Posts Tagged ‘Italy’
Looking for a Rome day trip? Medieval Sermoneta
This wonderfully preserved medieval town, south of Rome in the region of Lazio, is an enjoyable daytrip from Italy’s capital. Tiny Sermoneta is truly a pleasure to visit, and feels light years away from the chaos of Rome. Wander the winding, cobblestone streets and enjoy the panoramic views over the valley. On clear days, you…
Read MoreWander the medieval streets of Vico del Gargano, Italy
I’ve already posted on a fabulous holiday to the Gargano peninsula in southern Italy – in the region of Puglia. We stayed in picturesque Vieste, took a boat trip to the stunning Tremiti Islands, and explored all the beautiful swimming coves on the peninsula. While there, we also visited some of the other pretty towns…
Read MoreTruth or (ancient) fiction?
I recently went with my family to visit the fabulous Alma-Tadema exhibition in Rome at the Chiostro del Bramante. Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema was a Dutch artist who moved to England and became part of the late nineteenth century Pre-Raphaelite movement. Although not as well known as Dante Gabriel Rossetti or Edward Burnes-Jones, Alma-Tadema’s artwork was…
Read MoreReason #5375 to love Rome: Golden Gala 2014
I spend a lot of time at children’s track and field meets, so it’s a nice change of pace each June when the international stars of track and field – the adult variety- descend upon Rome to participate in the competitions of The Golden Gala. I already wrote about the competition last year. This year’s…
Read MoreReason #5374 to love Rome: Mandolino concerts in ancient ruins
I pass the Auditorium Mecenate on a daily basis. For years, I’ve been curious to visit the site of ancient Roman banquets and concerts, but it is rarely open to the public. The structure above ground is enclosed by a gate, a sign announces that tours can sometimes be arranged through a central office. So…
Read MoreReason #5373 to love Rome: Basketball
Most people know that Italians really only have one true sport. Call it soccer, calcio, football. It’s all the Italians love. Yes, when the Olympics roll around, Italians tend to do well in fencing, swimming and water polo. In the winter, the German minority in Italy’s Alto Adige region pile up the medals in skiing,…
Read MoreReason #5372 to love Rome: Soccer/Football card trading
Okay, this falls firmly under the ‘things we do as parents for our kids’ category. My half-Italian sons are – like 99.9% of their peers- crazy about calcio (soccer for Americans, football for Brits). Here, all the kids collect football cards, buying packets, putting them in their albums, trading them with their friends. But the…
Read MoreBraving the rain and mud in Paliano, Italy
If it’s early Sunday morning and you run into me in some little town in Lazio wearing running sneakers caked in several layers of thick mud, chances are I’m accompanying my eight-year-old to one of his state running competitions. My Sunday morning under the pounding rain in pretty Paliano, was no exception. My son had…
Read MoreBrainstorming at the Spa 2014
I’ve heard so many great things about the Brainstorming at the Spa event held each year in Matera, Italy. This year it takes place 4-7 April 2014. This is an event organized by the Women’s Fiction Festival I write so much about, held each year in September in Matera, southern Italy. For the past three…
Read MoreFrom malaria-infested swampland to Fascist utopia: Latina, Italy
In the midst of a recent, stressful home move, I had to take a break from boxes to drive my eight-year-old down to a state competition (provinciale) for sprinting south of Rome, in the small city of Latina, in southern Lazio. My little one placed first in the 400-meter competition, making me awfully proud, and…
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