The other side of the tracks

Rome of course isn't all about the Forum or the Trevi. There's another new world to explore in some less fashionable but equally fascinating quarters such as Testaccio and Esquilino. Street artists are continuing the tradition of Michelangelo and Raphael. After some rain, there's the particularly nice Piazza Vittorio Emanuele and the "Palace of cold" claiming to be the first gelato factory in Rome. The markets are either getting ready for Christmas or getting through an ordinary working day. It's good to wander around the quieter locations as well. There's a great contrast in the memorials to John Keats, the poet who died young, and those to wealthy families.

And that wraps up 2024. I hope for more of the same next year and that you have enjoyed reading this.Read more