As you walk down the Spanish Steps we'll explain why the Pope at the time they were built was so unenthusiastic about them and also why the fountain at the bottom looks like it's sinking.

 

We'll point out the Keats-Shelley Museum and talk about the Romantic poet's tragic life and then explain what Roman firemen do to the Colonna dell'Immacolata every year. Instead of burying your nose in your guide book, you'll be able to see what's around you as we talk about Rome, past and present.

 

You'll hear about the two men who shaped Rome - Borromini and Bernini  - and about their great rivalry.  We'll tell you where the word Malaria comes from and what paparazzi means too. As you wander through the quieter streets of this capital city, we'll show you what other tourist guides don't - where old aristocrats still live with Old Masters on their walls - and where to find quiet, hidden away restaurants, where the real Romans go to eat.