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La Campana: Rome’s oldest restaurant still drawing crowds after 508 years

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La Campana opened its doors in Rome’s Centro Storico in 1518 and has been operating ever since as Rome’s oldest restaurant. It could lay claim as the world’s oldest restaurant but it has been too busy serving its loyal clientele to hassle the Guinness Book of World Records much. Marina and I went Saturday night for our second time. La Campana is not a tourist trap. The food is too good.

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Italy’s hot-weather dishes: What to eat when the heat eats you

Prosciutto e melone

So how do YOU cool off in these blazing hot summer days. Here in Rome, I don’t eat much. He wants to eat, let alone cook, in this heat? But I do get hungry and I found a collection of hot-weather Italian dishes that are not only delicious but healthy and cool. Here’s a list of 10 that you can probably make wherever you are.

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Air conditioning grows in Italy as global warming bakes Europe

AC The Local

Hot enough for ya’? Italy is steaming again. Temperatures here in Rome have been in the high 90s with 40-50 percent humidity. But Italians are changing. They are finally embracing air conditioning. The number of homes with AC has doubled since 2013 and appliance stores are experiencing brisk sales. I braved the heat to explore the trend and take the temperature of the asphalt. Then I scurried back to my AC flat.

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Skopelos myths: Dragons, debauchery and a sexy female pirate

Marina and John Amarantas

On our seventh trip to the little Greek isle of Skopelos, Marina and I decided to chase down myths that have been passed down on the island for centuries. The first settler was the son of the God of Wine? A man-eating dragon? A sexy female pirate? We rented a car and explored the southern end of Skopelos to see watery graves and beautiful beaches.

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Nasoni: Rome’s historic water shortage plugging the noses of some of city’s famed cisterns

Me at one of the "nasone" in steaming Rome. The city has 2,500 of them but the water shortage has closed 400 of them.

As Rome melts into its cobblestones and my water intake skyrockets, everyone in Rome is facing a crisis: water shortage. More than 400 of our beloved nasoni have been turned off. The city has about 2,500 nasoni, meaning 16 percent of these cute, ingenious, thirst-quenching little piles or iron are now dry. We barely avoided water rationing which would’ve turned off water for eight hours a day all over the city. The Vatican turned off 100 of its fountains, including the famous Bernini fountain in the middle of St. Peter’s Square. Excuse all 1.5 million of us Rome residents if we’re sweating this summer for more reasons than one.
(To read more, click here.)

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World Cup notes: Packed stadiums, price gouging and fans’ quest to Americanize the world’s favorite sport

Lumen Field

Despite brutal time differences, I’m catching early games of the World Cup here in Rome. I don’t know what shocks me more, the packed stadiums despite larcenous prices or Americans’ arrogance about the event and soccer in general. It’s almost hard to scroll through my Twitter feed. But as I stayed up late watching Lionel Messi turn back time and Paraguay turn back Germany, I jotted down some random thoughts on the world’s most popular sports event.

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AI: Confessions of a reluctant convert and the fear that remains

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The World Economic Forum says that by 2030, Artificial Intelligence will cost 92 million people their jobs. Yet why do I find myself using it every day? The paradox is paralyzing and I explain how it has positively affected my life while building fear for the future of mankind.

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Essential travel tips for exploring Europe like a local

Travel like local

If you ever felt like you stood out in a crowd while traveling in Europe, it’s probably because you dress like an American, talk like an American and eat like an American. Guest blogger Cynthia Madison offers some helpful tips on how to fit in during your next trip to Europe.

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Krakow: Outshining Poland’s capital after a century of horror

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Old Eastern Bloc capitals dusted themselves off and cleaned up after communism fell and they are some of my favorite cities in the world to visit. But Krakow, Poland, is one of the few cities in Europe that is prettier and more cultured than its capital. It has beautiful squares, hip neighborhoods and a castle overlooking it all. In the background, however, is the horrid history of the Holocaust. We spent four days there last week and came back with this report.

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