My Italy: Call for Entries

HURRY! Just 2 days left to join in!

Lately I've been thinking about what to do with the ol' blog for the entire month of April when I will be on my honeymoon instead of showing you interesting tidbits about Rome. I know it's annoying when the same post is up forever, and I don't want to lose any of you lovely readers. So this, folks, is what I've come up with.

By now you all know what a cheerleader I am for online events: lest we forget the Great International City Swap or the first-ever World Nutella Day. This one I'm officially calling La Mia Italia: My Italy. It's super easy to participate, and everyone who loves Italy and has a blog can, and should, join.

I've decided that while I'm away from my blog, I'd like to post a list of what you consider to be your greatest, most interesting, unique, funny, beautiful, etc. etc. etc. posts about il bel paese.

• Do you live in Italy? Do you blog about it? Send me some links to your favorite posts about Italy and I'll host them here for a month.
• Have you ever been to Italy? Did you take pictures? Did you write something on your blog about it? All you have to do is send me the link and I'll post it here during the time I'm away.
• Do you just plain love Italy? Want to move here? Studying the language? Have you made a great Italian recipe? Is there something you just don't "get" about Italy? Write about it. Post it on your blog. Send me the link.

Here's how it works:

1) Choose your favorite links to posts, photos or videos to enter. Send the links to: ahirswap AT gmail DOT com. I'll add them to my round-up. Entries are welcome in English and Italian.

2) Deadline to send entries is March 31.

3) If you're a button kind of person, you can save the button below and put it on your blog with a link back to this post.

4) On April 1, I'll post all the entries and, see you when I get back!

And just to sweeten the deal a bit, I'm thinking of having a reader-led vote at the end, and the winner will receive some Rome goodies from yours truly, like, how about some coffee from Sant'Eustachio, or a jigsaw puzzle of the Pope, or some postcards, and maybe some other surprises as well... (priest calendar, anyone? Sorry, I just couldn't resist...)

So, amici miei, it's coming, and its success depends on you: April is "My Italy" month here at AHIR. Join us!

PS Beware all you Italy bloggers or bloggers I've seen who have written about Italy--I've got my eye on you: if you don't join in voluntarily, I may be liable to pick one of your posts myself! So why not just choose your faves and send them to me? Grazie--grazie davvero molto. (Do you think this is how Elvis would have sounded if he spoke Italian? Thank you--thank you very much...)

Italian Food on a Low-Carb Diet

Well, I wasn't planning on posting anything this week... taking care of last minute details before my trip... but this one was just too good to pass up. I couldn't resist.

I bought a bag of croissants, and this morning at breakfast I noticed this printed on the bag:

Well, it's nice to know that the croissants aren't on some kind of dangerous fad diet. It's ALL-NATURAL weight loss. How do they do it?

Just Watch Out for the Splinters

And while we're on the topic of the use of the English language in Italian, let us not forget the joy of Italian menus translated into English. This fried fishing boat was on offer last night at the restaurant below my house for just €14. And you thought fishing boats were expensive! Not here! Maybe if you don't eat the whole boat, you can take it home in a doggy bag, build the rest back later, and put up your own "Gone Fishin'" sign by the weekend.

And I'm sure that as with most exotic cuisine, it tastes just like chicken.

By the way, frittura di paranza, or "net fry," is one of those dishes that scared me out of my wits the first time (and needless to say, only time) it was ever served to me. Basically it's all the little fishes that get stuck in the net and aren't sufficiently large enough to constitute their own plate. So, they just batter 'em, throw 'em all in a big ol' vat of hot oil, fry 'em up, and dump 'em on a plate for you.

Whole.
Eyes.
Fins.
The works.

Usually I say anything fried is worthy of a try, but my response that time? If it can look me in the eye from my plate, I'm not eating it. Mi dispiace. I know, I know: I don't know what I'm missing. I've heard it all before, so don't bother trying to convince me.

Although I must say, I have heard that when you get a really good fishing boat and fry it up, there's nothing else like it in the world! Now, would that negate the need for a toothpick?

And if your car could talk, what would it say?

Mine would probably say: put me out of my misery. But that's another story. Today I want to show you what Rome's "Garden Service" van says. That's translated literally... probably more fitting is something like city landscaping or urban maintenance. In any case, I ran across one of their miniscule vans while walking home, and I found that it has a charming little message for all passersby. Take a look for yourself:

It says:

I'm environmentally-friendly: I run on methane and I don't pollute. BYE

So, I'm sure you can guess what I found so curious about this. Bye? Bye??!! What the heck is it doing saying "bye" to me? Ah, the mysterious use of the English language when woven into Italian. You've gotta love it. Well, bye to you as well, Mr. Servizio Giardini Truck. Have a lovely day, and please, say hi to your other environmentally-friendly pals for me.

Bye

Local Politicians=Marketing Geniuses

This exhilarating little flyer was recently brought to my attention, and I thought it best to share with you, for the cultural enrichment of all concerned, of course. Comic gold.

So, ever wondered how Italian politicians operate? Often they stuff mailboxes with flyers that explain their platforms. Nothing out of place there. Take, for example, a certain Patrizio Bianconi, currently a representative for Rome's 18th municipal district, from the Forza Italia party.If his wizard-like "hypnotic gaze" doesn't convince you, along with the subliminal "Forza Italia" written in the background, maybe his campaign platform will:It reads:

Christmas 2004

In the history of the human race, Metaphysical Mutations--or rather the radical and global transformations in the adopted world view--are fairly rare.
As soon as they are produced, Metaphysical Mutations develop to their own extreme consequences, without ever meeting resistance.
Imperturbable, they sweep away political and economic systems, aesthetic judgements, social hierarchies.
After the advent of Christianity and Modern Science, a third Metaphysical Mutation is destined to inaugurate a New Era in World History.
Don't be an unconscious witness to this event!

Um, ok. Whatever you say there, buddy.

Anyhoo, who am I to judge? It got the guy elected, after all. And apart from his incredible "way with words," he seems to have a pretty convincing "look" as well:Merry Christmas, friends, and a New Year that brings an ethical and moral reawakening.

Right. Because of course politicians are just specialists in moral and ethical reawakenings.

And for those of you who just can't get enough, I invite you to click here and watch a campaign ad pop up automatically for a certain Marco Pomarici, currently a member of the city government as an advisor to the Mayor of Rome. Word has it he spent about a million on his campaign. Even if you don't understand Italian, I can assure you that he speaks quite convincingly about his values ("with the certainty that tomorrow belongs to us..."). Gaze longingly as he receives a Papal blessing, randomly gestures in various meetings, accepts unspecified awards from city officials, gives speeches in front of Forza Italia banners... and whatever you do, please, please PAUSE it when it comes to the photo of him with Berlusconi, towards the end. Simply frame worthy.

Do you think if I start talking about Metaphysical Mutations I could get elected next time around?

Nabbed

It was inevitable that sooner or later, I would catch the arrotino in the act. Little do people know that I can spy with James Bond-like stealth and ease from the comfort and privacy of my office, which is on the roof of our building.

If you haven't already read my exposè on this neighborhood character, I heartily invite you to do so by clicking on the aformentioned link, before you behold and share with me now his folkloric cry. (Feed readers, click through to the post.) Speaking of which, I might add: this guy has got one splendid set of pipes.

All together now:

"ARRRROOOOOTTIIIIINOOOOO!"



Did you catch Pietro and his dog Nano, too?

Tacky Exists in Italy, Too

Just in case you were wondering. Hate to burst your romantic bubble, but it's not all gorgeous people zipping around in dark sunglasses on their sleek Vespas around here. Oh, no, folks. I give you the "nano da giardino," a.k.a., Italian-style lawn gnome. This ubiquitous creature exists even in the land of la dolce vita, and you've just gotta give them pizzazz points for that fancy light-up dome that is oh-so-strategically placed. And, as we shall soon see, environmentally friendly as well.

I saw these little guys on a commercial last night for a discount store called Lidl. The lamps are, in fact, solar-powered. Please note the little panel above the door in the handy photographic illustration. Charming, no? Jimmy Carter would be proud.

Available in a mind-boggling assortment of four different models, one of them can be yours for the low, low price of just €14.98. And, per favore, don't go spending those extra two cents all in one place now, you hear?

Anyone for ham and cheese?

Winner for one of my favorite window displays of food in Rome.

Roscioli is an upscale deli where you can also sit down and eat. The prices aren't high-end, but they aren't budget, either. For lunch you'll probably spend anywhere from €20-€30 per person. And mind you, this isn't the place to go for a nice, steaming plate of carbonara. For that, of course, go here, and as an aside, hurry... it just got put in a guide book so all hope of it remaining a secret is lost. No, Roscioli is the place for things like a lovely cheese plate with fruit compote, or a chocolate fondue with strawberries.

It's also an enoteca, or wine shop, so inside you'll see the walls are made up of huge wine cubbyholes that reach to the ceiling. Definitely worth a look.

And, not to be missed, a phrase from their website in typical Italian style:

In the bakery our pizzas follow only risings of more than 12 hours, that make it very digestible because the yeasts have fully developed their activity.

I haven't talked much about this on the blog, but the bold on "digestible" is their emphasis, and Italians can spend HOURS talking about food digestibility. I don't know about you and how things are where you live, but where I come from in the States, I'm 99.9% sure I never had even ONE dinner conversation that revolved around how I digested food.

But hey, maybe that's just me?

Antico Forno Roscioli
Via dei Giubbonari 21 (not far from Campo de' Fiori)
They also have a bakery on Via dei Chiavari 34

The Pope's Milk

You didn't think that the Pope drank ordinary Rome milk, did you?

The world's smallest country (0.2 square miles) has its own mythical grocery store and gas station, where apparently the prices are incredibly reasonable. The only thing is that you have to have a special pass to get in. People who work in the Vatican have it. People who have family ties to people who work in the Vatican have it. I've never seen one, but I am aware of its existence.

Anyhoo, so how'd I manage to get a photo of the Pope's milk carton? Well, it isn't exactly HIS milk carton, but that of my friend Fabio, who in some vague, not defined to my complete satisfaction way has access to shop at the Vatican grocery store. Boh. He told me something about being a distant relative of some famous Catholic saint. (I'm not making this stuff up!)

So, take a look at where they produce the milk: "fattoria Ville Pontificie."

Pontifical Villa Farm.

Ah, the advertising possibilities... the Pope with a milk mustache... the Pope wandering the green, grassy fields with his papal cows... don't get me started!

The Aftermath

If you stop by Campo de' Fiori (home of possibly the most famous outdoor market in Rome) around 2 pm or so, you'll think you've stepped onto a battleground where the vegetables fought against the fruits, and the birds won out in the end.

I never stop to think much about the people who keep this city moving, the people who are out there everyday cleaning up after the nearly 3 million who inhabit this city, along with the hordes of tourists who contribute to its economy.

From street sweepers to garbage truck drivers (I think there are four garbage trucks that come by here daily), these are the people who make the Eternal City bearable and beautiful for all of us, and I see them out there, not only in Campo de' Fiori but all over the historical center, all the time, doing a great job. A big shout out to all of them today!

Lock Up Your Love and Throw Away the Key

Despite the fact that Ale is away for the weekend having some kind of Abruzzo-style bachelor party (Naked women? Try again. More like cooking a sheep for 8 hours while consuming copious amounts of wine. Don't ask... I surely didn't.) ... I had an incredibly romantic afternoon regardless.

You see, the other day I read this article about Ponte Milvio. The bridge has recently been making news for this new tradition, which apparently only started on Ponte Milvio after it appeared in a recent book called "Ho Voglia di Te," sequel to the teen cult hit "Tre Metri Sopra il Cielo," (which, by the way, if you're studying Italian around the intermediate level, could be a good book to start with... I read it in two days on the beach and it's a fun fluff novel). The article inspired me to take a look for myself. In my five years here in Rome, I'd never actually been on the bridge, since it's kind of out of the way for where I live, but this definitely deserved a look.

Part of the reason I've never been there is probably because I'm no longer 16 years old. I mean, you need to picture a place where teenagers go to have some stolen kisses. But still, it has a special charm all its own and at the risk of sounding sappy, I was taken in by it.

So, if you didn't read the article---the gist is that you go here with an ordinary lock, lock it to one of the lampposts (or other locks on the lampposts), maybe write your name and your sweetheart's name, and then throw the key in the Tiber. Ok, ok, I know... it might sound kind of cheesy. I'm not usually the type. But like I said, there's something kind of magical about the place.

Recently the book was turned into a movie that's of course become a big hit with the teeny-bopper set.



Well, what can I say? Rome might not be Paris, but there's certainly always some romance in the air around here...

You can't really tell from the "entrance" to the bridge that's there's anything out of the ordinary here. But once you get about half-way across...

This is the main lamppost and had the most locks on it. I don't even really want to know how they got those ones on the top. I mean, that could be a pretty tragic end to a teenage love story, don't you think? Sorry, but let's inject a bit of reality here, people. Did they bring a ladder, or what?

Besides the locks, the bridge itself is positively COVERED in love graffiti. I know that some of you aren't too wild about graffiti here in Rome. And generally, I'm not either. But I have to admit that I kind of like the fact that they are tolerant here.

If you kiss with your eyes open, this is what you'll see...

Kind of off the beaten path, and thankfully not really a tourist attraction (yet). But a visit here is bound to make your heart smile...

Ponte Milvio

Lungotevere Maresciallo Diaz (near the Foro Italico)

All Little Girls are Princesses

As many of you know, yesterday here in Italy we celebrated International Women's Day. And nothing makes me happier than to introduce you to an incredible woman, one of my best friends here in Italy, an amazingly talented artist who was featured yesterday in the inauguration of an art show at none other than Castel Sant'Angelo.

My pal, Eleonora, who is also one of my two "witnesses" for my wedding (in Italy we don't have bridesmaids, so luckily they won't be subjected to horrors like this), is a freelance art director, graphic designer, and artist. One of her most recent projects was art directing and producing all the materials for a show at Castel Sant'Angelo called Baltico/Mediterraneo, which had art from Italian and Finlandian artists. You can see her poster at the castle entrance (she didn't create the artwork but created the graphic "look" of the show):

But the show that was inaugurated yesterday, named by Ele and featuring one of her works, is called "Curve della Mente": Curves of the Mind, or Mind Curves. It's a show with all-women artists, from photography, to painting, to graphic art like Ele's composition. Which, like a proud mom, I made her pose next to:

It reads "All little girls are princesses," and was inspired from a photo of herself from when she was a little princess. The eyes and lips are from the actual photo, and the rest was designed on the computer. Bravissima, Ele... complimenti!

The rest of the art show was interesting as well, but I have to be honest: the castle stole my attention. Every time I visit, it takes my breath away for the beautiful views.

Then, later that evening, in fine Women's Day tradition, I hosted a dinner at my house for six of my closest Italian girlfriends. A Mexican dinner, no less! With Ale unceremoniously kicked out of the house for the evening, over Coronas and tacos, we had lots of good girl talk. At one point the topic of my blog came up, and I started asking them if they had ever seen the hot priests calendar on the Roman newsstands. Almost none of them had! See what happens when you don't have my sick curiosity? Because they didn't believe me, I whipped out the laptop... and lookie lookie, here they are, everyone choosing their favorite..."June is mine! What's March DOING? OOOH, look at October!" A proper trip to the confessional is in order.

Viva le donne!

Do you know what's under YOUR church?

I can tell you, after yesterday morning, I now know what's under MINE, and it's pretty incredible.

Let me back up for a moment. As you know and are probably tired of hearing by now, wedding bells are ringing. Actually, not just ringing. Clanging. Loudly. Please! Make it stop!

But I digress. Ale and I had one last step to do in our long, bureaucratic walk towards the altar (we are in Italy, remember) which involved going back to our neighborhood church (for the 3rd time) and getting the final OK from the priest that we could take all the paperwork to the Vatican's wedding office and get the all-important final stamp. While we were waiting, we saw a couple of tourists being let into a door very inconspicuously marked "Visita, €2." Visita to what? What was down there?

We asked the custodian, thinking it might be part of the ancient Roman firefighter's headquarters that was discovered across the street. He said, "Yeah, I think it's ancient Roman stuff. I'm really not that informed." Um, ok, well, we'll check it out for ourselves. After we managed to come up with €4 in coins, he let us in and we were free to roam.

Just goes to show that you should never miss any opportunity to explore something hidden here in Rome. Look what we found:

First thing you see when you come down the stairs is an ancient Roman tomb, preserved as if it were made yesterday. No "do not touch" signs and no one even around to monitor you. It's as if it were left here to be thrown out. It's just that the garbage man hasn't been by for like TWO THOUSAND years or so. And by the way, we're thinking this probably was where the ancient Roman firefighters lived.

More recently, oh, let's say in about the year 400, 500 A.D. or thereabouts, there was a church at this level. So you see some religious frescoes as well.

Then I spotted another tomb, and I said to Ale, "Hey look...another one. So, I wonder what happened to what was inside? Heh, heh," and I got closer, looking inside... and I found...


Um, HELLO! Is THAT creepy enough for you?

Yes, people, they are BONES. BONES, I tell you!

All that for the low, low price of just €2. I'm not complaining.

Chiesa San Crisogono
Look for the church custodian...he's usually around, maybe sitting over towards the left side of the church by the altar.
Viale Trastevere 47

Nonna, Just Take the Bus!

This is an ad I've been seeing lately on the buses around the city, and every time I see it I just have one of those "ask yourself why" moments.

Can you read it? Wait, let me get closer for you:


Don't worry, I wasn't driving when I took this...I was in the passenger's seat.

Anyhoo, so, the title of the poster is: "FREE PUBLIC TRANSPORT"

And I'm thinking... woo hoo! 'Bout time!

Wait, what's that you say?

"Annual transport pass for Rome residents over the age of 70, with income up to €15,000 per year."

Ok, now, I'm not trying to make fun. Well, not much. It's just that, how many people age 71 and over still ride Rome's notoriously bad public transport system? Not many, I'm hoping. But, for those who are still out there, clutching their handbags for dear life and being thrown about like produce on the back of a truck: May God bless 'em!

Radio: Mission Accomplished

So luckily in the end I didn't chicken out, and I went live on the Roman radio waves this morning. It was hands-down one of the most fun things I've done since I've been living here. Really interesting to see how a morning radio show works, and the idea that these people get paid to talk and joke around all morning... well, needless to say, it seems like a dream job, and I can attest to the fact that it literally felt just like hanging out and shooting the breeze. We had a great time and lots of laughs during the broadcast. Grazie ancora, Emanuele!

And now, for the photographic evidence. You didn't think I was making this all up, did you?

This friendly face is Fabio, the studio engineer who runs the show. He's in charge of the timing, music, advertising, and all that technical stuff with buttons, levers and switches. He also has three phones on his desk, which is quite important-looking as well. Really nice guy and does a great job...it can't be easy trying to get radio personalities to stop talking and conform to time constraints! I can tell you that we blabbed so much this morning, if it weren't for Emanuele keeping an eye on Fabio and cutting things off every once in a while to squeeze in a song or two, we'd still be there talking...

Here's me in the studio, a little self-portrait during a commercial break.

This is the mythical Emanuele Artibani himself, checking the computer where the SMS messages arrive throughout the show. We had a great time chatting about everything from stereotypes about Americans and Italians, to, yes, I'll admit it, Britney Spears and Paris Hilton. We couldn't contain ourselves and didn't even get around to reading and commenting on the morning's headlines like he usually does (see all those newspapers on the left?). We kept getting lots of friendly and interesting SMS messages that we'd respond to and chat about live.

Here's another self-portrait of us with our headphones on. Before we went live, I asked him why they have to wear headphones. He started laughing, and maybe it is kind of a funny question, but if you've never actually gone on the radio before, you might wonder. It's so that you can hear your voice feedback. It's simultaneous so it's not like having an echo, but it's a way of isolating the sounds around you and just hearing your voices. Let me tell you, I felt like a real pro, pretending to be a radio personality for one morning. I've already been invited back, but who knows how long before people get tired of the whole "American in Rome" routine. Do you think a gig as DJ Shelley is in my future?

Domani is the Big Day

So, here's what I'm wondering: is it possible that one person can have 30 minutes of fame, and not just Andy Warhol's 15? You might remember my first 15 minutes late last year. I smile when I think of how many of my new readers found me through that infamous post. Thank God takes on a whole new meaning, no?

Well, if 30 minutes are allowed, then I'm going for my second half tomorrow. I met Emanuele today from Teleradiostereo and we're all set to go for tomorrow at 8 am. We hit it off and had some laughs. He even told me I have a great "radio voice" -- see, I told you I was in the wrong business!

Some of you have asked how you might listen in. Well, I forgot to ask him, but if you look at his site, there's this "live" page, which seems like it might be a stream. But the other day I tried logging on around 8 am and couldn't get on... the page was too busy. So, perhaps you could give it a shot. I'm going to try to get him to give me a digital recording that maybe I can get on the blog somehow. Plus he promised me some photos in the studio which should be fun and at least that way you can see what it looks like. Something I already noticed today was that the red "on air" light actually says "on air" ... in English. I thought it might say "in onda" or something like that. Maybe all radio stations get their red lights from a generic radio station red light clearing house in the States?

Of course, if you're here in Rome, by all means, tune in: 92.7 FM, and you can send SMS messages that we'll chat about during the broadcast.

Last but not least, and completely off topic... after I came back from my meeting, I about died when I saw Pietro's dog, Nano, chilling out in his new dog house. You'll remember that Pietro is the fruit seller whose shop is about 3 feet or so from my front door. This morning he was cutting up huge Roman artichokes for his customers. Well, gone are the cardboard fruit box dog houses of Nano's humble past: he's movin' on up in the world and now resides in a little house of his own. Check it out for yourself:


And folks, just because I simply can't resist, here's your "moment of Zen" one more time, straight from none other than Italy's Vice Premier and Minister of Tourism, Francesco Rutelli:

It's a beautiful day to be in Rome

This is one of my favorite views when I'm walking back home from the area around Largo Argentina, and today is our first really glorious spring day. I can tell it's the start of the "bella stagione" because the accordion players are back out in full force, serenading the diners at the sidewalk restaurants. Buona domenica!

St. Peter's and the Tiber River as seen from Ponte Garibaldi, today about 12:45 pm
(the bridge shown is Ponte Sisto)

Same view, late November 2006

Another Neighborhood Unsolved Mystery

People, I really don't know what to make of this. When I first arrived in my neighborhood, I saw this window with all these stuffed animals and random gobbledy-gook hanging from it, and I asked Alessandro what the heck was going on there. He told me that it was probably for La Befana, since it was late December-early January. (Even though I've never personally seen anyone do this to celebrate La Befana...) Well, once it got to be about August, and our furry friends were still left hanging out there, that theory pretty much fell apart.

So here we are, nearly six years and two additional windows later, and the mysterious fun fest just keeps on growing. You can't miss this window when walking down Via della Lungaretta, just over Viale Trastevere on your way to Piazza S. Maria in Trastevere.

Here are the only shabby facts I have on this mystery:

1) The stuffed animals and other random "decorations" are never removed from the windows. They stay there day in, day out, night and day.

2) I am 99% sure I know who does this. It's this man I see walking around the neighborhood on a very regular basis. He is, as you can imagine, quite the character. Picture Colonel Sanders, maybe minus the goatee, add a cowboy hat and a walking stick, and you've pretty much got it. I know nothing else about him, except that he has a posse of equally "interesting" friends who travel along with him. And he is pretty much always talking to someone, in what looks like a very involved, intellectual conversation. I don't think I've ever seen him alone. He's like the neighborhood social butterfly. And he's tall, people. At least 6 ft. 1 or 2 inches, if not more.

3) The reason I am pretty sure I know who it is? One time I saw a photocopied article taken from some underground, alternative magazine plastered to many random buildings around the neighborhood, and when I stopped to look at it, there was a picture of these windows and of the man in question, but I didn't read the article. Now, years later, I'm really regretting that, because lately this has become one of those mysteries that is just eating away at me. I might need to start questioning neighborhood sources, such as the fruit vendor, Piero, whose store is about 2 feet from my front door. If his dog Nano could talk, he would reveal every neighborhood secret, since he probably hears them all as he sits in his little cut-out fruit box doggy bed every day at the fruit store entrance.

Now, although I see this mysterious Signore Sanders-like guy a couple times a week in passing on the neighborhood streets, I have to admit that even in the name of blogging I'm not shameless enough to stop him and ask, "Hey, what's up with your windows?" Just yesterday I saw him again, checking his mail at the front door of the building in question with another member of his cowboy hat posse, and I was really tempted, but I still just can't seem to find a way to start that conversation. And I don't have the guts to try to snap an undercover photo of him.

Alas, this is one of those mysteries for which, I'm afraid I can't tell you anything other than you'll just have to come over here and see for yourself. And if you bump into him, please ask what's up for me. You can get away with it, I promise.

My personal favorite? The blonde Barbie-like doll on the left window. But the orange hazard triangle on the right window is also a nice touch.

**UPDATE: Grazie mille to GPL, another blogger here in Rome who kindly shared his knowledge in the comments section about this mysterious man. Apparently he is known as the Puppazzaro or the, well, how can you translate that? The stuffed animal man? And he is/was a painter, along with his brother who were part of a group of artists that were friends with Pier Paolo Pasolini.

Also, on a totally unrelated note, please allow me to direct you to the funniest thing I've seen all day, thanks again to GPL. Take a look at Francesco Rutelli, Italian Vice Premier and Minister of Cultural Heritage and Tourism (whoa, try saying that 5 times fast!), as he urges you to pleeeeeeease, come and visit Italy, in what can only be described as a drug-induced state that permitted him to temporarily speak a strange trance-like English. This *might* just earn a spot on my sidebar.

Another Future Americana a Roma

Folks, I had the delightful pleasure yesterday of meeting NYC/Caribbean Ragazza. I never bring my camera to these blogger meetings, because I never know if people want their picture online or not, and I don't want to put people on the spot... but I am happy to report that Tracie B. is braver than I am (luckily) and therefore you can see their two beautiful, smiling faces against what seems like a pull-down backdrop it's just so purty.

I walked away from our meeting feeling completely energized and full of life. Arlene is a really positive force of nature and I have absolutely no doubt that sooner or later, her blog will be telling tales of her life in Rome. (I'm hoping she'll dish about the Rome film scene.) ;-) Remember Arlene, we all want copies as soon as your book comes out! And thanks for the aperitivo. Next time, maybe in LA, or maybe in Rome, it's on me!

Moving Furniture in Trastevere

Ever wondered? I mean, most of these buildings don't have elevators. My building is actually relatively "recent," from the 1700s, but it is right in between two buildings from the Middle Ages. I live on the 3rd floor (4th floor US) without an elevator and let me tell you, it's better than a Stairmaster. Most "Trasteverini" (Trastevere neighborhood natives) do the same thing.

The other day I was in my kitchen looking out the window and I saw a hulking piece of furniture being brought up a sort of moving ladder, where it finally perched perilously on a tiny platform above the street, about 4 stories up. Hey, don't take my word for it. You can see for yourself:

I wish I had thought enough in advance to film that baby going up, because I was just cringing, almost sure there was going to be a nasty spill. It wobbled the whole way. But, these guys must really know their stuff because although it kept wobbling, it never fell off. Lucky for them. And luckier of course for any innocent bystanders. Almost as dangerous as the arrotino's basket of knives desecending from the window, no? What's in there, anyways? A piano?

Round two. I'm now poised and ready with my camera to give you the enthralling, action-packed full-motion view. The only thing is that, because I made a mistake and filmed it with the camera tilted, and can't seem to find any way on Earth to make the video player flip it, you're going to have to take your monitor and turn it on its side. Don't worry, I'll wait....

All set?

Ok, here we go!



Right, maybe I am just easily amused, but I found this interesting. I'm keeping these guys in mind the next time I have a baby grand delivered.