We are not alone

A contact  in Rome  tells me the Tiber has broken its banks and there has been severe flooding,  so we are not alone  in this time of 'bruto tempo', (which might be the wrong description!).  They expect the levels to go down soon, but who knows,  it might become like Venice, and we will punt out way through the landscape.  A friend in the south of France also tells me her garden in like a pond and another friend on the Thames is offering her home to some of those who are flooded out.  March should be mild and springlike,  but waders might be helpful.  http://www.euronews.com/tag/floods-in-italy/
So greetings to all those who are struggling in this dreadful time of severe weather,  we are all on this planet together, that is very clear.

Memories of Rome by Annette Fry

I am finally into the blog.  A month in Rome seems a long time.  I went to Rome over 20 years ago visiting a friend and have memories of staying in Rome just outside Piazza Navona,  a low rise old block of apartments that opened onto a lovely quiet central courtyard.  Then another time in an outlying village called Monteporziocatone.  We went up into the hills and found an amazing shrine and wild horses running with their colts.  We walked for 15 miles that day with two young boys who moaned a lot, until I started them singing,  we sang for hours, and the sun shone.  Happy days,  really wondering how things have changed over the years.  The boys have grown up for a start!

A snapshot of Italy from an outsider's perspective by Faieka Esau-Wong

A presentation on Italian culture and family, and Rome as a multi-cultural capital (see link below) was written in preparation for our visit to Rome. Introduced by playing the famous Neapolitan song, O Sole Mio, composed in 1898 by Giovanni Capurro, a song which has been performed by many including Parvoretti and Elvis Presley who used the melody in his world famous, ' It's Now or Never'. See the full presentation on this link:
A snapshot of Italy