Tita 1948,

I certainly hope you have a great time in Roma during your upcoming trip. It is a phenomenal place for photography, art, architecture and landscapes, not to mention vino, panne, pasta, prosciutto and vitello (veal). My taste buds are yearning right now as I write this.

I use large format (4" by 5") film cameras. One of my favorite images is that of the colliseo at night. In December, 2000 when I was last there, the colliseo was not illuminated on the outside, only some lights from the inside. Only street lights were minimally illuminating the structure. Using Velvia ISO 50 film, my exposure at f8 was 4'25" which took into account reciprocity failure of the film at such long exposures. There are grassy areas and sidewalks surrounding the structure and you can set up your tripod partially on the sidewalk and grass, over a railing so as to minimize your presence. Also at that time, the street lights were the pink-hued sodium vapor lights. Thus, unless you want your objects to appear green, use an FL-D filter (florescent to daylight filter). That is my best single instruction for film. If you have a digital camera, be sure you use the appropriate setting to correct for that type of light. My lens was a Rodenstock 90 mm F4.5. 90 mm in large format (4" by 5") is roughly equivalent to a 28 mm lens in 35 mm format. The entire colliseo is clearly in the picture. The longer exposure also avoided the presence of any human beings, as none would be in the picture for that length of time.

If you have the lung power and leg power, be sure to climb to the top of St. Peter's cupola. The view of Roma from that vantage point is breathtaking, in more than one way. There are no elevators to the top.

About 1/2 hour by commuter train to the west of Roma is the ancient town of Ostia Antica. This can be found in all of the guide books. It is never crowded and requires considerable walking so bring comfortable shoes. It is a fascinating and peaceful place, even if you are not into history or archeology. But it is interesting to know what was going on in Italy prior to ancient Roma. You will also need water and 'Balance Bars' or the equivalent. There are (or at least were) no restaurants in the ancient city. There was no restaurant anywhere nearby either. Or you could simply save your appetite until you get back into Roma again and visit one of their 'Cucina Toscana' which is 'Tuscan Kitchen'. This is shorthand for "fabulous Italian meal." Or you could plan a picnic with vino and sandwiches made at a butcher shop prior to leaving Roma. They have some of the best crustiest breads and rolls I have ever had in my life!!! I recall my favorite type is called the 'Rosette'.

'Trevi Fountain' is named after 'Three Streets' or 'tre via'. The street that seems to go straight into the fountain is short, about 1/2 mile or so. At the other end of that street is the famous 'Victor Emmanuel Monument' the king or head honcho that united Italy in the 1800's. It is the basis for 'Wedding Cakes' and is glorious to look at. You have to shoot through openings in the wrought iron fence, but the openings are a few inches wide and you should have no trouble getting a very good shot. This monument is also illuminated at night (at least it used to be).

If you don't mind, I will tell you my favorite Italian entrée. It is called 'vitello saltimbocca a la Romana'. It is thinly sliced and pounded veal, flash sautéed, with slices of Parma prosciutto and sage. The flavors are fabulous. The word 'saltimbocca' comes from the Latin 'saltare' which means 'to dance' and 'bocca' means 'the mouth.' Thus, 'saltimbocca' means 'to dance in the mouth'. Dare I suggest a wine? A 'barolo' such as produced by 'Pio Cesare' or an 'amarone' made by any of a multitude of vintners west of Venice, near Verona.

I am now really getting thirsty and hungry. In closing, I would be willing to schlep your tripod around in exchange for air fare. (If only my wife would let me go.) I am certain you will have a great time.

Arca