Summer in the City

Judging from the heat in Rome over the last few weeks, the summer is well and truly here. Of course I had noticed the increase in tourists everywhere around Rome which is great as along with the tourists come all the great events and festivals that the Comune di Roma and other organisations put on. A few of these super events which are certainly on my to do list for the summer are the following:

• Under the Shade of the Collosseum; this is a fantastic setup, they have a great pool here which you pay around 10 euro to access for the whole day... heaven during those hot days in Rome! They are also holding concerts, cabaret, games, cooking shows and my favourite of all Italian things- spettacoli! Which is basically just any kind of show, but throw in a load of glitz, glamour, sequins, a lively sweaty male host and a few scantily clad lady sidekicks, in Italian they are called Veline.
• The song of the sirens, from Oh Brother where art thou 'Go down to the river to pray' comes to mind when I think of all the goings on down along the Tiber, though you need to change pray to play! First of all there is a beautiful outdoor cinema set up in front of L'Isola Tiberina, which then turns into a cool bar for hanging out with all the film types.
• Then just all along the riverbanks there are cocktail bars and stalls selling all kinds of magical goods! There are 13 refreshment rooms for every taste, from exotic food to the classic pizza. The website promises a full fun packed itinerary of cultural events throughout the summer, catering for all age groups and interests and the best thing of all its all for FREE!
• At some stage this summer I hope to get a bit cultural and head to the Baths of Caracalla for an outdoor opera, from what I hear the setting and production are truly amazing.
• Another great event this summer is Roma vintage, its a pool and party but with a difference its all about nostalgia so it is 70's and 80's themed, so expect games and deco to come from those eras. There is also a children's area and food.
• Trastevere also has its own mini festival called Noantri Festival, definitely worth checking out if your in Rome during July.

I love that there is so much going on this summer, Rome always has something new up its sleeve! So now I just have to find the time to fit all these events and spettacoli in....