We’re coming up on the last official weekend of spring and some of the very longest days of the year. Otherwise known as my absolute favorite time of year. One that I savor and that passes too quickly. (It’s also my Maritino’s birthday this weekend, which makes it extra special.) rIn case you’re thinking of hopping off to some nearby beach this weekend, keep in mind, there are a slew of interesting things to do in the city this weekend. Here are my top picks:
Read MoreAfter months of hype, Rome's favorite restaurant festival is finally here! Taste of Roma kicks off today at the Auditorium Parco della Musica, Rome's premier performing arts venue. This festival is a MUST for serious food lovers, especially of the gourmet variety. Let's face it, precious few of us can afford to dine at La Pergola or Imàgo every other weekend, but this festival gives us 99-percenters a chance to eat some of the very best food in the city. The highest echelons of haute cuisine come out for this event, so if fine dining is your passion, do not miss it.
Read MoreAfter a long, sleepy, (and definitely too-hot) August, Rome is waking up just in time for September. This month is so jam-packed with stimulating things to do that you’ll probably have a hard time narrowing down your options. September’s intriguing events kick off with something that makes my romantic heart go all a-flutter...
Read MoreToday is the first day of Carnival, and we all know the celebrations in Rome can't rival those Venice. In fact these days no one associates Carnival with Rome. But just a few hundred years ago (the blink of an eye in Rome-time), Rome was the place to be to celebrate this raucous, bacchanalian late-winter event.
Read MoreAt the close of last year, Alex Ross, cultural writer for the world-famous magazine The New Yorker, announced what he believed to be the number one music event of 2011, not in New York, but in the entire world. And I was (kind of) there! Let me explain. Riccardo Muti, one of the greatest living Verdi conductors, recently signed on as director of the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma.
Read MoreThis past Tuesday night, our little parish in Trastevere, Santa Dorotea, staged a pretty impressive living Nativity Scene. I was expecting a couple of kids dressed as shepherds or angels draped with sheets à la The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. I was completely unprepared for a massive production that included over 50 children and dozens of adults, two choirs, a violinist, a spotlight, and numerous live animals.
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