If you come to Rome you will likely quickly notice its pine trees. The trees slightly resemble something that Dr. Seuss would have dreamed up, with tall and skinny trunks supporting widespread canopies of needles high in the air. These are the stone pines of Rome, sometimes also called umbrella pines or parasol pines for […]
We have officially passed the 40 days that gave rise to the word “quarantine” from the Venetian practice of isolating ships carrying the plague. At this point, anything seems possible (or impossible as the case may be). No one knows what to expect from our first coronavirus summer in Italy. That hasn’t stopped architects and […]
Imagine walking among the ruins and urban buzz of Rome only to hear a parrot, then see the bright flash of its wings. Parrots in Rome are more common than you might think. However, these tropical-looking birds in Rome are actually brilliant green parakeets. Most are rose-ringed parakeets, to be precise. With so many parks, […]
I have to admit that when I first heard about the Covid-19 cases emerging in Italy, it felt like one more health risk to worry about. In January, I was already six months pregnant and scrupulously trying to avoid touching my face or getting sick from the flu. This new virus went onto my list […]
Have you been meaning to brush up on your Italian skills? Perhaps you suddenly find yourself with a lot more free time, or maybe you decided that there is no time like the present to learn the language for your next trip. One of the easiest ways to plug into a new language and stick […]
“You may have the universe if I may have Italy.” So exclaimed Giuseppe Verdi in one of my favorite quotes, but I would say that many of us feel the same way. This includes celebrated photographer Steve McCurry, whose images from his travels around the world have become iconic. Now, the artistic explorer has created […]
Even if you don’t consider yourself superstitious, you probably notice when Friday the 13th rolls around. However, it is the number 17 that is unlucky in Italy – not 13. That makes Friday the 17th a day to be particularly careful of bad luck. The belief that the number 17 is unlucky in Italy probably […]
It has become obvious to most of the world at this point that “going back to normal” after this health crisis won’t be normal at all. Things about our daily lives are going to have to change, even after lockdown measures ease. We are now on our 38th day of lockdown, and we will definitely […]
