I have a bunch of great pictures from various places in and around Rome. Enjoy this kaleidoscope!

First up: the fabulous Triton Fountain!

Next up, the best water fountain ever!

A townhouse outside the Barberini Palace. You keep the palace, I’ll take this lovely townhouse!

The way my favorite streets in Rome look

Plaques honoring Aldo Moro:

A relatively nondescript building in the historic center, filled with an incredible courtyard

3 Roman sarcophagi fill the upper registers of the hallway:

The video below shows the courtyard:

Below, a simple (haha) entryway:

Some fiori in the city (you knew this was coming, no?):

Below, see that long line of jasmine, in full bloom and scent, which has been trained up the side of this villa? Pretty amazing and not typical! Almost every day I see something that makes me say : I have never seen that before!

Just outside the Roman Forum are these blooming acanthus plants. So fitting, for the acanthus leaf is depicted on all Corinthian style capitals!

Corinthian capitals are the most ornate of the classical Greek and Roman architectural orders, characterized by a decorative, bell-shaped design featuring stylized acanthus leaves, small scrolls (volutes) at the corners, and a central flower. They represent elegance and luxury, often used in tall, slender columns

Below, an afternoon merenda at Neve di Latte, home of the so-called the natural gelato. Neve di Latte‘s aim is maximizing the taste of raw materials used. On the palate the taste is delicate, genuine and light. They prefer certified organic products. Hazelnut, pistachio, almond, walnut, pine nuts and peanuts are DOC and DOP, biodynamic milk from Upper Bavaria, organic farmed eggs, in short, exclusive ingredients from all over the world, organic Mascobado raw sugar and strictly seasonal fruit sorbet and high mountain water “Piose.” They say their gelato is a low-calorie. The careful search for ingredients, absolutely free of dyes, refined sugars and chemical preservatives, their ice cream is said to be designed for the healthiest of snacks for children and young adults.

The place was novel to me, but Francesco didn’t think it was vale la pena, or worth the calories!

According to my friend, Francesco, non era gran che but I can’t wait to get back to Rome! Alla prossima!

Just to remind you, we are in Barberini country! The bees, the symbol of the famous family, appear throughout the building– and indeed the city –to make sure you know where you are!

Francesco gets in the know.

Corradini’s famous statue.

And that concludes this record of my recent visit. I’ll be back soon with more of Rome!

I have absolutely no idea what made me think of this rhyme from my childhood! But recently I remembered some lines from it and looked the rest up on Google. Did you ever recite this poem with your friends in childhood. Maybe while jumping rope? We did! It was fun to almost swear and get away with it!

Maybe because these beautiful spring days are making me remember similar days from long ago!

Miss Lucy had a steam boat

Miss Lucy had a steam boat,
The steam boat had a bell,

Miss Lucy went to heaven,
The steamboat went to

Hello operator, give me #9 and,
If they don’t answer, I will cut off your

Behind the refrigerator, there was a piece of glass,
Miss Lucy sat upon it, and broke her little

Ask me no more questions and I’ll tell you no more lies

Into each expat life in Italy comes the day when you must appear at the Questura, or the police station for immigration. I’ve been waiting since February of 2025 for my Permesso di Soggiorno, or permission to stay in the country. All of sudden, after months of checking the website for information, I got a dm telling me to appear on May 19 at 8:34 a.m., to collect my Permesso.

And away I went to collect it! I arrived at the Questura at 8:27 a.m., showed my dm to the officer in charge at the front door, he gave me a slip of paper telling me that I was F`11. I went inside and waited for my number to appear on the board.

All tolled, I was probably in the Questura for 35 minutes this time. What a break! In the past I have spent hours waiting for my number to come up after waiting hours in line for the opportunity to submit the paperwork.

So, I’m legal now for a couple of years! Arrividerci questura!

Italians do love and always have loved il mare! Here are some photos taken around 1910 to show you just how much!

I don’t see any women!

My next sentence is going sound familiar: I have walked by the facade of this church at least 500 times, probably many more, in my lifetime and had never, until this day, found the door open. When I saw the gates were open, I had to enter.

It felt wrong to take pictures inside, though I couldn’t help taking a couple of this icon of the Madonna and Child with its miniature clothesline of rosaries and votive offerings, which are called offerte votive in italiano (grazie a Francesco). I suddenly felt like I was in Naples, where there are thousands of these items.

I particularly enjoyed the metal halo around the Christ Child’s head. Quite unusual!

Because I have so little to show you or all you about this small ancient church, I am adding what I found on AI (which I personally happen to love, although I know we are supposed to be fearful and hate it!). I’m fascinated by this history.

And because even AI couldn’t say a lot about this small church, I’m also adding AI created information about the self-flagellating company of San Jacopo that was associated with the basilica.

Let’s go! Let’s move again! For the 4th time? Who knows. I’v lost count!

Above of course is a funny riff on Botticelli’s Birth of Venus, below.

On my terrace! Late spring is blooming!

These nasturtiums were planted from seed in April 2025 and they survived the Tuscan winter!

Below, the rose plant I planted barefoot this spring is getting ready to bloom too! Things grow fast here!