Lovers in Rome

The lovers of Rome are vast and plenty. Turn a corner at any time of day, anywhere in the city, and you can find two infatuated lovers staring deeply into one another's eyes. Whether it be on the grass in the park, outside of the Colosseum, waiting for the Metro, or even at the grocery store the romantics of Rome pay no attention to the idea of Public Displays of Affection! This idea not only extends to the locals of Rome, but also to tourists across the city as well. It must be the atmosphere of the city on a warm Spring night that brings out the affections of all the Romeos and Juliets. Maybe it's just a feeling or idea of togetherness and the ability to last forever that the ancient ruins thousands of years old portray to the romantics. Either way, if you are looking for a romantic trip to Europe, Rome may be the place for you.


Finding Romance in Rome!
Romance of Rome Video Game!

Stop & Smell the Roses

Today our walk through the Aventine hill lead us to a beautiful rose garden known as the Roseto Comunale. Mia explained that this rose garden contains hundreds of different kinds of roses and had used to be a Jewish cemetery

The tranquility within the rose garden created a pleasant atmosphere to get lost inside one's mind. One could barely hear the rough rumbling of traffic from inside of the garden. The cool morning breeze drifted through the rose bushes, bringing out the sweet scents from the rose petals. The New Haven rose, in my opinion, smelled the best with its fresh, delicate, but not overwhelmingly perfumed scent. Although some of the roses had already died because of the heat of the season, the picturesque rows of roses remained distinctively lovely.More information on Roses in Rome

Festa della Repubblica

Today marks the annual celebration of Festa della Repubblica in Italy.


In 1946, after years of governmental turmoil and World War II ended fascism, the people of Italy voted to become a Republic and exiled the monarchs that ruled the country who were known as the House of Savoys (Festa della Repubblica, 2009). Since 1948 a parade has been held every year on June 2 to celebrate the creation of the Italian Republic. We caught the parade as it proceeded past the Colosseum on Via del Fori Imperiali. "All Armed Forces, Police Forces, the Fire Brigade and the Italian Red Cross, along with some military delegations of the NATO and of the European Union, take part in the parade and in the deposition of the laurel wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier" (Festa della Repubblica, 2009). It is much like the celebration of Independence Day in the United States. Not being a citizen of Italy, nor have any Italian blood made the parade not a especially meaningful to me in regards to Italy (though I did think about how I will make it home right before the Fourth of July), but it was interesting to see the different factions of the Italian military.

Here is a view of last year's parade:





Information gathered from:

"The “Festa della Repubblica” is the Italian national holiday." Welcome to Italian Week 2009 in Brisbane - THE ITALIAN FESTIVAL. 02 June 2009 .