How Can Anyone Not Like Rome?

by Iva Skoch on

I have to confess: I saw Rome for the first time two weeks ago. I don’t know how I avoided it all these years but I did.

I always heard mixed reviews about Rome. I have a few italophile-friends who absolutely love it. I also have a few other friends who didn’t think much of it and used words like polluted, touristy, and overrated. So I was glad to finally see Rome with my own eyes. I had semi-low expectations and an open mind. The truth is that I wasn’t prepared for falling in love with Rome. But I did. It was love at first sight.

Granted, I love big cities: New York, London, Paris. I love the feeling that people actually live there. Yes, the traffic is bad and it is hectic, but to me that’s just a sign of life. Perhaps that’s part of the reason I never truly cared for Venice, Salzburg and similar “picturesque overgrown villages” that cater exclusively to tourists. Those towns would disappear if tourists suddenly stopped going there. Yes, I am sure that Rome, Paris or New York would suffer, too, if tourists stopped going there. But life would go on. People would still live there, conduct business and raise families. That is refreshing.

Walking through the beautiful streets of Rome; streets than millions of people walked in the last two thousand years, I kept thinking: How can anyone not love this city?

Comparing the food in Athens and Rome is unfair. But still…

by Iva Skoch on

Without realizing it ahead of time, I toured two of the great ancient empires this week: Rome and Greece.

I am in Athens this week and–aside from witnessing a street fight–I have had a good time. Part of the reason is that I am a foodie, and I love Greek food. Fortunately, most of my friends and travel buddies agree that a large part of the appeal of traveling is “the search for the next great meal”.

Last week, I was in Rome for a journalism conference. Cancer-reporting is probably not what you want to hear about, so I will stick to writing about food. I swear it is simply not possible to have a bad meal in Rome. Every little trattoria will be able to offer treasures that make your mouth water instantly. I would say the service is better in Rome that it is in Athens, and so is the bread. However, I love what the Greeks can do with an octopus…grilled, fried or marinated. It is always delicious.

I wonder which of these two cuisines is better for you. You don’t see very many fat people around in Rome or Greece…

Is it really possible to avoid the tourist trap?

by Abha Malpani on

I went to Rome last weekend, and truth is I didn’t like it.

Yes, everyone I’ve told this to said that I’m crazy — “how could you not like Rome!?” is what they snapped back at me.

This is why:

  • All I heard around me was English, Spanish and French — where were all the Italians!?
  • The Colosseum blew my mind — but outside it there was a 10 piece Brazilian band getting people to samba, a puppet show, two clowns singing some ridiculous song in Spanish, and some break-dancers.
  • A cappuchino cost me €3.50 everywhere in the center.
  • The lines to get into any place of significance like the Vatican or the Colosseum were endless, and it wasn’t even peak season.
  • It felt nothing like an ancient Roman city; it felt more like Disneyland with the odd Bulgarian dressed like a gladiator as opposed to Mickey Mouse.

Maybe it was because I was only there for three days so focused on seeing the main stuff that Rome is known for, rather than going off the beaten path in search of some real Italian culture — something I missed out on even though I was with a friend who has been living there for two years with her Italian boyfriend.

The presence of so many tourists ruined it for me (yes I know even I’m a tourist) and made me mad to the extent that I wondered why I even bothered to go to Rome.

I should have gone to Asciano or Bevagna; I would have missed Fontana di Trevi, but would have eaten some authentic risotto. But then how can you not go to Rome!? It’s one of those Catch 22’s.

There is a good piece on MSNBC that talks about this and recommends how to escape the tourist trap. Funny thing is, there is nothing new in the article, but yet I have no idea how I would have bypassed the tourist blast in Rome.

Big in Japan: A Look Inside Japanese Sewers

by Matthew Firestone on

Let’s start out with some comparisons, shall we?

In regards to total land area, Japan is approximately the size of the US State of Montana. However, unlike Montana which is home to less than one million people (and a whole bunch of cattle), the island nation of Japan tops out at over 127 million people.

To put things into perspective, consider the fact that California, which is home to no shortage of large American cities, is only home to 36 million people. The greater Tokyo metropolis alone tops out at 35 million people, and is considered by demographers to be the world’s largest urban area.

So of course, this brings about a very simple question: where does all the poo go?

Fortunately for the island residents of Japan (myself included), Japan has one of the world’s most advanced sewerage systems. Considering that Japanese cuisine can at times be heavy on the brown rice and cabbage, this is a good thing for all of us using the porcelain throne.

Although some historians argue that modern institutions such as democracy and the legal system are the greatest Greco-Roman inventions, I have to argue that it’s sewerage. I mean, if you think about it, it’s kinda hard to elect public officials and hold judicial hearing if there are rivers of raw effluent running down the streets, even if they happen to be made of polished marble.

Not surprisingly, the Romans caught on to the whole sewerage thing fairly quickly. In approximately 600 BC, the Cloaca Maxima, literally the ‘Greatest Sewer,’ was built in Rome in order to drain local marshes and remove the waste of one of the world’s most populous cities.

Of course, environmentalism hadn’t really been invented yet – the sewer dumped its untreated contents directly into the River Tiber, which ran beside the city. Think about that when you order ‘Frutas del Mar’ over linguini the next time you’re in Rome!

Moving to the other side of the world, the Japanese were also implementing sewerage systems in all of their cities. In the Nara Period, approximately 1,300 years ago, a large and complex drainage system ran through the capital area. A few hundred years later, large stone culverts designed to collect human waste were standard features on castles and stately homes.

So, it’s not surprising that the Japan Sewage Works Association (that’s the JWSA for those of you not in the know) is able continue this proud history of poo-related achievements.

Every year, the JWSA holds a ‘Sewerage Works Exhibition’ aimed at highlighting the latest in poo-draining, poo-collecting and poo-treating technologies from around Japan and the world. It’s also a forum for poo-networking and poo-information exchange, and a time for sewerage officials to let down their hair and engage in a variety of poo-related festivities.

(I’m sorry, but as a professional writer, it’s rare that I can use the word ‘poo’ in abundance without inquiring the wrath of my editors. Forgive me if I get a little carried away with it!)

Anyway, I’m sure I can speak for everyone by saying that I’d love to be a fly on the wall at the poo conference. Next year, I’ll see if I can work my press credentials and get you some photos from the inside.

Special thanks to the big boss Justin Glow for tipping me off to these photos.

** All photos courtesy of the Edogawa River Office in Tokyo, Japan. **

Ancient Rome Digitally Rebuilt in its Entirety

by Neil Woodburn on

I am constantly frustrated staring at ruins and trying to imagine how cool they must have been in their prime.

Sure, some of the better maintained ruins give you a decent idea of what they were once like, but man, wouldn’t it be cool to go back in time and see for yourself!

It was such a thought that launched Rome Reborn.

Rome Reborn is a $2 million computer rendition of how Eternal City must have looked during its heyday in AD 320. According to a recent article by Tracy Wilkinson, the project, now stored at the University of Virginia, “is the largest and most complete digital simulation of a historic city ever created.” The astounding fact that 7,000 buildings have been digitally recreated for the project seems to suggest that this is probably true.

Sadly, only a small portion of the project is currently available online–although there are plans to make the entire city viewable within the year.

I was a bit surprised to discover that the results aren’t startlingly realistic–like toady’s video games–but they are startlingly accurate. All it needs is some Gladiators and a Second Life contract…