After reading your article, I am thinking about hiring a dog every time I want to go to the city centre. My cat is untrainable to walk on a leash, and I would never force him to be in a crowd, but most dogs actually like being in the middle of something, little FOMOphobic that they are ❤️.
I mean, I am Italian, I look Italian, I walk like a very busy Italian, I dress like an Italian. Nevertheless, every time I go to the city centre, there are waiters everywhere pushing plastic menus in my hand and offering me the best Alfredo in town 🤦🏻♀️🙄.
I don't think I'd mistake you for a foreigner, Antonia.
Separate from that, though, there must be tourists who believe that place really has the best Alfredo. How? Why? The only silver lining I can think of is that those places pull the laziest or most gullible tourists out of circulation, making things ever so slightly better for everyone else.
P.S. if you're unable to find a dog to hire, we can talk about you borrowing Mocha now and then.
You're right. Although I live here in Sicily and was born in this town, I'm still not exactly a local, but when I'm with my dog (which is most of the time) I feel like a true local. I also love being judged by my girl. "She's so sweet...", "so well behaved..."
I love those comments! And they ARE a reflection on you! I notice it all the time, agitated dog owners have agitated dogs, distracted owners have distracted dogs, and ... well ... "well behaved" sounds like a compliment for a dog but it's a weird thing to say about an adult person.
We used to be able to tell if someone was local by the fact they had a dog. These days, as more people are traveling with pets, it's no longer an indication that a person lives there.
Very true. Dogs send out vibes that you are approachable. Rufus is always with me. Though when I am in Italy, the directions I give may be slightly off, given that I too am a visitor 😀
You can also filter places for the MOST RECENT ... sometimes if a place has gone downhill or sold out to tourists, the overall rating is good but if you filter for the last 6 mnths you get a clearer picture
When we got our Aussie, Spencer, he opened up Monmartre, Paris to me. I met neighbors, tourists and my neigborhood. A dog will change your life. Love Moka's necklaces...
Couldn't agree more -- about the benefits of having a dog and about little Mocha's necklaces! She's so proud when I put them on her. It's like she thinks they're royal jewels and not just plastic from Porta Portese.
The cat on a leash I've only seen three times in my entire life. We've got cats, no chance ever they would take to a leash. Sounds like they have to be raised that way. I must have missed the pig in Testaccio over the years. My loss.
Having a dog is always good. In our case, I recognize people by the car they drive, but Betty always associates people with their dogs. She can always remember the pet's name, but not the owner's! Love the Mocha pics!
The scenic route is up the Capitoline Hill, across the Campidoglio, and down Via dei Fori Imperiali. The faster route from there was along the Circo Massimo and left on Via di San Gregorio.
Dogs are babe magnets in Italy too of course, babes of any age, and I meet new people almost every time the girls and I are out on a stroll. Like elsewhere, many dog people of course know each other's dogs' names here, but not that of the person at the end of the leash, resulting in the greeting "Ciao caro/a, come stai?"
After reading your article, I am thinking about hiring a dog every time I want to go to the city centre. My cat is untrainable to walk on a leash, and I would never force him to be in a crowd, but most dogs actually like being in the middle of something, little FOMOphobic that they are ❤️.
I mean, I am Italian, I look Italian, I walk like a very busy Italian, I dress like an Italian. Nevertheless, every time I go to the city centre, there are waiters everywhere pushing plastic menus in my hand and offering me the best Alfredo in town 🤦🏻♀️🙄.
I need to try the dog, it’s my last hope.
I don't think I'd mistake you for a foreigner, Antonia.
Separate from that, though, there must be tourists who believe that place really has the best Alfredo. How? Why? The only silver lining I can think of is that those places pull the laziest or most gullible tourists out of circulation, making things ever so slightly better for everyone else.
P.S. if you're unable to find a dog to hire, we can talk about you borrowing Mocha now and then.
You're right. Although I live here in Sicily and was born in this town, I'm still not exactly a local, but when I'm with my dog (which is most of the time) I feel like a true local. I also love being judged by my girl. "She's so sweet...", "so well behaved..."
It feels like a reflection on me!
I love those comments! And they ARE a reflection on you! I notice it all the time, agitated dog owners have agitated dogs, distracted owners have distracted dogs, and ... well ... "well behaved" sounds like a compliment for a dog but it's a weird thing to say about an adult person.
We used to be able to tell if someone was local by the fact they had a dog. These days, as more people are traveling with pets, it's no longer an indication that a person lives there.
I agree it's changing. But I most dog owners are still local, and I think that most of the ones who aren't are fairly easy to pick out.
Do you have pets?
That’s quite different in Australia these days. It’s hard to tell.
I love dogs but don’t have pets at the moment as I’ve been moving around the world too much.
Very true. Dogs send out vibes that you are approachable. Rufus is always with me. Though when I am in Italy, the directions I give may be slightly off, given that I too am a visitor 😀
Rufus is such a great dog name! I knew a few dogs called Rufus when I was a kid, and then the name seemed to fall out of favor.
So many good Mocha photos!!! Great!!
You can also filter places for the MOST RECENT ... sometimes if a place has gone downhill or sold out to tourists, the overall rating is good but if you filter for the last 6 mnths you get a clearer picture
I had the pleasure of dining with the darling Mocha! 💜
And you know the restaurant mentioned in passing in the essay.
Mocha is really cute, which also helps alot.
I'm glad other people think she's cute ... it proves I haven't been brainwashed!
When we got our Aussie, Spencer, he opened up Monmartre, Paris to me. I met neighbors, tourists and my neigborhood. A dog will change your life. Love Moka's necklaces...
Couldn't agree more -- about the benefits of having a dog and about little Mocha's necklaces! She's so proud when I put them on her. It's like she thinks they're royal jewels and not just plastic from Porta Portese.
Long live Mocha!
The cat on a leash I've only seen three times in my entire life. We've got cats, no chance ever they would take to a leash. Sounds like they have to be raised that way. I must have missed the pig in Testaccio over the years. My loss.
Having a dog is always good. In our case, I recognize people by the car they drive, but Betty always associates people with their dogs. She can always remember the pet's name, but not the owner's! Love the Mocha pics!
Just curious: what's the scenic route you suggested?
The scenic route is up the Capitoline Hill, across the Campidoglio, and down Via dei Fori Imperiali. The faster route from there was along the Circo Massimo and left on Via di San Gregorio.
Brilliant title-- I was thinking I was going to get Mocha's recommendations! I thought-- there's a new twist on the listicle....
I don't think Mocha's list would be very discriminating ... for sure it would favor butcher shops over actual restaurants.
What a beauty!
Dogs are babe magnets in Italy too of course, babes of any age, and I meet new people almost every time the girls and I are out on a stroll. Like elsewhere, many dog people of course know each other's dogs' names here, but not that of the person at the end of the leash, resulting in the greeting "Ciao caro/a, come stai?"
😍