Archive for 'Curiosities'

  

Sunday, January 23, 2011
Under the Tuscan sun
I recently stumbled across a Rick Steves radio interview of Frances Mayes, the author of 'Under the Tuscan Sun'. They discuss how getting in tune with living in Italy can change your sense of time and even help prioritize what matters most in life. Well worth a listen. For more information about renting a villa near Cortona, the setting of the book, please visit this web page and browse through the villas of Cortona.

If you're a fan of Francis Mayes' book 'Under the Tuscan Sun' you should check out her latest book 'Every Day In Tuscany'.     Read More
Posted in: Curiosities, Travel Tips

  

Monday, October 22, 2007
Trevi Fountain Runs Red
Last Friday a great public work of art that has stood as a symbol of Rome for hundreds of years was defaced. A man in a hat reportedly approached the fountain in the crowd of tourists and dumped a bucket of red dye into Trevi Fountain, dying the water a blood red.

The fountain recirculates the water in its basin and through the jets of water it shoots into the air, allowing the dye to permeate the entire fountain quickly. Authorities believe the stunt has not caused permanent damage to the marble statues of the fountain.

Pamphlets were left at the scene claiming that the action was committed by the "FTM Futurist Action 2007", which is an organization the authorities have never heard of before. According to the leaflets the group claims to battle "everything and everyone with a spirit of healthy violence" as well as turning the "grey bourgeois society into a triumph of color." It also pointed to the poor state of the elderly in Italy, as well as the amount of public money that was spent on restarting the Rome Film Festival.     Read More
Posted in: Curiosities, Tourist Attractions