Rome blog

Reid's blog entries for Rome, Italy

Chasing Lorenzo around Rome - Encounters with the Palazzo Venezia, Julian Schanbel, and rude waiters in Rome... » more

Entirely the Wrong Witch - In Italy, La Befana, the Christmas Witch, used to bring Italian children their presents, leaving them in stockings hung on the fireplace on the day of the Epiphany, January 6. This makes perfect sense, as that's when the Wise Men arrived in Bethlehem with their offerings of gold, frankincense, and myrrh—which collectively still hold the title of Least Appropriate Infant Gifts Ever.... » more

Christmas in Rome - A summary of what to expect from the Eternal City at Christmastime... » more

Requiem for a Currency - Landing in Rome on the day of the Big Switch: What happened on the day that Europe switched over to the Euro, the politics over the design of Europe's new money, a musing on how much I will miss the old currencies, and how I finally got rid of my last lire... » more

A Distant View - Stand against the burnt red cat's-tongue stucco. Press your knees into the rough wall that encircles the crest of green rise called Gianicolo. Let the breeze bite your face. Fill the linings of your nose with the bad cologne from the self-absorbed couple pressed against each other nearby, and the cloy of sleeping flowers in the park below.... » more

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