Am I the only person who thinks that Silvio Berlusconi’s pledge to abstain (from sex, obviously) during the election campaign is not only totally uncool, but just a little misogynistic? It seems to be a hangover from days of warriors (and their latter-day replacements, sportsmen) that says sex (pr...

Best to be frank. In two months time I will have lived in Rome for five years. Until today, I had not yet been to the Sistine Chapel.

I’m glad that's off my chest.

There are all sorts of reasons. There always are. None of them holds up. I’ll go another time. Yes, but when? It’s too crowded in...

Living, as I do, just off the Lungotevere it has been an eye opener to see the Tiber’s waters rise. It rained last week. and then the water started to rise, and rise, and rise. The level is now about 12 metres -- that's 39 feet in old money -- above normal. And it just started to rain again ...

O...

To the countryside once again, for another celebratory meal. And yes, this time, there were the fabled ucellini -- little birds -- that many Italians wax lyrical about. A clockwork contraption gently rotated two spits in front of a bed of banked oak embers, each spit loaded with pieces of bread,...

To the Auditorium a couple of nights ago, to hear Bill Frisell, and a wonderful evening it was. Completely different from the previous time I saw him in Rome; winter not summer, indoors not outdoors, small band not big band, different company. Still and all, entirely satisfying.

Almost every song...