Category: Musings

Unlike a search for gelato in Rome the search for public restrooms is more challenging.  With all the public water fountains (nasoni) and coffee bars you are going to need one at least once during your day.   I will share what I have learned on this subject, so far.

The Pope declared the year 2016 a Jubilee Year.  In anticipation of the many visitors to Rome the Commune of Rome announced that all public toilets would be renovated and opened by the end of 2015.  These toilets did open for a short time but they were all closed by the end of 2016 due to a lack of funds.

Rome is an ancient city and the buildings were not built to include significant indoor plumbing.  Consequently, even establishments that you would assume would have nice restrooms may not.  It seems to depend on when the last renovation of the building took place and how much space the current business owner wanted to allocate for a restroom.

Most hotel lobbies in the US have restrooms that can be used by the public.  Most hotels in Rome have small lobbies and do not have restrooms for the public. You can ask at the desk but you may be disappointed.

Restaurants have restrooms but only for their customers.  The larger, more expensive restaurants seem to have renovated restrooms with more than one stall for the ladies.  (This is a very important detail!)  Many of them will have shared sinks with both the men’s and ladies’ rooms.    These restrooms will probably not have paper towels.  I have not seen paper towels in any restroom, so far.  I suspect this is in an effort to be “green”.

Smaller coffee bars and sandwich shops usually have a restroom for their customers, however, it is usually just one room used by everyone.  There can be a wait for these restrooms and once you are in they will be very small and often dark.  (I was in one that had no light at all with just a very small, dirty window letting in a minimal amount of light.  Challenging.)  Be sure to carry tissues with you since these restrooms are often out of toilet paper (carta igienica).

There are a number of McDonald’s and Burger Kings in the city, believe it or not.  You can usually use their restrooms.  You may need to get a code to use them from someone at the counter but usually there is a line so you can just go in after the person in front of you.  There is a McDonald’s near the Piazza di Spagna that is very nice.  It has a separate coffee bar, gelato and pastry bar and free wifi section along with the usual fast food counter.  There are large, modern and clean restrooms in there.  Other McDonlad’s are not so nice and are not always very clean.  It is hit or miss.  Remember those tissues!

Most museums have toilets but you will have to pay the entrance fee to use them.  Even there the toilets will be small and there can be long lines to use them.  The Borghese Museum has some of the nicest restrooms I have seen in Rome in the entrance hall of the Museum.  They are modern and very clean.  There are additional restrooms on the upper floors but they are older and just one room with long lines.  Since you only have two hours to be in that museum I recommend that you arrive early and use the restroom downstairs so you don’t waste your museum time in a restroom line.

There are no restrooms in the Forum or on the Palatine Hill.  There are public restrooms in the Tourist Information area across the street from the Coliseum but I have not been in there so I don’t know what they are like.

The St. Sebastian Catacombs and the Caracalla Baths had nice restrooms that were relatively modern and clean.  You will have to pay the entrance fee to use them.  They are a little out of the way so you wouldn’t really head for them unless you were already there.

Some of the nicest restrooms I have used in Rome are in the four major basilicas (St. Peter’s, St. Mary Major, St. John Laterno, and St. Paul’s Outside the Walls).  There are several stalls for the ladies and they are very clean.  They are free to use but they do have an attendant who usually has a sign asking for donations.  It is free to enter these basilicas but you have to go through security and there may be long lines.  Be sure you do not wait too long if you head for one of these.

Another really nice restroom is in the new department store, Rinascente, on the Via del Tritone.  The restrooms are on the 7th floor with all the restaurants.  They are really modern and clean.  One of my favorites!

A word about the toilets.  Most restrooms do not have seats on the toilets.  I have heard that the reason for that is that they break often and are expensive to replace.  There is a button on the wall to flush.  Sometimes it does not seem to work so you need to hold it in for a short time until it begins to work.

When it is time to use the sinks many of them are automatic.  However, if you are holding your hands there for awhile with no water you should look on the floor.  It may be the kind that is operated by foot pedals on the floor.  Just step on the pedal to get water.

Many restrooms are downstairs or in other awkward locations with no access for wheelchairs, etc.  McDonald’s and the Basilicas are handicapped accessible.  I do not think I have seen any baby changing facilities in any restrooms in Rome except at the airport.

If you plan to be in Rome I hope this will save you some time.  You don’t want to spend your vacation time looking for restrooms.  There are many more interesting things to do!

 

 

 

96% of the countries in the world use the metric system.  The United States, Liberia and Burma are the only holdouts.

Those of us from the U.S. are often frustrated when traveling abroad. Go into your local cheese monger and ask for a pound of something.  Most likely they’ll have no idea of what you mean.  Often in these cases you’ll indicate ‘one’ with your finger and you’ll walk out of the shop with 1 kilogram of cheese – that’s more than twice what you intended!

Incidentally, the system we use in the U.S. is called the Imperial system.  Why Imperial?  Because the units of measure were all originally based on the size of a monarch’s features.  For instance: an inch was based on the size of the king’s thumb, a foot was based on the size of his foot.  The actual size of these measurements varied over many years until they were standardized in the 19th century.  The ancient Egyptians used a similar system to build the pyramids.

Funny anecdote: The United Kingdom has long been standardized on the metric system but in real life they use many different systems.  They measure sugar in pounds, they measure drinks in liters and they measure people’s weight in stones.

So, why does most of the world use the metric system.  Simply put: it’s better!  There are many academic reasons why it’s better but let’s discuss a few practicle reasons that might make sense to you…

1. You want 12 ounces of something.  What does that mean?  In the U.S.  we use ounces as a measure of weight and as a measure of volume.  You can have 12 ounces of steak and you can have 12 ounces of water.  That’s definitely comparing apples to oranges.  What’s worse is that there’s no relationship between them.  You can’t convert liquid ounces to weight ounces.  When you say you have a 12 ounce container are you referring to its weight or volume?  It’s completely ambiguous.
2. My father often measured things like this: it’s four inches and half and a line and a little bit.  The reason he (and many others) did this is because measuring partial units is a pain.  It requires doing math with fractions and depending on what scale you’re using you have to convert between quarters, eighths, sixteenths, etc.  Who wants to do that?

When using the metric system those problems don’t exist.  For one thing everything is based on base 10.  Multiplying and diving simply means moving a decimal point.  It doesn’t get easier than that.  Also, there are different names for units of weight, volume, distance, etc.  No more confusion about ounces.  Lastly, converting from one unit of measure to another is completely logical.  In the metric system one milliliter of water occupies one cubic centimeter which weighs one gram and requires one calorie of energy to heat up by one degree centigrade.  You can easily convert from one unit of measure to another.  Doing that in the Imperial system takes an advanced degree in math!

It’s important to note that in metric all measurements use standard prefixes.  deci means 1/10th.  centi means 1/100th.  milli means 1/1,000th.  Another common prefix is kilo which means 1,000.  So a centi-meter is 1/100th of a meter and a kilo-gram is 1,000 grams.  Very logical.

Even if you learned the metric system in school it’s quite likely that you’re conversion skills are somewhat rusty.  I’ll try to give you a few cheats that will help you get by in day-to-day life.  It might come in handy.  These are all approximate to make memorizing easier.

Imperial to Metric

• 1 lb (weight) = 500 grams
• 1 quart (volume) = 1 liter
• 1 gallon (volume) = 4 liters
• 1 yard (distance) = 1 meter
• 1 mile (distance) = 1,500 meters
• 1 mile (distance) = 2 kilometers
• 60 Fahrenheit (temperature) = 15 centigrade
• 80 Fahrenheit (temperature) = 20 centigrade

Metric to Imperial

• 1 kilo-gram (weight) = 2 pounds
• 1 liter (volume) = 1 quart
• 1 meter (distance) = 1 yard
• 1 Kilometer (distance) = 1/2 mile
• 15 centigrade (temperature) = 60 Fahrenheit
• 20 centigrade (temperature) = 80 Fahrenheit

If you can remember those you should able to make out on a day-to-day basis quite well.

The story of how the metric system was developed is a fascinating story in itself.  The pioneering work was done by the vicar of St Paul’s Church in Lyons, France around 1670.  The idea was to create a decimal system that was based on natural measurements.  In 1795 they calculated the distance of the Earth from the North Pole to the Equator and divided it by ten million.  The result was a meter.

Their measurement of the Earth was not very accurate and over time the values were refined more and more.  In 1875 an international standards committee was formed to control the standards for weight and mass.  Eventually it was expanded to include other measurements.

That’s the short version of the story.  The real story is much longer, more complex and even more interesting.  I read a book about it some years ago.  I’m not 100% sure of the title but I believe it was, ‘The Measure of all Things’.  It was a great read.

Now, get out there and don’t be afraid to buy cheese when you travel 😋.

We bring the camera with us everywhere and take an average of 50 photos a day.  At the end of each day we make sure that the date, time and location for each photo is properly set.  We also spend some time labeling the photos and noting interesting details.  When we have the time we intend to do some ‘post’ work on the photos to make them better; many would benefit from cropping and color balance.

We have an iMac and use iPhoto to catalog, store and backup our photos.  There are several problems…

1. We’re aware that the photos do not display in full detail on the blog site.
2. We can only post a handful of photos each day or else the pages will be very slow to load.
3. Apple’s method of sharing photos does not show the date, time, location and label information.

We would love to share more photos but we don’t think they would have much value without the label information.  We’ve scoured the web but can’t find any relevant information.  Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Have you ever heard of the seven hills of Rome?  That is not a rhetorical question!  The ancient city began on the Palatine Hill and spread to the neighboring six hills.  Why the Palatine Hill?  Well, that’s a good question that harkens back to the myth describing the founding of the city.

Our version of the story takes place around 750 B.C. when Rhea Silvia, a vestal virgin and daughter of King Numitor, was visited in a garden by the God Mars.  She later gave birth to twin boys named Romulus and Remus.  As a result of their parentage the boys were demigods who had descended from Latin nobility. King Amulius saw the boys as a threat to his rule and ordered them to be executed.  They were taken to the banks of the River Tiber and left to die.  The god of the river, Tiberinus, saved them.  He enlisted the help of a she-wolf to suckle them.

(An iconic image found throughout Roman society)

Sometime later they were adopted by a shepherd named Fautulus.  Unaware of their true identifies they grew up tending flocks and living as ordinary shepherds.  Eventually their natural abilities were recognized and they became community leaders.

Soon after they decided to create a new city.  They disagreed where it should be built.  Romulus favored the Palatine Hill; Remus favored the Aventine.  They decided that they would let the gods decide through a contest based on augury (the flights of birds).  Each retired to their respective hills and watched for birds.  Remus saw six birds and Romulus saw 12.  Romulus claimed victory.  Remus disputed his claim saying that he saw six birds before Romulus saw any.  Their dispute continued until Romulus killed his brother and founded Rome on the Palatine Hill.  Eventually the communities on the other six hills joined with Romulus and the ancient city of Rome had seven hills.

There are many different versions of the story of Romulus and Remus.  Here is another one that I like.

The original seven hills are still part of daily life in modern Rome.  Here is a listing of the seven hills and the major attractions of each in present day Rome.  It goes without saying but I’ll say it anyway: we’ve been on all seven!

1. The Palatine Hill.  The Palatine was where the ancient Roman forum was built.  Today that hill is mostly ruins and is a popular tourist spot.
2. The Capitoline Hill.  At the top of the hill, accessed via a stairway designed by Michaelangelo, sits the Capitoline Museum.
3. The Quirinal Hill.  Many later day nobility and Popes lived in this area.  You will find the Palazzo Barberini there.
4. The Viminal Hill.  This hilltop is dominated by Termini Station – the main railroad station in  Rome.
5. The Esquiline Hill.  The Basilica of St Mary Major sits at the apex of this hill.
6. The Caelian Hill.  This is where you will find the ruins of the Baths of Caracalla.
7. The Aventine Hill.  Atop this hill is a lovely park with orange trees that has beautiful panoramic views of the city.  It also contains several churches including The Basilica di Santa Sabina all’Aventino and The Basilica S.S. Bonifacio e Alessio.

So there you have it.  Need some exercise?  Then I heartily recommend walking the seven hills of Rome.  It’s an experience you’ll never forget.

In the United States we have sales tax but the majority of countries worldwide have Value Added Tax or VAT, as it is commonly known.

In the United States you almost never pay the price you see advertised.  When you get to the register they add sales tax.  You always pay Federal sales tax.  In most places you also pay a State sales tax.  In some places you may also pay a City sales tax.  Places that use VAT typically add the taxes into the advertised price so you pay exactly what the ticket says and no more.

So, what is the VAT?  VAT is often referred to as a consumption tax.  At each stage of production a tax is paid on the value of the product produced.  In the end the consumer pays the total VAT on all phases of production.  Vendors often get tax credits for the VAT that they paid to acquire goods and machinery.  

Here’s a very simple example of how it works using a business that’s near and dear to my heart: a gelato stand.

Let’s assume that the VAT is 20%.

A paper cup supplier buys paper from a raw material supplier for $60.  That means that the raw materials cost $50 and there was a VAT of $10.  The raw material supplier owes the government $10.

The paper cup supplier then sells completed cups to the gelato maker for $120.  That means that the cups cost $100 and there was a VAT of $20.  If you  thought that the paper cup supplier would now owe the government $20 then you’d be wrong!  Remember, he paid $10 in VAT for the raw materials so he gets to deduct that amount and now only owes the government $10.  That’s the “value added” part of the tax.

The gelato maker charges $4 for his product.  That means that the VAT would be about $0.80.  The total ingredients plus supplies (cups, spoons, napkins) cost him $2 per serving which means he already paid $0.40 in VAT per serving so he only owes the government $0.40 on each sale.  The consumer winds up paying the entire VAT for all ingredients/supplies that went into the making of the gelato – the entire $0.80.  For all the sales that month the gelato maker owes the government $500.

Unfortunately for the gelato maker his mixer broke down and he had to buy a new one.  The new mixer cost $120 which breaks down to $100 for the mixer and $20 in VAT.  The gelato maker gets to subtract that $20 from his tax bill and now only owes the government $480 for that month.

If you’re sharp you noticed that the government gets that $0.80 per serving of gelato twice – once from all of the suppliers in the chain and once again from the end consumer.

So why do I care about any of this?  As a tourist you’re entitled to a refund on the VAT you paid for items such as clothes, gifts, leather goods, etc.  The refund does not apply to food and hotel.  Since the VAT in Italy is about 22% it’s as if everything you bought was on sale.

The procedure for getting a refund is more complicated than it needs to be.  No doubt that is to discourage people from claiming their refunds, but don’t despair: if you spent a significant amount of money it is worthwhile.  Just make sure you keep all your receipts and get the necessary documents from the retailers.  Fill out the refund form ahead of time and when you get to the airport find the refund window.  It’s likely to be an unpleasant experience.

Note: many retailers hate to fill out the paperwork and so will claim to have no idea of what you’re asking.  If they do that be prepared to walk away.  In most cases they will relent.  If they don’t, they should lose the sale.

Good luck!

Not surprisingly there are a number of American brand products in the supermarket but this one took us by surprise.  We’ve never even seen this in the U.S.!

The coffee culture in Rome is very different from the coffee culture in the U.S. There are no Starbucks here (the closest one is in Austria!)  It was rumored that there was a Dunkin Donuts near the Spanish Steps but no trace of it can be found.  Only tourists walk around with cups of coffee.  In popular areas the shops offer “American Style Take Away”,  which is coffee served in paper cups for the tourists.

Italians drink their coffee at home or in a cafe.  It is served in small ceramic cups with a saucer and a spoon.  They drink it either sitting down at a table or standing at the bar.  The price of the coffee is actually cheaper by about €0.50 (about $0.60) if you drink it standing at the bar.  They charge extra for sitting down.  Take away coffee is usually more expensive by about €0.50.

There are many choices for the type of coffee you can order here.  I have tried them all and enjoyed each one.  Most cafes do not advertise the brand of coffee they are serving, but they all have gleaming espresso machines that can make many cups of delicious espresso at a time.

Espresso is finely ground coffee brewed for a short time in an espresso machine.  You order it by asking for a “Caffe”.  It is served in a very small cup.  It is typically not served with milk and is very strong.  It is often served with a glass of sparkling water.  You should drink the water first, then use your spoon to eat some of the froth on top, then drink your coffee.  It is delicious.  This is the only coffee you should drink after noon.  There is some belief in Italy that you should not drink hot milk later in the day for proper digestion.

A Caffe Latte is an espresso with milk.  In Italy a Caffe is an espresso.  Latte is milk.  Caffe Latte should be served with a small amount of foam on top.

Caffe Americano is  prepared by brewing espresso with added hot water, giving it a similar strength to drip coffee.  It can be served with or without milk.

A Macchiato is basically an espresso with a small amount of foamed milk on top.  The word macchiato means “spotted” or “marked” in Italian.  There is a small “spot” of foamed milk on the top of the coffee.

A Cappuccino is usually a mixture of espresso, milk and foam – approximately a third of each.  You can order a dry cappuccino which means it has lots of foam (about half the cup) or you can order a wet cappuccino that has less foam and more milk.

(Cappuccino)

I found a very amusing article from the London Telegraph about ordering coffee in Italy.  The  telegraph article gives tips on ordering properly.   I have tried to follow the advice in the article.

The only thing I do not like about the coffee in Italy is that it is always served in small cups.  I miss my large coffees in the U.S. and the small sizes here, though wonderful, still leave me wanting more.  I guess I will get accustomed to it eventually.

Gelato is the Italian word for ice cream.  It is made using a custard base similar to American ice cream but has a higher proportion of milk and a lower proportion of cream and eggs (or no eggs at all).  As a result, it has less fat.  (This makes it a health food.)  It is churned at a slower rate which incorporates less air.  The final product is a denser, creamier ice cream.  It is delicious and one of our favorite things to eat!

Italian gelato makers produced 595 million liters (157 gallons) of gelato last year.  That is 19% of the total EU production, according to BloombergMarkets.  That puts Italy at number one for European ice cream producers.  Based on the number of Gelaterias we have seen in Rome and the amount of gelato that we have eaten here this does not surprise me.

We have tried to sample as many flavors of gelato from as many shops as possible.  As we mentioned in an earlier post, one of our favorite shops is Pompi (Via della Croce, 82, near the Spanish Steps).  They offer many flavors including my favorite, fondante (dark chocolate).  They also offer about four flavors in a non-milk option including the fondante.  Most gelaterias do not offer this.

The one problem with Pompi and most Gelaterias is that they do not take credit cards – only cash.  We like to use credit cards for everything for many reasons.  So I have decided to do a search for Gelaterias who have great gelato and take credit cards.  I will post them when I find them.

The first Gelateria we found that has many choices of flavors and takes credit cards is Gelateria Del Viale in the Piazza Giuseppe Gioachino Belli, 9 in Trastevere.  It is just around the corner from our apartment!  It is open every day from 10 am to 12 am.  We have sampled the fondante, the chocolate (milk chocolate) and the amarena (sour cherry).  They are all delicious – very creamy and full of flavor.  They also have vegan options but we have not tried them.  A small cup costs 3 euros and you can get two flavors in it.  We find that the small sizes, in general,  are big enough to share.  This is one of our favorite places, so far, and not just because they take credit cards.

(Some of the flavors at Gelateria Del Viale)

Gelateria Del Viale is also near John Cabot University.  We met a student from the University there getting the largest size gelato possible (5 euros).  She said she needed it to help deal with the stress of school.  We sympathized with her.  This is a great location for the students and the Gelateria!

We will continue to research this topic as we are touring Rome.  I will post again when I find another great Gelateria that takes credit cards.

(Chocolate Gelato)