On the Street archive at eternallycool.net

Archive for the 'On the Street' Category

Jul

Sidewalk Supper at Emmaus

By idcrome 0 Comments

Categories: Art & Design and On the Street

Sidewalk Supper at Emmaus

The coolfest continues as Rome gets hot, hot, hot! It seems that summer is upon us. It’s been blissfully breezy and cool in the Eterna through most of May, June, and early July, but this week the mercury’s soaring.

When it’s hot in Rome, it’s time to head outside–at least in the evenings when the temperatures drop a bit. We’ve been following tradition and dragging everyone out of the Compound each eve. We feed our sweaty team a pizza and an ice cream, stroll about, and do a bit of shopping (it’s sale season, after all). Given the wealth of street entertainment, there’s never a shortage of things too look at, especially if our stroll takes us down Via del Corso, where break dancers, mimes, accordion players, and street painters abound.

We always like to check in with the guy shown in the photo above. He’s there on Via del Corso each and every day, reproducing one of Caravaggio’s famed paintings for the enjoyment of the crowd. On a recent walkabout, we admired his version of the Supper at Emmaus, which he’s been working on for some time. His is a chalk reproduction of the version that’s in the Brera in Milan–not that of the same theme that’s in the National Gallery in London–and we think it’s hot stuff.

Jul

Racism is a Boomerang

By idcrome 2 Comments

Categories: Advertising and On the Street

Racism Poster in Rome

Though few human rights activists would consider Rome an ideal city, there are any number of organizations in the Eterna that we admire, not least for their efforts to raise awareness about the equality of all human beings irregardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation.

We’ve shown you publicity mounted by those organizations in the past, most recently the posters put up by the CGIL labor union, reminding us that Italians and foreigners share basic emotions and bodily functions, with their “same blood,” “same sweat,” “same smile,” and “same tears” campaign.

That CGIL campaign was so elegant and so emotion-stirring that when we stumbled upon the latest piece of advertising meant to remind us to treat others as we ourselves would be treated, we were a bit taken aback at its uncompromising bluntness. That said, we like the posters that have appeared all over town thanks to ARCI, a leftist organization dedicated to social promotion.

You can see the poster above in a beautiful photo taken by the famous and fabulous Susan Sanders. Above the figures, it says, “You call us a dirty black man and a disgusting lesbian.” Between them, the text continues, “But are you offended if we call you a mafioso Italian?” And then further below, “Racism is a boomerang. Sooner or later it comes back to you.”

Jun

La Cosa Piu Cara

By idcrome 0 Comments

Categories: On the Street

La Cosa Piu Cara Graffiti

Just adding to our collection of sentimental writings on Rome’s walls. We spotted this charmer on the same nearby school where studens are trained in the art of paper airplane making and where they also work out math problems on the walls. It says, “…sei la cosa piu cara che ho…” or “you’re the most precious thing I have.”

Jun

Someone Saved My Life Today

By idcrome 0 Comments

Categories: On the Street

Learn Mouth-to-Mouth Recessitation in Piazza Navona

Mouth-to-mouth resuscitation is no laughing matter, nonetheless it struck us as funny to see an informational demonstration of this rescue method taking place in Piazza Navona. It’s those little juxtapositions of past and present, now and then, practical and drop-dead beautiful that we so love in the Eterna.

Mouth-to-mouth resuscitation in Piazza Navona

Having spent the morning plumbing the depths of Rome’s water system under the guidance of nymph-like water expert Katherine Rinne, we were strolling out of the northern end of the Piazza when a member of our walking-on-water party, Rock Star Rachel, let out a yelp of delight! We followed her gaze and joined her in giggling at the sight of a (blond) Italian Resusci Annie laying on the Sampietrini stones that pave the piazza. About her stood a rescue team clad in bright orange, who watched wearily as one of their representatives gave a public demonstration on basic life-saving methods.

Mouth-to-Mouth demonstration in Piazza Navona

Jun

Hair Apparent

By idcrome 2 Comments

Categories: Advertising, On the Street and Surely You Jest?

Ghaddafi Poster in Rome

In case you missed the news, Muammar al-Gaddafi, the de facto leader of Libya paid a visit to Rome last week at the invitation of Italy’s prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi. The visit, billed as a “Mediterranean Dialogue,” provoked any number of protests in the city. We’ll refrain from making political commentary here and let you google the visit on your own and discover what happened.

Instead, we share with you a fabulous poster spotted post-visit, but surely meant to stir up enthusiasm amongst Italians for this cross-Mediterranean tête-à-tête. We can offer nothing but praise for Gaddafi’s oh-so-cool appearance, his diplomatic fashions, and we wonder who does his hair.

Gaddafi Poster in Rome

Jun

Do the Math

By idcrome 0 Comments

Categories: On the Street

$Math Graffiti from Rome, Italy$

Admittedly, most of us are geeks here at the Compound. Schools concern us and so we keep an eye on the one nearby — about a month ago, in fact, we shared published a photo of the place that we find quite funny.

The school is very much on our daily trajectory: we walk by often enough and spend enough time reading the graffiti scrawled across the building, that we consider ourselves minor experts on the junior-high dating scene in this hood.

As we’ve said before, we’re not convinced that a lot of learning (of the book type) goes on in the school, so you can surprise when just a few days ago when we meandered by and discovered that at least one student had done their math homework….in spray paint….on the outside of the building. This is the kind of graffiti we’d like to see on more schools!

Jun

Photo Saturday: Festa della Repubblica 2

By idcrome 0 Comments

Categories: On the Street, Photo Friday and Photography

Festa della Repubblica Parade in Rome

If you tuned in yesterday, you know that we’re having a 2-day photo extravaganza this weekend. On Monday June 2, Italy celebrated the Festa della Repubblica with a huge military parade in honor of the founding of the Italian Republic after World War II.

We brought you lots of great photos of that parade yesterday–and readers let us know that they really loved the one of the marching nurse squad (we do too – click over to see it here).

Festa della Repubblica parade in Rome Today, we have more of the same with an emphasis on the details that made the parade so very interesting. Above, camouflaged drummers pound out a rhythm as they walk down Via dei Fori Imperiali decked out in feathered hats (we’re betting they’re from Northern Italy, yes?).

Festa della Repubblica Parade in Rome A troop sporting desert camouflage grip their guns as they make their way down the parade route, their marching in time with the rhythmic procession of arches on the Trajan’s Markets. The masks pulled over their noses and mouths are a reminder that they’re trained to do their work in swirling dunes of sand.

Festa della Repubblica Parade in Rome We don’t know who these guys are, but they look sneaky, scary, stealthy and a little ninja-like and so we hope not to encounter them in a dark alley in the middle of the night.

Festa della Repubblica Parade in Rome Here Susan Sanders got a gorgeous shot of these dress uniforms–from the highly polished shoes to the double red stripes on the pants and from the silky blue tassels to the elaborate emblems on the sleeves, this is a uniform of which to be envious.

The feathered caps below are nothing to scoff at either. Those are some fine pieces of headgear: there’s not a member of the eCool team that would be happy to have one of those in their closet!

Festa della Repubblica Parade in Rome For more photos of Rome by Susan, click on over to her wonderful Rome with a View blog.

Jun

Photo Friday: Festa della Repubblica

By idcrome 0 Comments

Categories: On the Street, Photo Friday and Photography

The Festa della Repubblica Parade in Rome

A bit earlier this week, on 2 June, Italy celebrated the Festa della Repubblica. The day commemorates the referendum held in 1946, in which the Italian people, following the Second World War and the fall of Fascism, voted on the form that their government would take. With 12,717,923 votes for a republic and 10,719,284 for the monarchy, the male descendants of the House of Savoy were sent into exile.

Festa della Repubblica Parade in Rome

The day is commemorated each year with a grand military parade held on Via dei Fori Imperiali and presided over by the President of the Republic in the role of Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces (that’s him, Giorgio Napolitano, in the car below).

The President of Italy in the Festa della Repubblica Parade

It will surprise no reader of eCool to hear that intrepid photographer Susan Sanders was well-positioned at the edge of the parade and snapped some fabulous photographs of Italy’s bravest, fittest, and most fashionable troops. (A referendum held here in the eCool Compound awarded to Italy the title of “Nobody Does it Better. Makes Me Feel Sad for the Rest” in the categories of “uniforms” and “attention to fashion detail.” And you wonder what we do with our time!)

Presidential Guard at the Festa della Repubblica

We’re a little late to the party (so what else is new), but this weekend we’re going to join the flag-waving and celebrate the inception of the Italian Republic ourselves by staging a virtual exhibition of Susan’s photos right here on eCool. We’ve got a fabulous lineup on offer today – including the photo above in which the elaborate headgear of the presidential guard is on display – and we’ll be posting more photos tomorrow, so be sure to come back for another visit.

Italian Army in the Festa della Repubblica Parade in Rome

The Italian army was out in full-force, singing loudly as they made their way through the ruins of ancient Rome.

Ski Patrol in the Festa della Repubblica parade in Rome

The army was joined by the ski patrol from Italy’s mountainous regions. They were decked out in full gear, complete with skis, snowshoes, and rescue ropes.

Red Cross in the Festa della Repubblica Parade

We’re in love with this photo showing a medical or sanitary guard (or maybe the Red Cross – admittedly we don’t know much about the armed forces of Italy or anywhere else for that matter) as they stride forward to save the world. The veils! The shoes! The gloves! The serious and determined expressions on their faces! Where were these healers of the body as we weathered the ugliest flu season ever this winter?

Navy Boys at the Festa della Repubblica Parade in Rome

The Navy, too, made an appearance. We’re charmed by the expressions of these young enlisted men as they stand at attention in front of the Markets of Trajan.

More marching and uniforms tomorrow, eCoolers, so don’t forget to come back for the rest of this photographic celebration of the Italian Republic! In the meantime, if you need a Rome fix, click on over to Susan’s Rome With A View website.

Jun

Italian Politics Get Steamy!

By idcrome 0 Comments

Categories: On the Street

Not My President

One of the wonderful things about Rome is that you never know what you might see while strolling down the city’s streets. If anything’s constant about the city’s streets, however, it’s the presence of dog piles scattered about that require your utmost attention as you baby-step this way and giant-step that way in order to avoid them.

This morning’s stroll brought an eCooler to a dead stop, however, when they encountered a dog pile of a type never before encountered. This one was decorated with a tiny yellow flag embellished with an image of Italy’s prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, and the words, “Not My President.”

As you can imagine, tasteless and off-color jokes are flying around the Compound. We’ll leave you free to invent your own and to ponder the deeper political meanings inherent in this miniature work of street art.

May

It’s a Car! It’s a Boat!

By idcrome 0 Comments

Categories: Everything Else, On the Street and Outside Rome

Amphicar in Venice

It’s our understanding that a guy named Bernd Weise, a member of the Amphicar Club in Berlin, recently “drove” his 1961 Amphicar car down the Grand Canal in Venice.

A bit of enlightening research clued us in to the fact that this Amphicar is not just a toy produced by some guy in his back yard. It seems that the Amphicars were built in Germany between 1961 and 1968, a period in which 3878 vehicles were produced. The only civilian amphibious passenger that was ever mass produced, they’re rear-engined, they’re fitted out with a 4 cylidner British-built Triumph Herald motor that produces 43 hp, and they’re all convertibles – which, of course, is as it should be. We learned that on the history of the Amphicar site, where there’s much more.

If you want to get your own amphicar, click here.

For more photos, go to La Repubblica, the source of these.

Amphicar in Venice's Grand Canal