The vandals came in the night a week ago on December 2nd. They smashed a heavy glass door and then slipped down the stairs, deep below ground, apparently unnoticed into the wine cellar and opened the spigots on 10 large wooden casks of one of the most prized wines in the world, Soldera’s Brunello di […]
The Great Brunello Mystery Read More »
Today I was late for parent-teacher meetings at my daughter’s school and I came flying out of the office and down to Piazza Colleggio Romano and was heading to the bus stop on Rome’s Via del Corso when this violet vespa stopped me short. I pass that corner several times a day, coming and going
Get ready….The Pope’s about to Tweet… Today the Vatican announced that Pope Benedict XVI has a new twitter handle @pontifex and is planning to do his first tweet on December 12th, in eight languages: English, French, Italian, Spanish, German, Arabic, Portugese and Polish. The Vatican’s new American media consultant, Greg Burke, told a packed press
The tragic fate of America’s beloved Twinkie has even made the pages of Italian newspapers. Italians, who pride themselves on their healthy Mediterranean diet, are fascinated by the eating habits of Americans. Italians generally eat pasta at lunch, fruit for dessert and perhaps dip some bread in olive oil, or have a small scoop of
Goodbye Sweet Twinkie! Read More »
Dear Blog Readers– I don’t know if any of you remember the Dunkin Donuts advertisement back from the 1980s but for some reason its catch phrase has stuck in my brain all these years. “It’s Time to Make the Donuts!” says Fred the Baker as he reaches to turn off his alarm clock at dawn
Time to Make the Donuts Read More »
The Rome Film Festival is now over and there were so many films that I would love to write about, but one in particular stands out in my mind. It is the gut-wrenching epic BACK TO 1942 by Chinese director Feng Xiaogang. The film tells the story of the famine in Henan province in China
From China to Rome, Back to 1942 Read More »
Dear Blog Readers, This week I am covering the Rome Film Festival. There have been lots of films that I would love to write about and I haven’t had time, but I do want to write about Sylvester Stallone today. I was never a Sylvester Stallone fan. Rocky and Rambo weren’t my favorite movies, and
Sly Stallone Surprises Rome Read More »
Dear Blog Readers – I have been very busy doing election commentary for the Italian Television RAI News 24, and in recent weeks I have let my blog slide. But, lucky for me, my ever-talented 13-year-old nephew, Gaetano M. has been working away. Here is a cartoon he has drawn on the US Elections. Translating
Donkeys on Top – A US Election Victory Read More »