Thursday, March 15, 2012

Benefits of living in Rome

My rusty English comes back in Rome! Spring has also come while the winds seem to have vanished.

A Google search brought a reader from Africa who really wants to know what were the benefits of living in Rome.

Let me tell you:

Food. Fresh food (people here have refrigerators but no other food storage space in their homes). From vegetables to fish, one could simply shop everyday for the dinner ingredients. Today we'll have broccoli, for example!

Then living in a open-air museum is another blessing. iPhone apps already help tourists understand where they are and what happened there years, centuries, millenniums ago. There are all kind of tours, exhibitions happenings. Google is generous with information on that, just search!

Climate. Though I shouldn't mention this after the snow that paralysed the city in February, temperatures here are friendly to Rome's inhabitants. (the minus being house heating is not a plus here and icy nights could be unpleasant just because people here do not agree it can be really cold inside. On the other hand, looking around in department stores one realises pyjamas are warmer here (I even saw woollen pyjamas. So they do know, just pretend Roman homes are warm)

Art. Art is everywhere and one only has to open the eyes.

Water. Tap water is very good, don't be afraid to drink it. Then all the fountains down town are the place all thirsty tourists should spot. Free fresh water.

Please let me know if you want a list of disadvantages of living in Rome.