The Barcaccia

Sniffles, Subways, and the Spanish Steps

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November 13th 2008
Somehow we all ended up with head colds, and to compound the matter, it's been raining steadily, but that hasn't put a damper on our adventurous spirits. And once again, in the spirit of New York City, once the rains start falling, the umbrella vendors come out in full force. Kind of funny. We had our first breakfast in our new hotel and I must confess to really looking forward to my croissant ... read more

Europe » Italy » Lazio » Rome

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Italy became a nation-state in 1861 when the city-states of the peninsula, along with Sardinia and Sicily, were united under King Victor EMMANUEL II. An era of parliamentary government came to a close in the early 1920s when Benito MUSSOLINI establis... ... read more