Work in progress...? (part 2)

Do you remember the guys restoring the house in front of my friend's one?
Well, I do believe in Faith...

...but their creed is by far stronger than mine! :-)

School's over !

As every big city, Rome too becomes more and more livable, when school ends and until it restarts, with an apex in mid-august. In this period, you need 7 (seven!) minutes to reach a spot, that usually requires you a half hour drive! 

And you can even choose the parking place that fits you better!

All this occurs, not only because the car traffic diminishes, since armies of mothers are freed from taking their children to school, but also because entire families, except for working parents, move to their beach houses on the coast until the end of July. Those who do not own one, rent one. And those who can't afford renting, can count on friends' invitation. 

In a country like Italy, where the average of children per family is 1.4, who's that youngster, who loves spending a whole month by himself away from his BFs?

But it's in August, that all big factories close for at least two full weeks, dragging in this "forced" vacation all the smaller ones that do business with them. Which means, that most of the Italians are off work in this period. And at the seaside!

Downtown shops, though, as well as restaurants, bars and cafés are kept open, apart from a few days at the turn of mid-august, and for this reason, more and more people prefer the quietness of the empty city than the loudness of an overcrowded beach.

Guess to what group do I belong? and what about you?

Are you R(h)omesick?

I have just found this short, but amazing clip. And I thought of all those people, who having spent only a few days in this marvelous city, might dream of coming back some time... To all of you: enjoy it ;)

Thanks to Gullivermediologia

25.06.2012

I just found out, that the video I posted... has been deleted ! ooops...sorry!

You can watch it at this url: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91YIRgBZioc

Walking in Rome

As I have stated in a previous post of mine, drivers have an incredible hard time to find a parking place in Rome. Not only in specific areas, but in the whole city. 
The traffic itself slows the car flux, and this unavoidable inconvenience reduces inexorably the time at one's disposal to bring his goals to an end. This is the reason why, some people park in second row. But, in case they don't want to be "bothered" by those drivers blocked by their cars, they have an excellent alternative...

Panoramas of Rome from the left side of the Tiber

In the residential area of Parioli district there's a very small park, ideal for kids to play and for parents to take a rest. That's Villa Balestra. 

It's quiet, clean and frequented by local residents. 

The view is  not superb, but you can sit outside a small coffee shop, while keeping an eye

Panoramas of Rome from the right side of the Tiber

Did I tell you, I love cities that can be taken at a glance? I chose four angles from which you can admire the beauty of Rome, and here are the first two.

Monte Mario Park offers a beautiful walk downhill. If you stay at the Hilton Hotel, its entrance is just around the corner, at the foot of the Observatory. The park is mostly frequented by dog sitters and their "babies", but they usually stop around the entrance area. So if you walk down its beautiful and stone-paved path, you'll benefit from nature and privacy!

Il Gianicolo, the green area right above Trastevere, is definitely a

Work in progress...?

The last snowfall has caused many damages to a lot of properties, and spring is the best time of the year to fix them. This last week, while I was helping a friend with minor works, I took some pictures of those going on at the house in front of his. 

The first two are related to the first day of work...

Fleur...lovely!

When I go downtown on weekdays, I always stop at my friend's shop for a quick chat. This afternoon, she took me at FLEUR in Via Bocca di Leone, 48.

Defining this place is quite difficult. If you ask, you'll be answered: a luxury living concept store. Looking at the windows, you would call it a

Driving in Rome

Rome has 3.5 millions inhabitants and 1.5 millions commuters. 
Subway transportation reaches only a restricted area of the city.
Buses are often packed and slow, because of the car traffic.
Parking places are insufficient, and guarded ones are just a few.
Motorbikes are the quickest means to move around the capital, but also the most dangerous.

Enlarging the roman streets is impossible. Creating new parking lots too. 
Wherever you dig, roman ruins come to light, and what had started as an excavation mining turns soon into

Sneaky Sundays

Last Sunday, I met a dear friend of mine downtown. After having looked for a parking place for 40 (please note, forty) minutes, I finally found one at a short distance from the very heart of Rome: piazza di Spagna.
I had rushed out without having had breakfast, so we stopped at Gusto al 28 (I love their croissants), and then sneaked at the flea market, which takes place every Sunday under piazza Augusto Imperatore's arcades.










How could we avoid a shopping tour in the famous Via Condotti?