Brown Thursday?

I get it. I know that in America 2/3 of our GNP is from consumer spending. We used to be a country that made things, now we buy things.

Trust me, if I had a million dollars, I would do my part to help generate the economy. Still, something about stores opening on Thanksgiving Day seems wrong to me.

I wonder how surly the salespeople will be.

Lo shopping: Saldi, Saldi, Saldi!

The big July sales started in Rome on Saturday.

Unfortunately, there will be no shopping for this ragazza.

What the heck is up with the dollar?!! You would think with the Greek financial crisis the American dollar would be able to gain against the euro. Come on Congress, get your act together and figure out this debt ceiling situation.

Despite the horrible exchange rate and lack of funds, I'm tempted to partake in some retail therapy. I must be strong. It will be difficult, but I think I can do it.

Snapshot Rome: Fish - Trionfale Market

I need to learn how to cook fish.

Once in a while I would buy shrimp or salmon at the Gelson fish counter when I lived in L.A. Not sure why I didn't buy/cook fish more often.

I grew up eating fish every single Friday. My dad went to Catholic schools but my mom was/is Methodist. I'm not sure where the fish every Friday tradition came from. One dish I had no love for was fish head soup. Pass.

Of course having Caribbean parents, we had to eat what they ate. There was no "kids menu" at our house. When we got older, like in high school, sometimes my mom would say she was thinking about making either one dish or the other and would ask our opinion. Other than that, nope. My mom was not running a restaurant. If you didn't like what she made, guess you weren't eating that night.

Growing up in the islands, fish was a big part of my parents' diet. My dad was Mr. Breakfast on weekends and sometimes we would have fish then as well.

I happened to buy sardines the other week and eating them reminded me of Sunday breakfasts in Jersey.

Now that I'm surrounded by excellent fishmongers, I need to step up my fish game. heh

To be honest, I'm a little overwhelmed by all the choices. I'm slowly learning the Italian names for different types of fish and my goal is to try a "new" fish every month. I have never cooked a whole fish. This is one of my personal Top Chef Challenges for 2011.

Favorite Things: Clementini

Never had these until I moved to Italy. They are grown mostly in Southern Italy, Morocco and South America. They are delicious.

At the market I go to, (Trionfale) you can buy a kilo for 1 euro. This morning I noticed they were over 3 euros per kilo at the Campo dei Fiori market. This is why I walk all the way to Trionfale...over triple the price? Uhm no.

Amazon.com arrives in Italy, curious to see if our books show up

I have ordered from Amazon.fr (France), Amazon.uk and the Book Depository.com.uk and received my books no problem.

When the news first hit about Amazon starting an Italian website, Linda, a Canadian exapt in Milan said, "It's exciting news, isn't it! Your books may not show up but it's the thought that counts." ha.

Poste Italiane has a terrible reputation. The funny thing is, it used to be worse. I have a hard time wrapping my head around that.

We'll see. I use the other sites only for English language books I can't find here. Living in Rome, I have access to great independent bookstores and several chains, like la Feltrinelli.

I love bookstores and will always support them, even if I have to pay a little more. I can't see buying Italian books from Amazon.it but if I lived in a small town, this would be a fantastic resource.

I assume they will start to sell more international books and other products. Amazon in the States sells much more than books.

Will Poste Italiane be up to the challenge of delivering books in a timely fashion? If it goes well, maybe Netflix would be next. Now, that's a service I can be very exicted about as most of the mainstream/commercial film DVD rentals places are automated anyway.

The picture above is from a billboard near the Ponte Sisto bridge. It's massive.

Lo Shopping: White Gallery in EUR. Fashionistas in Rome rejoice.

Actually, for me it was "Lo Browsing". My friend Erica has written a fab
POST about this amazing store. I'm still dreaming about the forest green Celine tote.

The store is opening a cafe with outdoor seating in the Spring.

I'm so over being broke it's not funny.

The architecture is very interesting. There's a lot of marble.


I think the books were for sale too.


Fabric for custom made shirts.

Lo Shopping: Los Angeles edition. Club Monaco and J.Crew FTW

It's election day in the States today. I dropped off my absentee ballot while I was in L.A. Tomorrow we will have a new Speaker of the House.

Speaking of Los Angeles (okay, that was a stretch) I didn't have time or the budget to hit any of the fantastic boutiques on 3rd, Beverly, Abbott Kinney, etc. I desperately needed some basics, like one pair of jeans.

Clothes in Europe are a slimmer cut. What is a 6 in America is a 10 here (seriously) and most stores do not go much higher than than.

Having a limited budget forces me to pay attention to every single thing I buy. Even when my financial situation improves I will continue to do so.

THE GAP
What is going on with this store? Patrick Robinson is a very talented designer. I do not understand why the clothes looked so awful and the fit sucked. I used to have excellent luck with their jeans. This time no dice. The fabric felt and looked cheap and none of the styles fit.

I know they are opening one in Milan and Rome soon. We'll see what they'll sell here. Maybe I've aged out of the GAP? Then again, how can you age out of classics? The GAP has been struggling for years. They're getting slammed on the lower-end by H&M/Zara and on the higher-end by J.Crew.

GAP BODY
That said, I went to the Gap Body section in their store at The Grove. Hands down one of the best places for yoga pants, cotton panties (much better quality than Victoria's Secrets) and PJs.

KIEHL'S
I went to the one on Robertson. Friendly, helpful and generous with the samples. I finally tried the Olive Fruit Oil Deeply Repairative Hair Pak after hearing so many people rave about it. Blogger Afrobella also said it was a great product for black women with natural hair. Worth every single penny. It's an excellent conditioner.

BLOOMINGDALES
I interned at the flagship NYC store during college. I've always loved this store, especially for cosmetics, shoes, housewares and bedding.

I stuck to my list and stayed on the first floor. I wish Bobbi Brown sold her cosmetics in Rome. New color lipstick for me, her Blackberry. It's a pretty plummy color and the closest I could get to a discontinued Trish McEvoy shade. I almost got sidetracked at the Chanel counter but remembered they sell Chanel all over Rome.

CLUB MONACO
The J. Crew of Canada. I can't find any of the dresses I bought online for a photo so believe me when I say I scored. I wore one of the dresses, this Jackson Pollack type print, to a drinks a friend hosted for me at the Avalon pool bar. I received so many compliments on it. Several women said they were going to buy the dress. I have a particular shape, it's hard for me to find things that fit. I always find well-cut, fashionable (without being too trendy) clothes at Club Monacao. Their color palette is not as wide as J.Crew but I think both stores do Modern Classic well. Club Monaco is more Pradaish while J. Crew is preppier.

J. Crew
I have worn J. Crew since it was catalog only, then became a regular at their first retail store in NYC's South Street Seaport. The founder was from Montclair, NJ and the clothes used to have a very East Coast, outdoorsy prep school vibe. I've seen the brand struggle when they tried to be too fashion forward and when it because super popular. First Lady Michelle Obama has definitely increased the brand's profile. When her daughters wore J. Crewcuts (the online store for children) to the Inauguration, so many people went online it caused the site to crash. At J. Crew's 3rd Street Promenade store I finally found a pair of jeans. They fit perfectly. There were so many things I wanted to buy but remembered I have to pay rent.

BANANA REPUBLIC
Stuck out here. I did buy some tights and a sweater but their clothes seemed too business casual to me and kind of boring. I used to find great dresses there but that was over six years ago.

FRED SEGAL on Melrose
Went to look for a turban but all they had were headbands. The clothes in this store are too fabulous for mere mortals as myself. I went into the shoe department. There wasn't a pair under $500. Even when I have money I will never spend hundreds of dollars on a T-Shirt. I go through white v-neck T-Shirts pretty quickly. I'll stick with J.Crew and Club Monaco's.

However, it's a great place to buy gifts, books, candles, stationary etc.

Run, don't walk to Beppe E I Suoi Formaggi

Katie Parla wrote about this new cheese shop in the Jewish Ghetto.

Then Erica mentioned she had stopped by the store as well.

This store is going to be a problem.

I went there today to buy some robiola. The co-owner Francesco was so friendly. Next thing I know, I walked out with brie, the robiola, some kind of tartufo (truffles) cheese, a skinny long link of sausage and a bottle of Dolcetto d'Abla from the Piemonte region.

The store is not quite finished yet, photos still need to be hung, but if you like or love cheese (or wine from Piemonte or France) it a must.

The prices are moderate but the quality is very, very high. I spent 25 euros more than what I had intended to spend. I kind of wish I didn't know about this store. Katie Parla, I'm salty with you!

Her post (see link above) has photos. Do not read if you're hungry.

Randomissimo - Hollywood Edition

Ciao Bloggisti from "The Big Orange". Hmmm, I was never a fan of that nickname.

This is my first trip back to America since moving to Rome. Many expat friends told me I would have reverse culture shock. However, other than almost passing out in the supermarkets (more on that later) and the strangeness of not hearing Italian all the time, it feels like I never left. The traffic still sucks, people still complain about the "biz", and barely anyone walks on the street.

With three hours of arriving at L.A.X. I saw my former boss in Beverly Hills. I went to buy a phone at AT&T on Santa Monica Blvd and Bedford. As I crossed the intersection, a car beeped at me. I thought the driver was honking at the lady next to me who had a ton of cleavage going on, so I ignored them. Then someone rolled down the window and said my name. It was Don Cheadle in the back seat. Random.

You know you're on the West Side in L.A. when there's Valet Parking at a supermarket. That the store is already in a mall with plenty of parking and there's still Valet, says a lot.

I walked into Gelson's and almost passed out (same thing happened earlier at Ralphs). So big! All the choices! The fruit is perfectly lined up (and super expensive). I was paraphrasing Kanye in my head, "Yo Italy, I'mma let you finish but America has the best junk food of all time!"

Seriously, I forgot about the soda, chips, cookies aisle. Where did all these new products come from? There are like ten different versions of the Oreo cookie.

I bought the Entenmann's Raspberry Danish. It couldn't be helped. I was craving it a few weeks back. I was filled with joy as the lady rung it up. It takes so little to make me happy. It's kind of sad.

Within the first 24 hours of my arrival, I was told by two industry execs I need to move back to L.A. if I want to have a career in this business. Heavy thing to think about. Still processing.

Why the hell is there June Gloom in the middle of October? The marine layer is so thick.

Club Monaco, how I've missed you. I'm loving the new items for fall.

The friend I'm staying with went with me to Club Monaco and told me I need to accept that I have lost weight since moving to Italy. I keep trying on clothes a size too big. She insisted I go down a size. She was right.

I have no money yet I went to J. Crew and other places anyway (I'll do a Lo Shopping post later) as I have no clothes. I have a zillion meetings, lunches, dinners and I can't be looking crazy. I'm justify the spending the money as early Christmas present. Plus I'm super stressed about my career (especially after the "you need to move back" comment) and some retail therapy was needed ASAP.

I'm looking for a turban. Haven't found any.

Nobody flirts.

Mexican food, hello, I've missed you too.

Downtown L.A. more restaurants and services (supermarkets etc.) have opened in the last 2 1/2 years. I had a dinner meeting at a new place called Bottega Louis. It's Italian so I had a burger as I can eat Italian when I get home. The burger was amazing. More on that place in a upcoming food post.

The weaves are still out of control.

There is an Obika (an Italian restaurant based in Rome) in Century City Mall! I can't believe it. It was packed at lunch time.

Traffic is still horrendous. Nobody should talk smack about drivers in Jersey until they have tried to go anywhere in Beverly Hills during the middle of the day. People, please use the freaking turn signal and get off your cellphones.

I was worried about driving as I haven't been behind the wheel in a year. It's fine and fun (when not sitting in traffic). I have an automatic. I can't imagine trying to tackle that hill at La Cienega and Sunset with a stick. I slide backwards with an automatic. Maybe next time, if the rental car company has them, I'll get a stick. I don't want to forget how to drive one after spending all that money at the L'Autoscuola.

I miss Rome.

Air France has great service.

Going through U.S. Customs was interesting. Very intense. We had to put all our bags on the ground so the cute security dog (a beagle) could sniff them. I was asked a bunch of questions. The officers were friendly but for foreign visitors it must be a pain to have to get your fingerprints scanned, etc.

The mood of the electorate is beyond angry. The mid-term elections are going to be brutal.

There's a lot of Spanish spoke in Los Angeles. Thanks to learning Italian I can understand some of it.

I met a black security guard named O.J. I feel bad for brotherman.

Century City Mall, not as amazing as Short Hills (Jersey for the win) but it's a darn good mall.

All the leaf blowers, that sound is so L.A. to me.

Trying not to have a panic attack about my career. Could I move back? I have a lot to think about on this trip.

Lo Shopping: There's a Jo Malone in Rome!!!

I was jogging up Via del Babuino on my way to Villa Borghese park last week and saw the brand spanking new store. I couldn't believe it.

A Jo Malone opened in Milan in 2007.

I adore her line. The first time I heard of it was when a co-worker went to London years ago and brought us gifts. No one in the US outside of the fragrance/fashion worlds knew who she was.

Then a few years later she started selling the line at high-end American stores like Bergdorf Goodman, Barneys etc.

Her stand alone store in NYC's Flatiron District is gorgeous. It was very close to my apartment and I spent way too much time and money in there. Excellent place for gifts.

I went to London for my birthday a few years ago and had to check out the flagship store on Sloane Street.

My favorite scents are Lime Basil Mandarin, Wild Fig & Cassis and the Pomegranate Noir.

I stopped by the store yesterday to buy myself a "start gift". Then I met up with with Erica, her friend and her friend's two adorable children at Hotel de Russie's garden for an outrageously expensive mojito. It was delicious.

Jo Malone
Via del Babuino, 42/43







The packaging is so classic and pretty.

Lines down the block for the summer sales in Rome.

The summer sales started on Saturday. It was bananas.

In the States there are sales all the time. Not so here.

In Italy the big sales are in July and January. You might see a small store here or there hold a special but sales here are regulated by the State. They start in Milan and then continue down the boot for about a month.

The air was festive. I would say the crowds were split 50/50 between Italians and tourists.

The markdowns were no joke. Next sale season I will be ready!


The line outside of Gucci went on forever. Even after the store was opened.


Line outside of Burberry before it opened.


I wonder if any classic trench coats were on sale.


Line outside of Fendi. This building is gorgeous inside.

Namastey: For tea lovers in Rome

I am a loose tea convert thanks to Diana. I stayed at her fantastic B&B last August for my birthday.

With her outrageously delicious breakfasts, she served a tea she bought at a store in Rome.

I finally tracked down Namastey at its new location but they were out of the Rooibos tea I wanted.

Instead I bought green tea (a Spicy Chai) and a Rooibos Zenzero which has a touch of cinnamon and chocolate.

The store has a very wide variety of teas and the staff is very helpful. Namastey is located right behind the Pantheon.

Namastey
Via della Palombella, 26
06-681-35660
www.namastey.it

SAID...A place in Rome for lovers of chocolate

A few weeks ago, my friend Matt was in Italy for research and we met up in San Lorenzo. His New York Times cover story on Italy's Home Food program ran last weekend. HERE is the article. Warning...do not read it if you are hungry.

A good friend of mine now lives in San Lorenzo so I have been spending more time there. It's a very funky neighborhood, near the university, with a lot of interesting street art.

San Lorenzo was the area in Rome most damaged by Allied bombing during WWII, which is ironic given the area was very anti-fascist. You can still see some of the damage.

A couple months ago my friend Marco pointed out a chocolate store located in side alley. We passed it after dinner. The store was closed and I made a mental to return.

When Matt suggested we check it out during a cold, wet day I couldn't be happier. I was not prepared for what awaited my eyes and nose.

I'm not even a big chocolate person (I'm more into Jelly Bellys and Swedish Fish when it comes to candy) but this place is INSANE.

The SAID Antica Fabbrica Del Cioccolato has been around since 1923. I kind of wish I didn't know about it. I actually schlepped across the city just to buy some chocolate. I savored every single piece. My favorite bars so far are ones with cinnamon and the ones with little pieces of biscotti.

There is a restaurant in the back. I was too distracted to look at the menu.

SAID DAL 1923
Via Tiburtina, 135
+(39) 06 446 9204

We were there before Easter. They had great baskets, eggs and bunnies.


Jars of chocolate covered goodness.


Matt trying to decide what to buy. He said the hot chocolate was amazing.


I need some chocolate.

Lo Shopping: Amazon.com France is the bomb!

Last week I decided to order some books from Amazon France's website.

Not sure if this is always the case but my order arrived very quickly and I didn't have to pay any wackadoo customs fees.

I have heard horror stories of expats here ordering from Amazon USA and having to pay fees that are more than the value of the books. Plus with the dollar so weak I would get killed with the exchange rate. At least now it's a Euro to Euro transaction.

So despite my shaky French skills, I will continue to buy my English language books from France instead of the U.S. Not sure if all the English language books on my Wishlist are available but at least several are.

I'm so excited.

My own Top Chef challenge: Fennel

Along with trying to rely less on recipes, I'm also trying to cook with new ingredients. I have never cooked fennel before.

While this vegetable is not that popular in the States, it's huge here. You see it everywhere.

I saw chef Giada de Laurentiis cooked with it several times on her Food Network show when I lived in America.

I was at the market and on a whim I bought some.

I made her Roast Fennel with Parmesan.

This dish is so easy (I used slightly less olive oil) and absolutely delicious. The salty cheese works well with the sweet fennel. I will make this one over and over again and next time I might add some pancetta.

With such a simple dish the quality of the ingredients must be excellent.

You can find this recipe in Giada's fantastic cookbook "Giada's Family Dinners".

Roasted Fennel with Parmesan
Ingredients
4 tablespoons olive oil
4 fennel bulbs, cut horizontally into 1/3-inch thick slices, fronds reserved
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup freshly shredded Parmesan

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Lightly oil the bottom of a 13 by 9 by 2-inch glass baking dish. Arrange the fennel in the dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then with the Parmesan. Drizzle with the oil. Bake until the fennel is fork-tender and the top is golden brown, about 45 minutes. Chop enough fennel fronds to equal 2 teaspoons, then sprinkle over the roasted fennel and serve.




Not only does it taste good, it's a pretty dish. I forgot to sprinkle the fronds over it.

Via Cola di Rienzo, one of the most dangerous places in Rome for an Expat.

I went to Castroni in Prati to buy one thing, BRITA water filters. That’s it.

Next thing I know my arms are filled with stuff I didn’t even buy back in the States. I got a grip and put everything back except for a box of black cherry Jello (yum!) and the Castroni brand of granola with cranberries (it’s very good).

Castroni stocks over 2000 imported foods. They have a great Asian foods section. Prices are probably cheap in shops near Piazza Vittorio but Prati is walking distance for me. There are a few locations. The Prati store is the biggest.

I’ve been hearing about Franchi, the deli next door, for at least a year. I stopped by and bought some imported English cheddar cheese. I was jonesing for a grilled cheese sandwich and was so happy to have a little cheddar back in my life. Clearly, it doesn’t take much to make me happy.

Franchi also has an amazing selection of cheeses from all over Italy. I found tonino there, a cheese I had in Piedmonte.

FYI for tourists, they do shrink wrap things so you can take them on the plane.

I love the presentation. I’ve never had my cheese and prosciutto tied up with pretty ribbon before. I now know to avoid that area when I'm hungry.

A wine tasting at Borgo Maragliano, Piemonte, Italy

The Piemonte area of Italy is known for its outstanding wines.

The ride up to the Borgo Maragliano vineyard was very pretty but scared me. Seriously, the hair pin turns going up the mountain were no joke. As we continued up the mountain, I wondered how do people manage when it snows?

It was Diana and Micha's first visit to this vineyard. It had been recommended by another Piemontese.

The vineyard has been in the family for five generations. Silvia, the daughter-in-law, did the tasting. She was fantastic. Silvia really knows her wine and has a great personality. She has a degree in literature and speaks several lanauges. Her husband studied oenology. She travels all over the world and Italy for the vineyard.

I’ve been to wine tastings before in Napa. This was more personal. We met Silvia's husband, father-in-law, mother-in-law and grandmother-in-law who was with her great grandchildren.

The wine was excellent and very reasonably price.

I like being able to buy directly from the grower. I think it’s important to support local growers. When I went to pay for my wine, Silvia refused to take my money and wished me a happy birthday.

I picked the Crevoglio Chardonnay. I loved their prosecco but since I live by myself I thought sparkling wine was not the way to go. Once you open a bottle, you have to drink it pretty qyickly. Their Moscato d’Asti was also incredible. It’s one of their biggest sellers, especially in Asia.

When I lived on the States I avoided Chardonnay (when did Chardonnay get such a bad rep?). The Crevoglio, however, is delicious.

Here is their website. I believe you need to call ahead and make reservations for a tasting.

The vineyard.


This was in the old wine cellar. The family used to fill this section with snow (there was a hole in the ceiling) and it would be the refrigerator for the farm. It was so nice and cool in the cellar.


Silvia in the tavernetta which dates from 1750.


The Madonna keeping an eye on things.

Too broke for a spa trip…Aveda Caribbean Therapy to the rescue.

I recently went to the Aveda store next to the Spanish Steps.

When I first moved to L.A. I used to receive gift certificates to Burke Williams Spa for my birthday/Christmas all the time.

I went to the one in West Hollywood. However, the prices kept going up and I found it too crowded.

A friend who was a writer on Will & Grace told me to try a masseuse at the Four Seasons her fellow writers loved.

Since I was not a writer on one of the top five shows on television, I thought she was tripping.

In fact, it was only a few dollars more than the same massage at BW. After receiving a gift certificate for massage at the Four Seasons, I never looked back. Quiet, clean and with a kick butt massage it was the perfect stress reliever.

Last week friend was in town after visiting the Amalfi Coast and went to the spa at Hotel de Russie. She said it was excellent.

Well a spa day for me will be in my apartment. I’m thinking about doing it this Saturday when everyone I know will be gone for Ferragosto. I’m also going to try and not work all day. A day at the spa does not include working. Kind of defeats the purpose.

I love this product from Aveda. It, along with Origin’s Ginger Scrub, are excellent exfoliators. They also smell fantastic.

You have to stir it up before using and the tub gets slippery so take extra care getting out.

I haven’t finalized the “menu” for my spa day. I'm going to make bruschetta and something light. I assume it will still be too hot to cook.

Have you ever done a “spa day” at home? What did you do (or didn't do..i.e. work, cleaning etc.)?

The Trionfale Farmers Market...I found my market!

I've been living here for over a year and just heard about about this market a few weeks ago. Within one week several different people told me I had to check it out.

I thought they were talking about the market on Via Cola di Rienzo, which I've been to a couple of times. It's housed in the white building pictured.

Apparently there was another market in Prati, near the Vatican Museum. Today I walked over, cutting through St. Peter's square.

I almost lost my mind. It was love at first sight.

Is it me or have the prices in Campo dei Fiori skyrocketed since spring? This wouldn't have anything to do with the start of the tourist season? hmm

I did some comparison shopping a few weeks back. Cherries in Campo, avg. 8 euros a kilo. Testaccio market, avg. 4 euros a kilo.

Campo is fine if I have to run out and get something quickly. Shopping for a few days? No. Forget that. I'm not paying tourists prices.

The Trionfale market prices are lower than Campo, more in line with Testaccio, and Piazza Vittorio (a good market but too far for me. It's by Termini).

Like the latter it also has a few vendors (not as many as Pz. Vittorio) selling ethnic foods. I saw okra and plantains.

There was a vendor selling balsamic vinegar by the liter. The market has a wide variety of vendors selling: cheese, honey, meat, baked goods, fish, wines, fresh pasta, vegetables, fruits, etc. There are also a few dry goods vendors.

There's a flower mart nearby but it opens later in the day.

The market has underground parking as the lot is also used for the Vatican Museum.

Distance wise Trionfale is a little closer than Testaccio. I really liked the vibe of it. It's clean, bright and well laid out. Folks were super friendly, which I didn't expect. Everyone was all, "buona giornata, grazie lei!" Or maybe it's because I was there super early. Perhaps by the end of the day, the vendors are salty and just want to go home.

I need to go back with someone who shops there all the time. I feel like I just scratched the surface of it this morning. I walked out of there wishing I had a bigger kitchen. I was inspired to throw down.

If you're visiting Rome and staying in an apartment any where near this area, I highly recommend this market. I don't know how much English is spoken as I didn't see a single tourist in this huge space. However, given how close it is to the Vatican they must get a few.

Lo Shopping: The Lion Bookshop

First, why did I not know today is a big holiday in Rome? It's St. Peter's Day. I walked all the way to the Prati market and was surprised to find it closed. I noticed there were no people on the street and many stores were closed. Of course Prati is much quieter than the Center but I was puzzled.

Later talking to a friend she told me everyone is pretty much at the beach. Okay that is why I only see tourists out and about.

Anyway, The Lion Bookshop is one of the best bookstores in Rome for English language books. They will also order books for you (with a deposit). Well stocked and friendly this is one place I must avoid. Last time I was there I saw at least twenty books I wanted. As expats know, English language books are not cheap overseas.

The store has been in Rome for over 50 years and is the oldest English language bookstore in Italy. They have over 30,000 titles.

If you are visiting Italy they also have a well stocked guidebooks section. Their children's section is one of the best in town.

The store is off Via del Corso, just south of Piazza del Popolo. During the summer they are closed on Sundays.

Via dei Greci, 33/36
00187 - Roma
06/32654007
www.thelionbookshop.com