Below is a link to a fascinating short talk about the rise of Social Media and how it will affect our blogs and our internet businesses starting…. IMMEDIATELY.

If you are older than 35 odd years, and been on the internet for more than 5 years, you just may get a little uncomfortable with the discussion in this short presentation of how Social Media is changing things fast.

Here is the link: FORA TV – Scott Galloway: Trends and Impact of Digital Competence

Personally, being solidly over 35 years and on the net for 13-15 years, I am on a learning curve that is giving me altitude sickness. I have been resistant to the hype for a while now, but I think back to the way I spoke about the power of the internet back in the mid 90′s and the way older people would come up with all their resistant “Well, I will never give up my daily paper”, “I would never book travel without face to face at the travel agent”, “Phones are for calling – not data”. I used to smile knowingly and say… sure (granpops)….. Just like the young do to me now when talking about social meda. Ouch.

Hope you find it useful. Please share if you have links to other developments.

Here they are.

4 and 5 Star Hotels: – Tax will be 3 Euro per person per night (pppn)
1, 2 and 3 Star Hotes: – Tax will be 2 Euro pppn
B&B’s, Apartments etc: – Tax will be 2 Euro pppn.
Hostels: – no tax.

The tax rate only applies to the first 10 nights of the stay, which covers 99.99% of visitors but at least doesn’t frighten the longer term options away.

Source: Venere.com

Activities:

• Want to know how to celebrate New Year’s Eve in Rome? Head to Buzz in Rome’s ultimate coverage of Concerts, Events, Parties and Clubs for An Unforgettable New Year’s Eve in Rome, or Nile Guide’s Ringing in the New Year in Rome. Or visit a dance performance to celebrate the end of 2010.
• LazioExplorer informs us about the Rome shopping opportunities over Christmas and in the early new year, as well as specific outlet shopping for everyone who is after reasonably priced designer stuff.
• More information about Markets, Cakes and Toy Shops, and Nativities of Rome & Lazio from Buzz in Rome.
• Pilgrim travelers may be interested in Jospersworld’s post about visiting the Mamertine Prison.

Food:

• Did you believe Rome was shut down over Christmas? Think again. Information on which restaurants are open in Rome over Christmas is available from Katie Parla’s post Rome for the holidays.
• For more and specific suggestions, read Tavole Romane’s article 10 Restaurants to celebrate Christmas and New Year’s Eve in Rome.

About Rome/Italy and the festive season:

• To immerse yourself in the atmosphere of a wintry Italy, look at Elizabeth Buie’s gorgeous Christmas in Italy photos on Flickr.
• Vino Con Vista’s explanation of local customs in Rome: Buon Natale: Holiday Traditions and Celebrations in Rome.

The American tourist walked into a hotel in Testaccio and asked to see one of the rooms. The hotelier said, “No problem, Signore, but I would like a deposit to give you the key.” So the American placed a 100 euro note on the reception counter and took the key to the room. As soon as he was out of sight, the hotelier grabbed the note and ran down to the market. He paid his bill of 100 euros to the tomato seller who provides tomatoes for his restaurant. The tomato seller ran immediately to the local wholesaler who brings him the tomatoes and paid his debt of 100 euro. The wholesaler went straight to the local service station and paid his fuel bill. The owner of the service station went straight to the local prostitute and paid his bill of 100 euros. The prostitute grabbed the 100 euro and raced straight to the hotel and laid the bill at reception, and said to the hotelier “payment for the room usage”. Gave him a wink and left.

Just then, the American tourist returned from the room and said, “it is nice, but I have decided to move on.” He picked up his 100 Euro note and left.

100 euro brought into the community for 10 minutes, debts of 500 euro paid off, 100 euro leaves the community 10 minutes later. It isn’t a true story, but it could have been. How does that work? Well, I am not going to cover that here (there are many thousands of books on the subject).

Porchetta - Testaccio Market

But there is a very salient point – to a large degree, it is not all smoke and mirrors – it does work. Money, spent in a local community, helps that community enormously. The most important thing is the suppliers and sellers and everybody is local to that community – in other words, more money stays in that community.

Elenora Baldwin gave a great interview a few days ago. I had a sneak preview before it went out and it inspired me to expand on just how important some of her points were – for additional reasons.

Elenora seemed quite insistent on using local produce, and I quote ” Supporting small, local specialty stores, farmers, butchers, fishmongers, cheese vendors, bread bakers, etc. is not a trendy fad. It’s how it’s been done here, for centuries. Healthy, fresh and local ingredients, traditional preparations, and the calendar define our cuisine. ”

Wise words indeed. Buying local produce (and to encompass more, “Buying Locally”) has also become incredibly important economically. If you shop at a remotely owned business like a supermarket chain or restaurant chain etc, an estimated 80% of that money leaves the community – it goes to pay big central suppliers in other communities, and shareholders that can live up to 18,000 kilometres away.

Carmelo D'Agostino

But when you buy local products from a locally owned shop or market, an estimated 80-90% of that money stays right there in the community. And is distributed amongst people who live there and spend there.

In fact, the effect is so powerful, that many small towns have started to develop their own currency. Yes, they print their own money that can “only” be spent in the local community. I have no links to Italian examples (if someone does, please send), but it is being done more and more across Europe. Even Brixton in London has started printing its own money (google “Brixton Pound”). The UK govt has just announced that they will permit local councils to actually create a local bank only for locals and local projects.

If you are like me, and believe one of the greatest things about Rome IS the small shops, local service, markets and fragmentation, and you don’t want to see Chain supermarkets, chain coffee shops, chain Pharmacies, Chain Burger stores dominating every street in your community or through the historic centre, then give a thought to dumping the credit card and the supermarket for Christmas, drag out some cash, and shop at a local supplier. The experience is worth the effort on its own, but you might just save some of these local businesses and help maintain the local character for years to come.

The hooker (not really, My wife)

This article isn’t really so much for tourists coming to Rome. More for the locals in Rome, around Italy. If any readers have a “pet local supplier” that you think is worth supporting, then drop it in the comments below so that other readers can make an effort to spend their money with that small business.

My personal favourite is a Tomato seller (Carmelo D’Agostino) in the Testaccio Market. He is easy to find as he “only” sells tomatoes. Things are not going so well for him lately financially. But don’t expect to just buy one of the myriad of varieties of tomato. He will demand to know what you are cooking and will suggest exactly what you need. The first time I approached him I thought a tomato was a tomato… Boy did I learn something that I never would learn in a supermarket.

Dump your credit card, get cash, skip the supermarket and spread your cash around your community.

We asked Eleonora some questions about food in Rome, as well as a few questions about her personal view of the city.

Here is our interview.

Eleonora Baldwin

Food

Italian cuisine is very successful throughout the world. What do you enjoy most about cooking and eating the Italian way?

Every morning, Italian home cooks visit their trusted neighborhood purveyors for the day’s groceries. Supporting small, local specialty stores, farmers, butchers, fishmongers, cheese vendors, bread bakers, etc. is not a trendy fad. It’s how it’s been done here, for centuries. Healthy, fresh and local ingredients, traditional preparations, and the calendar define our cuisine. Cooking with such a wealth and variety of goods is a joy!

How would you describe Roman cuisine to someone who has never been to Rome?

Varied, seasonal and strongly rooted in tradition. For a clearer picture, one would have to mention Rome’s meat slaughtering culture, the importance of the marketplace, the influence of the Catholic Church and the ancient Jewish community, seasonal crops, conviviality and how all these elements inspired the birth of Roman cuisine, expressed in the very recipes still served in modern day trattorie.

What would you say that visitors should keep in mind when eating out in Rome? How about visitors with young children?

Be adventurous. Try new, unfamiliar dishes. Eat fried things. Ask the locals for restaurant advice. Don’t skip trying supplì, porchetta and offal. In the plant realm, don’t forego Rome’s prized globe artichokes, puntarelle (a kind of curly endive dressed with punchy garlic and anchovy dressing) and fava beans paired with sharp pecorino and sincere house wine. Stay away from places that advertise their multilingual tourist menus with photos, waiters outside the entrance hustling clients in, and chain restaurants in general. The city offers diverse dining options, including an impressive variety of street food. Rome is also all about child-friendly foods. Parents can’t go wrong ordering pizza, creative vegetable preparations, simple pasta dishes, healthy fish and gelato for their traveling mini-gourmands.

Your blog’s headline includes “Italian culinary adventures”. I find that food in Rome is generally still very traditional. What is your opinion? Do you think that Rome is ready for more innovative cuisine?

Rome’s seen it all: barbarians, kings, popes, emperors, invaders, fashions, wars. Fusion, sushi, molecular cuisine and other foreign eating trends may catch on and even be successful, it’s part of the city’s DNA to welcome change. But after the initial enthusiasm, Romans will invariably return to familiar flavors and habits: a steaming plate of amatriciana, a liter of vino della casa and their mamma’s home cooking. The adventures I blog about and that I offer in my culinary vacations are itineraries and sensory journeys that allow travelers to learn and appreciate the Italian culture through its food.

I have read your article about restaurants in Rome, which is great. What restaurant(s) would you recommend for very adventurous visitors?

I would definitely encourage ardent omnivores to try eating organs. La cucina romana is renown for its delicious offal recipes employing the “fifth quarter,” the lesser noble meat offerings. These were notoriously paid to slaughterhouse employees as tips, when at the end of the day oxtail, sweetbreads, tripe and other entrails would be leftover. They constitute a delicious part of our traditional local fare and are enjoying a veritable gastronomic renaissance. I eat my fried brains and coratella (aromatic mince of lamb’s heart, liver and lung, with artichokes) at La Campana (Vicolo della Campana, 18) and the best for stewed oxtail is Checchino dal 1887 (Via di Monte Testaccio, 30). For a plate of pajata (pasta dressed with a sauce made with intestines of a milk-fed veal), I trust Augustarello (Via Giovanni Branca 100). Other notable cucina romana shrines: L’Arcangelo, Al Pompiere, Roma Sparita, Nonna Betta, Il Quinto Quarto.

Personal

What annoys you about living in Rome?

The population’s lack of civic responsibility. The average Roman’s attitude towards community, care for public spaces, and mutual respect among citizens is slovenly. Ever marched down purported high-end neighborhood sidewalks with a stroller? Dodging dog droppings, parked cars, garbage and potholes is standard routine. Not good.

What is the biggest motivator for you to keep several blogs going?

Interaction with my readers! I update Aglio, Olio & Peperoncino regularly and keep three other blogs, Roma Every Day – Rome City Guide for Kids – Forchettine. In each one I express different aspects of myself, and of my surroundings. I am passionate about fine dining, travel, photography, and exploring my city with my little boy. With each different blog post, thanks to every engaging comment, in each heartfelt response, discussion or debate, I see how blogging is a mutual opportunity to make life richer. A very creative and ongoing, global conversation!

Thanks, Eleonora, for talking to us. Comments on this interview below!

PS: Intrigued by the idea of getting fresh and healthy produce while supporting local businesses? In a few days, The Rome Journal will publish a follow up article to this interview, discussing some of the ways you can really benefit yourself and the local business people – the people that actually make Rome what it is – making it a Christmas for all. Check back on the 20th before you do your Christmas shopping for food (and presents, if you really leave it that late!).

Finance & Politics:

• Italy’s financial, banking system solid-panel
• Italy opposition sees Berlusconi fall, early polls

News, Architecture, Arts:

• Two more walls collapse in Roman ruins of Pompeii
• Music and theatre venues in Rome

Travel writing and tips:

• “Rome is captivating, terribly romantic and full of passion. It oozes charm and charisma in a way that I can’t even explain.” Purposeful Vagabonds: Trip to Rome
• Top 10 Rome travel tips from the T List
• In 2011, celebrate Italy’s birthday in Rome
• A walk through Rome, and through time
• Skiing on Italy’s secret slopes
• What does a typical Roman apartment look like?

Would you like to be featured in our “others talking about Rome” posts? We tend to include blogs and sites that we are aware of because their editors comment on our posts, or interact with us on Twitter, so do get in touch.

News & Business, Technology:

• November: Italian Business Confidence Rises to Two-Year High
• Education protests spread in Italy
• Beyond the controversy, a revealing glimpse into the mind of the Pope
• Rome 2020 Olympics bid should get moving
• 3D model of the colosseum recreated using millions of photos from Flickr

Seasonal:

• Buon Natale: Holiday Traditions and Celebrations in Rome

Food:

• Cold, sweet and famous: Gelato in Rome
• The best Tiramisù in Rome, at Pompi. I can personally attest to this – it is the best I’ve ever had.

Travel & Photography:

• Some up to date Rome travel tips
• Santa Sabina – A Church Overseeing the Capitol
• Video: Exploring Roman Neighborhoods with a Travel Guide
• Rome by scooter
• Castel Sant’ Angelo Photographs
• A postcard from Rome to Shanghai
• Honeymooning in Italy – some great, romantic photos

Would you like to be featured in our “Others talking about Rome” posts? We tend to include blogs and sites that we are aware of because their editors comment on our posts, or interact with us on Twitter, so do get in touch.

We’re here to help, and hopefully the Rome-savvy among you will join us! For people planning their first trip to Rome, we’d like to start an open thread with suggestions. What do you pack into your Rome suitcase?

My (girly and subjective) list is as follows:

General wardrobe:

• Summer: T-Shirts, light skirts and dresses, a pair of jeans, a cardigan.
• Winter: Don’t be fooled – Rome can be terribly cold and wet in winter. A warm coat or jacket, shoes that can survive some rain, and a warm scarf to wrap yourself into.

Essential:

• Comfortable shoes for walking
• Sunglasses
• A handbag instead of a backpack (less likely to be pickpocketed)
• A small umbrella to always carry with you

Less Essential:

• Some nice but comfortable black heels
• An elegant dress or pants

My list considers that walking is one of the best ways to get around Rome, that the Roman sun is usually a brighter than most Northern Europeans expect, that rain can appear almost out of nowhere, and that Romans are generally very stylish people (I like to at least try to keep up with them).

But now it is your turn to balance out my subjective and girly list: What does your Rome suitcase contain? Please share!

• A scholar helps rebuild ancient Rome - for a video game.
• Is the tide finally turning on Prime Minister Berlusconi?
• The Where and What of Eating in Italy, and how to do it best in Rome, revealed in a new book.
• Some beautiful wallpapers of Rome, for your computer screen.

We asked Jessica some questions about her approach to photography, as well as a few questions about her personal view of Rome.

Here is our interview, along with some of her photos.

Photography

Your photos are unique for Rome because you focus often on the things people wouldn’t even notice. Is this by design? Is it just the way you see things?

Posta 2.0

I definitely started the blog with the intention to try and capture things that weren’t normally shown and/or well known objects in an interesting way. I didn’t really know whether or not they were things that other people noticed or not, so it just happened that way. Now after so much time, taking photos has changed the way I view the city and observe because I’m constantly looking for the next interesting shot.

Any particular reason why Rome is a great place to take photos? I mean, aside from the obvious (you can photograph the Colosseum, etc.)

Aside from the obvious, I think Rome is wonderful because of the light and the architecture. There’s something magical about the way the light hits the buildings here that I haven’t seen anywhere else. There’s also the fact that just below the surface there really is so much variety. Yes, certainly the major monuments make for wonderful images, but there is also a vitality and modernity to Rome that can be sought out as well.

Many of the people reading this will be coming to Rome for a short trip. Do you have any advice for the amateur enthusiast to get the best out of their photos?

Night Scene

Don’t worry about being perfect. I think especially for images with people, candid is best. I find posed photos can be so awkward and stiff! Also, pay attention to the light and the background. You want to frame not only the focal point of the photo, but also pay attention to all the other components in the picture and ask yourself if it makes a harmonious shot.

Do you ever go out to take photos and come back with nothing you like?

More likely I’ll go out thinking that I’d like to get an image of something specific and come back with a much better image of something I hadn’t sought out at all. Certainly there are times when I only come back with one or two images that I think are good, but the more you are out taking photographs, the better you are at knowing what time of day is best in terms of light and your sense of observation is heightened so that you often come back with good material.

What is your opinion on post-processing, especially enhancing pictures?

Street art from the centro sociale Strike

I certainly do use Photoshop to tweak the images slightly, but usually limiting my post-processing to small adjustments in the white balance and color. Post-production is not something I studied and so what I do is all self-taught, which does limit me. However, I’d like to think that even if I was quite adept at it that I would still stick to my current philosophy of leaving things as is. I’m especially against dramatic cropping because I think how you compose things in the lens, out in the field is such an important skill. I like the challenge of trying to get things right in the lens and while I think that post-processing and enhancing photos can be an art form on its own, I personally stay away from it.

Do you do any professional shoots or do you have plans for it? If so, how could you be contacted?

I have done some professional work for publications and events. I’m certainly open to any new possibilities and can be contacted at info@jessicastewartphotography.com. If anyone is interested in purchasing some of my prints, I have a selection available at RGB Gallery in Piazza Santa Maria Liberatrice 46. For people not in Rome, feel free to contact me directly if you are interested in purchasing prints or posters.

Personal

What annoys you about living in Rome?

I wish the city would invest a bit more in the areas outside the center, especially in terms of garbage removal and the excessive political posters that cause a lot of litter.

If there was one thing you could change in Rome, what would it be?

I would love to see cultural diversity embraced a bit more, but we are coming along slowly but surely in that area!

What is the biggest motivator for you to keep your blog going?

My readers! Seeing the reception the blog has gotten and reading the nice comments was one of the initial motivators to keep growing and is a continual push to put out interesting content. I’ve also seen what interesting opportunities it has brought me and what amazing people it’s brought into my life, which makes me quite grateful.

Billboard Scaffolding in Italy

And the Colosseum is in need of some attention: The steady flow of tourists, and the landmark’s exposure to heavy traffic has taken a toll on the monument. While recent works have been conducted to restore and reopen the underground passageways, where animals and gladiators were kept, further scheduled work will focus on cleaning the exterior walls, and building a visitors’ center.

The New York Times describes the common procedure which churches, monuments and palaces in Rome undergo when being renovated:

First, scaffolding is erected around the building. Then the scaffolding itself is wrapped in artfully printed screening resembling, at first glance, the building underneath.

Then – and this is the contentious part – some sizable area of the screening is given over to an advertisement for anything from motor scooters to lipstick, and the income from the advertisement is used to pay for the renovation.

At first that may seem a perfect, virtuous free-market circle, a symbiosis of capitalism and culture. And since the system came into use in 1997, several dozen monuments have been renovated in this way.

But in the past couple of months, things seemed to get out of hand. In the Piazza di Spagna, a 2,150-square-foot advertisement for L’Oréal lipstick at the top of the grand Spanish Steps, with an image of a woman’s face, seemed so overpowering that city authorities decreed that future advertisements must be less striking.

While it is  these monuments are kept in good condition, but at what price? Are Italian city centres being assaulted by bad taste? A photo gallery of Venice shows a further example of the extent to which such advertising is seen around Italian city centres. Here, the Bridge of Sighs has seen ads by Bulgari, Moët & Chandon, and Coca Cola.

What is your take on this dilemma?

Photo Courtesy of David Barrie.

The Italian Justice system, like all systems, has its strengths and weaknesses. But the most important aspects to consider is “does the Italian Justice system have the confidence of the 60 million people that it serves?”, and following that, “does it adhere to international human rights”?

This case is not unique in many ways, and many parallels may be drawn between this case and that of Schapelle Corby, the Australian serving 20 years for drug trafficking in Indonesia. Many in the US feel that there should be an official intervention, but it would be wise to remember Prime Minister Howards response when directly appealed by Ms Corby. “My fellow Australians, if a foreigner were to come to Australia and a foreign government were to start telling us how we should handle [it], we would react very angrily to that.” Surprisingly wise words from a politician.

With regards to the credibility of the Justice system to Italians, primary consideration of Justice for Meredith Kercher should focus on treatment of both Rudy Guede and Raffaele Sollecito as Italian citizens. The Italian media and commentators must focus on these two individuals as their primary concern.

Amanda Knox has received the same treatment under Italian Law. She should be given the same rights as an Italian citizen, and the assessment of her case must adhere to generally agreed basic human rights principles.

Human Rights is a complex subject, that few understand in detail, but is of critical importance both to each and every individual, and to assessing justice internationally. According to a 2004 report from Amnesty International, only 5 countries “didn’t” violate at least some human rights significantly in 2003 (Netherlands, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Costa Rica). So judging the rights and wrongs of any case must be difficult if so many so called civilised countries violate some human rights.

Amy Lai, who has a PhD in gender studies from Cambridge, UK, and writes for various Legal Journals, has submitted a paper to us out of a personal interest in how this case has played out, specifically dealing with her expertise in assessing how Amanda Knox has been treated with respect to one model of human rights.

As specific as it is, we think it is worth publishing in full, for those who are interested in how to interpret this case without emotion and specific legal comparisons. Although the analysis and conclusion is purely that of Ms Lai, it supports the generally held view that the US is unlikely to intervene in this case at any official level.

For anyone interested in details on the evidence and sentencing as understood by the court in Perugia, we recommend that you refer to the official sentencing report which was translated from Italian by a group of volunteers.

A brief synopsis (taken directly from the paper)

This paper studies the case of Knox with respect to Charles Beitz’s human rights model. Part I describes Betiz’ idea of human rights as well as the mechanism of his two-level model. Part II employs Betiz’ model to illuminate why Clinton made the correct decision not to intervene in the Italian Court’s decision and why international organizations, such as the United Nations and Amnesty International, should do the same.  Part II contrasts the criminal justice system of Italy with that of the United States by showing how they are informed by different philosophical traditions. It also shows how Italy’s reformed criminal code produced a traditional inquisitorial system with adversarial elements. Because the Italian government abided by its law throughout Knox’s trial, it satisfied its responsibilities delineated in the first level of Beitz’s model and intervention by other nations or international organizations are therefore unnecessary and improper.  Part III shows how Knox’s trial and its controversy invite readers to revisit the theories of toleration in Beitz’ human rights model, to dismantle their implicit self-other dichotomy, and to push more room for introspection. While the United States and Italy are both “liberal societies” according to John Rawls’ definition, Knox’s trial urges readers, especially Americans, not only to study the Italian justice system but also to take an introspective look at the American justice system and to reform it so that it could perform a better role to safeguard human rights.

Click here to read the full paper in full

Amy Lai, PhD.

After obtaining her PhD in gender studies at Cambridge, U.K., Amy lectured on gender and sexuality in England and Hong Kong, and published two books on Asian writers in 2007 and 2009. She worked as a professor in media studies in a shipboard education program that took her around the world the semester before she came to Boston to attain a JD degree. In her first summer as a law student, she completed an internship at the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and worked on immigration cases involving GLBT people.  She plans to continue to pursue her interests in gender and sexuality in an international human rights context by working with the International Bar Association in London.  She managed to write an article on health law, consent and assent in the case of savior siblings, which is forthcoming in the Journal of Legal Medicine.  She also actively sought to integrate her interests in law and gender studies by pursuing an eye-opening course, “Sexuality and the Law,” and writing a law review article on the constitutionality of gay-positive curriculum in public elementary schools in America.

Publications

“To Be, or Not to Be My Sister’s Keeper: Toward a New Legislative Framework Safeguarding the Welfare of Savior Siblings,” Journal of Legal Medicine 31.4 (2010).

“Critiquing the Model Act: Redefining ‘Consent’ and Implications of Intent-Based Parenthood for Posthumous Conception,” American Journal of Family Law 24.4 (2010).

“A Hegelian Study of Chinese People’s Pursuit of Human Rights in the Tiananmen Incident, Falun Gong, and the 2008 Beijing Olympics,” Criminal Justice Studies 23.2 (2010).

“Tango or More?: From California’s Lesson 9 to a Gay-Friendly Curriculum in Public Elementary Schools,” Michigan Journal of Gender and Law 17.1 (2011).

Our Top Ten of Who To Follow on Twitter

Here is our Top Ten of who gives us the best information on Twitter, about traveling, Italy, and Rome. Keep in mind that due to the fluid and dynamic properties of Twitter, that this list will change with time.

1. @revealedrome: A gem of a Twitter stream, recently discovered, presently topping our list.
2. @selectitaly: Solid stream of information, mostly interestin.
3. @ItalyTravelista: Good, informative tweets.
4. @ItalyTravel: A little salesy perhaps, but a great source of frequent, varied information.
5. @tavoleromane: Frequent, informative tweets about good food in Rome, in Italian.
6. @katieparla: From a passionate food writer, good tweets about real time culinary experiences in Rome.
7. @NapoliUnplugged: Good, steady stream of information on what is happening in and around Naples.
8. @italofileblog: A bit more personal, but definitely worth following.
9. @casacolleverde: Again, rather personal, but a Twitter stream we really enjoy.
10. @tuscanyart: A steady stream of information about Tuscany and art.

And finally… Don’t forget to follow @theromejournal on Twitter! We enjoy interacting with our readers and fellow writers on Twitter. Our aim is to retweet the best of the above Top Ten Twitter streams, but also to unearth original and eclectic information about Rome, Italy, and travelling. When we post a new article, we naturally tweet it to our followers too. Come and see for yourself!

• Is there a link between status of civilisation, and building monuments?
• To counterbalance the pessimistic brain-drain theories, read about an open source innovator from Rome, Italy.
• Where is Silvio Berlusconi finding his friends these days?
• Here is a blog entry about a young woman’s experience about adapting to life in Rome.