Some day, not right now and not in 2020 or 2021, but some day soon, European Focus and its founder James Derheim will simply stop taking clients to Paris, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Venice, Rome, Florence and the list goes on and on. Why? Mass tourism and the BILLIONS of people who are traveling – it’s ruining […]
Tag Archives: rome
Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel
July 11 After a string of negative experiences we have taken the Vatican Museums and the attached Sistine Chapel (you cannot visit the Sistine without going through the maze of the museum) permanently off our list of things to see and do in Rome, until they either change things in a major way at the […]
The Longest and most complete Roman walls in the world
August 16 – from a trip to this region in May You might think these are in Italy. No, they are in the small city of Lugo, Galicia, Spain. We were surprised too. How did we find out about this little treasure town? Well, it started with Jenean’s laptop needing a new power cord. We […]
Nearly getting arrested at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome
April 12 Travelers know that major tourist sites have a lack of available toilets, especially for women, who seem to always have to stand in a very, very long line in order to use the scarce facilities. So it was at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome recently, when my guest had to go and the […]
The Roman Forum
April 2 (From Wikipedia with photos by European Focus) The Roman Forum (Latin: Forum Romanum, Italian: Foro Romano) is a rectangular forum (plaza) surrounded by the ruins of several important ancient government buildings at the center of the city of Rome. Citizens of the ancient city referred to this space, originally a marketplace, as the […]
There’s no traffic in Rome these days
March 31 With fuel prices at an astounding $9 per gallon for unleaded, slightly less for diesel, the Romans are leaving their cars parked and taking public transportation. What used to be a white knuckle drive into the heart of Rome from the airport is now a breeze, with very few vehicles on the road […]
Make a wish at the Trevi Fountain in Rome
In 1732, Pope Clement XII commissioned Nicola Salvi to create a large fountain at the Trevi Square. A previous undertaking to build the fountain after a design by Bernini was halted a century earlier after the death of Pope Urban VIII. Salvi based his theatrical masterpiece on this design. Construction of the monumental baroque fountain […]
Roman Forum Gets More Interesting Each Year
The Curia is open now, the first time in many visits to this ancient place that it’s been accessible. This was the meeting place for the Roman Senate. It is now used for exhibitions with a current exhibit on the Emperor Nero. This unpopular emperor who “fiddled while Rome burned” killed himself while being pursued […]