Tante Belle Cose - June10 What's going on in Italy

Well, June went out with a bang - the spectacular spettacolo of the Festival of Saints Peter & Paul, Rome's patron saints (ha ha - we get two - na na na na naaahh) and, despite the month in crazy [what with Italy being ousted from the World Cup, Berlusconi complaining that the constitution is an impediment to his reign, the expanding pedophile web, the mozzarella cheese coming in from Germany - you read that right - talk about ice to eskimos - turning a shiny florescent blue], there's plenty of good things going on.

First & foremost, Earth's first Blogger is Back!  After Rome's most famous 'Talking Statue', Pasquino, was restored, people were reverent enough not to paper their paper blog entries all over him.  So, someone put a board up there, but it was taken down.  Now, they've posted a huge piece of cardboard so we can all return to reading about the scandals of the day - in rhyme.  Hopefully this will stay put.  In the meantime, you can get my select translations over on the Vox Populi section in the left hand column.

Italy's World Cup performance -- The whole country seems to have fallen into a funk over the Azzurri, with wacko politicians saying that Coach Lippi shouldn't cash his paycheck.  No one has picked up on the concept that, if we were to apply a pay-for-performance rule throughout the country, there'd be no money left for anyone to bribe politicians with.  So, what can be good about this?  I'm hoping that, by osmosis, the loud calls for fresh young blood will be transferred to every other industry spanning the boot.

The crackdown on Pub Crawls, counterfeit purses, and illegal parking 'attendants'.  Rome is actually busy enforcing these issues with huge fines in an effort to restore some order especially in the city center.  Anyone who has happened across a pub crawl - teeming with 60+ sloppy drunken teenagers will know that this is a very good thing.

Outdoor Cinemas - June means large screens and a wonderful mix of movies from all over the world, often in the original languages.  Piazza Vittorio (near the station), L'isola Tiberina (where you can relax on huge sofas before & after the show), even in my little neighborhood of Garbatella.  Now, if we could actually find what, exactly is playing and when, well, it'd be a great day for movie goers.

Vatican Museum nights  - June saw the reprise of the Friday midnight madness amidst the statues of the Vatican Museums.  Not sure how long it will last, but it's a wonderful experience for any museum buff.

And, the best find yet -- a new popsicle treat of Ananas - Pineapple.  With bits of fresh pineapple pulp all the way through.  Not for you pulp free American juice drinkers, but hey, just leaves more for the rest of us.