When in Rome, do what the Romans didn’t do.

by Grant Martin on

I’ve been putting off travel to Italy for a while now for a number of reasons. While the country is rich in culture, history and gastronomic adventure, I guess I always had the feeling that it was a little too over-the-top. Too many tourists, to much Eurotrash, and generally filthy; granted, I still wanted to go, it just wasn’t at the top of my list.

Taking advantage of a secret 275$ fare sale to Rome this month was my chance to investigate these notions first hand. And to my delight, most of the negative ideas that I held about Romans and Italians were proven false. Yes, I only got a small sampling over a long weekend in Rome, but I think that many of these observations hold true for the country year round:

  • Men didn’t whistle at women. I walked around with my friend Ered for the the better part of three days and didn’t notice anyone whistle or stare. No, she’s not an ugly cow.
  • Save for the subway cars, the city is fairly clean. I’m particularly impressed with the condition of the archaeological remains, namely the Roman Forum, where I didn’t see an ounce of trash on the premises.
  • Not everyone was wearing D&G. In fact, most Italians appeared to dress as pleasantly as any other city dweller. Prada et al do make their appearance just outside of the Spanish Steps, but hey, every big city’s got em.
  • There are WAY fewer euro-mullets than I was expecting. I saw less than a dozen the entire time I was there.
  • Leather is not as ubiquitous as one would think. You always hear someone bragging about their “Italian leather so and so”, but it doesn’t just fall from the sky there. Only a few shops presented themselves as I wandered around the city.

Maybe Italy’s stereotypes aren’t as perverse as I had originally thought. Or maybe when tourist season kicks up people get crazy and the euro-mullets come out of hiding. As it stands right now though, Rome is definitely a place that I would like to visit again.

Carnival celebrations around the world

by Anna Brones on

Vibrant music, zesty dancing, bright colors and more fun and absurdity than a lot of people can handle. Carnival anyone? For the pre-Lent partying season our minds tend to automatically think of New Orleans and Rio, but the event is in fact celebrated around the world. A few places to spice up a dreary winter before Lent kicks in:

Dominica: A small and happy island almost hidden in the Lesser Antilles, Dominica is not to be forgotten during Carnival season. Here, the local Creole expression, More Fete Less Twaka (more party less talk), rings true. Soca competitions, a Carnival beer garden, some street jams and a Miss Dominica Pageant. What more could you want from an early winter Caribbean vacation?

Munich: The Munich Carnival, or “Fasching,” is often referred to as Germany’s “Fifth Season,” when the local population truly lets loose. People crowd the streets, pretzel vendors run abound and beer runs freely. Think Oktoberfest but with confetti, masquerade balls and elaborate parades.

Venice: This year’s theme, Sensation: 6 sensations for 6 neighborhoods, says it all. Venice has been enjoying its celebrations for centuries, and through the years it has evolved into a well-known time for wild festivities. The main feature: masks. If you don’t have your own, not to worry, there are plenty of mask makers throughout the city ready to take your order.

Rijeka: Croatia’s biggest carnival was once one of the most important in Europe. Around 150 carnival groups from a dozen different countries attract over 120,000 visitors. One of the days is designated as children’s carnival, attracting 6,000 little ones. And don’t forget to check out the Zvoncari groups: men dressed up in animal skins, complete with horned masks, frantically dancing to the eerie sound of clanging bells.

Goa: India might not be the first place you would expect to find Carnival, but introduced by the Portuguese who ruled Goa for over 500 years, the celebration is still enjoyed today. Although primarily a Christian event, the Goa Carnival has absorbed many Hindu traditions, making it an extravagant event a true sight for the eyes.


More balls than you’ll ever want

by Jerry Guo on

Half a million colorful toy balls rolled around in the middle of Rome today. Most sightseers in Rome expect to see ancient monuments and whatnot (such as the location of this prank, the 18th-century Barcaccia fountain), but perhaps it’s also home to a growing number of entertaining “street art” performances, to put it lightly.

Last October, a vandal / genius artist turned the 18th-century Trevi fountain blood-red as a sort of social commentary on the Rome Film Festival. No word yet if today’s prank is a protest against Chuck E. Cheese.

A virtual visit to Milan’s famed fashion show

by Jerry Guo on

Fashion week can make a pretty big dent on any city. New York’s traffic gets even worse than it is when the annual show rolls around at Bryant Park. Same with Paris and London’s. And now it’s Milan’s turn.

I’ve never ever been close to a fashion show, but I guess for some people, attending one would be a dream come true. For me, it’s simply far more fun to mock one from this blog. I just came upon a Reuter slide-show of the top fashion you’ll be seeing at this year’s Milan show.

To truly enjoy the experience, first close your eyes. Then imagine the most idiotic/absurd/ridiculous/etc outfit you can imagine. Now flip through these 53 photos. I can guarantee you they’re much more insane than whatever you thought of.

It made my day. Hope it’ll bring you too a chuckle or two.

Naples, city of garbage

by Iva Skoch on

Naples has had a problem with waste management for the last 15 years. it is entirely controlled by the mafia and politicians feel like their hands are tied. And, in a lot of cases, they might literally be.

In the latest crisis, collectors stopped picking up garbage in Naples and Campania before Christmas because there was no more room for the trash at dumps. Dumps are overflowing and local communities have blocked efforts to build new ones.

According to AP, cargo boat laden with 500 tons of garbage from Naples docked at the island of Sardinia on Thursday as the government worked to undo a weeks-long trash emergency that left heaps of waste piled up on the streets of Naples.