More books “in the cloud” – Rome

I’ve been seeing ads for this interesting book fair of small and mid-sized publishers, billed as Più libri nella nuvola (More books in the cloud). This is a play on words for the new modern Convention center designed by architect Alexandre Fuksas in the EUR section of Rome. The structure is called La nuvola (The Cloud). The…

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Turin’s salon: Piazza San Carlo

Piazza San Carlo is the iconic square in Turin’s historical center. Its nickname to locals is the ‘salotto di Torino’ – Turin’s ‘salon’ or ‘living room’: the natural gathering place for locals and visitors alike. On a recent Saturday in Turin, it was here I had an appointment to meet with a friend of mine…

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Turin’s Egyptian Museum, Italy

I was recently back in Turin to visit a friend of mine who was in Italy for a short visit. I hadn’t been back to Piedmont’s capital in years, not since I lived “in the neighborhood” of  (relatively) nearby Milan. Being back was a pleasant surprise, since the city has changed quite a bit from…

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Exploring Narni’s winding, medieval streets

This past summer, my track-and-field-addicted son attended a running camp in the Umbrian hill town of Narni – in central Italy. I’ve travelled a lot in Umbria, but it was my first time in this little village. Picking my son and dropping him off for his camp, I was quite envious he got to enjoy…

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Stretching my legs with a passeggiata in Sora, Italy

I’ve long been curious to visit the town of Sora, in Italy’s Lazio region and located in the province of Frosinone – just along the border with Abruzzo. Since it’s a little off the beaten trail from the surrounding areas I visit more often (including the wonderful Parco Nazionale d’Abruzzo), I’ve never managed to get…

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Bigger than Versailles – the Royal palace at Caserta

I’ve already written about exploring the amazing gardens of the Reggia di Caserta. It had been years I’d been ‘ meaning to visit’, so I was thrilled to finally make it to this royal palace in Italy’s southern Campagna region. After the impressive gardens – DO do do dedicate enough time for a proper wander…

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Outdoor cinema at Piazza Vittorio – Rome

After two years of its absence and semi-absence, I’m so pleased that Notti di cinema a Piazza Vittorio has returned once again. The two screens, often showing four films outdoor on summer evenings is one of those great Roman traditions for Roman summer. The outdoor films run from 4 July – 10 September. I’ve been…

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‘The most beautiful track in Italy’ – in Formia

I’ve already written about the Italian seaside town of Formia. Formia is south of Rome at the edge of Italy’s Lazio region. Since 1955, it has been famous as the site of Italy’s Olympic Committee (CONI) training center, with a  beautiful campus, running track, indoor track, gym and sports facilities that hosts professional athletes from…

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