Author Archives: Natalie

Italian Wedding Shoes

Italians have a thing with sequins. Maybe you will find the streets of Milan dotted with more refined style, but in Rome the motto is “the more the better.” Or even, “you know what these sweatpants are missing? Diamonds.” Rome is over the top, which I love when it comes to architecture and chandelier-filled churches. […]

Whirling Dervishes in Istanbul

I have been thinking of Istanbul a lot recently. I have been thinking about the beautiful city. The culture treasure and shopping mecca. And the transfixing qualities of the place and the people. Several years ago, when I visited with a friend, we walked, and ate and boated and biked. And we sat down and […]

Pizzeria Da Remo in Testaccio, Rome

thin crust roman pizza with burnt edges

It was such an excruciating long day. I dragged myself to Da Remo’s because the walk somehow seemed less challenging than trying to convince my brain to combine ingredients in a sauce pan at home. I walked in and my whole body sagged. Just a short wait and I could take my pizza home. I […]

Eating Lampredotto: Cow Stomach Sandwich in Florence

Senti. Listen. I love food, but I am not one of those people who will eat anything. I don’t take some perverse pleasure in enjoying the weirdest edible I come across. But I am someone who will TRY to eat anything. I ate bugs in Mexico City. (Some were ok. Some made me want to […]

Piadina: Italian Wraps in Rome’s Mercato Testaccio

Testaccio Market is changing. Lela Casa moved out, which is fine because I love the new location. The stand where I used to buy my fruit and vegetables has been cut in half, leasing the space to Romeo. I regularly pick up a juice at Zoe. While I appreciate the new injection of life into […]

A Vespa Tour of Rome

I have made it nearly 6 years in Rome without ever having been on a scooter. But the dolce vita allure of skimming through Rome’s traffic on a cherry red Vespa? I’m human. I couldn’t resist forever. When Giovanni pulled up on a gleaming new motorino,  I was ready. After a few minutes, I found […]

Bar della Pace is Closed

Bar della Pace was one of those places you agree to meet. A classic stand by. Gilded mirrors, marble top tables, and velvet seats. Bar della Pace was always famous for its outdoor seating. At a small round table, you could sip a drink beside the ivy-covered facade. It was almost guaranteed that someone you knew […]