Tag: tips
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A lot can change in a day…
We ventured out today, on the first day of the nationwide travel restriction. Cafes, bars, and restaurants closed at 6 pm on the dot, as the government declaration now mandates. I noticed most people in shops and on the streets trying to follow the 1 meter separation rule. A line of a few people waited…
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While you were sleeping…
We explored the vast archaeological park at Ostia Antica. I last visited this place in 2004, and I remembered a peaceful spot where you can vividly imagine life in an ancient Roman city. We found it much as I remembered, but even larger than my memory. We also explored a bit of the more touristy…
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When in Rome: Coronavirus edition
Many of you have written me asking how we are doing! Thanks for your caring inquiries. The answer is: everything here is pretty normal, Yes, the tourist crowds have thinned, but the city is by no means deserted – despite what the news or an extreme article in The New Yorker might tell you. (More…
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How to Navigate Italian Bureaucracy: #1, the Post Office
Italian bureaucracy is infamous, and for good reason. As a “high context culture,” meaning in Italy is often conveyed in subtle ways that a non-native speaker or foreigner might miss. Add to this that contemporary Italians- and especially Romans – are descendants of a culture that practically invented the concept of bureaucracy to manage a…
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We have arrived…
After a lot of paperwork, and the eruption of a worldwide coronavirus panic, we finally managed to arrive in Rome. While some people wore masks on the plane (mostly incorrectly, I should add) the only notice something was up came when we landed. Instead of deplaning onto a jetway we parked on the tarmac and…