The Italian Job

Nope, this isn't about the 2003 film featuring Charlize Theron and Mark Wahlberg. Make no mistake, though, that's a really nice film that I've seen several times.

This is about an observation made while scanning through films on Netflix - both new and old.

There seems to be a lot of films that are shot and set in Italy. 

Last July, they had "Love & Gelato" which was so fun that I watched it more than 3 times in a week. Then, last weekend, this film popped up in my suggested titles.

"Love in the Villa" is set in Verona, particularly at Casa Di Giulietta. It's a standard rom-com where a feisty American girl meets an uptight British guy. Initially, they're at odds and hate each other. But as the film progresses, they discover each other's good traits. And we know what happens next.

Told you its standard.

Despite that, it's a fun and easy watch. And it's making me want to fly off to Italy again soon.

Rome if you want to

While it's common knowledge that I'm a huge B-52s fan, and their song "Roam" is one of my go-to karaoke songs, this post isn't about that.

It's about "Rome."

My last trip to Rome, Italy, was almost 20 years ago. Being a fan of both Roman Mythology, Roman Architecture and Catholicism, this was a must-visit destination for me.

As a destination, it's postcard-perfect and coffee table book pretty. Walking around the city was like seeing a book come alive. The landmarks that are often seen in travel books and magazines - Trevi Fountain, the Colloseo Roma, The Vatican City - they're just as the books portray them. 

I'd spend hours walking around, taking photos on my film camera, and just taking it the sights and sounds of this magnificent Italian city.

For some strange reason, though, I had no desire to revisit the city after that last trip. There were a couple of European cities that I've visited multiple times - Amsterdam, Barcelona, Koln, Paris - places I went back to because I really wanted to go back. 

Last night, while browsing Netflix, one of the suggestions was this rom-com set in Rome (so, should I call it a Rome-com? Harhar!) entitled "Love & Gelato."

Watching it made me feel like I was in Rome again. Even if it was almost 2 decades ago, seeing the sights made me feel like my trip was just a few months ago.

Now, I'd like to roam Rome all over again.