I was gone for a few weeks last summer. It seems that was all it took for the neighborhood to change. Screaming down Via Marmorata in a taxi on way home from the airport, I caught a glimpse of a modern space. Despite my attempts to rubberneck, I could not tell what it was or […]
20
Dec
Dec
I have walked by Babington’s many times. If you have been to Rome, so have you. With an unimaginably good location, Babington’s offers tea and light bites right at the base of the Spanish Steps. You know. Right there. Yep. There. The tea rooms were established in 1893, with the aim of catering to the […]
15
Dec
Dec
I sometimes hate on Trastevere. It is easy to see why it is popular: charming, central and well looked after. However, its strength is its weakness, and these virtues also means it is packed with hawkers of knickknacks, over-salted aperitivo buffets and throngs of international explorers. Sometimes Rome feels like it is divided into two […]
30
Nov
Nov
I have missed this stretch of the Tiber. This is where I notice the seasons change in Rome. On this same walk, I wistfully watched for the first green leaves in spring, and where I now crunch through autumn. My favorite thing about fall in Rome is clementines and olio nuovo. So in addition to […]
29
Oct
Oct
The first time I ever had supplì, I spit it out. I was mid-conversation, and I picked up a small fried ball and popped it into my mouth. Without breaking eye contact, I very quickly spit it back into my napkin with little to no subtlety. It was one of the most awkward, and also […]
16
Oct
Oct
One of the very first words I ever learned in Italian was “cavatappi.” Corkscrew. I needed one to be able to open the first bottle of wine in my first Roman apartment. I stood by my door, staring at my pocket Italian dictionary, and repeating it over and over to build up the courage to […]
14
Oct
Oct
You know that little lake in Villa Borghese? You know- the adorable one? It’s called the Laghetto, and it is a perfect spot for picnics. It is probably my favorite picnic spot in all of Rome, because I am sentimental and it is also my first picnic spot in Rome. Four years ago, new to the […]
04
Oct
Oct
I am recovering. I am recovering from too much fun, and too much work, etc, etc. There are times in life when you need to find a balance. There are other times when you have to surrender control and let the scale swing widely back and forth, until you come gulping for air at the […]