Top 10 stops in North-Eastern Rome – Part 2

If you read the previous post successfully, you should be sugar laden and ready to explore a little closer to my place in the African Quarter. Viale Somalia, Viale Libia, Viale Etiopia and Viale Eritrea are the four main roads that delineate this neighborhood, but do not come expecting a vibrant African oasis in theContinue reading “Top 10 stops in North-Eastern Rome – Part 2”

Rome’s buried Golden House – older than the Colosseum

If you have not read “Alice in Wonderland”, you have most likely seen snippets of the Disney take on this classic Lewis Carroll tale: an ingenuous girl with an innate sense of curiosity enters this magical world and embarks on this madcap adventure involving a Cheshire cat, the Queen of Hearts and the Madhatter. ItContinue reading “Rome’s buried Golden House – older than the Colosseum”

The oldest pharmacy in Europe: A treasure hunt

When photos are strictly off limits for a location in Rome, you know it’s a gem. When you can only get in with a private booking, you feel this bougie privilege of being a polished traveler: your in-the-know cultural awareness has opened secret doors to an off the path location. When I moved to Rome,Continue reading “The oldest pharmacy in Europe: A treasure hunt”

Buongiorno Roma sotto la pioggia!

Finding home in a place that is so culturally different from where you were born is not easy. Admittedly, this is a personal blog that showcases snippets of my day that are more magical than mundane – and I am fueling the desire to “Eat, Pray, Love” or find your ‘quintessential’ Italy in an “UnderContinue reading “Buongiorno Roma sotto la pioggia!”

Hidden histories around the Colosseum

8 January I don’t blame people for coming to Rome for the sole purpose of seeing the Colosseum. Just for your tourist ears, it is also known as Anfiteatro Flavio, which is the surname of the Roman emperor who commissioned its construction. I should probably get around to writing about this iconic Roman stadium. MaybeContinue reading “Hidden histories around the Colosseum”

To Trastevere – literally “beyond the Tiber”

7 January 2021- Do not fritter away your time perusing this post if you envision the wonderfully romanticised Trastevere of a pre-COVID world: the kind where, for some reason in everyone’s imagination, Spring and Summer are the only seasons. The streets are vibrantly splashed with bohemian Italians, market stalls and tourists thinking they have foundContinue reading “To Trastevere – literally “beyond the Tiber””

Piove- It’s raining

Before reading this post, I want to set up a mood: Have a listen to this to this folk track by Roman artist Mannarino (“Me so’mbriacato – I got drunk”). No, I will not be blogging about alcohol induced adventures, but the song was in my head as I wandered around the streets on aContinue reading “Piove- It’s raining”

Pre-lockdown promenades

Italy has been declared a “red zone” for the Christmas (Natale) and New Years (Capodanno) periods. This means you can only leave the house for “essential reasons”. I knew this was coming and, although not daunted at the prospect of spending the big holidays indoors, I did make the most of the days leading upContinue reading “Pre-lockdown promenades”