Rome Travel Guide

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Sunday, April 26, 2009

Liberation Day in Rome - postscript

Liberation Day update... we spent a couple hours yesterday in one of Rome's "reddest" neighborhoods, Garbatella, built in the Fascist years - architecture we find fascinating.

We were aiming for something billed as Liberation Fest at a social club, but it was too much not us for us to try it... garage bands at full volume (we should've known band names like Red Alert, 5 Boots, Godzilla e Lei (and you), and 3 Kids with Mustaches) were not going to be aimed at us, mostly young men hanging about outside (photo at left). An alternative across the street was 3 socialists, in the courtyard of their party center, droning on to a crowd of about 50 (when they say they're going to say "due parole" (2 words, literally), look out! - be prepared for 30-60 minutes).


But we were buoyed by seeing a group of 20- and 30-somethings taking a walk with their children and babies in strollers while singing "Bella Ciao." ("goodbye, beautiful" - the partisans' song -- the link will take you to a lovely version of the song).

We came across a mini street fair... for sale, anything from Che hats to bio-friendly products to solicitations for Palestine to porchetta (spiced roast pork sandwiches... you can bet we opted for that) and beer....
We read today Berlusconi has done an about-face on April 25, but he wants to call it Liberty Day, not Liberation Day... gag - the appropriation I mentioned in yesterday's blog.

Bella ciao, Dianne


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