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Dine as the Romans Do

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There's nothing more disappointing than going out to eat in Italy and finding yourself surrounded by Americans! There's a reason this happens-they are all reading the same American guidebooks. The New York Times Magazine recently featured two Italian guidebooks that will bring you to the best restaurants in town. The menus at these restaurants will not be written in English, but you will certainly have an authentic experience. The two guidebooks highlighted are Osterie d'Italia , the guidebook published by Slow Food Italy, and Ristoranti d'Italia del Gambero Rosso. The Slow Food movement advocates for organic food, seasonal produce, and traditional cooking methods. The Gambero Rosso (Red Shrimp) Group is a publishing house in Rome akin to Gourmet , Wine Spectator , the Cooking Channel and Zagat all in one. You can register on-line to access all of their recommendations or order the 2008 Gambero Rosso guidebook through their website.
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"Augustus" by Anthony Everitt

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The emperor Augustus has always been enigmatic. Anthony Everitt attempts to shed light on Augustus the man-his motivations, his relationships, his desires. Alas, even though we have many contemporary accounts of Augustus' life, the dearth of sources who were on intimate terms with the emperor keeps him in the shadows. If you are at all interested in the fall of Republican Rome, then Anthony Everitt's attention to detail will intrigue you. You will find many references to famous Roman writers and even to Augustus' own (impersonal) autobiography, the Res Gestae. My only complaint is the lack of footnotes and citation within the text directing the reader to those ancient authors to learn more. The end of the book does include a source list by chapter for reference. Augustus
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Rome Builds a New Subway Line

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As you can imagine, building a subway line through one of the world's most archaeologically crowded cities is not easy. The new Metro Linea C which began construction last year is expected to be completed in 2015 after years of careful research, excavation and construction. Each time they break ground, new discoveries will be made, new routes will have to be chosen, and history could potentially be rewritten. The construction of the new subway, while unfortunately resulting in quite a bit of destruction, will enable archaeologists to see what lies beneath the Medieval and Renaissance city. Read the article in April's Travel and Leisure and stay tuned for what are certain to be exciting revelations!
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