Round Up

Cinema
Good – Big Fish
Bad – Seabiscuit
Fugly – Wedding Date, The

Cellar
I only drank wonderful red and white Lazio wines all month long, none of which I will ever be able to find again so I pretty much gave up trying to save corks and names. The five (5) regions of north central and northwestern Italy cover the great arc of the Alps and Appenines that walls in the Po as it flows east through the broad valley to the Adriatic. The most affluent part of Italy is the Industrial Triangle between Milano, Turino and the Mediterranean port of Genoa and the agriculturally fluent flatlands of the Po and its tributaries. Between them, the 5 regions produce 20% of Italian wines but accoun for more than 25% of the DOC. Emilia-Romagna contributes heavily with the fourth largest output along regions after Veneto, Sicilia and Apulia. Piemonte stands tall in the quality field with the most DOC and DOCG zones of any region, but only seventh overall in production. Piemonte’s host of worthy natives include Barbera, Dolcetto, Grignolino, Freisa, Cortese, Arneis, Brachetto, the Canelli clone of Moscato (for Asti Spumante) and Nebbiolo the noble (source of Barolo, Barbaresco and Gattinara). Liguria, with little space for vines between mountains and the Mediterranean, is second last in production offering wines that are esoteric. Valle d’Aosta, the smallest region, produces the least volume of wine along its rocky slopes. The most populous Lombardy ranks twelfth in production with a major concentration of Nebbiolo vines for the DOC reds of the mountainous Valtellina and spreads of Chardonnay and Pinot vines for sparkling wines of Franciacorta and Oltrepo Pavese.

Cocktail
We absolutely avoided all the trendy cocktails in Italy for they were all American except for Campari with sparkling aranciata (Orangina!). Instead, I enjoyed grappa, vin santo and limoncello.
Grappa is a traditional Italian drink made from pomace (pressed skins and seeds of grapes) after winemaking. Pomace is fermented without adding any sugar or alcohol, and then distilled. The resulting clear spirit is grappa that is between 80 and 90 proof, served either alone or with coffee.

In October to November ripe white grapes (in Tuscany Trebbiano Toscano, Malvasia and Canaiolo are most popular followed by Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot in the Pomino property of Frescobaldi; in Veneto Garganega and Gambellara are used; elsewhere local white grapes are preferred) are hand picked, rotten grapes removed and the bunches are hung from the rafter of vinsantaie, a room with many windows for vigorous air circulation. Once the grapes have dried sufficiently which may last well into January, they are pressed and the juice is poured into caratelli (small chestnut barrels) for fermentation. After the initial fermentation the wine is racked, the caratelli sealed, and placed under the roof of the winery. Here the wine is subjected to diurnal and seasonal temperature changes, which impart a unique taste and texture to the wine. Vin santo are generally sweet but some wineries produce off dry or dry versions. All are viscous in texture, high in alcohol, smooth and intensely flavoured. Enjoy vin santo with a biscotti, fresh seasonal fruits, or your favourite pastry.

More than 700.00 bottles with the Limoncello di Capri brand label are produced annually by the factory in Anacapri, made exclusively with lemons of Sorrento. The lemons, under the direct control of the Solagri cooperative, are picked from the trees in the afternoon, and delivered the next morning. The Lemon of Sorrento has a juice of low acidity and exceptionally fine essential oils in the peel which give body and perfume to the limoncello. The fruit is washed exclusively in water, without the use of solvents and is selected for the producers of limoncello and for uses in the various sectors, from the large distributors to the catering industry in general. The fruit selected for the producers of limoncello are then passed through the machinery which collects the rinds. These then enter the steel vats where together with the alcohol they are infused for 3 to 5 days. Water and sugar are added. Sugar of prime quality and only alcohol form cereal are used. The product is then homogenised in a turbo emulsifier; after 40 minutes the limoncello, via accurate filtration and laboratory supervision, passes on for bottling. Limonce is the most popular brand.

I prefer to make limoncello at home using Meyer lemons from R’s trees. I scrub 15 lemons with a vegetable brush and hot water to remove pesticide (or wax, if store bought – why?). Zest lemons with zester or veggie peeler so no white pith on the peel. In a one gallon jar, add one bottle of Ketel One vodka and the lemon zest as it is zested. Cover the jar and let it sit at room temperature for ten to 40 days. I use the 42 day rule as in Capri. I am such a sucker. Cool dark place. The longer it rests, the better it tastes. Resist (this is for me) the temptation to stir. You simply have to wait. The vodka slowly sucks the rich yellow color and lemon flavor from the lemon zest. In a large saucepan, combine 4C sugar and 5C water until thickened (5-7 minutes). Let syrup cool before adding it to the mixture. Add another bottle of vodka. Let it rest for 42 more days. Strain the mixture. Discard the lemon zest. Freeze until ready to serve. Simple!

Fall Back

At the end of DST, turn your clock forward an hour, effectively moving an hour of daylight from the morning to the evening. Lucky to be working the one night in the year which has the most hours. No complaints there.

Daylight Saving Time begins for most of the United States at 2:00 a.m. on the first Sunday of April. Time reverts to standard time at 2:00 a.m. on the last Sunday of October. In the U.S., each time zone switches at a different time. In the European Union, Summer Time begins and ends at 1:00 a.m. Universal Time (Greenwich Mean Time). It begins the last Sunday in March and ends the last Sunday in October. In the EU, all time zones change at the same moment.

On August 8, 2005, President George W. Bush signed the Energy Policy Act of 2005. This Act changed the time change dates for Daylight Saving Time in the U.S. Beginning in 2007, DST will begin on the second Sunday of March and end the first Sunday of November. The Secretary of Energy will report the impact of this change to Congress. Congress retains the right to revert the Daylight Saving Time back to the 2005 time schedule once the Department of Energy study is complete.

The official spelling is Daylight Saving Time, not Daylight SavingS Time. Saving is used here as a verbal adjective (a participle). It modifies time and tells us more about its nature; namely, that it is characterized by the activity of saving daylight. It is a saving daylight kind of time. Similar examples would be dog walking time or book reading time. Since saving is a verb describing a single type of activity, the form is singular. Nevertheless, many people feel the word savings (with an ’s’) flows more mellifluously off the tongue. Daylight Savings Time is also in common usage, and can be found in dictionaries. Adding to the confusion is that the phrase Daylight Saving Time is inaccurate, since no daylight is actually saved. Daylight Shifting Time would be better, but it is not as politically desirable.

In the U.S., clocks change at 2:00 a.m. local time. In spring, clocks spring forward from 1:59 a.m. to 3:00 a.m.; in fall, clocks fall back from 1:59 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. In the EU, clocks change at 1:00 a.m. Universal Time. In spring, clocks spring forward from 12:59 a.m. to 2:00 a.m.; in fall, clocks fall back from 1:59 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. In the U.S., restaurants and bars have various closing policies. In many states, liquor cannot be served after 2:00 a.m. But at 2:00 a.m. in the fall, the time switches back one hour. So, can they serve alcohol for that additional hour in October? The official answer is that the bars do not close at 2:00 a.m., but actually at 1:59 a.m. So, they are already closed when the time changes from Daylight Saving Time into Standard Time. In practice, however, many establishments stay open an extra hour in the fall.

In the U.S., 2:00 a.m. was originally chosen as the changeover time because it was practical and minimized disruption. Most people were at home and this was the time when the fewest trains were running. It is late enough to minimally affect bars and restaurants, and it prevents the day from switching to yesterday, which would be confusing. It is early enough that the entire continental U.S. switches by daybreak, and the changeover occurs before most early shift workers and early churchgoers (particularly on Easter) are affected.

Many fire departments encourage people to change the battery in the smoke detector when they change their clocks because it provides for a convenient reminder. “A working smoke detector more than doubles a person’s chances of surviving a home fire,” says William McNabb of the Troy Fire Department in Michigan. More than 90 percent of homes in the United States have smoke detectors, but one-third are estimated to have dead or missing batteries.

Daylight Saving Time also saves energy. Studies done by the U.S. Department of Transportation show that Daylight Saving Time trims the entire country’s electricity usage by a small but significant amount, about one percent each day, because less electricity is used for lighting and appliances. Similarly, in New Zealand, power companies have found that power usage decreases 3.5 percent when daylight saving starts. In the first week, peak evening consumption commonly drops around five percent.

Energy use and the demand for electricity for lighting homes is directly related to the times when people go to bed at night and rise in the morning. In the average home, 25 percent of electricity is used for lighting and small appliances, such as TVs, VCRs, and stereos. A good percentage of energy consumed by lighting and appliances occurs in the evening when families are home. By moving the clock ahead one hour, the amount of electricity consumed each day decreases.

In the Winter, the afternoon Daylight Saving Time advantage is offset for many people and businesses by the morning’s need for more lighting. In Spring and Fall, the advantage is generally less than one hour. So, Daylight Saving Time saves energy for lighting in all seasons of the year, but it saves least during the four darkest months of Winter (November, December, January, and February), when the afternoon advantage is offset by the need for lighting because of late sunrise.

In addition, less electricity is used because people are home fewer hours during the “longer” days of Spring and Summer. Most people plan outdoor activities in the extra daylight hours. When people are not at home, they don’t turn on the appliances and lights.

There is a public health benefit to Daylight Saving Time, as it decreases traffic accidents. Several studies in the U.S. and Great Britain have found that the DST daylight shift reduces net traffic accidents and fatalities by close to one percent. An increase in accidents in the dark mornings is more than offset by the evening decrease in accidents.

People occasionally complain about Daylight Saving Time. Frequent complaints are the inconvenience of changing many clocks and adjusting to a new sleep schedule. For most people, this is a mere nuisance, but some people with sleep disorders find this transition very difficult.

Another complaint is sometimes put forth by people who wake at dawn, or whose schedules are otherwise tied to sunrise, such as farmers. Farmers often dislike the clocks changing mid-year. Canadian poultry producer Marty Notenbomer notes, “The chickens do not adapt to the changed clock until several weeks have gone by, so the first week of April and the last week of October are very frustrating for us.”

In Israel, ultra-Orthodox Sephardic Jews have campaigned against Daylight Saving Time because they recite Slikhot penitential prayers in the early morning hours during the Jewish month of Elul.

Sometimes people recommend a “compromise,” wherein clocks would be set one-half hour forward year round. While this may initially sound appealing, it is not a good solution. In the winter months, when daylight saving is not occurring, our clock is divided such that noon should be the middle of the day (although since time zones are so wide, this does not always happen). In the summer, when there are more daylight hours, we want to shift a full hour to the evening.

Some countries set their clocks to fractional time zones. For example, Kathmandu, Nepal is 5:45 hours ahead of Universal Time, and Calcutta (Kolkatta), India is 5:30 ahead. This is not an attempt to compromise and have half Daylight Saving Time year-round, but rather an adjustment made because the countries straddle international time zones.

Following Germany’s lead, Britain passed an act on May 17, 1916, and Willett’s scheme of adding 80 minutes, in four separate movements was put in operation on the following Sunday, May 21, 1916. There was a storm of opposition, confusion, and prejudice. The Royal Meteorological Society insisted that Greenwich time would still be used to measure tides. The parks belonging to the Office of Works and the London County Council decided to close at dusk, which meant that they would be open an extra hour in the evening. Kew Gardens, on the other hand, ignored the daylight saving scheme and decided to close by the clock.

In Edinburgh, the confusion was even more marked, for the gun at the Castle was fired at 1:00 p.m. Summer Time, while the ball on the top of the Nelson monument on Calton Hill fell at 1:00 Greenwich Time. That arrangement was carried on for the benefit of seamen who could see it from the Firth of Forth. The time fixed for changing clocks was 2:00 a.m. on a Sunday.

After World War I, Parliament passed several acts relating to Summer Time. In 1925, a law was enacted that Summer Time should begin on the day following the third Saturday in April (or one week earlier if that day was Easter Day). The date for closing of Summer Time was fixed for the day after the first Saturday in October.

The energy saving benefits of Summer Time were recognized during World War II, when clocks in Britain were put two hours ahead of GMT during the summer. This became known as Double Summer Time. During the war, clocks remained one hour ahead of GMT throughout the winter.

The time indicated by the apparent sun on a sundial is called Apparent Solar Time, or true local time. The time shown by the fictitious sun is called Mean Solar Time, or local mean time when measured in terms of any longitudinal meridian.

Standard time in time zones was instituted in the U.S. and Canada by the railroads on November 18, 1883. Prior to that, time of day was a local matter, and most cities and towns used some form of local solar time, maintained by a well-known clock (on a church steeple, for example, or in a jeweler’s window). The new standard time system was not immediately embraced by all, however. (The train at right is a Union locomotive used during the American Civil War, photo ca. 1861-1865.)

The first man in the United States to sense the growing need for time standardization was an amateur astronomer, William Lambert, who as early as 1809 presented to Congress a recommendation for the establishment of time meridians. This was not adopted, nor was the initial suggestion of Charles Dowd of Saratoga Springs, N.Y., in 1870. Dowd revised his proposal in 1872, and it was adopted virtually unchanged by U.S. and Canadian railways eleven years later.

Daylight Saving Time has been used in the U.S. and in many European countries since World War I. At that time, in an effort to conserve fuel needed to produce electric power, Germany and Austria took time by the forelock, and began saving daylight at 11:00 p.m. on April 30, 1916, by advancing the hands of the clock one hour until the following October. Other countries immediately adopted this 1916 action: Belgium, Denmark, France, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Turkey, and Tasmania. Nova Scotia and Manitoba adopted it as well, with Britain following suit three weeks later, on May 21, 1916. In 1917, Australia and Newfoundland began saving daylight.

The plan was not formally adopted in the U.S. until 1918. ‘An Act to preserve daylight and provide standard time for the United States‘ was enacted on March 19, 1918. It both established standard time zones and set summer DST to begin on March 31, 1918. Daylight Saving Time was observed for seven months in 1918 and 1919. After the War ended, the law proved so unpopular (mostly because people rose earlier and went to bed earlier than people do today) that it was repealed in 1919 with a Congressional override of President Wilson’s veto. Daylight Saving Time became a local option, and was continued in a few states, such as Massachusetts and Rhode Island, and in some cities, such as New York, Philadelphia, and Chicago.

During World War II, President Franklin Roosevelt instituted year-round Daylight Saving Time, called “War Time,” from February 2, 1942 to September 30, 1945. From 1945 to 1966, there was no federal law regarding Daylight Saving Time, so states and localities were free to choose whether or not to observe Daylight Saving Time and could choose when it began and ended. This understandably caused confusion, especially for the broadcasting industry, as well as for railways, airlines, and bus companies. Because of the different local customs and laws, radio and TV stations and the transportation companies had to publish new schedules every time a state or town began or ended Daylight Saving Time.

On January 4, 1974, President Nixon signed into law the Emergency Daylight Saving Time Energy Conservation Act of 1973. Then, beginning on January 6, 1974, implementing the Daylight Saving Time Energy Act, clocks were set ahead for a 15-month period through April 27, 1975.

In the early 1960s, observance of Daylight Saving Time was quite inconsistent, with a hodgepodge of time observances, and no agreement about when to change clocks. The Interstate Commerce Commission, the nation’s timekeeper, was immobilized, and the matter remained deadlocked. Many business interests were supportive of standardization, although it became a bitter fight between the indoor and outdoor theater industries. The farmers, however, were opposed to such uniformity. State and local governments were a mixed bag, depending on local conditions.

Efforts at standardization were encouraged by a transportation industry organization, the Committee for Time Uniformity. They surveyed the entire nation, through questioning telephone operators as to local time observances, and found the situation was quite confusing. Next, the Committee’s goal was a strong supportive story on the front page of the New York Times. Having rallied the general public’s support, the Time Uniformity Committee’s goal was accomplished, but only after discovering and disclosing that on the 35-mile stretch of highway (Route 2) between Moundsville, W.V., and Steubenville, Ohio, every bus driver and his passengers had to endure seven time changes!

By 1966, some 100 million Americans were observing Daylight Saving Time based on their local laws and customs. Congress decided to step in and end the confusion, and to establish one pattern across the country. The Uniform Time Act of 1966 (15 U.S. Code Section 260a), signed into Public Law 89-387 on April 12, 1966, by President Lyndon Johnson, created Daylight Saving Time to begin on the last Sunday of April and to end on the last Sunday of October. Any State that wanted to be exempt from Daylight Saving Time could do so by passing a state law.

The Uniform Time Act of 1966 established a system of uniform (within each time zone) Daylight Saving Time throughout the U.S. and its possessions, exempting only those states in which the legislatures voted to keep the entire state on standard time.

In 1972, Congress revised the law to provide that, if a state was in two or more time zones, the state could exempt the part of the state that was in one time zone while providing that the part of the state in a different time zone would observe Daylight Saving Time. The Federal law was amended in 1986 to begin Daylight Saving Time on the first Sunday in April.

Under legislation enacted in 1986, Daylight Saving Time in the USA

• begins at 2:00 a.m. on the first Sunday of April and
• ends at 2:00 a.m. on the last Sunday of October

In most of the countries of Western Europe, including the countries that are members of the EU, Daylight Saving Time:

• begins at 1:00 a.m. GMT on the last Sunday of March and
• ends at 1:00 a.m. GMT on the last Sunday of October

Palestinian Terrorists
In September 1999, the Palestinian West Bank was on daylight saving time while Israel had just switched back to standard time. West Bank Palestinians prepared time bombs and smuggled them to Arab Israelis, who misunderstood the time on the bombs. As the bombs were being planted, they exploded—one hour too early—killing three terrorists instead of the intended victims—two busloads of people.

Halloween Trick-or-Treaters
Daylight Saving Time in the U.S. always ends a few days before Halloween (October 31). A bill to extend DST to Halloween is proposed in almost every session of Congress, with the purpose of providing trick-or-treaters more light and therefore more safety from traffic accidents. Children’s pedestrian deaths are four times higher on Halloween than on any other night of the year. Also, for decades, candy manufacturers have lobbied for a Daylight Saving Time extension to Halloween, as many of the young trick-or-treaters gathering candy are not allowed out after dark, and thus an added hour of light could mean a big holiday treat for the candy industry.

Chaos of Non-Uniform DST
Widespread confusion was created during the 1950s and 1960s when each U.S. locality could start and end Daylight Saving Time as it desired. One year, 23 different pairs of DST start and end dates were used in Iowa alone. For exactly five weeks each year, Boston, New York, and Philadelphia were not on the same time as Washington D.C., Cleveland, or Baltimore—but Chicago was. And, on one Ohio to West Virginia bus route, passengers had to change their watches seven times in 35 miles! The situation led to millions of dollars in costs to several industries, especially those involving transportation and communications. Extra railroad timetables alone cost the today’s equivalent of over $12 million per year.

Minneapolis-St. Paul
The Minnesota cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul once didn’t have twin perspectives with regard to the clock. These two large cities lie a few miles apart on opposite sides of the Mississippi River, and are considered to comprise a single metropolitan area. In 1965, St. Paul decided to begin its Daylight Saving Time period early to conform to most of the nation, while Minneapolis felt it should follow Minnesota’s state law, which stipulated a later start date. After intense inter-city negotiations and quarreling, the cities could not agree, and so the one-hour time difference went into effect, bringing a period of great time turmoil to the cities and surrounding areas.

Time Change Riots
Patrons of bars that stay open past 2:00 a.m. lose one hour of drinking time on the day when Daylight Saving Time springs forward one hour. This has led to annual problems in numerous locations, and sometimes even to riots. For example, at a “time disturbance” in Athens, Ohio, site of Ohio University, over 1,000 students and other late night partiers chanted “Freedom,” as they threw liquor bottles at the police attempting to control the riot.

Radio Stations
AM radio signals propagate much further at night than during the day. During daytime, more stations in neighboring areas can broadcast on the same frequency without interfering with each other. Because of this situation, there are hundreds of stations licensed to operate only in the daytime. Daylight Saving Time can affect the bottom line of these daytime-only radio stations: during parts of the year it can cause the stations to lose their most profitable time of day—the morning drive time. The gain of an hour of daylight – and thus broadcast time – in the evening does not fully compensate for the morning loss.

Voter Turnout in Elections
Each year in the U.S., the Daylight Saving Time period closes near the end of October, about a week before Election Day. The extension of Daylight Saving Time into November has been proposed as a way to encourage greater voter participation. More people would likely go to the polls in the evening if there still was daylight when they returned home from work.

Amtrak
To keep to their published timetables, trains cannot leave a station before the scheduled time. So, when the clocks fall back one hour in October, all Amtrak trains in the U.S. that are running on time stop at 2:00 a.m. and wait one hour before resuming. Overnight passengers are often surprised to find their train at a dead stop and their travel time an hour longer than expected. At the spring Daylight Saving Time change, trains instantaneously become an hour behind schedule at 2:00 a.m., but they just keep going and do their best to make up the time.

Opera
Among the first institutions affected by Daylight Saving Time was the Berlin Opera, on April 30, 1916—the evening when the clocks in Germany were to be set forward for the first time. At 11:00 p.m., all German clocks were to be set to midnight. The Berlin Opera, with wonderful forethought, changed its schedule and began its performance of Die Meistersinger an hour earlier than usual. This allowed grateful audience members to be able to catch their customary trains home at the end of the performance. (All trains scheduled to depart between 11:00 p.m. and midnight were immediately behind schedule when 11:00 p.m. changed to midnight, and so left as soon as possible. And trains scheduled to depart after midnight left the equivalent of one hour early.

Violent Crime
A study by the U.S. Law Enforcement Assistance Administration found that crime was consistently less during periods of Daylight Saving Time than during comparable standard time periods. Data showed violent crime down 10 to 13 percent. It is clear that for most crimes where darkness is a factor, such as muggings, there are many more incidents after dusk than before dawn, so light in the evening is most welcome.

Antarctica
In Antarctica, there is no daylight in the winter and months of 24-hour daylight in the summer. But many of the research stations there still observe Daylight Saving Time anyway, to keep synchronized to the same time as their supply stations in Chile or New Zealand.

Manslaughter
In California, a Chevrolet Blazer packed with teenagers struck the median of a street and flipped over, tragically killing one teen and injuring several others. The teen driver, fighting charges of felony vehicular manslaughter, claimed that the street was dangerously wet and unsafe due a lawn sprinkler system. The landscaper responsible for the computerized sprinklers testified that the sprinklers were set to come on more than fifteen minutes after the fatal accident. The outcome hinged on whether the sprinklers’ timer had been adjusted for a recent Daylight Saving Time change, for without the DST adjustment, the sprinklers had close to 45 minutes to make the road slick.

Indiana
Indiana has long been a hotbed of Daylight Saving Time controversy. Historically, the state’s two western corners, which fall in the Central Time Zone, observed DST, while the remainder of the state, in the Eastern Time zone, followed year-round Standard Time. An additional complication was that five southeastern counties near Cincinnati and Louisville unofficially observed DST to keep in sync with those cities. Because of the longstanding feuds over DST, Indiana politicians often treated the subject gingerly. In 1996, gubernatorial candidate Rex Early firmly declared, “Some of my friends are for putting all of Indiana on Daylight Saving Time. Some are against it. And I always try to support my friends.”
For years, many believed that Indiana changed time zones in the summer. Part of the confusion stemmed from the fact that in the winter, most of Indiana kept the same time as New York (which is Eastern), and in the summer, Indiana kept the same time as Chicago (which is Central).

In April 2005, Indiana legislators passed a law that will implement Daylight Saving Time statewide beginning on April 2, 2006. Still in question is which part of the state falls in the Eastern time zone and which part of the state falls in the Central time zone.

Oil Conservation
Following the 1973 oil embargo, the U.S. Congress extended Daylight Saving Time to 18 months, rather than the normal six months. During that time, the U.S. Department of Transportation found that observing Daylight Saving Time in March and April saved the equivalent in energy of 10,000 barrels of oil each day – a total of 600,000 barrels in each of those two years. Likewise, in 1986, Daylight Saving Time moved from the last Sunday in April to the first Sunday in April. No change was made to the ending date of the last Sunday in October. Adding the entire month of April to Daylight Saving Time is estimated to save the U.S. about 300,000 barrels of oil each year.

Today, approximately 70 countries utilize Daylight Saving Time in at least a portion of the country. The only major industrialized country not to have introduced daylight saving is Japan. While European nations have been taking advantage of the time change for decades, in 1996 the European Union (EU) standardized an EU-wide “summertime period.” The EU version of Daylight Saving Time runs from the last Sunday in March through the last Sunday in October. During the summer, Russia’s clocks are two hours ahead of standard time. For example, Moscow standard time (UTC+3) is about a half-hour ahead of local mean time (UTC+2:30); this is about the same situation as Detroit, where the standard time (UTC-5) is also about a half-hour ahead of local mean time (UTC-5:32). During the winter, all 11 of the Russian time zones remain an hour ahead of standard time. With their high latitude, the two hours of Daylight Saving Time really help to save daylight. In the Southern Hemisphere where summer comes in December, Daylight Saving Time is observed from October to March. (The clock at above right is viewed from within the Musée d’Orsay in Paris.)

Equatorial and tropical countries (lower latitudes) generally do not observe Daylight Saving Time. Since the daylight hours are similar during every season, there is no advantage to moving clocks forward during the summer. China has had a single time zone since May 1, 1980, observing summer Daylight Saving Time from 1986 through 1991; they do not observe DST now.

Caffettiera Napoletana

I have just had on my way to work tonight the single best cup of espresso I have ever made myself. I used Illy coffee grounds. Of course, I will be up for thirteen hours straight so reproduced verbatim are the instructions to use my new best friend, the caffetiera (note the spelling which I mauled relentlessly asking for a cafeteria on multiple occasions) that I picked up in Roma:

1. To fill before the inside part of the coffee pot of coffee-powder (5 grams each person)
2. To screw in the filter on the inside-part of the coffee-pot.
3. To fill of water the superior-body till the little hole.
4. Introduce the inside-part of the coffee-pot in the superior-body (already filled of water before).
5. Put the coffee-pot with the spout on the supeior-body and put it finally on the fire.
6. As soon as the water goes in ebullition, you will see the water coming out from coffee-pot, just from the said little hole.
7. Now, keep out the coffee-pot from the fire, upset it and remain it for some minutes in rest
8. In the meantime, the water will filter and will transform it in a very exquisite coffee, and you can serve it too. It is well known all over the world that this is the unique to do a very aromatic coffee.

WOOOO-AHH-OHH!

Cappuccino Works

Cappuccino is easy to prepare at home. Always steam the milk before making the espresso, as espresso deteriorates in 30 seconds. Fill 1/3 of a metal steaming pitcher with cold milk. Submerge the tip of the steam wand about 1/2 inch below the milk’s surface and begin steaming. As the foam rises and the milk’s volume increases, slowly lower the pitcher, so the tip remains submerged in milk about 1/2 inch. Do not move the wand around in circles or up and down. Steam until the milk has doubled in volume and the steaming pitcher feels hot all the way around. Remove the pitcher and run steam through the steam arm right away to flush out milk and prevent future clogging. Then use a damp cotton cloth (not an abrasive pad) to clean the steam arm. Now prepare the espresso. Some home machines with one boiler may require you to run water through the machine with no coffee in the handle. This will reduce the heat of the boiler to a lower temperature for making espresso. Brew espresso directly into your cup. Pour steamed milk over the espresso and spoon the froth to the cup’s rim, so you have approximately 1/3 espresso, 1/3 steamed milk and 1/3 froth.

Some further ideas for you

Vienna Coffeehouse Espresso

1. Place a small piece of good dark or milk chocolate in the bottom of the espresso cup before preparing the espresso.
2. Top with whipped cream and a sprinkling of cocoa.

Cappuccino

1. Prepare steamed milk
2. Brew a single espresso directly into a cappuccino cup
3. Add equal parts steamed milk and spoon milk foam on top
4. The finished drink will be approximately 1/3 part each espresso, steamed milk and milk foam.

Caffè Latte

1. Prepare steamed milk
2. Fill 2/3 of glass with steamed milk
3. Add 2 spoonfuls of milk foam on top of steamed milk
4. Brew a single espresso and pour slowly down side of glass

Caffè Macchiato

1. Prepare milk foam
2. Brew a single espresso directly into a demitasse (espresso) cup
3. Top with a dollop of milk foam

Caffè Mocha

1. Prepare steamed milk
2. Add 1 oz chocolate syrup to 2 oz steamed milk and mix well
3. Brew a single espresso and transfer to a tall glass
4. Add the chocolate milk
5. Garnish with whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles if desired

Cappuccino Viennese Style

1. Brew a single shot of espresso directly into a cappuccino cup
2. Add equal parts hot chocolate and whipped cream
3. Garnish with a sprinkling of cocoa and cinnamon
4. The finished drink will be approximately 1/3 part each espresso, hot chocolate and whipped cream.

Week in Wine

Mendocino County Pinot Noirs

2004 Brutacao Anderson Valley Pinot Noir: $24
2004 Castle Rock Mendocino County Pinot Noir: $10
2003 Handley Cellars Anderson Valley Pinot Noir: $25
2001 Husch Reserve Anderson Valley Pinot Noir: $31
2003 Londer Vineyards Anderson Valley Pinot Noir: $30
2003 MacPhail Toulouse Vineyard Anderson Valley Pinot Noir: $35
2004 Martin Ray Angeline Mendocino County Pinot Noir: $10
2003 Navarro L’Methode Ancienne Anderson Valley Pinot Noir: $22
2002 Skewis Demuth Vineyard Anderson Valley Pinot Noir: $35
2002 Toulouse Anderson Valley Pinot Noir: $32

San Francesco

Personal recommendations and heavy rotation on TARF prompted us to book this hotel for our trip (we have just returned from a weeklong, and it only rained substantially on Thu and Fri) as the Daphne Inns were both fully booked despite our seeking bookings as far back as July.

Poor first impressions!
Despite confirmation emails from Daniele (the proprietor whom we never saw) as recent as four (4) and two (2) days before arrival, no hire cab was found waiting for us and we rang the hotel after thirty (30) minutes to note there was no record of a confirmation. That was a sour note to start upon. A taxicab ride was not too cumbersome but the street address is a mini alley: you are better served asking the cabbie to go to Trastevere at Piazza San Francesco di Ripa (or cross streets: Via Trastevere and Via G. Induno). Even on the Thomas Guide equivalent in the cab, it was hard to find the little street. Our cabbie Giuseppe was most gracious. Note that there are higher rates for travel between 2200 and 0700.

Warm welcome:
The lobby is welcoming with an elegant glass door behind security bars. Our concierges were competent and friendly (Marina, Benedetto) but the night concierge (Alessandro) is an absolute gem: the day we had o Eurostar to Firenze, he made us an elegant cappuccino at 0600 and you know what they say about a man who makes you a coffee drink in the morning time The maps issued by the hotel are wonderfully detailed and we filled every cargo pant pocket with them. You can walk anywhere as it is not more than 30 minutes away. We never took the trolley, tram or bus but they had very lovely suggestive ads on them. The high street, Via Trastevere, is literally a stone’s throw from the hotel and there are at least three (3) GS (general stores) within a minute’s walk. We walk briskly while in Roma. Concierges were competent in suggesting travel times and routes, and booking cabs and restaurants. We never needed advance booking for meals, and were always welcomed warmly. There are only 24 rooms and the clientele is mixed (Americans, Scots, English, German and Dutch), and older. No cruiseheads or students in this unit.

Amenities abound -
Brunch and service (tax) is included in the cost of the room. This past week the cost was E195 but I noticed some rooms getting a discounted rate of E165. Your mileage may vary. If you pay cash upfront (and in advance) you can get 10% off – ask for the offer. We were just not comfortable withdrawing that much in advance. The Bancomat (cash machine) is just around the corner. The neighborhood is safe to walk around at both 0600 and 0200. You always see carabinieri around Roma so security is not a cause for worry. The first night we returned, we simply asked for our keys by room number and were given them – puzzling without security identification. Since they had examined our passports upon entry, it is assumed, we had our images scanned but I do not know. Brunch is served daily 0700-1000 in a sunroom with a view of the cloister. It was not clear whether or not it was served on Sunday as Marina was not clear on this matter – it might have been a language barrier. The spread is adequate with the distressing use of canned fruits and the same CD (except on the weekend, when they switched to Lionel Richie’s best: exercise caution when you wish for it). The bread was exquisite and the coffee brisk. Cheeses were repeated daily. The pastries were fine. It was certainly value for money.

Room with a view -
The rooms are small and European with hard carpeting. I am not sure the cooling units worked, and thus slept with both room and toilet windows open. While not noisy, it does permit tiny gnat like creatures to enter the room. My friend was stung by a little creature in the adjacent room, resulting in a little swelling with no superimposed infection to follow; she had slept with the windows shut. There are two small dorm room size nightstands with good lighting, a small desk you cannot possibly write upon (its width is size limiting), a double bed (European sized and thus short) with clean linen and adequate pillows, an armoire that holds approximately a dozen clothes hangars (half for full length items), a few shelves and a self-explanatory digital safe, and a stocked refrigerator we never used. The bathroom has non textured grouted tiled floors (skid alert), faux painting, porcelain fixtures (my hot and cold faucets were reverse labeled but indeed working well) including a stand up tray shower with flexible shower handle (with below average shower head pressure, and below average thermal mixing), a sparkling water closet and bidet. The sink is wide with counter room. ALl drainage was adequate. Face towels are thin and not absorbent. Bath towels are plush and served well. Toiletries could have been better but we stocked up from the GS nearby.

Security -
Instead of keycards, there are heavy filled cowbells with a key and a plug like device attached to them. At the base of the bell (not hollow) is an imprint of your room number. The plug needs to enter any of the black sockets in your room to switch the lights on. It is not an electricity activator as explained incorrectly by Marina as the telly will still need to be shut off. The brunch staff always checks the hotel room number by momentarily inverting the cowbell, but you see no extra charge for the coffee. We fail to grasp the significance of this action.

Extras -
Rooms were immaculate, bathrooms were clean, linen was straighted out (but top sheets were not necessarily always replaced). Dustbins are tiny so accumulated trash on the floor does not get collected. My wake up call was the 0700 pealing of the SF de Ripa church bells (with a snooze pealing at 0715). There were many gulls making a racket in the morning on the cranes posited nearby and the construction pretty much defeated any chance of a romantic rooftop evening. There is a reasonable amount of neighborhood construction in progress but we never heard it at night (we were not in the hotel during waking hours). The rooftop bar has retro chic (meaning lovely to look at but terribly inconvenient) sitting furniture and a standard cocktail menu; there were too many bistros, bars, pizzerias, osterias ecc. in the neighborhood to tempt us away so we never really used the service upstairs. As the crane obstructed the view, it was dissonant to having any drinks in quiet ripose.

Leaving on a jet plane -
On our final morning after a cracking brunch (we expected no less), Alessandro had our confirmed private hirecar ready to take us to Fiumicino on schedule. I should like to recommend the hotel on the basis of its location, cleanliness, quiet at night, access to attractions, included brunch and value for money (in that order).

I would be absolutely ready wtih 50 euros to take a cab to the hotel (look for a white taxicab with the words TAXI on the top) just outside the Greeting area after baggage claim, negotiate a fixed rate and get to the hotel. The inconvenience of waiting for a cab and then not having one ready makes for a start that does not augur well and the hotel staff should be aware of the importance of first impressions.

Forum Romanum

The Romans “knew” they were the Center of the Universe. That center was manifest in the Roman Forum. This is a magnificent orderly set of buildings set in the heart of modern Roma. The Romans referred to it more often as the Forum Magnum (or just the Forum) was the central area around which ancient Rome developed, in which commerce, business, prostitution, cult and the administration of justice took place. Here the communal hearth was located. Sequences of remains of paving show that sediment eroded from the surrounding hills was already raising the level of the forum in early Republican times. Originally it had been marshy ground, which was drained by the Tarquins with the Cloaca Maxima. Its final travertine paving, still to be seen, dates from the reign of Augustus.

It is now famous for the remains, which eloquently show the use of urban spaces during the Roman Age. The Roman Forum includes the following major monuments, buildings and other ancient ruins:

• Temple of Castor and Pollux
• Temple of Jupiter
• Temple of Romulus
• Temple of Saturn
• Temple of Vesta
• Temple of Venus and Roma
• Basilica Aemilia
• Basilica Julia
• Arch of Septimius Severus
• Arch of Titus
• Rostra, from where politicians made their speeches to the Roman citizens.
• Curia, the site of the Roman Senate.
• Basilica of Maxentius and Constantine
• Tabularium

A processional way, the Via Sacra, crosses it linking it with the Colosseum. By the end of the Empire, it lost its everyday use remaining as a sacred place. The last monument built inside the Forum is the Column of Phocas. During the Middle Ages, though the memory of the Forum Romanum persisted, its monuments were for the most part buried under debris, and its location was designated the Campo Vaccinio or “cattle field,” located between the Capitoline Hill and the Colosseum. The return of Pope Urban V from Avignon (1367) led to an increased interest in ancient monuments, partly for their moral lesson and partly as a quarry for new buildings being undertaken in Rome after a long lapse. Artist from the late 15th century drew the ruins in the Forum, antiquaries copied inscriptions from the 16th century, and a tentative excavation was begun in the late 18th century. A cardinal took measures to drain it again and built the Alessandrine neighborhood over it. But the excavation by Carlo Fea, who began clearing the debris from the Arch of Septimius Severus in 1803, and archaeologists under the Napoleonic regime marked the beginning of clearing the Forum, which was only fully excavated in the early 20th century. In its current state, remains from several centuries are shown together, due to the Roman practice of building over earlier ruins. Other fora existed in other areas of the city; remains of most of them, sometimes substantial, are extant.

• The most important of these are a number of large imperial fora forming a complex with the Forum Romanum: the Forum Julium, Forum Augustum, the Forum Transitorium, and Trajan’s Forum. The planners of the Mussolini era removed most of the Medieval and Baroque strata and built a road between the Imperial Fora and the Forum.
• The Forum Boarium was dedicated to the commerce of cattle and was between the Palatine Hill and the river Tiber.
• The Forum Holitorium was dedicated to the commerce of herbs and vegetables, between the Capitoline Hill and the Servian walls.
• The Forum Piscarium was dedicated to the commerce of fish, between the Capitoline hill and the Tiber, in the area of the current Roman Ghetto.
• The Forum Suarium was dedicated to the commerce of pork, near the barracks of the cohortes urbanae in the northern part of the campus Martius.
• The Forum Vinarium was dedicated to the commerce of wine, in the area now of the “quartiere” Testaccio, between Aventine Hill and the Tiber.
• Other markets were known, but not correctly identifiable because of either lack of clear information or plurality of sites. Among these, the Forum cuppedinis, for generic commerce of many kinds of goods.

Random Rome

• All Japanese tourists head to the Colosseo after clearing Customs. Don’t. Go to the Palatine as the Palatine tickets are also valid at the Colosseo and the queue is much shorter. When you return to the Colosseo, there is a separate entrance for those with tickets.
• Avoid restaurants with “Turistic Menus”. Look for Romans. They are the humans wearing pants. Americans wear short shorts. Britons wear hideous golfing pants.
• Do not buy water off the streets unless you are really very rich (in which case, send it to UNICEF). Look in side streets for supermarket Spar. You can always refill your bottle at the city fountains: fresh, free and potable (by law). Don’t let the toilet cistern look scare you. The Aqua water shop in Termini Station has the cheapest bottle water in Roma if you have just arrived and cannot find a fontana (as if)
• Trevi fontana – early morning or late at night (when bus tours have disappeared). Money collected is donated to the Red Cross.
• Vatican museums – get int line at 0815 for the 0845 opening. The line is really long at 0845 when the Japanese tourists get up. Or get in line at 1100 when everyone goes to stuff their face. You must climb up the dome of San Pietro.
• Everyone wants to meet everyone else at the Spanish Steps. Approach it up Via Sistina so that you arrive at the top of the Steps and then walk down to the Piazza below.
• Wine costs the same as bottled water in restaurants. Evian costs E1.1 to E1.8 but they will sell it on the street for E15!
• Restaurants close to the Vatican are expensive. They are for tourists. Stop eating until you are one kilometer from the Vatican. This is not a cruise ship. Take some snacks with you and have a caffe americano in the caffe in the vat Museo.
• Gypsies: beware! JUST. SAY. NO.
• Do not visit churches on a Sunday
• Colosseo gladiators will demand E5 after posing with you. Lame. Vegas.
• Cafes in Plaza Novona are overpriced. And remember to stand and drink your caffe and save yourself half the price.
• For a quick linch, find an alimentari (grocery) and ask for a panino (choose the bread – rosetta, sfilatino – and the filling)
• You cannot get a good price on a crappy knockoff (Fendi bag much?) outside of New York City.
• Postcards cost 30 eurocents
• Via del Corso is reserved for pedestrians at certain hours. It leads you from Piazza del Popolo to Piazza Venezia

Uffizi Galleria

E’ uno dei musei più famosi del mondo per le sue straordinarie collezioni di dipinti e di statue antiche Le sue raccolte di dipinti del Trecento e del Rinascimento contengono alcuni capolavori assoluti dell’arte di tutti i tempi. Basta ricordare i nomi di Giotto, Simone Martini, Piero della Francesca, Beato Angelico, Filippo Lippi, Botticelli, Mantegna, Correggio, Leonardo, Raffaello, Michelangelo, Caravaggio. Importanti sono anche le raccolte di pittori tedeschi, olandesi e fiamminghi. Tra questi: Dürer, Rembrandt, Rubens.

La Galleria è situata all’ultimo piano del grande edificio costruito tra il 1560 e il 1580 su progetto di Giorgio Vasari come sede dei principali uffici amministrativi dello stato toscano.
Fu realizzata per volontà del granduca Francesco I e arricchita grazie al contributo di numerosi componenti della famiglia Medici, appassionati collezionisti di dipinti, sculture e oggetti d’arte.
Fu riordinata e ampliata sotto la dinastia dei Lorena, succeduti ai Medici, e in seguito dallo Stato italiano. Nel complesso vasariano sono ospitatate altre importanti raccolte: la Collezione Contini Bonacossi e il Gabinetto Disegni e Stampe degli Uffizi. Corridoio Vasariano: un corridoio sospeso realizzato dal Vasari nel 1565, collega l’edificio degli Uffizi con Palazzo Vecchio e con Palazzo Pitti. Vi sono esposte importanti raccolte di dipinti del Seicento e la collezione degli Autoritratti.

Galleria Accademia

E’ una guida ad alcune delle opere più rappresentative esposte alle Gallerie dell’Accademia di Venezia che, lontana dal voler imitare i prodotti di intrattenimento distribuiti nelle edicole su tematiche artistico-pittoriche, contiene invece testi, analisi, elaborazioni grafiche prodotti da ragazzi e riutilizzabili in ambito formativo a supporto della didattica disciplinare. Gran parte del prodotto è “leggibile” anche in lingua inglese, per essere fruibile nel contesto europeo ed extraeuropeo. Delle diverse opere analizzate vengono date indicazioni riguardanti la distribuzione nelle varie sale del museo, gli artisti, le epoche di riferimento, i filoni tematici e, soprattutto, una scheda descrittiva, una scheda di analisi formale, immagini, brevi filmati. Una sezione dell’opera è relativa al Museo, alla sua storia, a link a siti Internet.

Il Palatino

The Palatine Hill is located between the Forum Romanum, the Velabrum and the Circus Maximus. The Palatine Hill is one of the seven hills of Rome. It is probably the site of some of the first settlements, as traces of archaic houses from the 10th century BC has been found there. Roman mythology indicates the western side of the Palatine Hill as the site of the dwelling of Romulus, and the cave where Romulus and Remus were supposed to have been raised by the she-wolf was on the western slope of the hill. During the republican era the Palatine Hill was the perferred quater for the ruling elite, and this tradition was continued when the roman emperors built their palaces on the hill. In the end the imperial palaces covered the entire hill.

The name of the hill has at least two possible etymologies. It can be derived from the latin word ‘palus’, meaning marsh or swamp, with reference to the areas of the Forum Romanum and the Velabrum before they were drained. Alternatively it can stem from ‘Pales’, an old pastoral deity, whose main feast was on April 21th, coinciding with the mythological date of the foundation of Rome. Later the word ‘palatium’ was associated as much with the imperial palaces as with the hill, and with time gave rise to the very word ‘palace’. This corrects one of my many misconceptions in that I thought palazzo meant palace. In Italy, a palazzo is a grand building of some architectural ambition that is the headquarters of a family of some renown, or of an institution, or even, in modern times of what the English call “a block of flats.”

From republican times the House of Livia, the House of Augustus and the House of the Griffins have survived, the latter below the Domus Flavia. The imperial palaces are the Domus Tiberiana, the Domus Flavia, the Domus Augustana and the Domus Severiana. Not all parts of the hill is accessible to tourists, but the imperial palaces, the House of Livia and the Farnese gardens can be visited.

Week in Wine

Napa Valley Syrah

2003 Beaulieu Vineyard Napa Valley Syrah: $15
2000 Broman Napa Valley Syrah: $30
2002 Hess Small Block Series Napa Valley Syrah: $32
2001 Judd Napa Valley Syrah : $26
2002 Miner Napa Valley Syrah : $28
2002 Peju Province Napa Valley Syrah : $32
2002 Truchard Carneros Syrah : $28
2002 White Oak Napa Valley Syrah : $25

Whites
2004 Bocce California Pinot Grigio ($10)
2003 Chateau Ste. Michelle Columbia Valley Semillon ($9)
2004 Cline Sonoma County Viognier ($10)
2003 EXP Dunnigan Hills Viognier ($9)
2004 White Truck California White Wine ($9)

Reds
2004 Dona Paula Mendoza Los Cardos Malbec ($10)
2002 Foolish Oak Columbia Valley Merlot ($11)
2004 Infinitus Tierra de Castilla Tempranillo ($7)
2003 Le Bon Vin de la Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($10)
2003 Monte Antico Toscano ($10)

P words

A has been giving me a really hard time regarding all the architectural P’s in my palazzo. So I had to look them up to insure I was using them in the correct context.

The house itself is a palazzo, simply a grand building of architectural renown.

You enter the side yard through the portico, a porch or walkway with a roof supported by columns, often leading to the entrance of a building. A portico adorns the Pantheon in Rome.

You enter the ingresso through the porte cochere, a portico-like structure at the entrance to a building, through which it is possible for a horse and carriage or motor vehicle to pass, in order for the occupants to alight under cover, protected from the weather.The porte-cochere was a feature of many late 18th and 19th-century mansions and public buildings as is classic in Buckingham Palace in Londontown.

To the north of the house, exeunt from the formal dining room (where I shall entertain heads of State; who uses these rooms anyway?) is the piazza. A piazza is an open square in a city, often used as a marketplace found in Italy. It is roughly equivalent to the Spanish Plaza. Plaza is a Spanish word related to “field” which describes an open urban public space, such as a city square. All through Spanish America, the plaza mayor of each center of administration held three closely related institutions: the cathedral, the cabildo, or administrative center, which might be incorporated in a wing of a governor’s palace, and the audiencia or law court. The plaza might be large enough to serve as a military parade ground. At times of crisis or fiesta, it was the space where a large crowd might gather. Piazza has taken some slightly different meanings in the UK and US. (I was corrected by a fellow traveler from Florida that we were not from America but from the US, degli Stati Uniti, because some Colombians insisted they were American. And we all know that to be true.

Colossal Beauty

The Flavian Amphitheater was begun by Vespasian, inaugurated by Titus in 80 A.D. and completed by Domitian. Located on marshy land between the Esquiline and Caelian Hills, it was the first permanent amphitheater to be built in Rome and is actually two theaters joined together. Its monumental size and grandeur as well as its practical and efficient organization for producing spectacles and controlling the large crowds make it one of the great architectural monuments achieved by the ancient Romans. The amphitheater is a vast ellipse with tiers of seating for 50,000 spectators around a central elliptical arena. Below the wooden arena floor, there was a complex set of rooms and passageways for wild beasts and other provisions for staging the spectacles. Eighty walls radiate from the arena and support vaults for passageways, stairways and the tiers of seats. At the outer edge circumferential arcades link each level and the stairways between levels. The three tiers of arcades are faced by three-quarter and entablatures, columns: Doric in the first story, Ionic in the second, and Corinthian in the third. Above them is an attic story with Corinthian pilasters and small square window openings in alternate bays. At the top brackets and sockets carry the masts from which the velarium, a canopy for shade, was suspended. The construction utilized a careful combination of types: concrete for the foundations, travertine for the piers and arcades, tufa infill between piers for the walls of the lower two levels, and brick-faced concrete used for the upper levels and for most of the vaults.

The Colosseum was designed to hold 50,000 spectators, and it had approximately eighty entrances so crowds could arrive and leave easily and quickly in fifty five minutes! The plan is a vast ellipse, measuring externally 188 m x 156 m (615 ft x 510 ft), with the base of the building covering about 6 acres. Vaults span between eighty radial walls to support tiers of seating and for passageways and stairs. The facade of three tiers of arches and an attic story is about 158 ft tall — roughly equivalent to a 15 story building.

Dining Roma

Top ten things to do in Roma

1. Slurp up a bowl of pasta
2. Sip espresso at a sidewalk cafe
3. Try a variety of individual pizzas
4. Sample cheese with honey and figs
5. Buy a box of biscotti
6. Go to a gelateria
7. Enjoy a glass of prosecco at sunset
8. Drink Chianti
9. Eat, drink, eat
10. Chow down on a panini

Before you plan to eat in Rome, get familiar with some terminology -
Antipasti: The equivalent of hors d’oeuvres.
Primo: The first course of a meal. Most likely a starch and/or soup.
Contorno (optional): Sides that usually consist of vegetables.
Secondo: A meat or fish course. It can also include risotto.
Dolce: Dessert. Some choices include fruit, cheese, ice cream, or tiramisu.

Where to eat:
Ristorante: High on prices and mostly upscale. Avoid.
Trattoria: A step down from a ristorante. They are more moderately priced.
Osteria: Humble establishments that are characterized by simplicity.
Taverna: Similar to an osteria. A lower-priced trattoria.
Pizzeria: Where pizza prevails. (we love!)
Enoteca: A wine bar.

Supermercato Roma

In Italy, Safeways are called drug stores. How confusing! There are -

• CONAD at Termini (downstairs in the new forum termini mall)
• CONAD at Tiburtina station (dodgy at night but great for those late night trains)
• CONAD Clodio: Via Golametto4A, near the Vaticano (10 minutes)

The only supermarket in the historical center is GS between Campo de’Fiori and Largo Argentina (0900-200, closed Sunday; Bus 40Exp, 64, 62 or 492 to Largo Argentina). A large supermarket (by Roman standards) that lives underground, under Villa Borghese. They home deliver and have the best variety in the centre of Rome.

GS Villa Borghese (Spanish Steps): Enter the supermarket by walking into the metro at Piazza di Spagna like you are about to catch a train, then follow the signs to via Veneto or Roman Sports Centre, this will take you on a 5-10 minute walk, mostly on escalators to the Parking lot, then follow the signs to the Roman Sports Centre and eventually you will hit the GS, if you get lost just ask anybody “GS?” or “Supermercato” and you will surely be sent in the right direction.

Standa is located under a department store!
In Trastevere, viale di Trastevere, 60 (inside Oviesse); 0900-2000 (until 1330 Sun); Tram 8 from largo Argentina
In Vaticano, via cola di Rienzo (inside COIN); 0900-2000 daily; Metro Line A: Lepanto, Ottaviano

UPIM for household goods and toiletries
Termini, Via Giolitti side (near platform 24); 0900-2000 (1030-2000 Sun). Metro A: Repubblica or Bus 64

Fruits and vegetable markets are the best! Lively and loud. Plus you can bargain. Hello! I am so there. 0700-1400 (closed Sun):

• Campo de’Fiori; Bus 40 Exp, 64 or 62 to Largo Argentina
• Trionfale: en rotue to vaticano, in via Andrea Doria. Cheap. Metro Line A: Ottaviano
• Piazza Vittorio: 10 min south of Termini. Veggies!
• San Cosimato: in Trastevere. Tram 8 to viale Trastevere. Arrive before tourists
• Testaccio: no tourists. If they’re foreign, the loved it and now live here. Metro Line B to Piramide and then walk down Via Marmorata
• Via Bocca di Leone, by the Spanish Steps. A little posh!

Recommendations Roma

Romance:
Sapori del Lord Byron, in the Hotel Lord Byron, Via G. de Notaris 5 (tel. 06-3613041). The decor is all white lattice and bold Italian colors highlighted by masses of fresh flowers. The setting is in a Relais & Châteaux-member hotel, an Art Deco villa set on a residential hilltop in Parioli, an area of embassies and exclusive town houses at the edge of the Villa Borghese.

Best of the Best:
La Pergola, in the Cavalieri Hilton, Via Cadolo 101 (tel. 06-3509221), opening onto a panoramic view at night from its perch atop Monte Mario.

Best Seasonal Menus:
Market-fresh ingredients await you at Il Convivio, Vicolo dei Soldati 31 (tel. 06-6869432), one of Rome’s most acclaimed restaurants. The location is in walking distance of Piazza di Spagna.

Best Offbeat Choice:
A lay sisterhood of missionary Christians from five continents operates L’Eau Vive, Via Monterone 85 (tel. 06-68801095), where various popes have dined under frescoed ceilings. You never know what will be on the menu.

Best for a Celebration:
Romans have been flocking to Checchino dal 1887, Via di Monte Testaccio 30 (tel. 06-5746318), since the early 19th century for fun and hearty food.

Best Decor:
By night, chic Romans and savvy foreign visitors alike show up at El Toulà (The Hayloft), Via della Lupa 29B (tel. 06-6873498), near the fabled Caffé Greco and some of the most upscale boutiques in Rome. Haute cuisine is served in a subdued, tasteful setting of antiques, paintings, ever-so-discreet lighting, and to-die-for flower arrangements.

Best View:
Les Etoiles (The Stars), in the Hotel Atlante Star (tel. 06-6873233), which has been called “the most beautiful rooftop in Italy.” This restaurant is a virtual garden in the sky, with a 360-degree view of Roman landmarks, including the floodlit dome of St. Peter’s. Try for an alfresco table in summer, but even in winter, the same incredible view can be seen through picture windows.

Best Pizzeria:
Pizzeria Baffetto, Via del Governo Vecchio 114 (tel. 06-6861617). The crusts are delightfully thin.

Best Wine List:
The food is secondary to the fabulous wine list at the Trimani Wine Bar, Via Cernaia 37B (tel. 06-4469630). The Trimani family has had a prestigious name in the wine business since 1821; just sit down and let the pouring begin.

Best Value:
Twenty dollars gets you one of the finest fixed-price menus in Rome at the Ristorante del Pallaro, Largo del Pallaro 15 (tel. 06-68801488). Each dish is prepared by the chef-owner, Paola Fazi, who sternly urges her diners to “Mangia! Mangia!” the moment you’re seated at the table, the dishes start to arrive — first a selection of antipasto; then the homemade, succulent pastas of the day; followed by such meat courses as tender roast veal. Everything’s included, even a carafe of the house wine!

Best for the Kids:
After their tour of the Vatican or St. Peter’s, many savvy Roman families head for the Ristorante Il Matriciano, Via dei Gracchi 55 (tel. 06-3212327). It’s not fancy, but the price is right, and in summer you can opt for a sidewalk table. Let the wee ones feast on good, reasonably priced homemade fare that includes such crowd pleasers as ricotta-stuffed ravioli.

Best Continental Cuisine:
La Terrazza, in the Hotel Eden, Via Ludovisi 49 (tel. 06-478121), edging out a position long held by Sans Souci. In the newly and fabulously restored Hotel Eden, a seasonal menu offers the most polished, sophisticated cuisine in Rome; perhaps you’ll choose a “symphony” of seafood or a warm salad of grilled vegetables.

Best Emilia-Romagna Cuisine:
Colline Emiliane, Via Avignonesi 22 (tel. 06-4817538), maintains that stellar reputation among Romans. The pastas here are among the best in Rome, especially the handmade tortellini alla panna (with cream sauce) with truffles.

Best Roman Cuisine:
The tempting selection of antipasti alone is enough to lure you to Al Ceppo (The Log), Via Panama 2 (tel. 06-8419696). Try such appetizers as stuffed yellow or red peppers, or finely minced cold spinach blended with ricotta. Only 2 blocks from the Villa Borghese, this is a dining address jealously guarded by Romans, who often bring friends from out of town here. They feast on the succulent lamb chops, charcoal-grilled to perfection, or other grilled meats, such as quail, liver, and bacon.

Best Seafood:
In the heart of ancient Rome, Quinzi & Gabrieli, Via delle Coppelle 5-6 (tel. 06-6879389), serves the city’s finest and freshest seafood from a restored and elegant building dating from the 1400s. Expect everything from deep-sea shrimp to sea urchins and octopus.

Best Nuova Cucina:
Near the Vittorio Emanuele monument, Agata e Romeo, Via Carlo Alberto 45 (tel. 06-4466115), serves one of Rome’s most inventive and creative cuisines in a striking dining room done in Liberty style. If you’d like a sampling of the best selections of the day, you can order one of the fixed-price menus, available with or without wine. The menu reflects the agrarian bounty of Italy, with ample choices for everyone: meat eaters, fish fanciers, and vegetarians.

Best in the Jewish Ghetto:
Jewish Ghetto to sample Jerusalem artichokes. No one prepares them better than Piperno, Via Monte de’ Cenci 9 (tel. 06-68806629), which serves savory (though nonkosher) Roman food. Of course, you can order more than these deep-fried artichokes here.

Best Alfresco Dining:
In Trastevere, Piazza Santa Maria comes alive at night. If you reserve a sidewalk table at Sabatini, Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere 13 (tel. 06-5812026), you’ll have a view of all the action, including the floodlit golden mosaics of the church on the piazza, Santa Maria in Trastevere.

Best for People-Watching:
Join the beautiful people who descend at night on Piazza del Popolo. Young men with their silk shirts unbuttoned alight from sports cars to go on the prowl. At Dal Bolognese, Piazza del Popolo 1-2 (tel. 06-3611426), not only can you take in this fascinating scene, but you’ll also enjoy fine Bolognese cuisine as enticing as the people-watching. Via Veneto is more about overpriced tourist traps than genuine hip. But enjoy the passing parade from a table at the Caffé de Paris, Via Vittorio Veneto 90 (tel. 06-4815631).

Best for a Cappuccino with a View:
The best-located cafe in Rome is Di Rienzo, Piazza della Rotonda 8-9 (tel. 06-6869097), which stands directly on Piazza della Rotonda, fronting the Pantheon. On a summer night, there’s no better place to be than “the living room” of Rome, as the square before you has been dubbed, as you sit and slowly sip your cappuccino.

Best Picnic Fare:
Campo de’ Fiori open-air market, between Corso Vittorio Emanuele II and the Tiber. The luscious produce of Lazio is on display here right in the heart of the old city. If you wish, you can purchase vegetables already chopped and ready to be dropped into the minestrone pot. Visit one of the shops selling freshly baked Roman bread, pick up a bottle of wine and a companion. Gelato at Blue Ice and then the Best Meal in the City (EVER!) at Di Tirambo.

Best for Celebrity-Spotting:
Café Riccioli, Piazza delle Coppelle 10A (tel. 06-68210313), where you’ll often spot models and other beautiful people having a light dinner of sashimi.

Pizzeria Roma

Da Ricci
Wine, salads, desserts also
Via Genova 32

Da Vittorio
Napolitano. Vittorio pizza is a must. Outdoor dining. Metro: Largo Argentina, then bus 8
Via di San Cosimato 14A

Est! Est! Est!
Named after a wine. Calzoni ripieni is famed. Air conditioned! Woo-hoo
Metro; Reppublica. Bus: Via Nazionale

Opera
Zucchini flowers. Over 30 pizzas
Via de Leone 23. Reserva!

Pizzeria Da Baffetto
Bus to Corso Vittorio
Via del Governo Vecchio 11

Pizzeria Il Lencino
Basic. Wonderful.
Via del Leoncino 28

Pizzeria Montecarlo
Wine. Fun. Noisy!
Vicolo Savelli 12

Pizzeria Popi-Popi
Outdoor sunset pizza. Quick. Cheap.
Via delle Fratte di Trastevere 45

Pizzeria Remo
Big thin crust pies. Line ups if you are late
Bus: Piazza Santa Maria Liberatrice or Via Marmorata
Piazza Santa Maria Liberatrice 44

Week in Wine

Nine Nights

The “Nine Nights” festival ended today. Diwali is on November 1, the Festival of Lights. Seeds have been sown, sprouting is watched, the planets are consecrated and on the 8th and 9th days, goddesses are worshipped. This is a holiday time in India.

The most characteristic dances during Navratri are Raas and Gurba performed at all levels of society by men and women as this is a Hindu festival of worship and dance. Dating is according to the Hindu (lunar) calendar. Days are divisible into three (3) chunks of three. The first three days the Earth Mother is invoked as powerful force (Durga) to destroy impurity, vice and defect. The next three, the Mother is adored as giver of spiritual wealth (Lakme) who bestows a fund of inexhaustible wealth. Lovely. The last set worships wisdom (Saraswati). You need to be blessed by all three mothers for a well rounded life of success. Fasting is observed, prayers are offered for the protection of health and property. This is a period of introspection and purification, an auspicious time to start new ventures. On the tenth day, the holiday of Dusra (tenth day) is observed with the burning of an effigy of Raavan, celebrating the vistory of good over evil.

Dancing is quite ceremonial at this time. Gurba comes from the sanskrit “gurb deep”. Gurb loosely translates to inside, as in the inside of an earthen pot storing drinking water. Deep is a burning cotton wick in oil in an earthern small vessel. In Western India, people observe Ghut Sthaapun, an earthern pot with holes in it, decorated with colors, patterns and mirrors. Traditionaly observed only by Hindi women, the dance is more universal now. Raas was traditionally performed only by men. Originating in Gujarat (western India), the dandiya raas uses a pair of bamboo wodden sticks 1.5 to 2 feet in length. Men start with these sticks in hand in a circular formation, similar to poomse in Tae Kwan Do or Kata in karate. it is energetic as an exercise and smashing other people’s noses is not acceptable, though often the case.

Galleria Roma

Galleria Borghese
Reopened after 14 year renovation.
Bernini, Canova, Caravaggio, Titian

Galleria Colonna
Baroque setting
Albani, Dughet, Reni, Tintoretto, Maratta

Galleria dell’Accademia di San Luca
Terracotta reliefs all around
Bellini, Caravaggio (he gets around!), Michelangelo, van Dyck, Titian, Rubens

Galleria Nazionale d’arte Moderna
Courbet, Degas, Delacroiz, Monet, Mondrian, Rossetti, van Gogh

Galleria Spada
Behind the Palazzo Spada
Rosa, Guercino, Domenichino, Caravaggio (he rules!)

Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Antica
At Piazza Barberini
Canaletto, Fra Angelico , Caravaggio (of course), Raphael

Museo di Palazzo Massimo
Near Termini
Jems, jewels. Statue of Augustus

Galleria d’Arte Moderna
Rodin, Prampolini, Carre
Viale delle Belle Arti

Travel Roma

Rome’s Airport, sometimes known as Leonardo da Vinci Airport, is still refered to by its old name – Fiumicino (FCO), after the city it’s near. If you have a car and you’re wondering about staying in the town of Fiumicino, it’s a decent place to spend your last afternoon and gorge yourself on fresh seafood for your last meal if you’re so inclined.

Terminal A is for domestic flights, Terminal B is a mix of domestic and international, and Terminal C is where you’ll find major international flights.
The airport code is FCO. It’s 26 km from Rome (16 miles).

The train to Rome’s Central Station (Roma Termini) runs frequently between 6:37 am and 10:52 pm and takes 31 minutes. The Leonardo Express is the name of the train that’ll shuttle you from Rome’s main international airport, Fiumicino, to central Rome’s Termini station. A Leonardo Express train leaves every half hour in each direction.

From Rome Termini: Trains to the airport start at 5:52 in the morning, with trains running at 22 and 55 minutes after the hour. The last train of the day departs at 22.52 (10:52pm)
From Rome’s Fiumicino International Airport: Trains to Termini Station start at 6:37 in the morning, with trains running at 7 and 37 minutes after the hour. The last train of the day departs at 23.37 (11:37pm)

The train covers the 37 km in 31 minutes and costs E9.5 this year. Tickets can be purchased at the main ticket windows, as well as at the automatic ticket machines and at the news/tobacco stores in the foyer of Termini station. Validate your tickets prior to boarding the train by using the machines near the track, called obliteratrici in Italian.

After you’ve picked up your luggage, follow the signs to Stazione FS/Railway Station. You’ll have to go up 2 floors to find it so I suggest carrying wheelies (carry bags with rotating coasters). Buy a ticket “Per Termini” at the FS ticket counter or from one of the machines in the station. A ticket costs 9.50 Euros. You must validate your ticked by inserting it in the validation machine before you enter the train. Upon returning to the airport from Termini, you’ll find the train on track 22 or 23, a bit behind the train station and a short walk from the normal boarding area. You can buy a ticket at the Alitalia office at track 22 or from other places and machines in the station. Taxis cost about 40 Euros in the day and more at night.

For booking a shuttle, there is door to door service between FCO and Roma hotels and homes. The vans seat up to seven (7), plus the driver, are air-conditioned, fast and flexible. There is inside space for luggage. From 0700 to 2200, this costs between 19E per person (if 5 or more) or 21E-37e (beween 1 and 4 persons) but you need to add 10% VAT and tip; add 30% of the cost after 2200. This can be expensive but worth it if you are traveling with small children.

Once in Roma, the Metropolitana (or Metro) is the fastest means of transport between 0530 and 2330. A big red M indicates the entrance to the subway. Tickets are E1 from any tabacchi (tobacconists, with a white T on a brown background) or newsstands. You can also buy a secen day pass.

Roman buses and trams are operated by ATAC (Azienda Tramvie e Autobus del Commune di Roma) and for E1, you can ride to most parts of Roma. Each ticket is valid for 75 mintues but traffic is really slow. There are no ticket machines on the vehicles. A day pass costs E4 and a weekly pass costs E16. A tourist pass costs E11. If you dare to ride the train during rush hour, you will be flatter than fettuccine. Buses and trams stop at FERMATA (my first Italian book ever, by Oriana Fallaci) and are in service from 0600 until midnight after which you ride night buses marked with an N in front of the bus number which run only on main routes. It is best to take a taxicab when you can find one. Many buses on the map are no longer running. Bus #64 is the Pickpocket Exress.

You cannot even dream of hailing a taxicab or getting one at a stand. Have the waiter or hotelier ring one for you. I find these numbers useful to request one: 06-6645, 06-3570 or 06-4994. The meter begins at E2.35 (E3.35 on Sunday) with E0.65 per km. Every suitcase is E1 and there is a E4.9 supplement after 2200. Take small bills – cabbies “never have correct change”. Tip no more than 10%

Museo Roma

Capitoline Museum
1471. When Pope Sixtus I gave a statue collection to the city
Piazza del Campioglio

Municipal Gallery of Modern Art
Van Gogh to Jackson Pollock. Mish mash
Via F Crispi

Museum of Roman Civilization
Scale models of the city during the Roman Empite and Republican times
Piazza Giovanni Agnelli

National Etruscan Museum
West and Central Italy in 3rd century BC
Piazzale di Villa Giulia

National Gallery of Ancient Art
Caravaggio, Bernini and Raffaello
Via Quatro Fontane

National Museum of Palazzo Venezia
Tapestries and carpets. Like EXPO, only you can’t afford it. Oh, exactly like EXPO.
V del Plebiscito

National Roman Museum
Built on ruins of the baths
Via le Enrico De Nicola

Palazzo Braschi
100,000 pieces of art
Via di San Pantaleo

Museo Vaticano
Under construction since the 5th century (and you thought Bay Bridge traffic was bad?) over 5.5 hectares of land
Vatican City

Cheap Chianti

Coltibuono RS (Chianti Classico) 2003 $14.99
Baroncini Messere 2004 $8.99
Aziende Piazzini Torrato 2003 $9.99
Fattoria di Vetrice (Chianti Ruffina) 2002 $12.12
Piccini 2003 $8.99
Querceto 2004 $8.49
Ruffino Il Leo (Chianti Superiore) 2003 $10.99

Free Roma

It is more fun to be in Rome than maybe anywhere else on the planet. But here are the ten best attractions in Rome that won’t cost you a Euro cent.

1. Take a foray into the Foro – The Roman Forum was the main marketplace and business center in ancient times, where you did your banking, trading, and shopping. Entering the forum is free, now as then.
2. Wander the Appia Antica – Walk the old road out of Rome on Sunday, when no cars are allowed. There are lots of ancient things to see on the peaceful walk, and there are even free guided tours of the Appian Way Park start at 10 am and 3 pm from the Parco Dell’Appia Park Office.
3. Don’t Liars just Grate on You? The Bocca della Verita was really an ancient sewer grate, but don’t let that stop you. Place your hand in the mouth and legend has it that your hands will be bitten off if you’ve lied. Be careful. Located in Piazza Bocca della Verita.
4. Pitch Three Coins into the Trevi Fountain – Gawk at Nicola Salvi’s late Baroque waterworks influenced by an earlier try by Bernini, then follow the Roman tradition of throwing a coin into the fountain to guarantee a return to the Eternal City. Italian courts have recently ruled that Roberto Cercelletta, who has been scooping out coins tossed into the Trevi fountain for about 20 years, is not stealing public money. He made an estimated 180,000 USD a year from his labors. Charity organization Caritas, which retrieves the money on Sundays when Cercelletta takes a day off, tried to get a court order to stop him
5. Scale the Spanish Steps – The Scalinata di Spagna, steps extending from Piazza di Spagna to Trinita dei Monti, were originally named after the Spanish Embassy adjacent. Ascend further from the top of the steps to get good views of Rome. The steps had a major restoration in 1995-6, and the once popular art of lunching on the steps is frowned upon, and fines can be levied. At the foot of the steps is the Keats-Shelley Memorial House (9 am to 1 pm and 2.30 to 5.30 pm, Monday to Friday, admission charge). The area around the steps offers designer shops, restaurants and bars.
6. Vatican on Vacation – While the Vatican Museums usually exchange filthy lucre for entrance peeks, you can visit free on the last Sunday of the month. Also free is an interesting visit under the Vatican to see the excavations or a Wednesday audience with the Pope. Vatican Directory for instructions on getting the required reservations.
7. Partake of the Pantheon – Originally a pagan temple, converted into a church in 608AD, which saved the whole deal from being ravaged for building materials. You’ll find it in Piazza della Rotonda, a favorite hang-out for young folks in the evening. It’s the best-preserved monument of imperial Rome, entirely rebuilt by the emperor Hadrian around AD 120 on the site of an earlier pantheon erected in 27 BC by Augustus’s general Agrippa. Mon-Sat 8:30-7:30; Sun. 9-6.
8. Piazza Crawl – Piazza Navona and Piazza Campo dei Fiori are the two most famous piazze in Rome. Piazza Navona, which follows the plan of an ancient circus and contains two famous fountains by Bernini, comes alive in the evenings, while the Campo dei Fiori (the field of flowers) is best experienced during the market hours. You’ll eat much cheaper around the Campo dei Fiori, where there are take-out stands and delis everywhere.
9. Trastevere – “Believe it or not, this is the “Italian quarter” of Rome. The streets are narrow and sometimes winding, although more often than not they will eventually lead back to the Piazza Santa Maria, home to one of the oldest churches in Rome. This piazza is the undisputed heart of Trastevere, full of every kind of person imaginable — both stylish and unsavory. (A firm “no” and a stern look will shake off any unwanted attentions.) The church is famous for a Byzantine mosaic behind the altar, so drop a few coins in the light box (it will illuminate the mosaic for 60 seconds) and spend a few minutes there. It is well worth it.”
10. Testaccio is an old neighborhood built around a hill of Amphora fragments discarded by Roman era merchants who docked nearby at the ancient Tiber port . Recently, car repair shops and trendy clubs have been carved out of the base of this hill. Testaccio is rapidly becoming popular with the young, clubby crowd. You can eat organ meats here, the real Roman cooking. Testaccio directory for suggestions.

Week in Wine

Sonoma County Syrahs

2003 Alderbrook Dry Creek Valley Syrah: $26
2002 Chateau Souverain Alexander Valley Syrah: $20
2003 Leveroni Vineyards Sonoma Valley Syrah: $18
2002 Matanzas Creek Sonoma County Syrah: $25
2002 Q Sonoma County Syrah: $16
2002 Quivira Wine Creek Ranch Dry Valley Syrah: $24
2002 Roshambo Justice Dry Creek Valley Syrah: $22
2001 Valley of the Moon Sonoma County Syrah: $16

Chardonnay

2004 BV Century Cellars California Chardonnay ($7)
2003 Covey Run Columbia Valley Chardonnay ($9)
2004 Delicato Family Vineyards California Chardonnay ($7)
2002 Domaine St. George Sonoma County Barrel Reserve Chardonnay ($9)
2003 Excelsior Estate Robertson Chardonnay ($9)
2004 Handpicked South East Australia Chardonnay ($10)
2004 Heron California Chardonnay ($10)
2004 Kelly’s Revenge South Eastern Australia Chardonnay ($6)
2004 Kumala Western Cape Chardonnay ($9)
2004 McWilliam’s Hanwood Estate South Eastern Australia Chardonnay ($10)

Fora di Vini

Mark Squires

Wine Lovers

Winetherapy

Battery Pack

Many digital cameras still take 4 (sometimes 2) AA batteries. NiMH AAs should be your battery of choice. Here is why.

Airport Park

Parking to take a flight from Oakland is painful:
The best is Expresso Parking. Cheapest. Free coffee, water and muffin. Rapid shuttle. No extra hidden costs or taxes.
Parking at the airport will cost you $19/day and is most dear
PCA parking advertises $9.50/day with “free airport transfer” but not true. You are charged $1 either way “fuel surcharge” for the shuttle and a whopping 18.75% tax per day of parking. Coupon is pointless
Douglas AirPark costs $12/day with coupon.
Park-n-Fly is more expensive at $13/day but you get one (1) free day if you park for more than three (3)
Park-n-Travel is $8/day + 8% airport fee but open only 0600 through midnight.
T&T Parking is $10/day flate rate but you need to reserve the valet service online. This limits flexibility in changing flight plans

Consider taking a shuttle from the East Bay to SFO or OAK instead:
BayPorter Express: charter $107 OW. No shared ride. Good for families with small kids.
East Bay connection: $30 shared ride. Superb service. Polite timely drivers. Highly recommended.

PCA Parking is realy tricky. You need to have an MBA to figure out what your bill will be. Use this weeklong coupon but only if your away stay is not more than seven (7) days. I am not teasing: if it is even one (1) minute over on the clock, some other fantastically egregious rate kicks in and you end up paying a lot more. For a weeklong, the rate advertised is $63. To this you add, fuel surcharge: this is currently $3 but can change depending on petrol prices. This is the fuel to take you to/from the airport. They also add taxes, which could be up to 10% as applicable. I would set aside $80, which is still cheaper than a roundtrip for the shared ride.

If you can get a ride to/from the BART station, it is extremely convenient to BART in to either SFO or OAK. Check schedules. Supreme if you are coming into the Citi for a conference or meeting, or will be spending the weekend with me.

Parlo Italiano

Essential phrases you must know!

Grazie
Thank you!

Per piacere
please

Scuuusiiiii
sorry +

Mama mia – expression of surprise +
Nessun non desidero comprare alcune rose! – No I don’t want to buy any roses. +

La u mi non ha dato il mio cambiamento completo indietro! – You have not given me my complete change back!! +

Potete tasto aumentare prego la vostra camicetta? Sembre distracting il mio fiancee! – Could you please button up your blouse? It seems to be distracting my fiancee! +

Mama mia!!!! Quella E Catherine Zeta Jones!!! – Oh my mother!!!! That’s Catherine Zeta Jones!!! +
Mary Santa, madre del dio!!! Ci e il papa! – Holy Mary, mother of God!!! There’s the Pope! +

Spaghetti, Pizza, Pasta!!! E quello tutto che abbiate? Ottengami qualche tacos ora! HRMPH!!! – Spaghetti, Pizza, Pasta! Is that all you have? Get me some Tacos now!

La mia nonna è caduta nel canale grande e non sa nuotare.
My Granny has fallen into the Grand Canal and she cann’t swim!!!!

Se vendo la mia casa basterà per pagare il giro in gondola?
If I sell my house will it be enough to pay for the gondola ride?

Mi state prendendo per (il culo)? or in giro?
Are you taking me for a ride?

Posso entrare in chiesa con i miei flipflops?
Can I enter the church wearing my flipflops?

E’ una vera Fendiquesta borsa?
Is this a real Fendi bag?

Beyond Tiber

The XIII rione of Rome, Trastevere is the Italian form of the Latin expression trans Tiberim (beyond the Tiber) and was the first inhabited area on the west of the river. Regio Transtiberim was adopted in the late Middle age following ancient Rome’s Regio VIII, which already bore this name. The coat of arms of this historic district is a golden lion’s head on a red background. It is bounded by Piazza della Rovere, gallerie Principe Amedeo di Savoia, viale delle Mura Aurelie and viale delle Mura Gianicolensi. As it has always been outside the city walls, it developed separately from the city proper. Foreigners seek to live here. The lovely Santa Maria in the Trastever church and the Janiculum hill are two places where you might run into tourists but just walking around the small alleys can be so much fun. Santa Cecilia church is the quieter part and it is too small to even get lost here. As you more to Sta. Maria in city center, you see more people. The church is the oldest place of Christian worship in Rome where a fountain of oil is said to have appeared on the day of Christ’s birth.

The brilliant thing about Trastevere is the sampietrini: tiles of black porphyrus placed one next to another.
Pros: does not completely cover the ground, leaving small spaces for water to pass through; easily adapts to irregularities of the ground; very strong; can resist modifications in settling
Cons: ground becomes irregular; slippery when wet

Some good dining suggestions:

• Corsetti-Il Galeone
• Piazza San Cosimato 27
• seafood, pasta, meat
• well seasoned wood and nautical decor

• Da Checcho er Carrettiere
• Via Benedetta 10 (behind Piazza Trilusa)
• 06-581-7018; reserva!
• spaghetti alla carrettiera (black pepper, sharp cheese, olive oil)

• Paris
• Piazza San Callisto 7/a
• 06-581-5378
• elegant and understanded; not fake folky fare
• homemade fettuccini, frito misto, baccala
• Romolo
• via di Porta Settimiana 8
• 06-581-8284
• mozzarella alla fornarina
• nuove vegetarian pastas with carciofi and raddichio
• wood burning pizza oven!

School Rules

Was googling to show B what a russgoola looks like (we had those little round white pieces of sickeningly fatty sugar for dinner on Tuesday) when I stumbled across a blog with pictures of my school! Small world. I always obeyed school rules and now I wonder why, so I looked up the current rules applicable to my school and I reproduce them verbatim for you -

Rules Of Discipline

• Pupils must be neat in appearance and wear the regulation School uniform during School hours and when travelling to and from the School. I like neat in appearance as opposed to…
• Running and shouting in the School building is not allowed. Pupils must keep to the left when using staircases and corridors. Pupils are not only in the eyes of the beerholder
• Eating on the staircases and on the verandahs is not allowed. Snacks must be eaten in the classrooms and refuse put in the receptacles provided. Eating in class – somehow missed this one
• Smoking is strictly forbidden. As opposed to casually verboten
• Bus monitors will check bus passes and be responsible for maintaining orderly behaviour in the bus. Mind the bus, will you?
• Pupils who expect to return home late must inform their parents in advance. How about those who get delayed owing to unforeseen circumstances
• All games must be played only in the quadrangle. Cricket practice is allowed at the nets. No argument there – don’t want to be taken down by a sodding cricket ball
• Books and other property must bear the owner’s name. Nano ipods are too small to etch upon
• Reasonable care must be taken of all School property. Pupils must not write on walls or carve names on woodwork. Now the carving on woodwork is like giving people an idea – do not suffocate small children with this Safeway shopping bag
• All breakages must be reported to the Class Teacher / Headmistress. Why not just the Super?
• Care should be taken to keep the buildings clean. Litter should be put into the bins provided for the purpose. Dust bins!
• The cost of repairs caused by damage to School property will be charged to the pupils concerned. Which pupil?
• Pupils are responsible to the School authorities for their conduct both in school and outside. Misbehaviour in public streets and conveyances will be dealt with strictly.Children must be home by 2200 hrs. So they can surf the web in time
• No collection for any purpose may be made in the School without the prior permission of the Principal. I hated those mandatory collections encouraging begging at an early age
• Pupils must take prior permission to take part in any public show or competition from the Principal during term time. Public shows!
• Excursions for School pupils will be organised with the approval of the Head of the School and will have members of the staff accompanying the pupils.
• No pupils may bring to School more than 50 cents on any day as pocket money. To make an urgent phone call to the lawyer ostensibly
• No pupil may leave the premises during school hours without the prior permission of the Headmistress. So many permissions needed
• Pupils are not permitted to take tuitions from School teachers without the written permission of the Principal. Pupils found violating this rule are liable to be expelled.
• Pupils who are ill should not be sent to school to appear for tests scheduled for the day. Requests for permission to go home after appearing for a test, because of indisposition, will not be entertained.
• Re-tests will be conducted only for those students who are chosen by the School to represent the School at Inter-School competitions
• Breach of rules of discipline could result in a child being given a pink card. A yellow card is given for slackness in academic performance. A student who gets 3 pink cards during his academic tenure in school is liable to be expelled. I was mortally terrified of getting a pink card.
• All pupils are expected to use the school bus service unless a route cannot be provided by the school. Treat

For Day Scholars at E college, the following apply-

• You will need to wake up at about 7.30 every weekday (8.30 on Sundays) to give yourself time to wash and dress before Breakfast: a reliable alarm clock is a helpful bit of kit.
• After Breakfast you have about twenty minutes before Chapel at 8.40 (10.40 on Sundays): time to make your bed and tidy up your room, time to see if you have any letters or email, time to see your House Master or Dame if necessary, time to organize yourself for the first three schools of the morning.
• The weekly morning timetable runs as follows (Tuesday and Thursday are slightly different):
  09.00–09.40 1st period
  09.50–10.30 2nd period
  10.40–11.20 3rd period
  11.20 Chambers
  11.45–12.25 4th period
  12.35–13.15 5th period (but a free period on Saturdays)
  13.25 Dinner
  You should go back to your House after the first three periods — for elevenses and to organize yourself for the final two periods of the morning. What happens after Dinner depends on which day of the week it is and on which half it is. It’s too complicated to explain here: you’ll find out when you arrive.
• Every day and every half, Supper is at about 7.40 followed by House Prayers at about 8.20.
• Between House Prayers and Lights Out (at 9.30 in most Houses) you have time to finish off your ‘prep’ for the following day, to have a bath, and to tidy up your room. This is also the time when your Dame is likely to drop in to have a chat, and your House Master too.
  Have a good night! You’ll find life at school is very exhausting, and a good night’s rest is absolutely essential.