In Rome Now Complete City Guide Italy Profiles, Meet the Romans

If you've ever wondered what it would be like to live in Rome, or if you live in Rome and wonder what life is like for your fellow expatriates, you'll enjoy meeting a few of the people who have succesfully settled in the Eternal City.
by Renée Finch

Chen Clarke grew up in a small town by the sea in Ireland. Her home was alive with women who made their own beautiful clothes and soft furnishings. She inherited their love of color, textures and fabrics, which led to a successful career in interior design and the start up of the company Inside Story. With the use of Feng Shui, Chen helped people create sacred spaces, allowing for a deeper harmonious connection to their homes and their surroundings. She later founded Image Consultancy and Life Coaching, helping people to change their lives dynamically in many more areas. Her own spiritual journey started at a very young age with a deep interest in the mystical and magical world around her. Following her awareness of something greater out there, she studied and worked alongside spiritual teachers and healers all over the world. Now 25 years later, Chen gives workshops in Italy and abroad teaching the practical methods she has used to enhance and change her own life. Her private sessions with people include body work, coaching, and the tools to create the life they've always dreamed of. She has used these herself to fulfil her own dream to live and work in Rome. www.accesssacredspace.com

What is the most captivating thing about Rome for you?
The colors, architecture and the amazing light that has been inspiring artists for centuries. A perfectly chilled glass of prosecco and a well placed seat to watch the world go by. The Roman curiousity that provides infinite possibilities to strike up interesting conversations with complete strangers in the most mundane places.

Has your coming to stay in Rome enhanced your work experience?
Absolutely! All these years, I've been priviledged to work as a facilitator, healer and therapist, helping people rediscover a balance within themselves and their lives. Being the eternal student of people and human nature, Rome offers a smorgasboard of dramas and intrigues, of relationships between shopkeeper and customer, lovers, families, friends and even between strangers....and the knowledge that beneath the surface we are all searching for the same things, a life that contains love, joy, meaning and purpose...What if the purpose of life was to have fun.... are we having fun yet?

What would you tell a visitor not to miss in Rome?
The Trevi Fountain, late at night when it is beautifully lit and there are not many people about; the bustling Porta Portese market on a Sunday morning; and the view of the city through the trees that magically opens up as you walk toward the Japanese water garden in the botanical gardens in Trastevere, a little piece of heaven.

Where do you go in Rome to chill out?
Fregene or anywhere by the sea, particulary in the winter as I find the wild and stormy sea comforting and soothing to mind, body and soul, probably because its like a little piece of home. Although I love when the trees begin to turn and show their glorious autumn colours, gold, russet and orange...so anywhere I can swish through the leaves, listening to the rustling.

What is the most memorable thing that has happened to you in Rome?
I don't know if this falls into the most memorable category, but sometimes when I find myself losing patience with the traffic, how long it takes to get simple things done, and the inevitable red tape, I take a moment to look around at any one of the 1000 spectacular views in Rome that take my breath away and I'm reminded once again how lucky I am to be living in such a beautiful place.

Is there something that annoys you about Rome?
One thing I can't quite get used to, and that is playing chicken with Italian drivers on pedestrian crossings, a fact that was brought home to me on a recent work trip to Australia where, in sharp contrast, the drivers are more respectful of pedestrians and automatically slow down at crossings in case you might want to cross. Here, you need to be in the middle of the road, looking like you mean business. i.e. you won't hesitant to allow them to swerve around you.

What is your favourite restaurant?
Sale e Pepe on viale Trastevere, 106. They make a pasta filled with brie and pear with a rocket pesto that's truly inspired and transports me to another reality.

How would someone from abroad benefit by coming to Rome for a few years?
Well any travel is great to round a person out, but living in Rome is unique, unlike other big cities I've lived in. It still has the small community feel to it and a personability that makes for enjoyable everyday living, like a family you feel very much part of. An appreciation for fresh produce, simply prepared that makes for the great food Italy is famous for, and, of course, pasta the ultimate fast food.

When is the best time to visit?
I would suggest May or October, for a more forgiving climate for walking around, the best way to explore the city. Although if you have the time and are prepared to explore in a more leisurely way, indulging in gelato and iced coffee to ward off the sticky heat, or you fall into the category of mad dogs and Englishmen, August can be an easier time to get around town when most Romans head for the hills or the beaches.

Jeannette Montgomery Barron was born in Atlanta, Georgia and studied at the International Center of Photography in New York. In the 1980s, she became known for her portraits of the New York art world, some of which were published in a book, Jeannette Montgomery Barron (Edition Bischofberger, Zurich, 1989). In 1998, she published a second book, this time a collection entitled "Photographs and Poems", with text by the Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Jorie Graham (Scalo 1998). This was followed by a collaboration with renowned author Edmund White on a third volume, "Mirrors", in which she explored her fascination with the reflective surface (Holzwarth Editions 2004). Her latest works are "Session with Keith Haring" (Holzwarth Editions 2006), twenty photographs taken in Haring’s studio one afternoon in 1985; and the recently completed "My Mother's Clothes, color photographs of her mother's wardrobe. This last book was conceived as a means of communicating with and remembering her mother, who had Alzheimer's disease. An extremely fashionable woman, her mother wore clothes by the great designers of her time for near four decades, from the 1950s through the 1990s. The book will be published in March 2010 by Welcome Books and distributed by Random House. Jeannette Montgomery Barron's works are in numerous public and corporate collections, including The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, The High Museum of Art, Atlanta, Kunsthaus, Zurich and The Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh. She has shown internationally at Galerie Bruno Bischofberger, Zurich, Scalo, New York and Zurich, Jackson Fine Art, Atlanta, ClampArt, New York and Magazzino D’Arte Moderna, Rome. She lives in Rome and Connecticut with her husband and their two children.
www.jeannettemontgomerybarron.com

What is the most captivating thing about Rome for you?
The light.

Has your experience in coming to Rome enhanced your work experience?
Yes, absolutely. I never really photographed in color until I moved here, for one thing. I have less distractions here than I had when I worked in New York.

What would you tell a visitor not to miss in Rome?
The Pantheon, Galleria Borghese.

Where do you go to chill out?
For a coffee in the sun in Piazza Farnese, a ride on my bike in the Borghese Gardens or the beach in Sperlonga.

What is the most memorable thing that has happened to you in Rome?
Watching my children grow up here.

Is there something that annoys you about Rome?
That it takes so long to get things done! But this is something I have finally gotten used to (almost).

What is your favourite restaurant?
I am a creature of habit and tend to go to the same restaurants over and over again. I like being a “regular”. For lunch, Cul De Sac in Piazza Pasquino [near Piazza Navona] — you can sit outside in the summertime. Armando Al Pantheon [Salita de' Crescenzi, 31, tel 06 688 03034] for a great Roman lunch or dinner. Pizzeria Montecarlo on Vicolo Savelli 13 [near Piazza Navona, tel 06 686 1877]. Oh, one more place: La Vecchia Bottega Del Vino in the Ghetto [Via Santa Maria del Pianto, 9a, tel 06 683 01120] is very special for a long, leisurely lunch and a great glass of wine.

How would someone from abroad benefit by coming to Rome for a few years?
Learning how to slow down and enjoy some of the most important things in life.

John Nolan was born and raised in Dublin. He studied at Portobello College, Dublin School of Business, before coming to Rome where he worked as an English teacher at the Berlitz school, an information systems consultant for I & T and European sales manager at TIM before returning to Dublin to open a café and restaurant. But he missed the sun, outdoor living and Roman food. So he came back to Rome, studied the necessary licensing and commercial laws and opened his first off-license wine shop in the San Giovanni district. At Johnny’s, he employs an expert sommelier to help customers select wines, and a beer expert to help them find their way through the hundreds of international labels he stocks. With the success of Johnny's, he has opened a second shop in the Prati area.

What is the most captivating thing about Rome for you?
What the whole of Italy offers is the relationship between geographical areas and their culinary habits and wine production. I think its the only country in the world where food, wine and location are directly related. Rome, on the other hand, gets its claws into you and there's no escaping it.

Has your stay in Rome enhanced your work experience?
Yes, I think after this experience in Rome nothing could surprise me again.

What would you tell a visitor not to miss in Rome?
The Forum, the Vatican. Rome on a whole is like walking through a museum.

Where do you go in Rome to chill out?
The bar ‘Ma Che Siete Venuti a Fa’ ,Via Benedetta 25, in Trastevere. The best draft beer in Rome is at ‘Brasserie 4.20’ in Via Portuense 82, open until 4 a.m.

What is the most memorable thing that has happened to you in Rome?
My son was born here.

Is there something that annoys you about Rome?
Lots of things, but when in Rome you have to do as the Romans do. I'd advise people to beware of taxis, and cafés around main tourist attractions.

What is your favorite restaurant?
Al Grottino Pizzeria [Via Orvieto 6, San Lorenzo district] and Felice [Via Mastro Giorgio 29, Testaccio district]. Although I am not a vegetarian, the carbonara vegetariana at Betto & Mary, Via dei Savorgnan, 99 [south Rome, east of the Tuscolana train station] is delicious. Many others, too.

How would someone from abroad benefit by coming to Rome for a few years?
You learn to appreciate certain things from your own country that you may have taken for granted. And you learn to enjoy life, because that's what Rome is really about.

When is the best time to visit?
April, May, October — or December when there are less tourists, and the Romans are around, so the city doesn't seem like a ghost town as it does in August.

Diane Epstein was born in New York, but moved with her family to California at a young age. During her high school years, the family moved to London, and then to the San Francisco Bay Area. After receiving her Master of Arts Degree in counseling, Diane moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico, where she was inspired to express her creative side by picking up a camera, while working as a psychotherapist and life coach. She moved to Rome in 1995, with her husband and two young sons. Today, her time is divided between her work as a creative coach, a fine art photographer and as a “photo journey guide”, exploring the creative dimension and the hidden treasures of Italy, including its culinary delights. She has developed a style she calls "fresco photography," created using a technique of layering multiple images of Rome, to design a painterly, textured picture. Diane’s photography will be on permanent display in Rome at the Hotel Babuino 181 in early 2010, as well as at the hotels Mario dei Fiori 37 and Margutta 54. She is now represented by the Susan Calloway Fine Art Gallery in Washington DC and her work will be on display at the Gerald Bland gallery on Madison Ave in New York City in April 2010. Diane has been featured in national and international magazines and TV, including Redbook, Bon Appetit, and the Oprah Winfrey show, "Choosing Your Life." She is working on a book, “Recipe for Living,” which will be both a food odyssey and an inward journey, designed to help readers develop a healthier, more balanced approach to eating and living.
She samples of Diane's work on her website.

What is most captivating about Rome for you?
The ancient mystery that lies beneath the surface, the architectural details, the vivid light. And the sensual textures, the richly-encrusted walls, Rome’s color palette of burnt ochre, sienna, amber glow, and misty blue, which have all inspired me to take the photos that I do.

Has coming to Rome enhanced your work experience?
Yes, my career as a fine art photographer and creative coach has developed over the past 14 years to a point where my professional life is more focused on the expression of creativity — both mine personally and assisting my clients to develop their own creativity. Over the past dozen years I have transformed my work as a therapist into something that is more in alignment with who I am as a healer, an artist and a guide, one that feels more gratifying and life enhancing. Also, the fact I have Rome as my backdrop, that I am able to go out into the heart of the centro storico and lead people on photo journeys. It’s a dream for me to combine my passion for photography with helping others become more creative, to be the best they can be. What a gift!

What would you tell a visitor not to miss in Rome?
I would tell them to wander down the narrow alleyways and courtyards off the Piazza Farnese, Campo de’ Fiori and Piazza Navona, without a specific destination or time-frame in mind – and to stay off the big, noisy streets. And I would suggest they bring a sketchpad, a journal or their camera to capture their mood and to keep them focused on the present moment.

Where do you go to chill out?
My local caffe’/bar in Monti, where I can linger with loved ones — let time be long, and, of course, take photographs of anything that calls out to me. But mostly I love to be home cooking with the family. Both my sons have become great cooks and there is nothing like a cozy afternoon or evening, with the aroma and sounds of them cooking and chatting — and then sitting together at the table to eat a delicious Italian meal together. And it doesn’t hurt to be living in such a tranquil, light-filled apartment, surrounded by a monastery and a seminary, and still only a two-minute walk to the piazza, where we can pick up some fresh produce at the frutteria.

What is the most memorable thing that has happened to you in Rome?
Certainly the experience I had with my husband’s life-threatening illnesses – which he endured and overcame. I will never forget some of the harder moments, when both our families were in the hospital room trying to keep it together, laughing and telling stories, and then the moment they wheeled him out and into the operating room — in unison, we all burst out crying. But more importantly, the great healthcare, the community of Italians, Americans, and international friends, and of course our families, stood by us and created a bond of love and support. For me being able to look back and know that this immense heartbreak is now in the past, and that we are both still here to treasure each and every moment – surely this will linger in my memory forever.

Is there something that annoys you about Rome?
I think what bothers me most is the mentality, whether it is Roman or not, which perpetuates the notion that one can’t do anything new, so why try. And what often goes along with that is the complaining and stagnancy, the thinking that doesn’t allow new things in, that holds people back from living life to the fullest. Still, I can see it changing, especially in the art world.

What is your favorite restaurant?
I have many. Taverna dei Fori Imperiali which is being renovated for the New Year, and is moving down the street on Via della Madonna dei Monti is one. And my newest find — perhaps the décor is a bit over the top, but the service is not stuffy, and the seafood is great – is Sa Tanca on Via Palermo. It can be a place to really splurge but I hear they also have a budget lunch that only locals know about.

How would someone from abroad benefit by coming to Rome for a few years?
They would look at the world with different eyes. For me it’s been about appreciating the complexity and depth, the textural beauty and timeless nature. I would hope that time would seem longer, that space would be shared, and that they would be able to be more aware of history and of the world, where people are not just like them.

When is the best time to visit?
Autumn and spring are usually lovely. But I also recommend off-season months, like February or even Christmas time, when winter in other places can be colder and harder, and Rome can be mild and festive.

Rosa Manocchio was born and raised in Buffalo, New York, which, she points out, is one of the coldest cities on earth with the good old teams, the Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Sabres. Her parents were both born in the Molise region of Italy, and met at an Italian dinner dance in Toronto, Canada. The summers Rosa and her sister spent at their second home in Molise created a life-long infatuation for all things Italian. She dreamed of moving back to the "mother country" when she grew up, and she did everything in her power to achieve this goal. After graduating from SUNY Brockport with a degree in International Business and Spanish, she went to work for Alitalia in New York City. She segued into sales and marketing, for American Express Publishing's Travel & Leisure Magazine and for LB Media. Feeling that a part of her was missing, she decided to make the big move to Rome and is now European Director of three travel magazines published by Bonnier Corporation. Her clients are luxury hotels and spas in all of Europe, giving her the good fortune to travel a lot, visiting amazing properties and meeting incredible people. She feels blessed to be here and, as she puts it, "living by the Vatican does that to you and I will continue to live my dream and look forward to every day ahead in the most magical city in the world!"

What is the most captivating thing about Rome for you?
The Trevi Fountain — I tear up every time!

Has coming to stay in Rome enhanced your work experience?
Yes, it gave me the opportunity to work with greater autonomy, which is very important at the management level. Also, Rome has taught me to enjoy the beauty of life without constantly thinking about the next business transaction.

What would you tell a visitor not to miss in Rome?
The Angelus at the Vatican, Sunday's at noon.

Where do you go in Rome to chill out?
Campo dei Fiori and Trastevere. Sometimes when I want to relax, I walk over to the Vatican and read, sitting by the piazza, facing St.Peter's Basilica. It's enchanting.

What is the most memorable thing that has happened to you in Rome?
Meeting my boyfriend at the Coliseum the evening Andrea Bocelli had performed...it was very romantic!

Is there something that annoys you about Rome?
The nuns are not too friendly! Which would be the opposite of what one would think ... Also, it is a little disappointing that they don't decorate the streets more for the Christmas holiday.

What is your favourite restaurant?
Trattoria Vecchia Roma at San Giovanni [via Ferruccio 12 B/C, tel 06 446 7143]! Their specialty is Bucatini all'Amatriciana, prepared inside a pecorino cheese bowl. To die for!

How would someone from abroad benefit by coming to Rome for a few years?
Culture, culture, and more culture!

When is the best time to visit?
I love Rome during the fall months. However, for a tourist the summer months are fun because it is not too crowded and you can attend cultural events that are organized along the Tiber River.

Lisa R. Tucci is an American who has been living in Italy for nearly 18 years, pursuing her life’s passion — producing multimedia content and audio/videoguides for museums and churches, piazzas and palaces throughout the country. She is the founder and Chief Creative Officer of Art&Media Communications, which professes to ‘producing the best of Italian culture since the Renaissance’ offering downloadable audioguides of Italy’s finest places (www.touringtracks.com). When she’s not basking in the beauty & antiquity of Italy, or walking her dog Trevor in its gorgeous parks, she writes an irreverent blog about Italy’s uglier underbelly: burntbythetuscansun.blogspot.com

What is most captivating about Rome for you?
The fact that you’re walking on the same stones (at least the ones not yet asphalted over) of so much that has gone before you.

Has your experience of coming to Rome enhanced your work experience?
Well, I work producing audioguides for museums and city tours. And while Italy boasts over 3000 museums, and is an open air museum itself, being closer to Rome’s Ministry of Culture and all the people in its orbit is definitely good for me.

What would you tell a visitor not to miss in Rome?
The Doria Pamphilj Gallery, where the audioguide is narrated by Prince Jonathan Doria Pamphilj himself. It is the only collection still presented in its entirety out of Papal decree (and the gallery has been rehung as it was in the late 1700s). It is truly a step back in time. And, the best part, it’s right on the Via del Corso.

Where do you go to chill out?
In the summer, I love the terrace of the Galleria d’Arte Moderna on via delle Belle Arti, right near Villa Borghese.
In the winter, the Chocolate Factory SAID in the San Lorenzo area.

What is the most memorable thing that has happened to you in Rome?
Now – that’s a tough one! It seems living in Rome – every experience is memorable…it’s like you’re constantly shooting the movie of your life. But, aside from the times I get to run around Rome with my tiny nephews and nieces, I’d say seeing the absolutely awesome fireworks displays from a friend’s terrace over Castel Sant’Angelo both on the festival of Saints Pietro & Paolo and New Year's Eve was pretty unforgettable. But, that’s in my adult life. As a child, I will never forget the Sound & Light show in the Forum, and I believe it’s the reason I live here today. I obviously have a thing for pyrotechnics.

Is there something that annoys you about Rome?
Where do you want me to start? I write a whole blog about that! I would say that the most disturbing thing about living here, in what I believe is the most beautiful city on the entire planet (and believe me, I get around!) and a city that was acknowledged as ‘The Most Green’ in Europe a few years back, is the active disdain for trees as part of our environment. They are being cut down willy-nilly, never to be replanted and leaving little half-columns of stumps in their wake. It is disgraceful, adds to global warming, and, when you hear those chain saws of the (dis) Servizi Giardini winding up, very depressing. That, and the fact that you can’t find your way to the Auditorium or on the Tangenziale easily because they simply don’t put up the signs at the one major intersection where you need to make a left turn.

What is your favorite restaurant?
That’s like asking what my favourite food is (answer: all of the above). My favourite closed, so I’ll tell you where I go to have the best pasta cacio e pepe (pasta with cheese and black pepper) in town: da Carlone on via della Luce in Trastevere, not the crazy side.

There is no greater experience than living abroad, seeing how things are different, seeing historic sites, opening your mind, learning a language, and travel travel travel. As my notebook states, “The world is a book and those who don’t travel only read a page” (St. Augustine).

When is the best time to visit?
It’s always a good time to visit here! But, try and avoid the crowds at Easter.

Rick Breco grew up in the beach towns near Los Angeles. After college, where he majored in Theater Arts, he decided to visit Hawaii for a couple of months, and stayed ten years. The famed hairdresser Paul Mitchel had moved his operation to Honolulu, and Rick, who had decided to turn his creativity in that direction, becoming Mitchell's personal assistant, training with him, later studying with Vidal Sasson. He went on to work at salons in Honolulu, eventualy becaming a trainer himself, as well as the style and grooming director for PanAm Airlines. He finally got ?Rock Fever? and moved to Northern California?s wine country to open hs own salon, Breco?s, which was voted the most successful business in the Bay area by Good Morning San Francisco TV show. He became involved in the community, starting programs for ?"at risk yout"?, helping the young to keep off the streets, winning awards in recognition of his accomplishments. He moved south Laguna Beach, California, where he spent 18 years. Here, in addition to his salon and community involvement, he returned to his interest in theater, becaming a founding board member of the non-profit No Square Theatre, which raised money for local organizations and charities. He also founded Silent Productions, a deaf (and hearing) production company to raise monies for deaf charities, primarily for deaf kid?s camps in California.
Eventually, he formed formed a partnership with his California co-workers, Giuseppe and Massimo Topo, moving to Rome to open Noi Salon in Piazza del Popolo.?Women?s Wear Daily sited Noi as the number one colorists in Italy, and it has become a favorite among ex-pats and Italians alike. www.noisalon.com

What is the most captivating thing about Rome for you?
The 24/7 in-your-face beauty. The beauty of the color, the light, the buildings, the piazzas, the Italian people, and of course the food.

Has living in Rome enhanced your work experience?
Enhanced? On the contrary! Italy does everything it can to discourage small business. I?ve never worked so hard for so little in my life!

What would you tell a visitor not to miss in Rome?
I would have to say the Chiesa di Sant? Ignazio near the Pantheon. That ceiling and those chapels, wow!

Where do you go in Rome to chill out?
On stage. It gives me a chance to not have to be one of the faces of Noi, at least for a few hours. We are lucky to have a couple of English language theater companies here in Rome, so I get plenty of chances to escape and ?chill out?.

What is the most memorable thing that has happened to you in Rome?
Probably the first time I stood on a bridge and saw the Tiber. I mean ?it was the Tiber?, Caesar and Cleopatra, everything I read about my whole life. Here I am, living in history! I feel it in my bones everyday when I walk down the street, it?s magic here.

Is there something that annoys you about Rome?
THE TOTAL LACK OF CUSTOMER SERVICE!

What is your favorite restaurant?
That would hands down be Charreada in Piazza dei Quiriti in Prati. Being from LA I have to have my Mexican fix, and Charreada is the best we have. Trust me I?ve been to them all. It?s good ol? border Mex complete with the guy blowing the whistle selling tequila shots.

How would someone from abroad benefit by coming to Rome for a few years?
They would definitely learn patience.

When is the best time to visit?
In August, during the Ferragosto holiday when the city is empty.

Elaine O'Reilly was born and grew up in Durban, South Africa, moving to Rome in the mid 1960s. After teaching English for several years, she began writing didactic materials. During the 1970s and '80s, she co-authored a number of innovative self-study courses which were published as far afield as Latin-America and China. For cable television, she wrote a highly successful English course for children. Many of her works for Longman, now Pearson, are still used together with CDs in language schools all over the world. Elaine now runs the Open Door Bookshop, in Via della Lungaretta in Trastevere, together with her Italian partner Lavinia. This Roman landmark is a mecca to foreigners living in Rome or passing through, and to Italians, as well. Following the philosophy of the name of the bookshop, they cordially welcome all book lovers. On offer are books, old and new, in English, Italian, French, German and Spanish. There is a catalogue on-line and a search service for anyone looking for a hard-to-find favorite. They keep their shelves well stocked by buying books from various sources, and welcome books from all individuals whose own shelves have become too crowded. Elaine has raised her daughter here in Rome. Sabina now has a riding school and has made Elaine grandmother to a little boy.

What is the most captivating thing about Rome for you?
Its indescribable beauty and wonderful, graceful age. I arrived here in 1964 on the 15th of August without knowing about the holiday exodus and the city was utterly deserted. I couldn?t believe the emptiness of the streets and the piazzas, those incredible, silent buildings steeped in sunshine. It was all so unexpectedly accessible. I walked and walked and walked and fell totally in love with that summer ease that Rome has, the seductive, voluptuous, look-at-me of everything from the loftiest basilica to the most whimsical fountain. And it was all so old! Coming from South Africa, I don?t think I?d ever seen a building older than the colonial neo-classical Town Hall in Durban. The art critic, Robert Hughes quotes a New Yorker writing in 1845 about the impact of the splendors of Europe: ?It is as though we had always lived in a world where our eyes, though open, saw but a blank, and were then brought into another, where they were saluted by grace and beauty.? That?s how it was for me. And I still love Rome in August.

Has living in Rome enhanced your work experience?
Enhanced it! It actually provided me with a series of work experiences I might never have had otherwise. Coming here with a somewhat scrappy education, I had no idea of what I wanted to do, except stay forever! So I began teaching English, and then went on to writing self-access material for Longman Educational. I was very lucky in also being published by major publishers here in Italy. Now I have come full circle to spending my days among books, which have been my passion ever since my mum taught me to read.

What would you tell a visitor not to miss in Rome?
The Empress Livia?s sunken garden chamber at Palazzo Massimo. The stunning frescoes of a magical garden with trees flowers, song-birds were moved from her villa at Prima Porta. It is the most enchanting, heart-lifting thing I have ever seen. And the Fontana delle Tartarughe in Piazza Mattei, which should be seen late at night when there?s no one around and the limbs of those lovely bronze boys and the turtles scrambling over the edge of the upper basin of the fountain will seem to have been created exclusively for your own private delight.

Where do you go in Rome to chill out?
I take my dog Isabel and head for the trees. It used to be Villa Pamphili which is enormous and one never tires of all it has to offer. But now that I live out of the center, it?s anywhere where there are woods. Or I try to see my daughter ride her bay mare. It settles me to watch these two beautiful creatures working in such harmony.

What is the most memorable thing that has happened to you in Rome?
Having a baby here. My daughter, Sabina. I lived in Trastevere then (a very different Trastevere from the raucous main drag it is now). The old ladies in black who sat out on wooden chairs in my street were unbelievably helpful and kind. Bus conductors (they had them in those days) would offer to hold my bundle of baby while I fumbled for my bus fare. Romans are at their nicest with small children.

Is there something that annoys you about Rome?
I?ve lived here for so long now and I feel that the city has given me so much that the few things that do get on my nerves are not worth mentioning.

What is your favourite restaurant?
I love Da Enzo in Via dei Vascellari (Trastevere), the food is good and varied and a meal there is still affordable. For a special treat we go to La Gensola, a Sicilian restaurant in Via della Gensola (Trastevere) that serves marvelous pastas and fish and vegetables that only the Sicilians seem able to cook with such imagination and to such delicious perfection.

How would someone from abroad benefit by coming to Rome for a few years?
Perhaps like me, they would learn tolerance by living and working in a totally different culture, where the rhythms of life are in some ways easier than what one is used to, but often much more difficult and perplexing. And learning another language is also a great, mind-broadening experience.

When is the best time to visit?
I would say late October when the city is settling down after a long hot summer, the bulk of the tourists have gone home: the trees are changing and the light is mellower...but any time is good except maybe for tourist peak times.

Phoebe Lesch was born in Munich, and grew up in France, Italy and Germany. Her family had a house in the Tuscan Maremma where they spent part of every year, instilling Phoebe with a strong connection to Italy. She studied at the Université Stendhal in Grenoble, the Munich Akademie der Bildenden Künste in Munich, and the Academia di Belle Arti di Brera in Milan. These days, she lives between Rome and Berlin, working as a sculptor in clay, wax, stone and bronze, as well as less conventional materials such as cement and plastic, continuously playing with figurative forms. She can often be seen sketching the old statues scattered around Rome, which are an inspiration for her sculptures. She says she senses that sculpture — the art of the blind, the art one can understand by only touching it, the art of silence and stillness and secrecy, the bulky art which is strongly connected to its own real space — may be an antidote to the inflation of images and virtuality in contemporary art, rendering so much current work redundant and unseductive. Living in Rome also allows her to work with master Italian blacksmiths for her forging and welding.

What is the most captivating thing about Rome for you?
Like everybody else, I would say the city is utterly beautiful in terms of climate, light, architecture, art, everything. Rome is still there after 2700 years, which is impressive, indeed. In Germany, where I come from, history and tradition seem to have less positive value and people are eager to free space for the new. Rome has very strong and invigorating roots, and I enjoy them, even if I know of the downsides.

Has living in Rome enhanced your work experience?
Yes. I am a figurative sculptor and looking at your predecessors has always been more than useful for an artist. I think art has to place itself within a certain tradition, without being derivative, of course, in order to head out for the future. Rome not only has antiquity and renaissance works; it has excellent 20th century art, too. One can study all those marvellous works on site; experience their three-dimensionality and the space and context they stand in. As to contemporary art galleries, I'm not sure yet since I've been experiencing Rome only for one year now. Quality seems uneven, but that's the same everywhere.

What would you tell a visitor not to miss in Rome?
Difficult to say as there are so many things. Go for a stroll in the Aventino and see the Basilica of Santa Sabina, a magnificent church with a small park and a stirring sight of the old city. Nature-wise, Parco della Caffarella, a sort of countryside within the city with fields full of sheep as well as old monuments. The best time would be on a sunny evening in June.

Where do you go in Rome to chill out?
I like walking around Monti — "fascinating Monti", as a Roman friend of mine ironically calls this area between Termini central station and the Imperial Forums, copying the tone of a tourist guide. I enjoy the area's cafés and squares and churches and ice-cream along with a light cooling breeze in summer. Don?t miss the small international library open until late Libri Necessari in Via Madonna dei Monti.

What is the most memorable thing that has happened to you in Rome?
Hmm, every day is memorable, but.... let's take up the cudgels for... Roman drivers! One day I was driving down Piazza Venezia on my little bike with my head in the clouds. I turned into a one way street, wrong direction of course, and instantly bumped into a car that came up from Largo Argentina and couldn't possibly see me. I made a salto mortale which fortunately turned out to be mortal only for my bike's front wheel. The poor driver (Romano DOC) jumped out of the car with trembling hands, loaded me and the bicycle into his car, offered me a big sandwich and a glass of wine in a bar while asking again and again if I was all right, had the wheel replaced and took me home. Roman drivers are not that bad, after all.

Is there something that annoys you about Rome?
There is a lot of ripping off. You need to stay alert all the time and beware from people smiling at you, treating you like a friend, then stabbing you in the back when you least expect it.

What is your favorite restaurant?
Jewish quarter, Sora Margherita [Piazza delle Cinque Scole, 5]. Traditional Roman food, cheap, simple and tasty. It is always packed, so you should ask for a table directly at the restaurant and then go for a stroll in the surroundings. Not far away there?s a Jewish bakery where a couple of quick-witted old ladies make the most delicious cookies [Via del Portico d'Ottavia at Via della Reginella].

How would someone coming from abroad benefit by coming to Rome for a few years?
Probably one would establish new priorities, a different way of relating to the sensual aspects of life, no less than that. One learns to be patient and accept that people and situations are totally unreliable and due to constant change. You will find that words have a special weight. They are used abundantly with well-developed oratorical skills but don't necessarily convey information in the same way as abroad. Maybe people want to tell you a story rather than exchange factual views. Facts don?t really seem to matter. Romans have a brilliant sarcastic humor, no illusions regarding mankind; they enjoy their body functions and talk about them freely. And after a while, don't worry, you will do the same.

When is the best time to visit?
In June you find the best light ever. In October you can enjoy the famous ottobrate, when the weather is still nice and warm and most of the tourists have gone. Beware of the starlings! Those flocks of swirling birds are beautiful to see, nevertheless flying at a height of 1000 meters, but they take accurate aim to shit directly on the book you are so cheerfully reading in the Piazza Farnese.

Carole Andrè-Smith is a French-American-Italian architect and landscape designer based in Rome. She remembers spending her childhood running through the backlot sets of Rome’s legendary Cinecittà Studios while her French actress mother made films during the heady days of “La Dolce Vita”. Like her mother, Andrè-Smith became an actress and appeared in more than 50 films such as Visconti’s “Death in Venice” and Fellini’s “Satyricon”. She became famous throughout Europe as “La Perla di Labuan” in “Sandokan”, one of Italy’s best-loved TV series. After studying management at Harvard Business School and completing her architecture degree at La Sapienza University in Rome, Andrè-Smith specialised in landscape design and restoration work. With her company “Architectonic”, which has offices in both Rome and Beverly Hills, she designs new gardens and restores old ones. While researching an article on the Fascist “Rationalist” architecture of Cinecittà Studios, she uncovered secret documents signed by Mussolini. She has continued her involvement in the film world by becoming a member of the Board of Directors of Cinecittà Studios, by co-ordinating “Art-Fund”, a charity dedicated to the rescue of important scripts and cultural objects from the world of entertainment, and to giving assistance to disadvantaged industry professionals.

What is most captivating about Rome for you?
The taste of fresh vegetables! I just have to say this because as I answer these questions I am biting down on the most exquisitely tasty, crunchy fennel prepared in the “pinzimonio” style (break off fresh fennel stalk and dip into virgin olive oil mixed with salt and balsamic vinegar). Phenomenal! I often travel from Italy to California for my architecture business and what I always miss is the authentically natural taste of the Italian local produce. Some types of vegetables can’t even be found outside of Italy such as “agretti” (a type of seasonal deep-green frond-like vegetable) or “puntarelle” (a long white bean sprout-type vegetable which is delicious served with an anchovy dressing). And, as far as captivating goes, the Colosseum isn’t bad either.

Has coming to Rome enhanced your work experience?
Living and working in Rome is the equivalent of receiving a PhD in lateral thinking, problem solving, crisis management and alternative plan negotiation.

What would you tell a visitor not to miss in Rome?
I would suggest visiting all the different cinema locations that have been featured in films over the years. For example, just near Piazza Barberini, Vittorio de Sica used Via del Traforo for an important scene in “The Bicycle Thief” (in which the main character chases after the thief). Via Veneto 66 is where Giulietta Masina visits a nightclub in Fellini’s “Nights of Cabiria”. Giulio Agricola, near Cinecittà Studios, even has it’s own mini “Walk of Fame” featuring the stars of Italian cinema, and the nearby San Giovanni Bosco church is where Fellini shot the opening scenes of “La Dolce Vita”. The Parco degli Acquedotti , which Pasolini used as a backdrop to “Mama Roma”is also in the neighborhood.

Where do you go to chill out?
I find the terrace of Castel Sant Angelo is magical as the golden sun sets on the Eternal City. From there, you have an extraordinary vista of the many cupolas and can admire the amber light shining through the stained glass windows. I also enjoy strolling around the lake at the Villa Borghese. Another special thing to do is to visit the Borghese Gallery Aviary, when they hold the “Tea with Butterflies” (usually in May). Exotic butterflies fly around freely among the restored frescoes while you enjoy a cup of tea.

What is the most memorable thing that has happened to you in Rome?
I would have to say the birth of my son. I highly recommend Rome as a place to bring up children. Italian kids are great and they love their Mamma! For me that means having an Italian husband, but I guess that is not one of the questions on this list!

Is there something that annoys you about Rome?
The usual things — the noise, chaos and dirt. But an especially irritating thing is the ingrained lack of respect for tradition. You would think that in a country as ancient as this one , respect would be synonymous with the culture. The English have their red buses and black taxis; New York has yellow cabs, and the logos used by institutions are usually the original ones with only minor alterations. But not here. For example, the color of buses — blue, orange and silver. The design is mixed and has monthly add-on flavors. Taxis change every few years – green, black, yellow, white. The Commune di Roma’s logo and signage change nearly every time a new mayor takes office!

What is your favorite restaurant?
“Il Moro” near the Trevi Fountain [Trattoria Al Moro, Vicolo Delle Bollette 13, tel 06 699 40736]. It’s an intimate, typically Roman, family-run place with excellent food. The waiters are like part of the family and it is reassuring to see the same familiar faces year after year. It was a favourite haunt of Fellini, who had a pasta dish (“La Dolce Vita”) named after him — tagliolini with tiny calamari in a tomato sauce. Fellini cast the owner of the restaurant, Mario Romagnoli, to play Trimalcione in his film “Satyricon” and listed him on the credits as “Il Moro”. Instead of reciting numbers which would later be dubbed with dialogue, Romagnoli recited the menu from his restaurant.

How would someone from abroad benefit by coming to Rome for a few years?
I completed my specialization in Architecture and Restoration in Rome and I couldn’t imagine studying these subjects anywhere else. There are some studies that are best completed by actually touching the surrounding environment and even experiencing the sounds. The play of light at different times of the day and night just cannot be captured in photographs or films as effectively as being here. Being on site is unbeatable.

When is the best time to visit?
Spring — being a garden-lover I can only encourage people to see the city in full bloom. The Spanish Steps, which were built in 1723-25, decorated with azaleas (usually from the 20th of April for about three weeks) is a unique and extravagant sight. This tradition of decorating the steps started in 1936, for no other reason than to create a beautiful vista. Which other place in the world decorates one of its historic monuments with 600 pots of flowers? What a show!!

Pascale Ferry was born in Lyon, France. She did her schooling there and got a degree in Letters and English Literature at the university. The first stop on her career path was Paris, where she spent ten years as beauty editor of an important magazine. One of the people she met and interviewed was the Japanese shiatsu maestro Yamasaki. Thus began a lifelong passion for this healing method and for the Eastern philosophy of life in general. While in Paris, she met her Italian husband, moved to Rome and raised her two children. Pascale has worked for Unimed (Mediterranean Universities Union) and the magazine Rive, dealing with Mediterranean culture, organizing intercultural events in the Middle East. Her love of all things Japanese helped launch a beautiful Italian-Japanese space in Rome, where photographic shows are shared with a sushi restaurant and a garden tea room. Pascal has a diploma from IGEA, ’Arti per la Salute’, the shiatsu school in Rome, and is a practising master of the Masunaga technique. She continues her studies and encounters with various teachers from around the world.

What is the most captivating thing about Rome for you?
The perfect nonchalance of Roman people towards their antiquity, the lively marketplaces, and the word ‘condonno’, meaning an administrative or institutional forgiveness. Very looked for in Rome.

Has coming to Rome enhanced your work experience?
Sure, since I followed a three-year course in Shiatsu here, but it took time. The first years were sometimes difficult.

What would you tell a visitor not to miss in Rome?
A cool beer in the bar garden of the Villa Medici around 7 p.m., after a warm day, in the shade of the Medicean palace with a light wind blowing (ponentino, literally in Italian, the light west wind, coming in from the sea).

What is the most memorable thing that has happened to you in Rome?
One year after my arrival, I read a book by a famous French writer, Julien Gracq, titled ‘Autour des sept collines’, ‘Around the seven hills’, so that I could understand them, and since he was both very critical and very interested in Rome, I felt a secret complicity with him and wrote him a letter, which I was able to send through his editor. You must know that he was the type never to give an interview. He was always published in the prestigious Pleiade editions and quoted in the top literature books. However, after a few weeks, one day, which happened to be my birthday, I received a handwritten answer from him, thanking me for my letter and comment. Ten lines written in such a perfect way. I felt so honored! Rome was our common ‘object of resentment’ as Racine wrote, but it was also an object of fascination since he wrote a book about it … and I have been living here for 16 years.

Is there something that annoys you about Rome?
Traffic, cars and the administration, which sometimes you can’t avoid.

What is your favorite restaurant?
Bruni in Via Germanico 58. [Tuscan cuisine in the Prati district]

How would someone from abroad benefit by coming to Rome for a few years?
Forget making comparisons with your own country, and enjoy the town, learn the language and watch [Italian] films with Alberto Sordi.

Yuko Tesshi, was born in Gifu, called the umbilicus of Japan, the only province not on the sea. Her father was a Buddhist priest, so she grew up in a temple, which is still her home in Japan. As the priesthood is hereditary, her grandfather was also a priest. Her family followed the custom of wearing kimonos and practiced a traditional Japanese lifestyle. When her school studies were over, she went to University in Tokyo to study art, design and fashion management using modern technology, as was the custom. But she yearned to learn to draw by hand, so she came to Rome to study and to work. One evening, when she went to a party wearing her kimono (by now not so usual in Japan), everyone complimented her on the beauty of the cloth. There and then she decided to start her own business, and went back to Japan to search for fabrics. There she met an elderly gentleman, once a supplier of textiles to her mother, who was closing his business. He offered to give Yuko some of his stock, and with that she launched her Studio Giochi di Seta (silk games) in Via Monterone. She makes her own accessories, shirts, beautiful dresses and jackets from antique and new silk and cotton. Her label for women is Orihime, (Weaving Princess Star) from the famous Japanese fable. Her men?s line is Ryoma, the name of her favourite Samurai, known to have led Japan into the modern world. She likes to play with words, pointing out that if you subtract the "y" from Ryoma, you get Roma!

What is the most captivating thing about Rome for you?
My morning coffee, either at the Bar or at home.

Has your stay in Rome enhanced your work experience?
While you are dealing with the chaos, you learn to become more flexible. The necessity of controlling each step of any production or work relationship teaches you patience.

What would you tell a visitor not to miss in Rome?
The architecture of the area Coppedè in Rome often not known to visitors. [In northern Rome near Piazza Buenos Aires]

What is the most memorable thing that has happened to you in Rome?
We have very cold light in Japan and crossing the Tiber for the first time in the evening and seeing the warm golden reflection of the lights on the water, with St.Peter?s as a background, was magical.

Is there something that annoys you about Rome?
Once one has said goodbye after dinner and the evening is over, everyone lingers on talking another half an hour. And then, the brusque manner of the city people here — slamming doors, talking loudly, bumping into you in the street.

What is your favorite restaurant?
Arturo in Via Aurelia Antica 413. From fish to pizza; everything first quality and delicious.

How would someone from abroad benefit by coming to Rome for a few years?
Well, breaking one's own habits always helps one to live anywhere in the world. Rome, therefore, is a good school for this. The great social freedom in the city is a pleasure.

When is the best time to visit?
August when Rome becomes peaceful and quiet again.

Vibeke Gurholt, daughter of a Norwegian father and an English mother, grew up in Oslo. She began dancing at the age of eight and went on to study at Oslo's Royal Ballet Upper School, and the Royal Ballet School in London. Vibeke has been a dancer with the Royal Danish Ballet, Roland Petit, Ballet de Marseille and Stora Teatern in Sweden as well as The Norwegian National Ballet in Oslo. Some of her many roles include Odette/Odile in Swan Lake, Mercedes and the Dryade Queen in Don Quixote choreographed by Rudolf Nureyev, Cleopatra in Ballet Russe, Carmen for Roland Petit, and Pavlova in Diaghilev-Ballet Russe. Her final role at the Sadlers Wells Theatre in London, the Nanny in Romeo and Juliet, was created especially for her by choreographer Michael Corder. In Italy, she has appeared in Siena, Verona and Rome. After retiring from the ballet stage, she sold her home in Oslo and moved here to the Eternal City, where she trains professional dancers.

What is the most captivating thing about Rome for you?
Rome makes me feel at home and happy.

What would you tell a visitor not to miss in Rome?
The view of the sun setting from the Pincio or a Roman terrace in Prati, too romantic for words? The dark velvet summer evenings. And the Pantheon.

Where do you go in Rome to chill out?
Dancing class with Denys Ganio, former star with Roland Petit. Bicycling and picnicking by the Tiber.

What is the most memorable thing that has happened to you in Rome?
Being invited by a lovely Roman to go skiing in Subiaco, one hour from Rome.

Is there something that annoys you about Rome?
Even if people are spontaneous, it doesn?t always mean that they are precise and that can be irritating for me coming from the North of Europe.

What is your favorite restaurant?
I always say people should discover restaurants themselves, the choice is vast but traditional Italian food at Dante's in Via dei Gracchi is nice. [Dante Taberna de' Gracchi, via dei Gracchi 266 in the Prati district. tel 06 321 3126]

How would someone from abroad benefit by coming to Rome for a few years?
For a young and ambitious dancer Rome is not the place I would suggest, but for later in life, it is great. The nearness to the sea, mountains and other cities is convenient.

Has coming to Rome enhanced your work experience?
Rome is better for leisure than work, but I find the sense of fantasy of the people interesting.

When is the best time to visit?
Perhaps avoid the rainy period in November. It is great all the year. Even in August when the city is empty and calm.

Rudhra Kapur, a fashion designer with his own label, Cerfontaine, is a true world citizen. Born in Mumbai to an Anglo-Indian father and a Franco-German mother, he grew up travelling through India and Europe until his teens, when he was sent to school in the Himalayas. He initiated his creative studies at the Camden Art Centre, London, and the Paris Academy of Fashion Design and Technology, London followed by a brief, intensive course at the National Fashion Institute in New York, where he acquired knowledge of American design systems. After a stay in Paris, he returned to Mumbai to open his first venture, Gallery Rudhra. After joining his father’s textile empire, he travelled widely, working with leading fashion houses throughout the world. Five years ago, he relocated to Rome. He has created a new brand here, using his mother's maiden name, Cerfontaine. His studio, on in Via dei Gracchi, in the Prati district, is headquarters for his fashion

What is the most captivating thing about Rome for you?
The quality of life, together with its architecture and mysticism. It is certainly the most beautiful city to live in aesthetically.

Has your experience of coming to Rome enhanced your work experience?
It has taught me a lot about self-reliance and tolerance due to its casual attitude on the professional level, and I have also learned to practice discretion regarding my personal achievements.

What would you tell a visitor not to miss in Rome?
The Pantheon, Fontana di Trevi, Campo dei Fiori, Trastevere and my shop in Prati.

What is the most memorable thing that has happened to you in Rome?
It has captivated my soul, and with this, my all

Is there something that annoys you about Rome?.
The claustrophobic traffic and social narcissism, plus the verbal diarrhea.
.
What is your favourite restaurant?
Focaccio, Via della Pace (near Piazza Navona) and Peccato di Vino in Via Propezio (Prati).

How would someone from abroad benefit by coming to Rome for a few years?
The city of Rome, unlike most large cities of our times, still bears a large sense of humanity and enjoyment in life — eating, napping, flirting. An easy go-lucky life style in general, together with a relatively wonderful climate.

Laura Ellen Antinucci grew up in Rome, where her father was employed with the Goodyear Tire Company. She completed her last year of high school and attended college back in the USA, earning a B.S. in psychology from Union College, Schenectady, New York and a masters degree in Educational Psychology at New York University. In 1980, after completing her studies, she returned to Rome, married and raised four children. Her interest in the field of maternity and breastfeeding has led her to become a lactation consultant for the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners. She was a La Leche League leader for 10 years and has collaborated with the Centro Studi Yoga Roma for more than 20 years, conducting their pre-natal and post-natal courses. Laura has worked with the Public Health Agency for Lazio, participated in a project in coordination with Unicef, and collaborated with 17 public hospitals in Lazio, helping them to become "Baby Friendly". She speaks at workshops and conferences to health care workers and lay breastfeeding counselors. She is the co-author of articles and booklets on breastfeeding. Her other activities, include translation and home visits for women postpartum.

What is the most captivating thing about Rome for you?
The historical center and it's works of art, "real" Romani, and the food! And I have enjoyed learning more about Italian culture through my work.

Has living in Rome enhanced your work experience?
Not really. It's pretty wild trying to do home visits in this traffic, and parking — aiuto!

What would you tell a visitor not to miss in Rome?
The peep hole at the Giardino degli Aranci- from this garden there is a beautiful view of the center of Rome and of church of Santa Sabina.

Where do you go in Rome to chill out?
Villa Ada, Villaggio dei Pescatori (Fregene), Lake Bracciano, home (in the Parco di Veio), jazz clubs, Parco della Musica — the Porta di Roma shopping center when I desperately need A/C!

What is the most memorable thing that has happened to you in Rome?
I had my first communion when I was 13, along with my brother who was 12, and after the ceremony, our family took us for a walk around the city, all dressed up. People asked me if I was a bride!

Is there something that annoys you about Rome?.
I know this will sound like a cliché', but the TRAFFIC, the smog, the difficulty of finding parking and the garbage situation...
.
What is your favourite restaurant?
George's [Via Marche 7 at Via Veneto, Roma, tel 06 4208 4575, elegant restaurant and piano bar] and Le Colline Emiliane near Piazza Barberini [Via Avignonesi 22 tel 06 481 7538, classic Bolognese cuisine].

How would someone from abroad benefit by coming to Rome for a few years?
Try to become immersed in the culture as much as possible....shop at the mercati, learn how to cook the local foods, learn to speak Italian, take personalized tours, hang out with the Romans, help your children meet Italian kids (try the parks...the Italian playgroup!).

Paula Pivato O'Neill was born in Bilbao, Spain, where her father was Vice Consul at the American Embassy. When Paula was four years-old, the family moved to Rome, where Paula attended international schools. She graduated with a degree in Interior Design from the CSIA Institute in Lugano, Switzerland, then did her graduate work back in Rome, earning a degree in Decor, Interiors and Stage Design. She began her professional life designing interiors for villas in Saudi Arabia, furniture for the interior design store WAMA, and working as the production manager for the International company Vivai del Sud. She moved for a time to San Francisco, where she representated Italian design firms, and formed her own company I.D.E.A., an acronym for Italian Design Associates, dedicated to promoting contemporary Italian furniture design throughout North America. In 1990, she returned to Rome, as design manager for Fendi, creating enivornments for the label's worldwide boutiques, and its shops within larger stores. Paula now lives just outside Rome in Trevignano, on Lake Bracciano, where she continues her design projects for companies in Italy and the United States. Recent work has included designs for the watchmakers Hausmann & Co on Via Condotti in Rome and the historic flagship store of Patek Philippe in Geneva.
www.designoneill.com

What is the most captivating thing about Rome for you?
If I must pick only one unique thing about Rome, I would say the light. The light that reflects on the historical buildings along the Tiber river, the orange sunset hitting the statues on the church facades, when the city below is already in the dark. The light that reminds you what season it is and that Rome was once part of an empire.

Has coming to Rome enhanced your work experience?
Yes, indeed, my taste for proportions, colors and styles is something I definitely picked up by growing up in Rome and having an Italian mother who was born in Rome, but grew up in Venice.

What would you tell a visitor not to miss in Rome?
An open air market, listening to people talking about everyday life and asking you about yours.
A casual lunch in any trattoria (where there are no tourists) or a gelato in a busy bar in a downtown piazza, and last but not least, the Roman Forum!

Where do you go in Rome to chill out?
The historic center, walking through the narrow streets, chatting with the store owners and bartenders as I sip my aperitivo while sitting at a sidewalk table and watching the people stroll by.

What is the most memorable thing that has happened to you in Rome?
I was an actress (at the age of 7) in a movie with Maurice Chevalier and Jane Mansfield. Being with the troupe at Cinecittà and in the most beautiful piazzas, I experimented the Dolce Vita!

Is there something that annoys you about Rome?
Searching for parking endlessly! The boldness of drivers and the impoliteness of people when standing in a queue. Arrogance.

What is your favorite restaurant?
Perilli, in Testaccio [Ristorante Trattoria Perilli, Via Marmorata 39, tel 06 574 2415], where they make the best pasta alla carbonara!

How would someone coming from abroad benefit by coming to Rome for a few years?
I think it would be therapeutic, like when you have a child; everything is unexpected, creative and improvised and you must learn to be flexible again. An anti-age treatment. (But only for a few years!)

When is the best time to visit?
When you have time, money and a yen for Roman ruins!

Gail Milissa Grant was born in St. Louis, Missouri on the cusp of the civil rights movement of the 1950s. She is the daughter of Mildred and David M. Grant, a prominent civil rights attorney and activist. At Washington University, she earned a B.A.in Art History and Archaeology, then remained in Washington DC as assistant Professor of Art and Architectural History at Howard University. She later worked as a foreign service officer with the U.S. Information Agency, managing international cultural and educational exchange programs in Norway, France and Brazil, and winning awards for meritorious service in her field. In 2001, the day after she retired from the Foreign Service, Milissa relocated to Rome to join television set designer Gaetano Castelli, who is now her husband. She has recently published a family memoir, "?At the Elbows of My Elders", recounting the private lives and political passion of black St. Louis during the first half of the 20th century.

What is the most captivating thing about Rome for you?
There are so many things that captivate me here. Living in an outdoor museum is exhilarating.The light is the most compelling. It has a quality I have seen no where else in the world. I love its brightness, but also how it caresses everything it touches, even when the sun is at its most brilliant in the middle of summer.

Has your experience of coming to Rome enhanced your work experience?
Rome provided me with the time and space to finish my first book, although it took me longer than expected. As John Lennon once said, "Your life happens while you are planning to do something else," and I got sidetracked a lot because of life's "passages".

What would you tell a visitor not to miss in Rome?
The food! No, seriously, there is so much to see and experience. Clearly, all the best-known monuments, the Colosseum, etc. I love to take visitors to look at the huge maps on the Viale dei Fori Imperiali of how the Roman Empire expanded, which really show the enormity of it.

Where do you go in Rome to chill out?
Again there are so many ideal spots to chill. I have one above me — our lovely rooftop terrace which overlooks Trinità dei Monti. I also love to go to La Buvette on Via Vittoria [near Piazza del Popolo] — our breakfast hangout — any time of the day. And I love the rooftop bar at the Hotel Forum [Via Tor de' Conti, 25-30], although it's pricey and not open all year long. I am still searching, however, for that perfect outdoor café.

What is the most memorable thing that has happened to you in Rome?
I spent my junior year in college in Perugia at the Università per Stranieri. The very first time I visited Rome, I fell in love with the city and could never shake that feeling. I dreamed about coming back here one day but never imagined that it would happen. Rome made me DREAM LARGE!

Is there something that annoys you about Rome?
There are many things; I wish the streets were cleaner and the sampietrini [cobblestones] were better maintained, and that I had an elevator where I lived. But all in all, these are minor inconveniences for living in one of the most awesome cities on the planet in one of the most beautiful countries in the world. I once experienced a shade of the Stendhal syndrome when I was in Milan. I had just seen [Da Vinci's] The Last Supper, came back to the office (I was working at the US Consulate at the time) and just broke down. So, I can handle the "annoyances" given all the wonderment to be found here.

What is your favourite restaurant?
Just too many to mention. For excellent and inexpensive Roman fare, Lilli Ristorante can't be beat [Via di Tor di Nona 23, near Piazza Navona, tel 06 686 1916 ].

How would someone from abroad benefit by coming to Rome for a few years?
Spending a few years in Rome would be ideal for someone who really wanted to plunge into Italian culture. There are so many things to do, classes to take and countryside jaunts to make. Milan, Florence, Naples, Bologna and Venice are only a few hours away by train. Plus there are so many hidden gems: Foligno for the 'Quintana' — the re-enactment of a medieval joust that takes place in June— is just a couple of hours away in Umbria. And in nearby Spello, the festival of flower street painting takes place that same weekend.

When is the best time to visit?
Anytime except the summer months. It is just too hot (even though the sun does caress you) to be able to really enjoy all the monuments and museums. The crowds can be overwhelming during that season.

Mike Applebaum, trumpeter, composer, arranger and teacher, was born in Chicago and raised in New York. He graduated from the Eastman School of Music in 1977 where, as a member of the Eastman Jazz Ensemble he performed with many celebrated guests such as Randy Brecker, Stan Getz, Bill Evans, Bill Watrous and Lew Soloff. In Rochester, he played with Isaac Hayes, The Temptations, and regularly with the Rochester Philharmonic and Chuck Mangione. He was a member of the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchesta until 1983, when he moved to Rome, where he has performed as first solo trumpet with the International Chamber Orchestra, Centro Italiano della Musica Antica, Camerata Strumentale di Santa Cecilia, Orchestra Sinfonica del Friuli Venezia Giulia, and currently, with the Roma Sinfonietta and the Orchestra Sinfonica di Roma. He leads jazz bands including the Roma Jazz Ensemble and the television/radio orchestras of the RAI and Mediaset channels. He has toured in Europe with Gil Evans, Bobby Brookmeyer, and Zucchero Fornaciari. As an arranger he has worked in television, theatre, and in the studio with recording artists Gloria Gaynor, Thelma Houston, Pino Daniele, Zucchero, Giorgia, and with Alex Britti at the 2003 Sanremo Song Festival. His studio work includes recordings with scores of singer-songwriters, on hundreds of albums and movie soundtracks, working with composers such as Ennio Morricone and Nicola Piovani. In recent years, he has toured Europe with Natalie Cole . Mike teaches privately and holds trumpet masterclasses and clinics throughout Italy, and is currently professor of Jazz Arranging and director of the Jazz Orchestra at the Conservatory of Music in L'Aquila.

What is the most captivating thing about Rome for you?
Its extraordinary beauty. The more I travel around the world, the more I realize that I'm living in perhaps the most beautiful city on the planet. Of course, Rome has its ugly modern suburban areas, but on the whole, it's wonderful.

Has your experience of coming to Rome enhanced your work experience?
Yes, it has. I feel like I've been able to grow as a musician, partly because of the artistic environment that surrounds me. And I would include the rest of Europe in this statement.

What would you tell a visitor not to miss in Rome?
Well, it's endless, you could never visit everything, but if you had only a few days I would suggest the Roman Forums and Colosseum area and the Vatican City and its museums.

Where do you go in Rome to chill out?
I love to take walks in the center late at night in the summer, when there's almost no one on the streets. The city is well-lit at night, and it's just magical. Of course, I don't get to do this very often, but it's very relaxing.

What is the most memorable thing that has happened to you in Rome?
Well, in January of 1986 it snowed here for two weeks! The city was totally unprepared for heavy snow, and it was amazing to see it come to a complete stop!

Is there something that annoys you about Rome?
La maleducazione al volante, that is, the general discourtesy you find among drivers when getting around town here in a car. Very infantile and egotistical behavior at the wheel is the norm! And pedestrians are not respected at all when they're trying to cross the streets.

What is your favourite restaurant?
I don't have one because I love food from around the whole world. I'm always interested in trying new things.

How would someone from abroad benefit by coming to Rome for a few years?
Well, the culture, obviously. Art, architecture, history, ancient ruins of many cultures, music, theatre, literature, etc. Italy contains about 60% of the world's great art treasures, and that alone makes it worth living here for a while.

When is the best time to visit?
For those who want to see Italy's treasures, the weather is best from late March to early May, and then from September to late October. The summer is really hot, but that could be okay for a seaside vacation. The islands are all fantastic for that. Winter is mild in Rome, also good for a vacation.

Rebecca Spitzmiller grew up in Cincinnati Ohio and Fort Lauderdale, Florida. After undergraduate work in Art Education at Florida Atlantic University, she went on to get a degree in law at Nova Southeastern University. In 1984, during a study abroad course on German comparative law in Heidelberg, she took a weekend sidetrip to Florence where she met her Italian husband. The next year, she moved to Rome and began working with international exchange organizations and teaching law. She is now a research professor at the Università degli Studi di Roma Tre, and teaches at the American University of Rome and the Scuola Superiore della Pubblica Amministrazione of Italy's Presidenza del Consiglio dei Ministri. At Roma Tre, Rebecca has coached the Jessup International Moot Court Competition, in which her teams have won several national championships and then gone on to compete internationally in Washington D.C. She has also served as of-counsel with civil and commercial litigation firms in Rome. Recent research involves comparative aspects of legal authority relating to health care in Europe, and methodology on teaching law to Italian students in English. Her numerous published works address the legal and logistical procedures Italian students must follow to work abroad, specifically in the United States. In her spare time, she paints in oil and acrylic and has exhibited in the US and Italy.

What is the most captivating thing about Rome for you?
The scene that unfolds before you in hundreds of places, transporting you to another era: standing on the Campidoglio overlooking the Imperial Forum, inside the Pantheon, in front of Saint Peter's or from atop its cupola, the list is endless.

Has coming to Rome enhanced your work experience?
It's opened doors simply because I am American, and therefore a native English speaker.

What would you tell a visitor not to miss in Rome?
Crypta Balbi, near Largo Argentina. You will have this excellent museum mostly to yourself while discovering the secrets unearthed in this place in over two millennia of history.

Where do you go in Rome to chill out?
Villa Ada, the former hunting grounds of the king is in my neighborhood. Within five minutes from my super-urban apartment, I can breathe fresh air while strolling, running, or riding a bike (rented there) with Briciola, my Golden Retriever.

What is the most memorable thing that happened to you in Rome?
Showing my parents the city on their first trip here in 1985; seeing it through their eyes.

Is there something that annoys you about Rome?
Mostly the graffiti and litter; I wish we could rally to solve this problem.

What is your favorite restaurant?
Adriana's Terrace, Via del Babuino: great food at reasonable prices on a spacious rooftop terrace in the heart of the city.

How would someone from abroad benefit by coming to Rome for a few years?
Apart from learning the language and culture, they would learn a lot about themselves, and their own culture — good and bad.

Kathleen Ann Morris is the stage name of Kelly Armah, who grew up in Illinois, USA. Her passion for dance was born with her, and she began her professional career at the age of 18 with "Dance Machine", a company based in Los Angeles. In Italy, Kelly taught at the International Dance Centre in Rome and the Renato Greco School of Dance in Pescara, as well as participating as a choreographer and dancer with Roberta Garrison and the Everyday Company. Back in New York, she began intensive studies at the Cunningham Studio and with Elaine Summers of the Judson Dance theatre. Some of her choreographic works include "Changes" for Epicentro Dance Company, "Dance" at Teatro Euclide and "Pieces of Africa" at the Teatro Centrale di Napoli. She opened the Epicentro School of music and dance in Mentana in 1994. Kelly is an Angel Therapy practitioner, trained and certified by Doreen Virtue. She organizes seminars during the year as well as conducting private sessions.

What is the most captivating thing about Rome for you?
The blending of old and new. The historic center of Rome bustles with modern technology...much of which isn't working, but that is part of the charm as well as a nuisance!

Has your experience of coming to Rome enhanced your work experience?
I thrive on city's unique energy. It absolutely effects my work, as it does my daily life. I now live in the countryside, so I can relax and connect with nature during the weekends.

What would you tell a visitor not to miss in Rome?
The coffee at Tazza d'oro near the Pantheon. (see our It's All About the Coffee page)

Where do you go in Rome to chill out?
I enjoy the Casa del Jazz and Alexanderplatz as well as other music and dance venues.
(see our music and Mellow Evenings pages)

What is the most memorable thing that has happened to you in Rome?
There are so many memories, but performing in Piazza del Popolo was definitely a highlight!

Is there something that annoys you about Rome?
The fact that American driving licenses are not valid here annoys me to no end.

What is your favorite restaurant?
Well, it is difficult to find a bad Italian restaurant. One of my favourite fish places is Cesare near Piazza Cavour [Via Crescenzio, 13, tel 06 686 1227] , it's pricey, but it has great service and white jackets on the waiters. It is also fun to go to Piazza Vittorio and eat ethnic food. You can leave the country without leaving the city!

How would someone coming benefit from coming to Rome for a few years?
Anyone would benefit by living in Rome for a few years. It has everything you could ask for in a large cosmopolitan city, plus it is full of Italians! I have lived in many countries, many cities, and chose to stay here. That sums it up!

When is the best time to visit?
Every season has its highlights, but I would go with spring. All the blossoms, the birds, the air, it is truly magical here in Rome.

Yvonne Fisher studied the clarinet at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, where she was a student of Stanley Hasty. After taking her degree, she perfected her studies at the Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Siena, with Karl Leister in Florence and with Vincenzo Mariozzi and with William Smith in Rome. She played with the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra in Washington, D.C., and taught at the Young People?s Orchestra there. She has lived in Rome since 1983, ì with her husband, who is also a musician, and her two children. She continues to perform throughout Italy and playing with the Orchestra of Lviv and other organizations. The Rai 3 has published her compositions and she teaches clarinet and ensemble in several private and public schools including the Scuola Populare di Musica di Testaccio.

What is the most captivating thing about Rome for you?
Rome is a very beautiful city. I enjoy it's mild climate and the sun shine.

Has your experience of coming to Rome enhanced your work experience?
I find that my musical experiences have been varied and interesting — more so than in the States.

What would you tell a visitor not to miss in Rome?
I would tell them not to miss anything — the art, the architecture, the food.

Where do you go in Rome to chill out?
I work a lot. When I can, I like to spend time with friends maybe going to a restaurant or a concert.

What is the most memorable thing that has happened to you in Rome?
There have been so many that I can't think of one in particular. Maybe playing at a reception for the Prince of Monaco or meeting Roberto Benigni at a recording session.

Is there something that annoys you about Rome?
The bus service.

What is your favourite restaurant?
I like different types of food. For Italian food maybe one close to home, Il Vecchio Galeone.

How would someone coming from abroad benefit by living in Rome for a few years?
It's always good to get a different perspective on the way people live and experience life.

Elizabeth Abbot came to Rome from New England (USA) 25 years ago with the idea of teaching for just one year, and has been here ever since, along with her husband and "third culture" children. After working in international development, international education and directing the Italian office of a global cultural exchange organization, she discovered the field of cross-cultural communications. Now as a professional Expat Coach and Cross-Cultural Trainer, Elizabeth uses her creativity, knowledge and experience to help people living and working abroad. She believes that you can be yourself, while successfully crossing cultures . In addition to coaching, she trains, speaks, consults, conducts orientations and writes about anything from a cross-cultural perspective, often on her blog www.culturalmoments.blogspot.com, soon in its third year. She also maintains a column on Cultural Intelligence in The Roman Forum magazine: www.crossculturalmoments.com.

What is the most captivating thing about Rome for you?
When I return from a trip, I am always struck, yet again, by the sheer beauty of the city and its monuments. Then, there is daily life, which captivates with its challenges.

Has your experience of coming to Rome enhanced your work experience?
?Resourceful? was the number one attribute others indicated for me in a 360° assessment. This is a difficult city to thrive in as a
professional, and I have certainly developed resourcefulness. To make your way you must be able to solve problems in original ways, seek out creative options, leverage ambiguity and uncertainty and, above all, be persistent.

What would you tell a visitor not to miss in Rome?
The Contarelli Chapel in the San Luigi dei Francesi church with its Caravaggio paintings and the view over the city from the Janiculum hill in the afternoon light. I recently discovered the bar in the Chiostro del Bramante on Via della Pace just behind Piazza Navona — a lovely and quiet oasis amidst the city?s noise and activity.

Where do you go in Rome to chill out?
Our terrace in Monteverde Vecchio. I also love the nearby Villa Pamphili and often take a run through its archways of umbrella pines.

What is the most memorable thing that has happened to you in Rome?
Giving birth to my children in the middle of the Tiber river on the Isola Tiberina [at the Fatebenefratelli hospital] and showing each of them their new home from the window. They have been Roman citizens from the start.

Is there something that annoys you about Rome?
Only one thing? The time and mental energy it takes to get simple things done. In the end, managing uncertainty and ambiguity is the most difficult part of living in Rome. The answer to many questions is ?Boh? because there is never only one answer and choosing among the various possible responses depends on factors that are often unclear and, once clear, they change. The most effective stress-reducing strategy is repeating the mantra, ?Pazienza, maybe I will figure this out tomorrow.?

What is your favourite restaurant?
We lived just up from da Luigi in Piazza Sforza Cesarini for many years and we enjoy returning "home" for a good Roman meal.

How would someone coming from abroad benefit by coming to Rome for a few years?
You would return home full of new resources, alternative perspectives on life balance, the role of relationships to get business done, flexible time frames that put relationships first, the importance of a good meal in the scheme of things, and strategies for finding a balance between substance and appearance in order to make the world a nicer place.

When is the best time to visit?
Springtime, to enjoy wedding parties being photographed against the backdrop of the city. They always make me smile.

Lynn Apple grew up in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, and became a certified lactation consultant at the Hopital de Poissy in France, Infermiére Puéricultrice. For the past 25 years, she has been a childbirth educator and breastfeeding specialist, working in hospitals in France, Israel and the USA. After settling in Rome in 2007 with her husband George, and their three children, she created the website RomeMama.com, with her partner, Rachel Jarvis. The site aims to provide English-speaking mothers, living in Rome, a means to relate to one another, sharing support, creating a community spirit, and providing useful information.

What is the most captivating thing about Rome for you?
I love the colors of Rome...the deep green of the parasol pines, the warm pastels of the buildings and their rooftops, the magnificent marble of the fountains, the brilliant blue sky....topped by the warmth of the sun in a wonderful Mediterranean climate!

Has your experience of coming to Rome enhanced your work experience?
Yes it has. The creation of RomeMama is my first experience in developing a web site. It's very different than the approach I have had in the past with mothers and babies, and it's been a very positive experience.

What would you tell a visitor not to miss in Rome?
The Colosseum... what an extraordinary place!

Where do you go in Rome to chill out?
The Borghese Gardens.... I love the fountains, the trees, and the air. It's great to see all the people there just having a good time.

What's the most memorable thing that has happened to you in Rome?
Shortly before we moved to Rome, my husband and I came for a weekend to find an apartment. We were trying to figure out how to get where we needed to go, so we asked someone for help with directions ...we were nowhere in the vicinity of where we needed to be...the person was very nice but completely flustered ...that's when we learned that Italians really do say "Mamma Mia!"

Is there something that annoys you about Rome?
I am annoyed with how reckless and inconsiderate people can be with their motorinos and cars.

What is your favorite restaurant?
My favorite place is Santa Lucia [Via di tor sanguigna 2 near Piazza Navona, tel 06 688 02427]. The food is good and it has a lovely outdoor space. In the spring when the wisteria is in bloom the atmosphere is magical.

How would someone coming from abroad benefit by coming to Rome for a few years?
I think that living in a culture different from your own offers many opportunities for personal growth...it's also a lot of fun!

When is the best time to visit?
I would say the spring, early summer or fall are all very nice.

Megan Fitzgerald, an American expat, lives in Rome with her husband and English bulldog. Although she was born and grew up in the U.S., her fascination for other cultures and travel has led her to living and working in visiting over more than countries. Megan and her husband chose to move to Rome three years ago, having fallen in love with Italy's culture, weather, food and lifestyle. Megan's desire to be able to live and work where she chooses, along with her expertise in personal branding and career and business development, led her to forming her own company Career by Choice. Now, having designed a rewarding portable business, she works with professionals and entrepreneurs from all over the world, helping her clients to build careers or businesses that fit an international, mobile lifestyle. Megan is active in community service, donating a percentage of her own income to fund programs fighting AIDS, TB and malaria, and she actively supports entrepreneurs in developing countries through micro loans.

What is the most captivating thing about Rome for you?
Its incredible beauty, architecture and celebration of aesthetics. I get incredibly inspired just walking around the streets.

Has your experience of coming to Rome enhanced your work experience?
Honestly, as I work with most of my clients virtually (by phone or computer) and I often travel for work, where I am living does not affect my work life very much. It mostly affects my personal life. However, I can say that it is nice to work outside on the terrace with my laptop on a fall evening in Rome.

What would you tell a visitor not to miss in Rome?
That's very hard to say because there are so many amazing things to see....Trevi Fountain is a really majestic site.

Where do you go in Rome to chill out?
Villa Borghese or Piazza del Popolo with my husband and bulldog.

What is the most memorable thing that has happened to you in Rome?
My husband took me out for my birthday to Vivendo [the restaurant at the St. Regis Grand Hotel]. We had an incredible meal. Afterwards we walked around Piazza della Repubblica and then down Via Veneto to Piazza Venezia. Although it was late, we ended up walking home because it was such a beautiful night. The streets were alive wth lights and people. It was a magical evening.

Is there something that annoys you about Rome?
I can say that getting certain things done - particularly dealing with the questura [the state police handle immigration and naturalization] can be quite challenging and can wear out even the most patient person at times.

What is your favourite restaurant?
Again, another hard question. Sicilia in Bocca has great sicilian food. [two locations—in Prati at Via Emilio Faà di Bruno, 26 and near Tor di Quinto at Via Flaminia, 390] I always take guests and friends who are visiting there.

How would someone from abroad benefit by coming to Rome for a few years?
I believe it is a powerful thing to see how important relationships are in Italy. Time is meant for spending with people. Meals are not just about eating good food, they are about conversation. In many cultures, this is far from the case. This focus shows up in all sorts of ways. I love the fact that when I go to a store or the market I am always greeted with a hello. They remember what I like to buy and let me know about what they think might interest me. People whom I don't know greet me on the street. I have great conversations with strangers. I can't think of anywhere else in the world where I have had someone strike up a conversation on a street corner waiting for the light to change and ended up talking for so long that it was several light changes before I actually made it across the street.

Jonathan Turner was born in Sydney, Australia. He attended Oxford University on a scholarship (but for only one day), and immediately decided to learn about the fine arts in a less structured environment, first in Amsterdam, then Paris. Almost by mistake, he came to Rome in 1983 on a holiday, and since then, Rome has been his home, though he moves between Amsterdam, Bangkok, New York and Sydney. His work as an international art curator, writer and critic, takes him around the globe. He has organized more than 150 solo and group exhibitions in international museums and galleries. Jonathan's involvement in the contemporary art scene is multi-faceted. He has collaborated with Manifesta (the European biennial of contemporary art, the seventh edition of which takes place until November 2 in Bolzano, Trento, Rovereto and Fortezza), and he has frequently worked at the Venice Biennale. He is the founding director of the Jet Foundation for Inter-Continental Art, a non-profit organization based on the promotion of art events around the world, and he is the founding advisor to RipArte Art Fair in Rome. He has been awarded the prestigious A.B.O. prize as best independent curator and critic for his work in Italy in 2006. He has been European Editor for such Australian magazines as Interior Architecture, Black + White and Blue, and he is a long-time Rome correspondent for ARTnews, New York and Tableau Fine Arts magazine in the Netherlands.

What is the most captivating thing about Rome for you?
Rome is a city for the senses. It looks wonderful, it sounds human, the food tastes fresh, the sun feels good on your skin. The city still offers up brand new surprises. You can walk down the same street every day, and one afternoon, at a certain moment, the sun hits a window or a wall and you see a different beauty for the first time. This is magic. I still get around town on my bicycle, which in the early days of pot-holes, uneven cobblestones and bag-snatchers, was an uncommon and fairly stupid mode of transport. But as a result, I now know the streets very well. And you can talk to anyone — a kid playing football, dustman, young businesswoman parking her Alfa, dubious shaved guy, housewife — and everyone talks back to you. I am not a shy person, but in some cities, it can be hard to find out anything about fascinating local drama. Not in Rome. Here, ask a question on any corner, and you are given your very own personal short story, usually with a brilliant punchline thrown in for good measure.

Has your experience of coming to Rome enhanced your work experience?
My first proper job in Rome was in the mid-1980s as the art critic for the now-defunct English daily newspaper The International Courier. It was a hands-on, unusual experience, in an editorial office that was a hotbed of subterfuge, magnificent ego battles and colourful surrealism. Yet for me, a young Australian biking around to all the exhibitions I could visit, it was total freedom, and a marvelous education in Italian politics. This led to offers of work from such American magazines as HG, Conde Nast Traveler, and ARTnews, for whom I have been a roving correspondent since 1985. From my work as art critic, grew a frustration with the quality of many shows I was seeing. So in 1993, I organized a group exhibition called "Double Dutch" together with the Netherlands Ministry of Culture, at Sala 1, to prove to myself that it wasn't impossible. The next year, as a further test, I conceived and organised an event called "L'Ottobre degli Olandesi", 12 simultaneous solo shows by 12 contemporary Dutch artists in 12 Roman galleries. This spirit of collaboration has characterized my work ever since.
At the same time, I have worked as critic or curator for many years with established Italian artists - PierPaolo Calzolari, Enzo Cucchi, Nino Longobardi, Maurizio Mochetti, Luigi Ontani, Mimmo Paladino, Gianni Piacentino - plus I've been involved in several early exhibitions with Roman artists of my generation, who are now internationally renowned - Matteo Basile, Paolo Canevari, Luana Perilli, Cristiano Pintaldi, Daniele Puppi, Oliviero Rainaldi, Franco Silvestro.

What would you tell a visitor not to miss in Rome?
Don't plan too much. Walk around town, go in to any building that looks inviting, and generally get lost in the smaller streets.

Where do you go in Rome to chill out?
Sitting on my terrace in Trastevere, having a big barbecue on my vintage Sears & Roebuck grill. It's about the most relaxing place I know. And I also find the clubs a good place to catch up with friends. I have a long association with Muccassassina [Friday nights], the Gay Village and Gorgeous at Alpheus [via del Commercio 36 in the Ostiense district]. At the moment, one of my favourite places to spend early Sunday morning is sitting on the steps in the courtyard at Club 69. Definitely not for everyone, but hey, that's Rome.

What is the most memorable thing that has happened to you in Rome?
There are so many, but one moment stands out. I was in the kitchen cooking at about nine o'clock one night many years ago, when I heard a strange humming, throbbing sound coming from the skies. So I went up on to my terrace, and the Goodyear blimp was hovering what seemed only just a few meters above my plants. It had all these colored lights flashing at the base (I think they were advertising slogans but the zeppelin was simply too close to read the words) and it was like I was being engulfed in a sci-fi scene from Blade Runner, as though the ancient city was suddenly the spectacular site of Close Encounters.

Is there something that annoys you about Rome?
Rome is a sponge. Sometimes, it absorbs energy, creativity and innovation — often, it thrives on a form of intellectual theft. It is a continual challenge to get paid, everybody always owes you money. If you are a plumber, you demand cash in advance, if you are a curator, people assume you must do it as a hobby. I think if you can succeed in Rome, then basically you can work anywhere. As a city, it demands excellence though you are rarely given credit for it. But then again, I suppose that is understandable. So many people come through Rome; so many people take away strong memories, that Rome is allowed to be the demanding despot now and then. At the moment, it is wallowing in a superficial phase of hyper-PR and celebrity-obsession, with a definite layer of uncertainty and fear, but so is the rest of the planet.

What is your favorite restaurant?
I am not a big fan of formal restaurants, so there is a series of noisy trattorias around town where I usually meet up with friends and visitors. But Pierluigi in Piazza de Ricci (near Campo de'Fiori) has been my second kitchen for more than a decade.

How would someone coming from abroad benefit by coming to Rome for a few years?
Apart from all the obvious reasons, on a contemporary level, Rome is going through what could be seen as a renaissance. It is not an open-air museum, but a hi-tech metropolis, as long as you know where to look. Everybody comes through Rome. After decades of torpor, there is an authentic boom underway, particularly in the cultural scene. There are new buildings designed by Richard Meier, Renzo Piano, Zaha Hadid, Pickering-Lazzarini, Garofalo & Miura, Massimiliano Fuksas, Carlo Aymonino, Odile Decq, Rem Koolhaas and the other hotshots of international architecture (sensibly constructed on the margins of the old city). The music scene is vibrant too — big or small, superstar or independent, it seems that every good singer or band passes through Rome. Valentino may have stepped down from his role as flagship fashion designer, but younger designers such as Grimaldi Giardina are hot on his heels. There are three new museums of contemporary art, and a plethora of active art galleries. Over the past few years, alongside such important Roman stalwarts as L'Attico, Il Ponte Contemporanea, Pio Monti, Oredaria, Volume, S.A.L.E.S. and Alessandra and Valentina Bonomo, high quality, newer galleries have opened spaces in the capital including Lipanjepuntin, Lorcan O'Neill, Magazzino d'Arte Moderna, Trisorio, 1/9 Unosunove, VM21, z2o/Sara Zanin and the mighty Gagosian.

When is the best time to visit?
Anytime, really. Most people prefer spring and autumn, but I love Rome in mid-August, when the asphalt is sticky and the streets are empty, or on New year's Eve, when the entire sky explodes with fireworks, or any time that the local football or national football team wins, and the city become truly jubilant.

Ann Joyce (aka Contessa Bracci-Devoti) was raised in both Chicago and San Francisco, where her family?s Public Relations offices were located. While attending Arizona State University, she worked on humanitarian projects with Native Americans on their reservations and studied to be a social worker and community organizer. After gaining experience in marketing and public relations in the U.S., she moved to Rome where she married her Italian husband and formed her own Public Relations and Event Planning firm. Her clients included show business personalities, political campaigns, hotels and non-profit organizations. Ann has been with the FAO (the UN food and agriculture organization) since 2002, assisting the office of the Director of Emergency Operations. She recently acted as a volunteer press liaison for the High Level Conference on World Food Security, where more than 1,500 accredited journalists were in attendance, together with many world leaders. Ann lives with her family in Rome and spends weekends at her home in the medieval village of Tuscania.

What is the most captivating thing about Rome for you?
Rome is seductive; everywhere you turn it lures you in. Especially, "Rome by Night" as they say. . . since it?s really the only time you can experience it at it?s best. No traffic, quiet streets, so many artistically-lit ancient ruins. It?s a city for lovers and I love it!

Has coming to Rome enhanced your work experience?
I'm not sure if it has enhanced my work experience since whenever you take yourself outside of your given sphere of doing business you take a risk or even a loss since many things don?t translate. There is a lot of adjusting to do when comparing the American work ethic and the Italian style of life, which are in direct contrast at times. You must be prepared to accept less in exchange for the joy of living in the "Bel Paese".

What would you tell a visitor not to miss in Rome?
Appia Antica at sunset, the Pantheon in the early morning, the Trevi Fountain in the middle of the night, St. Peter?s off-season, the view from the Giannicalo anytime, warm pizza bianca in the morning . . .

Where do you go in Rome to chill out?
I drive north on the Cassia to my husband's project the "Le Pozze" Terme di San Sisto and soak in the hot springs, completely surrounded by Roman ruins and scenic countryside. It?s a beauty treatment for body and soul that is frequented by many Romans who follow this age old ritual for "benessere" [well-being].

What is the most memorable thing that has happened to you in Rome?
The first week I was in Rome I headed for the Vatican, of course, and found myself in a splendid side chapel where mass was being held. After kneeling down to say a prayer, I felt a rush of warm tears flowing down my face. I couldn?t stop. I was so moved by the overwhelming atmosphere of St. Peter?s Basilica and my first experience of being in a place I had dreamed about my whole life, I couldn?t help myself. It was magical and I will never forget it.

Is there something that annoys you about Rome?
I would like to remove all the TV aerials on the roof tops of the buildings in Rome since they ruin the view and there is hardly any need for them anymore since the invention of the dish.

What is your favorite restaurant in Rome?
The best is my own dining room at home where my son "Chef Carlo" prepares us a gourmet meal!

In your opinion, how does a foreigner benefit from the experience of living in Rome?
Rome offers a unique opportunity to step back in time and reflect on 3000 years of history. Study, play and grow. Drink the wonderful wines and learn how to eat properly using seasonal ingredients and traditional dishes made in creative new ways.

What's the best time of the year to visit Rome?
August although beastly hot sometimes can be a real treat. The Italians are at their best, on vacation, tan and well-dressed and the streets are uncrowded. Parks are filled with outdoor concerts and many of the best restaurants remain open and are more relaxed. The tomatoes are at their best too!

Elisabeth Giansiracusa grew up in San José, California. She studied Italian, French, and Romance Linguistics at the University of Washington, then continued her studies, doing graduate work in Comparative Literature at the University of California at Berkeley. In 1981, she began her Italian adventure, moving to Florence with her husband, and, eight years later, to Rome. After raising two children here, and many years of university teaching in Italian Studies at several American university programs in Florence and Rome, she has reinvented herself as a sort of Jill-of-all-Trades: specialized guide, translator, editor, cultural facilitator. Her walking tours through Rome reflect her interest in the synergy between past and present. She has translated and edited numerous books and articles on Italian culture and she is the co-author of In giro per la letteratura: leggere e scrivere nei corsi intermedi d?italiano, an intermediate language text that has been adopted by several universities and high schools in the United States.

What is the most captivating thing about Rome for you?
The very nature of the city itself — its age, wisdom, resilience.

Has living in Rome enhanced your work experience?
Almost all of my professional life has depended on and been nurtured by adapting to life in Rome and Italy at large.

What would you tell a visitor not to miss in Rome?
Apart from the major cultural sites of the various ages of Rome, I?d recommend a late afternoon pause in just about any of the historical piazzas or parks. Watch the colors change as the sun sets, the birds feed in the evening breezes, and more....

Where do you go in Rome to chill out?
If I?m at home, out onto my terrace which looks out over the Parco dell?Insugherata and toward the foothills of the Apennines, Monte Soratte, and the Via Cassia north into Etruscan country. Or I go to one of the parks for a stroll.

What is the most memorable thing that has happened to you in Rome?
I suppose the most memorable experiences have to be welcoming my children into life in Rome.

Is there something that annoys you about Rome?
Oh, like any urban center, there's the noise, traffic, impatience, and at times, the weather, the heat in summer and the narrow streets clogged with traffic. That?s not the fault of Rome, but of our inordinate love of cars.

What is your favourite restaurant?
This is a tough one. If I can pick only one, I?d have to say our local trattoria for its neighbourly "accoglienza"?, local ingredients, and unprepossessing identity: L?Osteriacarina [Via Ottavio Assarotti 36, near Via Trionfale, Monte Mario, tel 06.3381208].

How would someone from abroad benefit by coming to Rome for a few years?
I think life as a foreigner anywhere in the world is educational, enriching, life-changing, humbling. I suppose most would choose Rome for its cultural heritage, but I think it might be interesting to consider Rome also as a ?personal challenge? — at least for most Northern Europeans and Americans for whom the slower pace of life, apparent chaos, more philosophical attitude to progress, and abiding interest in the so-called smaller joys of everyday life have not been lost to competition, ambition, and the pursuit of organization.

When is the best time to visit?
Anytime other than the height of summer, though in a way , Rome in August regains its more human and humane dimensions.

Edna Goldfield grew up in a Jewish immigrant family on the Lower East Side of New York City. She married a man with an adventurous spirit who decided to give up his business and travel the world. Taking their two young children with them, they set out for Israel and other countries until they arrived in Rome in 1963 and settled here, educating their son and daughter to the American School. When Edna's husband was asked to teach at the Overseas School, they took a trip back to America to get the necessary teaching certificate. While at the University of Berkley, California, they noticed that there were used book shops everywhere. Recognizing the potential for a similar store in Rome, they opened their now legendary 'Economy Books' in Piazza di Spagna in 1965. But the maze of Italian bureaucracy nearly stopped them. They discovered that they'd first have to have the space secure before getting work permits, forcing them to pay rent for eleven months before they were able to open their doors to business! Many famous people came through those doors — Desmond O'Grady, Ezra Pound, Lee Strasberg, Susan Sontag, Dionne Warwick, Sylvester Stallone. The bookshop became a place where expatriates and Italians alike could come to trade books, buy books second hand, and share news, creating a sense of community. The shop lasted 20 years at the Piazzza di Spagna location, and later, a second store in Via Torino near the Teatro dell'Opera lasted another 20 years. Edna still lives in Rome's old city.

What is the most captivating thing about Rome for you?
For an American the exposure to the incredible antiquity leads to an amazing experience. The nearness to Florence and Venice is also a plus.

Has coming to Rome enhanced your work experience?
Working in Rome is not easy. It takes time before it slowly becomes to people's liking. As you get better and improve, it works out in the end.

What would you tell a visitor not to miss in Rome?
Depends on how much time you have in the city. I would suggest to just walk and walk, anywhere and everywhere and you will always find something new. Let yourself get lost and don't decide where to go.

What is the most memorable thing that has happened to you in Rome?
When the last shop closed I received the Recognition of Honour from the AICR (American International Club of Rome) and felt deeply honoured by this, and then, to have been able to have worked with joy.

Is there something that annoys you about Rome?.
Oh, I let that slip away if it happens, because even though things are hard, they do get done. Pazienza (patience) is the Italian way. They need their time and it is wonderful how they use the time.
.
What is your favourite restaurant?
We always eat at 'Settimo all'Arancio',in Via dell'Arancio being near the Book Shop

How would someone coming from abroad benefit by coming to Rome for a few years?
There is no other city where you'll see amany beautiful art works, with so many museums to visit and learn from. Everything looks more beautiful here and beauty makes you happy!

Romina Power was born in Los Angeles, the eldest daughter of the well known actors Tyrone Power and Linda Christian. She was taken to live in Rome when a young girl and, after attending college in England, came back to act in more than fifteen Italian language films. During this period, she bought a guitar and began composing and singing. She was married to the famous Italian singer Al Bano, with whom she had four children, and together they formed a successful singing duo. Her her great passion these days is painting, perhaps inspired by Balthus, the late avant-garde French painter whom she befriended when he was in residence at the Villa Medici in Rome. She directed the film "Upaya" with Axel Schmidt and Usha Tripathi, filmed in India, and is contemplating a film about her iconic father. "I never went to college," she told us. "Just a few years of boarding school, first Marymount in Mexico and in Rome, then Cobham Hall in England. But I speak four languages: Italian, English, French and Spanish. She now has a house in Arizona and an olive grove in Puglia.

What is the most captivating thing about Rome for you?
The fact that wherever you go there is some element of beauty, history and chaos.

Has living in Rome enhanced your work experience?
I guess so, since I began working here the age of fourteen, I have lived in the eternal city twice in my lifetime for seven years each time. First in the sixties, then from 1999 till 2007.

What would you tell a visitor not to miss in Rome?
Looking at the city from the top of the Giannicolo hill.

What is the most memorable thing that happened to you in Rome?
I suppose it was meeting the man who would become the father of my children, then the birth of my two eldest children, and the meeting with mother Teresa and Pope John Paul II.

Is there something that annoys you about Rome?
The way people were MUCH nicer in the sixties and the traffic was less then.

What is your favourite restaurant?
There are many. It depends on what I feel like eating. I like Take Sushi [Viale di Trastevere 4] or Zen [Via degli Scipioni 243 in the Prati district], for sushi, Checco er carrettiere [Via Benedetta, 10-13, Trastevere] for typical Roman dishes, " Da Baffetto" for pizza, "Babington's " for tea [in the Piazza di Spagna]. Hotel de Russie for cocktails [Via del Babuino near Piazza del Popolo]. No matter what happens in Rome or in Italy, whether there is a government or not, at lunch time and dinner time everything will be perfect. and i hope they never allow Starbucks to open in Italy. It would be the end of all the little caffe's with their already perfect cappuccinos.

How would someone coming from abroad benefit by living in Rome for a few years?
It depends what they are looking for and what their interests are and if they can afford it . Rome is not so inexpensive anymore.

When is the best time to visit?
Either in the spring — April, May — or the fall — September, October.

Wendy Auslebrook was born in Victoria, Australia of Scottish, English and Chinese ancestry. She graduated with a degree in Home Economics and taught cooking and nutrition, moving into food styling, recipes and creative writing. She has collaborated professionally in Australia and Italy as a food consultant, advising industries. After meeting her Italian writer husband, in Melbourne she moved to Rome, beginning her culinary journey in Italy.A long-time active member of Slow Food, she also collaborates with Living Italy's food and wine tours in the Umbrian countryside, where she can share her passion with discerning foodie tourists, introducing them to the local culinary traditions. In Rome she gives Thai/Vietnamese/Australian fusion cooking lessons on request. Wendy wasnPresident of the Professional Women' Association in Rome for four years, and works with Women's International Networking, keeping in tourch with Rome's expatriate community. When not cooking, Wendy creates exquisite costume jewellery from semiprecious gemstones, silver and porcelain, which she exhibits at the flea market uner the arches at Piazza Augusto Imperatore on Sunday morning as well as selling to private clients.
Wendy divides her time between Rome and Umbria, where she lives mostly in the countryside overlooking the medieval town of Bevagna. She enjoys sharing recipes with the local women. She says that it is always a two-way learning process, and they go crazy over her "foreign" cakes. She appeared on Italy's most highly rated television cooking program, "La prova del Cuoco" in 2004 presenting one of her favorite desserts.

What is the most captivating thing about Rome for you?
The unique beauty of the various periods of architecture and the sheer delight of not knowing what will be around the next corner. The Italians have a spontaneous approach to life and they like to make new friends. T

Has your experience of coming to Rome enhanced your work experience?
In terms of meeting some very interesting international people I would say yes, but economically no. It's another world from Australia and the salaries are much lower here.

What would you tell a visitor not to miss in Rome?
The only way to see and experience the historical center of Rome is to move around on foot. Then all one's five senses are stimulated. Seeing Rome by night, it's fun driving in the car, especially near the Roman forum area. Then there are the piazza: Piazza Mincio and its surrounding buildings built in the early 1900s, the fascinating style of architecture in the neighbourhood of Coppedè. Don't miss the Galleria Borghese for its sculptures by Bernini and Canova. I love mosaics and therefore two of my favourite churches are Santa Maria Maggiore and San Clemente. The views of Rome from the Gianicolo hill are unforgettable. The Ghetto has some fascinating Roman structures. I've come to realize that you need a lifetime to discover Rome. For me, it's the most amazing city in the world!

Where do you go in Rome to chill out?
My husband and I enjoy listening to music, poetry and theatrical performances at Teatro Arciliuto [near Piazza Navona]. We walk in the Villa Borghese and end with an aperitif at the Hotel de Russie, down near Pizza del Popolo [via del Babunino].

What is the most memorable thing that has happened to you in Rome?
When Pope Benedict XVI was elected in 2005. We were with some French visitors at the church of St Agnese in Piazza Navona. Then all of a sudden the bells starting tolling loudly all around Rome. It was the calling to ascend on Pizza San Pietro in front of St Peter's to witness the announcement. Well we left the church and started following the crowds, running through the streets to Saint Peter's. It was such an atmosphere of excitement and curiosity. Any direction I looked I saw people running and we almost collided with one another at the intersections. We made it in time and when the cardinal made the announcement, the crowd fell silent. They were disappointed with the appointment of the controversial Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger.

Is there something that annoys you about Rome?
More than anything the bureaucracy and queues at the post office.. It takes so long to accomplish simple tasks. And let's not forget the traffic chaos!

What is your favourite restaurant?
We tend to eat out less these days. The standard of restaurant food in Rome has declined over the years and besides we eat better at home. Rome has some excellent food markets and it is a pleasure to shop fresh. We are very attentive to our health and diet. But when we eat out we often meet friends at Il Nuovo San Marco [Via Olevano Romano, 195 near via Prenestina], as they make a delicious pizza. We've recently discovered a lovely little place called Osteria del Pegno [Vicolo di Montevecchio, 8] near the Teatro Arciliuto. Great food and prices!

In your opinion,someone how would someone from abroad benefit by living in Rome for a few years?
One must accept the good with the bad. I think the main benefit is to live amongst the wonderful food and culture. Rome has become more international and there is so much choice of what to see and do.

When is the best time to visit?
Spring or autumn. Never in summer when it?s hot! The light that falls on the eternal city in autumn is really beautiful.

Gaby Ford, Artistic Director of The English Theatre of Rome, is one of eight siblings. Her father was a Professor of Greek Myths and teacher of Shakespeare and her mother, a Professor of Communication Arts, also wrote lyrics for Broadway. Her grandmother was among the first women to graduate from Hunter College, New York. Gany was raised in Long Island, studied drama at SUNY Purchase and won a scholarship to study with the Alvin Ailey Dance Company. On a whim she answered an ad for a dancing instructor in Italy, coming here in 1983. She also acted in various comedies in Italy before following her dream to start her own theatre group. The English Theatre of Rome was born in 1996, with productions each season at the Teatro l’Arciluto, near Piazza Navona. In 2008, the company celebrated their twelfth season and sixty-fifth production. The sInternational American Club of Rome honored Gaby for her ’outstanding contribution to culture in the community’ and she was selected by the worldwide FAWCO group as one of their ’outstanding women’. In addition to directing her theater company, she acts in films and TV, and coaches actors.

What is the most captivating thing about Rome for you?
The fact that right around the corner there’s a chunk of a 2,000 year-old building waiting to give you a time perspective.

Has your experience of coming to Rome enhanced your work?
Not enhanced, my concept of work had to be altered drastically to remain here.

What would you tell a visitor not to miss in Rome?
My favourite Museums are Palazzo Massimo [Largo di Villa Peretti 1], which has the best preserved frescoes, giving me a sense of just how resplendent a Roman home was. The other is the Exhibition of ‘Gods & Machines’ at the first Roman power station, in Via Ostiense 106, where the juxtapositions of fine ancient sculpture set against 18th century machinery is mesmerising. There is never anyone there... A hidden treasure!

What was the most memorable thing that happened to you in Rome?
Producing ‘A Broad Abroad’ and I will come to tell you why!

Is there something that annoys you about Rome?
The Kafkaen order of moving from A to B.

What is your favourite restaurant?
Ristorante Monte Arci, Via Castelfidardo 33 [near Stazione Termini]. Scrumptious wood baked fresh fish.

In your opinion, does a foreigner benefit from the experience of living in Rome?
The intestines and the brain are the first two organs of the body to benefit from a Roman experience.

Fiamma Arditi, a well-known international journalist was born in Naples. She got her degree in film criticism at the university in Milan, which eventually led her to divide her life between New York and Rome, where, in her words, one expands towards the sky and the other expands along the Tiber river. She is an acute observer of modern art and collaborates with her husband Sandro Manzo, owner of ?Il Gabbiano? art gallery in Rome, writing texts for catalogues, as well as articles for Ars magazine, l?Europeo, l?Unità and La Stampa. Her book l?Altra America, is a series of interviews with well-known America artists centered on the question "can art in all its forms fill the gap between the US and the rest of the world?". She is a counsellor to the observer delegation to the UN, the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, and she is deeply involved in the problem of refugees and human rights. This passion has inspired her to organize the ?Without Borders? International Film Festival held in Rome in July, 2008, at the Casa del Cinema, with 20 selected works on film from all over the world, dedicated to the understanding of the parallel realities in our increasingly complex but smaller world.

What is the most captivating thing about Rome for you?
Walking down the little side streets of Old Rome late at night when you can hear the sound of your steps on the sanpietrini [cobblestones], crossing the bridges of the Tiber and seeing the reflections of the churches, the palazzos and the Castel Sant?Angelo shimmering in the water.

Has your experience of living in Rome enhanced your work experience?
I haven?t yet learned to understand the ?yes? that Romans always tell you, only to decide what is going to really happen all at the last minute.

What would you tell a visitor not to miss in Rome?
I would say again, walking and lifting your eyes upward to see the roof tops, the mythical terraces, the new Baroque and the eternal seagulls flying around and never going away.

Where do you go in Rome to chill out?
To my home with the air conditioning and lots of little white candles lit all over the house, fluttering here and there.

What is the most memorable thing that has happened to you in Rome?
One Sunday morning in June, under a blue sky, sunshine at midday in a quiet clinic when my daughter Giulia was born!

Is there something that annoys you about Rome?
As much as I enjoy tourists, in Rome there are too many driving around in huge buses creating havoc with the traffic. It would be better if they all walked everywhere.

What is your favourite restaurant?
Otello on Via della Croce [near the Spanish Steps], in the courtyard of an old Roman palace run by a family of women, all sisters, nieces, grandchildren, kindly welcoming their clients with gentleness and smiles. I could suggest the fried alici and zucchini to start, the pasta dishes are all delicious. Also ?La Campana, the oldest trattoria in Rome run by the same family since 1400! In Vicolo della Campana [via di Monte Brianzo, between Piazza Navona and the river].

How would someone coming from abroad benefit by coming to Rome for a few years?
Whoever comes to Rome remains enchanted with the historical stratification and it is also a contagiously cheerful city, transmiting energy, colour, and tastes. It fills the senses.

When is the best time to visit?
Rome to me is a city to visit all year round, but be prepared that from June to August you will be in torrid heat. Someone should do a map showing all the places in the shade at the various times, so you can schedule your day.

Milton Gendel was born in New York City He could certainly be named the doyen of the modern day ’Romans’, having come here just after the end of World War II on a Fulbright grant. His destination should have been China, but with the Communist takeover he chose Italy, instead. He later became a consultant for cultural and international relations for Olivetti and Alitalia.
Currently he is Consulting Editor for Art in America, a Member of the Memmo Foundation and was a former member of the Scholars Committee of the Tiber Island History Museum as well as its International Coordinator,organizing the first exhibition of Jackson Pollack's work in Rome. He edited Illustrated History of Italy and the 25-volume series Wonders of Man for Newsweek and Mondadori, and is an Honorary member of the Society of Fellows of the American Academy in Rome.
In addition to his work as a writer and editor, he an internationally respectedphotographer with a private archive that is testimony to 50 years of fashionable Italian cultural life. His photographic work has been exhibited widely including Trinity Fine Art and the Malborough Gallery in London, Il Segno, Il Ponte and Galleria Francesca Antonacci in Rome, Borozzi in Venice, Museo Civico di Gibellina and Verdura New York.
Moving from one interesting abode to another, he lived in Piazza Mattei, overlooking the Tortoise Fountain, with his wife, Monica Incisa, the well-known illustrator.

What is the most captivating thing about Rome for you?
The walls. Itself!

Has your experience of coming to Rome enhanced your work experience?
Of course.

What would you tell a visitor not to miss in Rome?
The Capitoline hill, the Campidoglio, hub of the city’s 2,000 year-old history, where, at one time I could drive my car around the statue of Marcus Aurelius.

Where do you go in Rome to relax and chill out?
To Palazzo Doria, viewing the courtyard garden.

What is your favourite restaurant?
Il Buco and the Café Doria (in the Palazzo Doria Pamphili, Via della Gatta).

What is the most memorable thing that has happened to you in Rome?
Meeting Monica, my wife.

In your opinion, how does a foreigner benefit from the experience of living in Rome?
Becoming stoic.

Is there something that annoys you about Rome?.
Blocking the center of the city for visiting notables.

Nina Gardner was born in Santa Monica, California, graduated cum laude from Harvard University, and received a Law degree from Columbia University. As her mother was American of Venetian origin, and her father was U.S. Ambassdor in Rome in the late 1970s, she had an early introduction to Italian, which was drilled into her by her grandparents during summer vacations. Nina was the director of Interconnect Legal Consultants in Prague before joining the United Nations, where she was a political officer in Zagreb and later, in Vukovar, on the Slovenia-Croatia border. In 2000, she founded Strategy International, a consulting firm specializing in projects of Corporate Social Responsibility and public policy. In the past fifteen years, she has founded three professional women's associations: Forum Zen in Prague in 1995; the DIRE (Donne Italiane Rete Europea) in Paris in 2006; and more recently, Corrente Rosa, here in Italy in 2007.(www.correnterosa.org)

Her Italian husband has had a career with the Foreign Ministry, serving as Ambassador to the Czech Republic, Croatia and to OECD in Paris. Nina followed happily along, juggling children and professional duties. In September, 2008, her family will leave their home in Rome for Washington, DC, where her husband will open Italian energy provider ENEL's Washington office, and Nina will work full-time on the Obama campaign, while their ten year-old son, Laurence, is looking forward to showing American kids how soccer is really played.

What is the most captivating thing about Rome for you?
The light, the stones.

Has your experience of coming to Rome enhanced your work experience?
Not at all. Unfortunately, unless one is into culture or history, Rome is not a place for professional growth — not to mention major glass ceiling issues.

What would you tell a visitor not to miss in Rome?
A picnic on the Appia Antica.

Where do you go in Rome to chill out?
Villa Celimontana to listen to jazz on summer nights.

What is your favourite restaurant?
Renato e Luisa near Largo Argentina — inventive menu, fair prices, never let us down.

What's the most memorable thing that has happened to you in Rome?
Organizing an "Americans in Italy for Obama" rally at Trajan's forum on a glorious Saturday in April — and having to go to the questura (police station) to get the permesso for a manifestazione pacifica. ... and, back in 1978, organizing a toga party for my New York high school classmates on the Palatine. Those were the days!

In your opinion, how does a foreigner benefit from the experience of living in Rome?
After four years of Kafkaen bureaucracy in Prague, complemented by the Byzantine bureaucracy in Rome I've learned how to fight bureaucracy!

Is there something that annoys you about Rome?
The lack of reliable public transportation

Susan Doull was born and grew up in Chicago. She did a BA and MA in the History of Art at Wellesley College and the University of Toronto respectively. In addition to raising children, she has been involved in international banking, real estate and hotels in America, Canada, France and Italy. Her husband, Adrian Doull, was born and raised in Durban, South Africa. He read for the the Bar in London and spent 20 years with Anglo American Group, becoming Chief Operating Officer of the Group's businesses in North America. The two met in Toronto and married in New York and between them, raised five children. They now have four grandchildren.
Giving up careers in New York, they bought and restored the beautiful Chateau de Remaisnil in Picardy, France where they began a 15-year adventure running a 20-bedroom luxury establishment, serving the best food and wine. Adrian got busy in Paris, heading the European business of CERA, a leading energy research and consulting firm. Putting all their multi talents together they are now involved in travel, tourismand vacation properties in Italy, helping clients find the perfect holiday rental.Adrian is just completing a book about the European Natural Gas Industry and it's relationship with Russia. Their website: www.comm-inc.com

What is the most captivating thing about Rome for you?
The winter sky, when it's crystal blue, and contrasts crisply with the ochre ranges of the architecture . I love everything Baroque.

Has your experience of coming to Rome enhanced your work experience?
It has enhanced my personal experience. Romans are more concerned with the fuzzy parts of life, and less concerned about the details. If you like sharp corners, neat details, and tight schedules, plan to adjust, or stay away.

What would you tell a visitor not to miss in Rome?
If they can get in, the Refectory at the Trinita del Monte at the top of the Spanish Steps for its beautiful frescoes. If not , the Church of San Ignazio for its fake frescoed cupola by Andrea del Pozzo, who was a witty master of trompe l'oeil.

Where do you go in Rome to chill out?
Sermoneta, a half hour a way by train where we have our own house, and two others which we rent out. It's a medieval village that feels like a time warp. The air is redolent with orange blossoms and jasmine now; there are frequent musical performances in the streets, and everyone is a neighbour to everyone else.

What's the most memorable thing that has happened to you in Rome?
In my first year here, I was walking by the Prime Minister's offices at the Palazzo Chigi in Piazza Colonna. The handsome guards on duty, smartly uniformed and at attention, were approached by two very pretty and flirtatous girls who requested of them something I could not hear. I watched in amazement as both of the guards lay down their military arms, while one draped his loving arms around each of the girls, and the other took their camera, stood back, and shot a photo. Then they switched. The girls thanked them and sauntered away. Only in Rome.

Is there something that annoys you about Rome?
Not much, we just feel so priviledged to be here that any inconvenience is a price worth paying.

What is your favourite restaurant in Rome?
Il Gabriello at 51 Via Vittoria [between Piazza di Spagna and Piazza del Popolo. tel 06 6994 0810] is one of them. It's cozy and welcoming, with spashy art painted by the owner's brother who goes by the cute name of B.Zarro They clearly care about the quality of their food and always make you feel at home.

How does a foreigner benefit from living in Rome?
Hopefully they might learn from the Romans that personal time counts, too. "Piano, piano", they say. That is why Rome wasn't built in a day.

When is the best time to visit?
Any time. I even love the hot summer which slows you down and creates a rhythm all its own.

Maureen B. Fant grew up in Manhattan, and spent time in Rome as a college junior at the Intercollegiate Center for Classical Studies, where she first tasted spaghetti alla carbonara. As a graduate student in Classical Studies and Archaeology at the University of Michigan, she developed parallel interests in Latin funerary inscriptions and Italian cooking. The former led to her work tracking down sources for women's lives for the book Women's Life in Greece and Rome (coauthored with the distinguished classicist Mary R. Lefkowitz). The latter found even broader application after she moved to Rome in 1979 and the two paths began to converge.

Today she is a respected food writer, specializing in the food of Rome. Her first cookbook was the Rome volume of the Williams-Sonoma Foods of the World series. Her other works include Dictionary of Italian Cuisine (with Howard M. Isaacs) and Trattorias of Rome, Florence, and Venice, a great guide to where to eat what. Maureen enjoyed writing for the column "Choice Tables" in the New York Times travel section, helping many a traveler find the right place to eat in Italy. Editing, writing, translating, and cooking keep Maureen busy in Rome. She also teaches, guides, organizes gastronomic events, does research, and offers hands-on cooking lessons in her home near the Colosseum, preceded by shopping at the Testaccio market to find what's in season. She shares her life in Rome with Franco Fillipi, a professor of transportation engineering.

What is the most captivating thing about Rome for you?
I've been here so long that I've been through many phases of captivation, and I confess a great deal of the charm wore off years
ago. However, the one thing that never changes is my feeling about the sheer heart-wrenching beauty of Rome. I can be storming along the street practically kicking tires and muttering to myself about the impossibility of getting things done in this town, starting with walking in a straight line down a street, and then I'll turn a corner and there will be a wall or a fountain or a house that will just stop me in my tracks and remind me of why it's worth it to put up with all the rest. I would also have to say the light, even in the rain.

Has coming to Rome enhanced your work experience?
Depends what you mean by enhanced. I certainly wouldn't advise an ambitious young person to come here without a very specific reason, and every day I see ways in which I would have achieved more had I stayed in my own country. And yet, I've carved out a working life for myself that I never would have been able to elsewhere. All the work I do today is practically inextricable from the language and culture of Rome, whether we're talking about teaching Roman cooking or reviewing restaurants or translating archaeology or collecting documents for women's lives in antiquity. And living here gives me a priceless edge over people who do similar work elsewhere and just come here to visit.

What would you tell a visitor not to miss in Rome?
Though I cannot bear what the neighborhood has become, the Pantheon is the building that best captures what ancient Roman architecture must have felt like. Otherwise, I just tell people they have to come back. There's so much here, and I have no patience for people who think they're only going to come here once and have to see the top ten now or never more. Maybe the not-to-miss should just be the throwing of the coin in the Trevi Fountain so they'll come back for the rest someday. But let's say there are a few things in Rome (a few!) that you have to be acquainted with in order to deserve a place in Western civilization. In no particular order: St. Peter's, the Colosseum, the Pantheon, the panorama from the Janiculum, the Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona, the Spanish Steps, the Tiber Island, the Ghetto, Michelangelo's Moses in San Pietro in Vincoli, Santa Maria Maggiore, San Giovanni in Laterano, Piazza Venezia, Piazza Campo de' Fiori and Piazza Farnese, and so many more.

Where do you go in Rome to chill out?
I'm a New Yorker. I window shop, and the streets around Piazza di Spagna still do it for me — for now.

What's most memorable thing that has happened to you in Rome?
Meeting Franco, of course!

Is there something that annoys you about Rome?
Is there anything that doesn't? Rome annoys me in so many ways every day. (As I said, I'm a New Yorker. I'm easily annoyed.) The important thing is that there are compensations. And one of the great rewards of sticking it out here is learning the moves so that what used to seem an insurmountable obstacle to quality of life becomes a game
The one common complaint I don't share is the traffic. I have managed to organize my life so I almost never have to sit in a car at rush hour. But I am particularly annoyed by conditions for pedestrians. I have fractured my foot on the sidewalk on via del Corso. And the failure to repaint faded zebra crossings, or just erase them, is nothing short of criminal.

What's your favorite restaurant in Rome?
Does a mother have a favorite child? Maybe, but she's not likely to admit it. I'm going to pass on that. I have a list on my web site [www.maureenbfant.com] of restaurants Franco and I like and go to. The favorite depends on what I need for a specific occasion. In general, your favorite restaurant should be your neighborhood trattoria, but it's no more use recommending it to somebody else than you would recommend a date with your eccentric cousin. You and your trattoria understand each other; strangers might not get it.

In your opinion, does a foreigner benefit from the experience of living in Rome?
Of course. First, anybody benefits from foreign experience anywhere. But also, I believe Western civilization is worth keeping alive, and the more people who see Rome, the better its chances.

What's the best time of year to visit Rome?
Any time is fine. This is Caput Mundi, for heaven's sake. I have no time for people who worry about whether it's going rain or be hot. This is a climate without extremes, except for a spell every summer when the air just doesn't move. But you never know if that will be in July or in August, and in any case, it's probably worse elsewhere. England in the heat is much harder to take. However, let us say, the fewest tourists are about in November, January, and February. In general, the light is most thrilling in December. The weather is best in October. The crowds start to build around Easter and don't quit till November. The food is best in winter and spring.

Brando Crespi is the son of an Italian Count and an American mother who was one of the beauties of Rome's "Dolce Vita" era. Contessa Rodolfo Crespi (Consuelo), the editor of Italian Vogue editor, was routinely on the best-dressed lists. So her son, Brando, enjoyed the best of growing up in Rome. After studying Anthropology in Washington D.C., he moved to Los Angeles where he launched Rodeo Drive and the Hard Rock Café in the late '70s and early '80s and opened the first Fendi and Versace stores in LA. He represented the communication, marketing, franchising and licensing needs of Ermeneglido Zegna, Pratesi, Ferragamo, Krizia, Biagiotti, Idea Como and other top Italian and French luxury companies in the US. Leaving Rome for Paris, he was the Creative Director of Habitat, asa well as a consultant in business development to Armani and L'Oreal. In 1997, he returned to Rome to give his children a taste of their Italian heritage. His entrepreneurial background serves his dedication to social environmental work in Europe, China and the Americas. He is co-founder of Pro-Natura International, a Franco-Brazilian NGO, developing sustainability strategies in nearly 40 countries. Recently, he completed a study for Nomisma, one of Italy's top Think Tanks, on the geo-strategic implications of Global Warming. Brando currently heads Innovi, which is partly a strategic consulting company, (clients include Proctor &Gamble, L'Oreal, Armani, STMicroelectronics), and partly a loose network of entrepreneurs, scientists, environmentalists and assorted mavericks devoted to nurturing and sometimes investing in projects promoting a post-carbon world.

What is the most captivating thing for you about Rome?
Generations of Romans (and talented foreigners such as Michelangelo) adding layers of beauty to the beauty created by past
generations.

Has coming to Rome enhanced your work experience?
Rome is not about work (except if you are a bureaucrat or a politician or both). Rome is about BEING!

What would you tell a visitor not to miss in Rome?
The galleria Borghese, which is a perfectly-sized museum, and a guided walk through Roma Vecchia!

Where do you go in Rome to chill out?
I walk, walk, walk. I stop for coffee at the Bar Farnese and admire the goings on and the view of the Palazzo!

What's the most memorable thing that has happened to you in Rome?
Being brought into a "private" catacomb by a Vatican curator!

Is there something that annoys you about Rome?
The "energy stagnation". Innovation and dynamism are now antithetical to the Roman experience

What's your favourite restaurant in Rome?
La Taverna degli Amici as I love Piazza Margana [Piazza Margana 37, near Teatro Marcello, tel 06 699 20637]

In your opinion, does a foreigner benefit from the experience of living in Rome?
To understand the absurdity of cultural hubris — we had our empire and have lived well without one for 1500 years! I will also add the realisation that our souls need to be nurtured by a daily dose of beauty!

What's the best time of year to visit Rome?
August 14 to the 16th. [During the national Feragosto holiday when most of the country is on vacation] Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir knew that, and always came at that time to live Rome emptied of traffic and Romans.

Robert Brodie Booth, eclectic writer, dubbing director, translator for the Italian Film Industry, also worked for the English theatre in London. As his father was a British Army officer, Robert grew up in South East Asia, Sri Lanka and Egypt, while going to boarding schools in England. During the Second World War, his father liberated a village near Naples and took over the house of a Fascist aristocrat who had four daughters, one of whom he married. Robert came to Rome at the end of the crazy 1960's from London on holiday, and never left! His Neapolitan mother gave him his flamboyant flair and love of Italy and all things Italian, including his beautiful wife. He has worked on many films in Italy and abroad. He wrote the screenplay 'Run For Your Life', directed by Terence Young and starring David Carradine, and has collaborated with Michelangelo Antonioni, Franco Zeffirelli, Clive Donner, and others. His mentor was Robert Bolt, the double Oscar winning scriptwriter of 'Dr.Zhivago' and 'Lawrence of Arabia', who, finding Robert's writing brilliantly funny and optimistic, encouraged him to keep on writing and never give up. He is currently collaborating on a film about Ernest Hemmingway, to be shot in Cuba and South America.
Most recently, he co-wrote '12 Noon, My beautiful Gordana' for Gabrielle Tana, the producer of the soon to be released film 'The Duchess' starring Keira Knightley and Ralph Fiennes. His book and subsquent screenplay 'Jump Start', will soon be released simultaneously. The story, packed with colorful people, takes place in Rome, one of the main characters being a dog (Jump).

What is the most captivating thing about Rome for you?
The atmosphere in the streets, the color of the buildings, the voices, my morning cappuccino and cornetto, sitting at a pavement
café, the sense of village, chatting...

Has your experience of living in Rome enhanced your work experience?
No. Working in Rome is not the greatest. I recharge my creative work batteries abroad. Too many formalities, too much
bureaucracy, and getting paid is frequently a painful process.

What would you tell a visitor not to miss in Rome?
The food, seeing the sights, simply walking around, enjoying the cafe society ...

Where do you go in Rome to chill out?
The Vineria in Campo de' Fiori. I've been going there for thirty-four years (the only wine bar I frequent to unwind), makes me feel like I own a little of the place, that I'm in my own living room. I've known the family all these years, and it feels like it.

Do you have a memory of the most memorable thing that happened to you in Rome?
Falling in love...

Is there something that annoys you about Rome?
The bad manners...

What's your favorite restaurant in Rome?
Teatro di Pompeo [Grotto del Teatro di Pompeo, Via Del Biscione 73/74, near Campo de' Fiori. tel 06 688 03686.] Like the Vineria, I've been going there for years. This is one of those times when familiarity does not breed contempt.

How would someone coming from abroad would benefit by coming to Rome for a few years?
Anywhere new is good for the soul. The atmosphere in the center of Rome is unique. It is very possibly the most beautiful city
in the world. It teaches you to keep your eyes open wherever else you might go, and to take nothing at face value.

When is the best time of year to visit?
Avoid July and August, when it just gets too crowded and too hot.

BOBBY MCDUFFIE was born into a musical family in the state of Georgia, USA, and attended the Juilliard School in NYC, where he studied the violin. He has been a soloist with most of the major orchestras of the world.This season he will perform the premiere of The American Four Seasons, a new work written for him by Philip Glass. Five years ago, he met the love of his life, a 1735 Guarneri del Gesu violin know as the Ladenburg, whose list of players has included the 19th-century virtuosos Nocolo Paganini and Ludwig Spohr — and now Bobby McDuffie.
Bobby is currently a professor at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia. His belief that extraordinary string students deserve an extraordinary college experience led him to founding The Robert McDuffie Center for Strings on the Macon campus. These 26 students are also invited to study at the Rome Chamber Music Festival, an annual two week-long event, which Bobby co-founded in 2003, and for which he serves as Artistic Director. After spending a sabbatical year in Rome in 2002, he discovered a true passion for the city he calls the most beautiful in the world. www.romechamberfestival.org

What is the most captivating thing about Rome for you?
It's what you don't see, but are about to. The layers of mystery and history right below your feet, or just around the corner — the a hidden ruin from Imperial times, a small church with seductive frescoes. I would much rather be surprised by Rome than told what to expect by a tour guide.

Has your experience of having lived in Rome enhanced your work experience?
Living in Rome taught me that anything is possible when making music. My world opened up for me in Rome, and it's much more exciting for me to expect the unexpected in music.

What would you tell a visitor not to miss in Rome?
Go to the top of the Janiuculum Hill twice a day — once in the morning, and then as the sun is setting over Rome. Watching the light gently placed on the city is one of the most transforming experiences you will ever have.

Where do you go in Rome to chill out?
I suggest sitting outstide at the Caffé Farnese, drinking prosecco and marveling at the Palazzo Farnese, one of the Rome's most beautiful palaces.

What's the most memorable thing that has happened to you in Rome?
When my family lived here, six years ago, every Friday I played American baseball with my then eight year-old son in the Circus Maxiumus. You don't lose your American identity here, but you know that your life is being enriched by your surroundings.

Is there something that annoys you about Rome?
What annoys me about Rome also excites me. It's the functional anarchy of the city. At the end of the day, there's a great sense of relief and accomplishment — and excitement about the next day.

Which are your favorite restaurants in Rome?
If I had only three meals to eat in Rome, they would be at Due Ladroni [Piazza Nicosia, 24, historic center, tel 06 689 6299] for the mozzarella, at Da Cesare [Via Crescenzio 13, Prati district, tel 06 686 1227] for the spaghetti alla vongole, and at the restaurant Cacio e Pepe in Testaccio [Via Avezzana, 11 tel 06 321 7268].

How does a foreigner benefit from living in Rome?
For me, the benefit of living in Rome is the sense of magic and surprise around almost every corner ... mostly beauty, and sometimes frustration, but it all adds up to a fulfilling experience.

When is the best time to visit Rome?
Obviously, you want to be in Rome for the Chamber Music Festival in June. But if you can't make it then, May and October are the other great months.

Sydney and Michael Cresci met in New York, where Michael was born to Italian parents. Sydney, who father was a naval attaché for the American Embassy in London, grew up in Bavaria, Sweden and even on a sailboat on the island of Elba. (The Crescis are pictured here with the boat's captain.) Moving around the world, she became multilingual, and when she finished school, she began a long career managing elaborate trips across the globe. In 2001, the Crescis took a family sabatical to Rome, to help their son perfect his language skills with the experience of living in a new country. Their love of Italy, and especially Rome, was born, and they've been spending as much time here as possible ever since. These days, Michael is busy with his real estate business in San Francisco. Sydney is the founder of www.makeachangejourneys.com, a firm devoted to luxurious travel experiences with a twist. For instance, guests might be joined on a Mediterranean cruise by a group of motivational speakers and authors.

What is the most captivating thing about Rome for you?
Everything! The whole Roman experience, the light, the attitude of the people.

Has the fact of comiing so frequently to Rome enhanced your work experience?
We have been coming to Rome for 12 years in a row plus living here for a year It's been entirely positive, wonderful.

What would you tell a visitor not to miss in Rome?
We would say not to miss the Villa Borghese in the early morning (our
favorite) or the Pincio in the morning and early evening, the Borghese Museum, Via Veneto of course! And Via Gulia,
Prati on the other side of the Tiber where there is a beautiful white building that houses the food market in Via Cola di Rienzo. Further down near the Trionfale, we love the flower market every Tuesday morning. [see our markets page] And no one should miss Piazza di Spagna. That's just a start!!!!!!

Where do you go in Rome to chill out?
Villa Borghese

What's the most memorable thing that happened to you in Rome?
Just being there!

Is there something that annoys you about Rome?
The traffic and the noise

What´s your favorite restaurant in Rome?
Ciampini [Piazza Trinità dei Monti on the Pincio] and the Mirabella [Il Mirabelle at the Hotel Splendide Royal, Via Veneto district]. The buffet in the Excelsior Hotel [Via Veneto].

Do you have friends in Rome?
Lots, including the parents of friends of our son and his teachers when he was at school there. Among others,the artist Augosto Ranocchi from whom we bought a painting to hang in our New York apartment.

How does a foreigner benefit from living in Rome?
By being given the opportunity to see life from a new perspective, and to experinece the glorious Roman way of life.

When is the best time to visit Rome?
The fall.

Yasmine Ergas was born in Geneva and grew up in Rome. Although she was Educated in England, Italy and the USA, Rome shaped her in ways that no other city ever could. At heart, she will always be a Roman with a passion for New York. She divides her time between the two cities, where she and her husband, a bona fide New Yorker, raise, and have been raised by (her words!) their daughter. Yasmine holds degrees in Sociology from the Universities of Sussex and Rome and a J.D. from Columbia University. Currently, she is an Adjunct Associate Professor in the School of International and Public Affairs and Associate Director of Columbia University's Center for the Study of Human Rights. A practicing lawyer and social scientist, she has served as the gender coordinator of the Millenium Villages Project, acted as a consultant to private corporations and been active in several nonprofit organizations and worked with major law firms. Her research interests focus on international law and domestic public policy, the redefinition of national sovereignty and the intersections of corporate law, international law and human rights. Her essays have been translated into several languages including Portuguese, Japanese, French and German.

What is the most captivating thing about Rome for you?
My life there, my friends, and, of course, the sheer vitality. Also, the colors. I see the world through terracotta-colored lenses.

Has your experience of having lived and grown up in Rome enhanced your work experience?
It's helped make me who I am. Mostly, it arouses a lot of envy and many appreciative glances. I suppose it also taught me patience and the virtue of enthusiasm.

What would you tell a visitor not to miss in Rome?
Walking, walking, and more walking. Make sure to see the Fountain of the Tortoises and the facade of the Ara Coeli. I love marrons glacées, so I would say not to miss the ones at the Cafe' Sant'Eustachio [Piazza Sant'Eustachio near Piazza Navona] or if you are adventurous – those made by the real specialist, at a small store in Via Paolo Emilio [in the Prati district].

Where do you go in Rome to chill out?
To lunch with my friend Renée.

What's the most memorable thing that happened to you in Rome?
Growing up?

Is there something that annoys you about Rome?
Too much shlock (as the New Yorkers say). Also, the loss of some of my once-upon-a-time favorite places, like the Deutsche Grammafon store on Via Frattina where you could listen to Vivaldi in wood-panelled booths.

What´s your favorite restaurant in Rome?
'Gusto for pizza [in Piazza August Imperatore]. Fortunato al Pantheon for politician-watching. Camponeschi [in Piazza Farnese] for outrageously expensive excellent cuisine.

How does a foreigner benefit from living in Rome?
Forget "wine, women and song" even in its newer version of "wine, cheese and political scandals" and learn to live like a Roman. Remeber to pack sweaters for indoor wear in the winter, and buy fans for the summer.

When do you think the best time of the year would be good to visit?
Spring or Fall. Or August you and every other tourist can share tales of summer heat and enjoy the amazing offerings of the "Roman Summer" shows. [The "Estate Romana" a festival of open-air activities that extends from late June to mid-August.]

Alan Ovson, actor, educator, entrepreneur and theologian is the founder of Ovson Communications Group. A speaker in the fields of communications, negotiation and change, he develops practical step-by-step techniques and interacts with participants, encouranging them to think beyond the familiar. One of Alan’s main themes is ‘Humor is serious business’… get people to share a laugh together and you can get them to think and work together at a deeper level. His group offers a three-day workshop, "Coaching and Mentoring for Managers." Alan loves Italy, and especially Rome where he and his wife Susan Cole come regularly to do a bit of shopping and wander around enjoying the food and atmosphere they find so relaxing compared to their high-speed lifestyle in San Francisco.

How many times have you been to Rome?
I think that I was really born in Rome and have never left. My soul is there but my body is somewhere else.

What do you really like about the city?
All roads lead to Rome — adventure, history, culture, science, art, people, food. I love Rome because it's a city that's easy to walk in, and I love to walk. There's always something to see or do, and if I am too tired to do anything, just sitting and people watching works.

Does your experience of coming here enhance your work?
The experience of living in Rome widened my horizon about western civilization and how to think about life. Anything that broadens your understanding of the world is a good thing.

What is the most captivating thing about Rome for you?
You can't help become aware that life has gone on here for thousands of years. You can see it everywhere.

What would the one thing you would tell a visitor not to miss?
The opportunity to meet Italians and go to someone’s home and have a real Italian meal with real Italians. Wow, what a concept!

What’s your favourite restaurant?
I don't have a favorite because there are so many places to eat a luxurious meal, or just have a simple one, or even a fantastic pizza.

Where do you go in Rome to chill out?
There are a number of fantastic parks, like the Villa Borghese, where you could spend hours walking. If you're there, the museum on the grounds is not to be missed.

What's the most memorable experience you've had in Rome?
New Year's Eve on the terrace of our friend's house near the Piazza del Popolo watching the fireworks.

Do you have friends in Rome?
Many. And one of them offers dinners in her wonderful house. Both she and her husband are great cooks and she even has a friend who offers cooking lessons. A great opportunity.

Would you like to come and live here for a bit?
I have lived in Italy and can't wait for the opportunity to live there again.

What's the best time of year to visit Rome?
I have visited Italy in every season and each season has its positives and negatives. If you get a change to go to Italy, don't worry about the season, anytime in wonderful.

Nicole Franchini, born in Chicago to an Italian father and an American mother, felt the need to find her Italian roots. After graduating with a BA degree at Hobart & William Smith Colleges and the Sorbonne, Paris, she worked for four years in marketing with l'Oréal in NYC; in the Press Office for Krizia in Milan, and eventually started her own travel company, Hidden Treasures of Italy, here in Rome. Now in it's 21st year, the company is going strong. While building her travel business, Franchini's pioneer spirit led her to search out the people taking the first steps in the hospitality business in rural Italy, the phenomenon known as "Agriturismo"In the course of learning about and developing Italian tourism, she became a writer and researcher for the Karen Brown Travel Guides, and author of one of the most popular books in the series, "Karen Brown's Italy B&Bs: Exceptional Places to Stay." Her work on the guidebooks takes her all over the country, while she hunts for the most charming accommodations, with the unforgettable scenery, savory meals and warm hospitality. Franchini and her husband have a lovely home just outside Rome in the rolling hills of Torri in Sabina, where they enjoy their own wine and olive production whenever they can get away from the city, where their two daughters are in high school.

What is the most captivating thing about Rome for you?
The fact that I am living in my father's native city and, during his yearly visit, going to all of his old haunts (many of which still
exist!) and hearing his stories of the post-war period, the challenge of rebuilding the city, the marvelous Dolce Vita period, and a city with very little traffic!

Has coming to Rome enhanced your work experience?
I am now in direct daily contact with all the hotels in my guides and, as a consultant, I can concentrate on their immediate marketing needs in an area which is ever-evolving.

What would you tell a visitor not to miss in Rome?
Palazzo Massimo alle Terme (the hanging mosaic floors and the frescoed dining room of Livia on the top floor)
Galleria Borghese (Bernini's statue of Apollo and Daphne)
Galleria Doria Pamphilj (an exquisite collection in an historic palazzo where the original family still resides! This is Rome in a
nutshell).

Where do you go in Rome to chill out?
Any of the above places. I love to be surrounded by history.

What's most memorable thing that has happened to you in Rome?
I received an invitation to the annual Fourth of July at the American Ambassador's residence. The receiving line was a parade of Italy's most renowned personalities and the contrast of formal dress with American picnic fare was very amusing.

Is there something that annoys you about Rome?
Just taking a simple walk becomes an ordeal and requires all of your attention. The biggest danger here is crossing the street! Romans are incorrigible at the wheel.

What's your favorite restaurant in Rome?
My favorite trattoria with the best carbonara pasta ever: Da Enzo, in Trastevere [Via dei Vascellari, 29]

In your opinion, how does a foreigner benefit from the experience of living in Rome?
Any experience away from home broadens one's horizons, but Rome in particular, being such a crazy city logistically, gives one practice in patience and extreme flexibility. One has to constantly let go of preconceptions in order to deal with it all and see through to the real beauty of the city with all its marvelous secrets.

What's the best time of year to visit Rome?
November, when the tourist crowds have let up. I love the off- season in any city. Rome has the advantage of mild winter weather with so many outdoor attractions between the architecture, piazzas, fountains, parks, it can be visited at any time of the year.

Sally Sontheimer found herself catapulted into Italian life when she met her husband. Originally from Oklahoma, with a Masters in Forestry, she moved to Rome where she began working on conservation issues. It was while working at the F.A.O. that she wrote her first book about the crucial role women play in managing natural resources. The couple inherited a lovely family home near Siena, that soon lent itself to Sally's passion for gardening. The decided to open the villa as a retreat, offering workshops on writing skills and yoga classes Today, Sally is busy raising her two children and writing a memoir about her 22 years in Italy.

What is the most captivating thing about Rome for you?
The sense of mystery under the rubble you find everywhere you turn in this city.

Has coming to Rome enhanced your work experience?
Why not? It gave me a good story to write.

What would you tell a visitor not to miss in Rome?
The three layers of St.Clemente: the Roman, early Christian, and Medieval and Baroque all together right there. And St Stefano in Rotondo another one of the early Christian churches.

Where do you go in Rome to chill out?
My yoga class just around the corner from my house.

What's most memorable thing that has happened to you in Rome?
Just before I got married I was peering in the window at Bulgari in Via Condotti and I saw a pair of black pearl earings that I thought were beautiful. My husband offered them to me and I turned him down!

Is there something that annoys you about Rome?
If all the Romans were courteous, Rome would be heaven!

What's your favourite restaurant in Rome?
Well, you know because I eat Italian food all the time, I like to go to Jaipur [Via San Francesco a Ripa, Trastevere] to eat Indian.

In your opinion, how does a foreigner benefit from the experience of living in Rome?
You certainly learn to live with different belief systems, accept them and integrate them into your own. You learn compassion, too.

What's the best time of year to visit Rome?
Springtime, when Rome is green and the air smells sweet!

Back to home page