries.   La Campana was also reportedly one of Caravaggio’s favorite restaurants and the Renaissance master has paintings hanging […]

L’Antica Birreria Peroni: Eating near the Trevi Fountain

Eating in the center of Rome can be a bit difficult if you fail to plan ahead. Most of the very well-known restaurants like Roscioli or Armando al Pantheon are rather cozy and their limited tables are booked far in advance. Other places that take walk-ins (or worse, have someone outside trying to actively entice […]

Zia Rosetta: Roman Street Food in Monti

Rome prides itself on being the culinary birthplace of several dishes, including cacio e pepe and carbonara. Naturally, the city also lays claim to a kind of bread – la rosetta. Named for its rose-like shape, the sections have a chewy crust and a soft, air-filled interior. There is something exceptionally satisfying about the combination of […]