When in Rome do as the Romans do; well not quite. Rome needs no more noisy scooters rattling the windows of houses on narrow streets at midnight. Rome needs no more rip-off artists who are glad to relieve visitors of their money. Rome needs no more auto drivers who think they are charioteers whirling through the Pincio Gate and around the dozens of monuments from ancient Rome.
Driving a rental car in Italian cities is only for the brave or the oblivious. Who needs traffic lights when driving can be a game of dodge-em or chicken. Street signs are not a part of the culture and streets change names without notice. One-way streets are not necessarily one-way. Double parking on Italian streets is quite normal. It’s not your everyday variety of dolce vita.
The weather in Rome is usually fairly pleasant. But every once in a while Rome is struck by a sirocco, the hot, sand-laden wind from out of the Libyan desert, south across the Mediterranean. The wind usually lasts three days and is more frequent in late summer and fall. The Romans, said to be quite sensitive to weather changes, are reputed to experience a sirocco syndrome. According to one observer the people get dejected or quarrelsome; office workers, sales assistants and waiters are listless and scowl; the suicide rate and the incidence of traffic accidents rise. If domestic violence occurs during a sirocco, a court may later consider the weather an extenuating circumstance. Pity the poor Romans in a real sandstorm.
Romantic Verona sits at the base of the Italian Alps, surrounded by hills and fed by the Adige River. Fortunately it avoids the crush of tourists found in Venice, an hour away, or of Florence, farther south. Lake Garda is less than an hour through rolling hills. Shakespeare was Verona’s best publicist, writing Romeo and Juliet. Juliet’s tomb is there and the little church where she and Romeo were married is next door.
There also must be things for visitors to see and do Rome Map . Haiti offers many interesting sights that range from its vibrant people and their culture to the sun Rome Map , surf, and sand of its many tropical beaches. Those concerned with environmental issues certainly will be interested in Haiti’s ravaged landscape and how it might be restored. Here and there are remnants of tropical rain forest that can be developed as ecotourism destinations. The country’s rugged terrain offers many spectacular views and a variety of interesting ecosystems. Tourists interested in history and architecture might be attracted to a number of structures, including the massive Citadelle Laferriere (the Citadel).
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