There is something about castles that appeals to my American sensibility. In fact, when driving near Vulci (Viterbo), I think I actually said: “Ohhhh! Look! Look! A castle! Can we stop!?” Seriously. Medieval towers and fields of poppies hold plenty of appeal. But the most impressive feature is not the castle at all, but the […]
Category Archives: Italy
08
Jun
Jun
A sagra is a festival, usually centered around a local delicacy. You can have sagre for porcini mushrooms, gnocchi, beer, lavender… but the sagra I most wanted to go near Rome is the sagra della fragole- the Nemi strawberry festival. With a fearless (and manual-transmission trained) fellow explorer, we navigated the strange world of Italian car […]
02
Jun
Jun
The spring has been so strange, with thunderstorms and freezing winds marking the first day of June. So you’ll just have to trust me when I say that sometimes when the weather is hot you get a nagging urge to leave Rome for the day. One such place to skip off to is the ancient […]
12
Apr
Apr
Move over, cigarette vending machines, there’s a new kid in town: beer vending machines! Spotted in Testaccio. Buon weekend!
08
Apr
Apr
It’s almost time. It’s almost time for il cambio di stagione. Literally “the changing of the seasons,” but any lady worth her salt know that this is about two things: clothes and shoes. You have to pick a day for your cambio, and then switch out all your winter clothes for the lighter spring/summer gear. […]
06
Apr
Apr
Good news! All your dreams have come true at once! From the brand that brought you frozen supplì: pizza with french fries and hot dogs (wurtsel e patatine)! This is not a new idea, though it is a terrible one. You can find pizza with french fries around Rome. I think I’ve seen someone eating […]
03
Mar
Mar
No government. No pope. Everything is just chugging right along here in Rome. I don’t know how you could have possibly missed this news item, but- the pope retired. I will leave the analysis of this nearly unprecedented act to those who know their history, like Tiffany. To summarize: Pope: Bye. Rome: You’ll be with […]
29
Jan
Jan
Pitigliano is a town in Tuscany’s Maremma region that seems to grow spectacularly out of the cliff on to which it is built. The buildings, and the rocky crag for that matter, are all made of tufo or tuff rock. Pitigliano is a major destination in its own right, but it is also perfectly located to […]