Lunch by the Coliseum

Doug snapped another quick video earlier in the week when he took a small tour group to see the Coliseum and grab some lunch. Imagine having something delicious while sitting next to one of the wonders of the ancient world?

It really is one of the neatest things about Italy–the seamless melding of the ancient with the modern world.

A Period Piece on the Amalfi Coast?

A Period Piece on the Amalfi Coast?

Recorded “A Good Woman” (featuring Scarlett Johansson, Helen Hunt, Tom Wilkinson) to watch the other day because the caption mentioned the Italian coastline as a backdrop.

A cute but not very involved or in-depth take on the Oscar Wilde play wherein Amalfi, Ravello, etc serve as the occasional backdrop for a story about the well-to-do idling away their time in Italy and having first world problems while the rest of the world was suffering. The story never really takes off and it’s hard to get attached to any of the characters. Some nice views of the beauty that is the Amalfi coast, but they’re pretty infrequent–most of the film could have been shot on a soundstage in Hollywood and it wouldn’t have made much difference. If you enjoy cinema in Italy, there are no doubt stronger choices,

Santa Maria Novella

Doug stopped while taking a small private group through Florence to snap this quick video of the piazza in front of the Dominican beauty that is Santa Maria Novella. One of the best parts of seeing Italy’s wonders in person: how the old is preserved but blended seamlessly with the new. There are no aluminum siding building, no tacky billboards, just people going about their daily business next to the 600 year old facade and keeping the modern and the classic in harmony without missing a beat.