admin on January 18th, 2010

Living in Rome can be expensive – real expensive. Thank goodness for the bancarelle (“stalls”). The bancarelle offer a huge variety of goods – from kitchen supplies to winter coats to electronics to man’s ties! Your shopping options are endless. And because the vendors rotate their locations daily, you get different stalls in your neighborhood [...]

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admin on November 16th, 2009

The holidays are rapidly approaching… and in Rome, it’s already starting to look “a lot like Christmas.” Okay, so really it’s only a few stores but yes, there are Christmas decorations a twinkling! In the streets headed towards the Pantheon you’ll see STARS mounted in the narrow alleys. Rome is a WONDERFUL place to come [...]

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admin on November 13th, 2009

For the next few weeks – at least until January 8th – tourists in Rome will get some “heavenly help” in the form of Tourist Information Assistants riding chariot Segways. There will be sixteen “chariots” operating in the city center, the Termini Train Station, and both airports.
They’ve been nicknamed Tourist Angels and will be quite [...]

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admin on August 30th, 2009

If you’re looking for a book to read or that “just right” guidebook you will find plenty of bookstores in Rome that only sell English language books. Many of the Italian bookstores also have a smaller English section. Do know that English books ARE expensive here in Rome. At these stores, you can also buy [...]

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admin on August 16th, 2009

Rome is blessed with a wide variety of places to shop… and you cannot enjoy Rome – or any city in Italy – without visiting a local market. Fortunately, in Rome there is an abundance of “local” markets. Markets in Rome sell foods, collectables, flowers, antiques… you name it you can probably find it here [...]

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admin on May 9th, 2009

By Mike Simmons
We had many day trip possibilities on this vacation but didn’t really spend much time away from Rome, with one exception… Orvieto.
I had checked TA for lodging options beforehand and had narrowed it down to two B&B’s in the historic (as opposed to the modern) town. I had hoped to make a reservation [...]

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admin on April 2nd, 2009

What’s the difference between a trattoria and an hosteria? This is one of the many questions I hear from visitors to Italy. And frankly, it can be very confusing trying to figure out all the “types” of Italian eating establishments. There are just so many different names for places to eat in Italy – kind [...]

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admin on April 1st, 2009

 One of our favorite Sunday morning activities is to head over to Porta Portese, the largest “flea market” in Rome. Thank goodness it’s only open on Sundays. The vendors, thousands of them, start setting up early in the morning, and the market usually opens around 7 AM. Depending on the weather – and the crowds [...]

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admin on March 29th, 2009

 The VAT Refund is probably one of the most confusing aspects of shopping in Italy. VAT stands for Value-Added-Tax. In some countries the VAT can be as high as 25% of the cost of the item you’re purchasing. Unlike America, where the “sales tax” is added on once you get to the cash register, in [...]

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admin on March 14th, 2009

What would Italy be without coffee? I’m not sure I want to find out! Certainly the most popular drink in Italy is a “caffé”. Unfortunately, buying a caffé is one of the most confusing practices for folks visiting here.
 
Here’s a link to a short cartoon by Bruno Bozzetto, a famous Italian cartoonist. In it, he [...]

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admin on March 3rd, 2009

 We come to Rome for the sights, the history, the food… but mostly we come for the Gelato. Almost everyone I meet has a favorite gelateria – and they are passionate about their selection. I’m very fortunate (or maybe unfortunate?) to have the opportunity to try them all. Research must be done… and I’m willing [...]

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