Reminds me a bit of the blooming chestnut trees lining the streets of Paris in April/May. To be honest, the Parisian scene is more beautiful, but this is Rome, this is now, and the oleanders are quite amazing!
Podcast Episode #1: Rome Through Art And Flavor
Pip: Rome in late spring, where even a nondescript building hides a courtyard full of sarcophagi, and the gelato is technically a health food.
Mara: blogger Lauretta Dimmick, who writes the blog Get Back Lauretta, has been moving through Rome at full tilt — palaces, piazzas, baroque staircases, fresh tuna, and a new pope making headlines. Let’s start with the streets and landmarks that frame the whole visit.
Rome Landmarks And Streets
Pip: Rome rewards the wanderer — the post “Rome! Endless variety” is essentially a love letter to the city’s capacity to surprise, block by block.
Mara: The line that stays with me: “Almost every day I see something that makes me say: I have never seen that before!”
Pip: That’s the whole premise, isn’t it — Rome as a place that keeps outpacing expectation, no matter how many times you’ve been.
Mara: Concretely, that means jasmine trained up the side of a villa, acanthus plants blooming just outside the Roman Forum — plants whose leaves appear on every Corinthian capital in the ancient city. The fit is almost too perfect.
Pip: And then a stop at Neve di Latte for natural gelato, though Francesco remained unconvinced it was worth the calories.
Mara: The Piazza di Spagna post rounds out the street-level picture with a video tour of one of Rome’s most iconic squares. From the piazza, we move indoors — deep indoors.
Palazzo Barberini And Baroque Splendor
Pip: Palazzo Barberini is the kind of place where even the staircase gets a superlative — and the post on part two makes the case directly.
Mara: The title itself is the argument: “The most lovely marble stairway ever? I think YES!” And embedded in those Doric columns are the Barberini bees, the family’s symbol, carved right into the stone.
Pip: The bee motif runs through everything — ceiling frescoes, ironwork, the whole building is essentially branded.
Mara: Part one slows down for the paintings, and the writing is genuinely attentive. On Fra Filippo Lippi’s Annunciation, it notes the transparent scarf wrapping Mary’s wrist: “to use it as a compositional element” leading the eye between Gabriel’s lily and the top of the canvas.
Pip: Noticing the servants on the hidden staircase rather than the kneeling donors — that’s a particular way of looking at art.
Mara: Part three closes the visit with Corradini’s famous statue and one last reminder: the bees appear “throughout the building — and indeed the city.” From baroque splendor to something more immediate — what’s on the table.
Food Coffee And Daily Pleasures
Pip: Two very different pleasures anchor this stretch — one philosophical, one extremely fresh.
Mara: The coffee post is almost aphoristic: “Coffee is the balm of the soul” — attributed to Giuseppe Verdi, found on the back of an espresso machine in Montecatini. That’s the whole post, and it lands.
Pip: Short, correct, no notes.
Mara: The tuna post is the opposite — vivid and specific. A fishmonger in Rome who “begged” them to buy an outstanding tuna, two enormous steaks, red shrimp, squid for calamari. The calamari, reportedly, was “quasi sweet” and unlike anything before. The only regret: no photos of the finished dishes. From the table, to something more public.
Papal Respect And Public Witness
Mara: Pope Leo XIV appears in the title of a post here — “Pope Leo XIV again shows what respect looks like” — framing a moment of public witness worth marking.
Pip: The word “again” is doing real work in that title. It implies a pattern, a posture, not just a single gesture.
Mara: And that consistency — the idea that respect is demonstrated repeatedly, not announced once — is what the post points toward.
Pip: Streets, staircases, espresso philosophy, and a pope setting a standard — Rome contains multitudes.
Mara: More of it next time, apparently. The sign-off is always “alla prossima” — until next time.
The church of Santissima Annuziata, Florence
If I walk by this church and it is open, I enter. I cannot get enough of the Renaissance tabernacle that sits just inside the door of the basilica.
Map of the church and the convent
The church was founded in 1250 by the seven original members of the Servite Order. In 1252, a painting of the Annunciation was begun by a Friar Bartolomeo, commissioned by the Servite monks. It is said he despaired about being able to paint a virgin with a beautiful enough face, and fell asleep, only to find the painting completed when he awoke. He attributed this miracle he to an angel. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how the church received its name, the most holy annunciation, since it was partly painted by an angel of God.
Below is a view of the basilica taken from the narthex area, looking toward the altar. The interior is very much Baroque in style, with the elaborate tabernacle in a 14th century Renaissance style, housing the fresco within, which is very Medieval in origin and style.
Here is your first view of the marble tabernacle constructed to encompass the so-called holy painting.
The actually quite modest painting, so famous because it was partly painted by an angel, acquired increasing veneration, such that in 1444 the Gonzaga family from Mantua financed a special tribute. Initially Michelozzo, who was the brother of the Servite prior, was commissioned to build it, but since Ludovico III Gonzaga had a special admiration for Leon Battista Alberti, this latter architect was given the commission in 1469. Alberti’s designs were constricted by the pre-existing foundations. Construction was completed in 1481, after Alberti’s death. Though the structure was refurbished in Baroque-style in the seventeenth century, the basic scheme of a domed circular space flanked by altar niches is still evident.
The fresco of the Annunciation after cleaning, 2020.
Below are a few photos of the chapel directly at the side of the of the tabernacle. I am leaving for Rome soon and I was thinking about all the Baroque monuments in Rome when I took these photos.
This chapel would be very much at home in a Roman church. Quite unusual for a Florentine church.
As almost always, I lit 3 candles for family members.
My eyes are accustomed to simple vases of lilies, the symbol of the Virgin Mary. This floral arrangement made me think of paintings of the Annunciation, in which the flowers so often appear.
A quick look at another chapel.
Back to the tabernacle. Some of the votive offerings left at the church as a prayer for help have been framed and are permanently displayed. Of the survey thousands of votives offered over the years, I wonder how these in particular were chosen for exhibition?
I took the opportunity to write a prayer for deliverance. You never know, it might be answered.
The metal vases of metal lilies are very striking to my eye.
As ar the censors. So elaborate and quite beautiful.
Walking out of the church, the duomo is only a stone’s throw away!
Ah, Firenze! I love you so!
The freshest tuna I’ve ever eaten!
This is not your typical post from me. I don’t think I have ever posted a picture of a fish shop, let alone one in Rome! But late last week my friend took me into this incredible emporium of all things fish and I saw a tuna on the chopping block that the proprietor begged us to buy. He said it was an outstanding tuna and he couldn’t recommend it highly enough!
We not only purchased 2 humungous tuna steaks, but also some special little red gamberi or shrimp, as well as some squid to make calamari.
Francesco cooked all these fishes over the weekend and it was an orgy of excellent sea food! I have never eaten calamari as succulent and meaty as his. The calamari meat was actually quasi sweet! And very meaty. Never have I ever!
The shrimp were good as well and Francesco knows exactly how to fry all these items to perfection. I am sorry I didn’t photograph any of the prepared dishes, but you can take my word for it, it was beyond belief good!
Piazza di Spagna, Rome
Rome! Endless variety
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 (the name in English is Snow made of Milk) 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!
Palazzo Barberini, part 3
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!
Miss Lucy had a steamboat
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
Alla questura
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!
Al Mare: Forte de Marmi in 1910
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!
get back, lauretta! 
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