Milk in Italian cappuccinos is creamier than back home. As I unfurl my arms in the morning sun at Piazza Farnese, I notice a foamy heart that swirls at the surface of my caffe macchiato. Creamy and full of none of that special oat milk nonsense I had back home. Landing in Rome to pursueContinue reading “A morning coffee in Rome”
Tag Archives: travel
The “Love & Gelato” guide to Rome
Anyone who was a teenager in a generation gone by would have a romanticised vision of Rome told through the eyes of the tween character Lizzie McGuire. Before you start making references to “Paolo” and chanting the saccharine melody of “This is what dreams are made of”, Netflix has returned to this trope for theContinue reading “The “Love & Gelato” guide to Rome”
Eat, Pray, Love?
The first few posts of this blog have been spent carving out what my identity on this page should be: Am I a tourist? Am I an expat? Am I here for work or love? Is this my version of “Eat, Pray, Love”? Am I running away from my adult responsibilities? The fundamental answer toContinue reading “Eat, Pray, Love?”
6 souvenirs from Rome you (actually) want.
There is nothing worse than pretending you like a gift. The strain in your cheek muscles and the lacklustre glint in your eye as you say a high-pitched “I love it!” The worst souvenirs you can imagine abound here in Rome: magnets, teatowels, aprons with naked statues and the fiendish keyring. I remember that myContinue reading “6 souvenirs from Rome you (actually) want.”
Top 10 stops in North-Eastern Rome – Part 1
The sprawling elegance of the Villa Borghese Gardens – Living in the Northern quartiere, I consider the equisitely Italianate gardens of the Borghese nobility to be a little more central, but are a grand starting point to wander from the city centre (known as centro and pronounced – chen-tro) towards the North. From Piazza delContinue reading “Top 10 stops in North-Eastern Rome – Part 1”
Local
The outsider When you have lived somewhere for a couple of months, you start to make it your own. Having lived abroad before, I knew the escape to Rome in 2020 would have been much smoother than previous moves: I spoke the local tongue, had known one of my housemates from my past life inContinue reading “Local”
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”
Day 3 of Tuscia – Under the “Tushian” Sun
I have been distracted of late with “red zone” restrictions “suddenly” being foisted upon us. To be fair, it was about time, but I am painfully aware of how this is crushing small businesses here who already pay hefty taxes. To all my Australian friends who wonder why a lockdown did not occur earlier here,Continue reading “Day 3 of Tuscia – Under the “Tushian” Sun”
Tuscia – Not Tuscany – Day One: Viterbo
MANY people say that teachers have great holidays. I am not here to stand on my soap box and tell you about all the times I spend my holidays working. I am not doing this because, this time round, I prioritised that millennial notion of “self-care” and did nothing. Nothing. Well, nothing except leave RomeContinue reading “Tuscia – Not Tuscany – Day One: Viterbo”
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”
The Adopted Italian 