1342 – Visit to Rome | Bittersweet Life Crossover

Episode 1342 – Visit to Rome | Bittersweet Life Crossover

 

[START OF RECORDING]

 

SCOOTER: Friends beyond the binary, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, it’s time for the podcaster who’s just…I guess you could say I’m semisweet. I never thought about that. I was trying to think…I was like, I guess I’m semisweet. I mean, that’s a pop…and I’d say…well, some people say, oh boy. I’d say, well, that’s a pretty popular kind of chocolate chip. So, I’d say, yeah, semisweet’s pretty good when it comes to chocolate chips and, to be honest, sleep podcasters, because if I was too sweet, it would…for some people, that doesn't work, and you definitely want some sweetness in your sleep podcast or kindness, right? If you're new, you may already be wondering, what is going on here? Well, welcome to Sleep With Me.

 

It’s a podcast that’s here to keep you company and take your mind off of stuff so you could fall asleep, to be your friend in the deep, dark night, your distracting, semi-sweet friend. Now, my intention is full sweetness, but I only apply…you know what I mean? It’s like…but behind the scenes, I’m sweet…I’m here to do something sweet, but only with semisweetness. I think…I don't even know…is there other places…there’s semisweet chocolate? Because…other than chocolate chips? Why am I talking about semisweet? Well, because tonight’s episode is a crossover with another podcast called The Bittersweet Life. But if you're new, welcome to Sleep With Me. I wanted to tell you about the show, and then I’ll talk about our crossover. So, I’m glad you're here.

 

This is a sleep podcast, like I said, to keep you company and take your mind off of stuff. It is a bit different, so just give it a few tries. See how it goes. But I’m really glad you're here. Structurally…we got coming up…I’ll talk a little bit about The Bittersweet Life, then we’ll have support for the show, then a long, meandering intro meant to ease you into bedtime, along with this beginning part, and then later on I’ll be reinterpreting a couple episodes of a podcast in Rome or Roma, however you say it. So, I’m glad you're here. I work really hard, and I’m excited…oh, let me tell you about The Bittersweet Life right from their website. It’s made by my friends Katy and Tiffany.

 

The Bittersweet Life began over six years ago in Rome when two childhood friends from Seattle reconnected in Italy and decided to explore the highs and lows of the expat experience. Over the years, the show has grown into a much larger examination of life, inspiring a worldwide community of seekers to consider a less ordinary path for themselves. The show has two very different perspectives. Katy lived in Rome for one year and left behind a really successful job in public radio to move abroad, and she’s continued her search for wonder and belonging since moving back to the states, and regularly interviews authors to aid in the journey.

 

Tiffany moved to Rome fifteen years ago, determined to stay, and since becoming an expat, Tiffany’s overcome homesickness, the challenge to earn a living, gotten used to living the ups and downs in becoming an Italian citizen and a mother during the course of the show. Tiffany’s also a licensed tour leader who regularly shares her deep knowledge of Rome’s history and art on the show. Many episodes are like a…you'll love this podcast, by the way. This is Scoots interjecting. You gotta check out The Bittersweet Life. There’s virtual walks through the Eternal City, soundscapes…I’ll be…I’ll just be doing the lulling parts tonight, and I’ll have both episodes that we're covering in the show notes. We’ll talk about it more, but what do you say we get on with the show?

 

INTRO: [INTRO MUSIC] Hey, are you up all night tossing, turning, mind racing? Trouble getting to sleep? Trouble staying asleep? Well, welcome. This is Sleep With Me, the podcast that puts you to sleep. We do it with a bedtime story. Alls you need to do is get in bed, turn out the lights, and press Play. I’m gonna do the rest. What I’m going to attempt to do is create a safe place where you could set aside whatever’s keeping you awake. It could be thoughts, thoughts about the…thoughts on your mind about the past, the present, the future, thinking thoughts, imaginary, real conversations…I have a lot of those during the day. I’ve really been trying to be more mindful of them. I’ll have imaginary conversations with people, and then I’ll have imaginary conversations about those things. Those are real people.

 

Imaginary conversations; real people. Maybe that’s a new podcast, or it could be a Sleep With Me episode, I guess. Somebody remind me of that. Imaginary conversations with real people. So, you're gonna have the…? No, no, I’m not actually talking to the people in real…believe it or not, I’m not…in those imaginary conversations, I’m barely real. That’s why I say I gotta be more mindful of this. ‘Cause…say, who is this person expounding on things that may or may not be real facts and…? Trying to be impressive, I guess, is what it comes down to for me. Those are thoughts at bedtime that have a certain expectation and they're less accepting of me as I am. So, that’s a little bit about my…a little bit about my thoughts.

 

It could be feelings, anything emotionally coming up related to those thoughts or from the day or in anticipation of something, or feelings that are just there, right there at bedtime. I don't know…sometimes we bring them with us and sometimes they're there waiting for us. It could be physical sensations, changes in time, temperature, routine, travel, work, you could work a different schedule, you could be going through something, in the middle of something, getting over something. Whatever it is, I’m here to keep you company and take your mind off of it so you could fall asleep. I’m not really here to put you to sleep. I’m here to keep you company as you drift off, which is different. But there’s a twofold reason I make this show.

 

One is I’ve been there; tossing, turning, mind racing, trouble getting to sleep, trouble staying asleep, baffling reasons; work schedule, anticipation, getting over something, going through something. A lot of different reason…a lot of different…and then sometimes I just don't know. Even last night, I woke up for an hour and I said, what’s up…? So, sometimes I just don't know, and it’s always better if I’m kind and accepting, but that’s really hard in the moment, and that’s where I come in for you. This is why I do the show as a service. It’s much less like a podcast and more like a audio service, because I know what it’s like. I provide a service for people or I guide you to another podcast that might help you because I know what it feels like for me.

 

If it feels like that for you, I want to help, or if it just feels strongly for you, I want to help. Even if you're experiencing stuff that I’m not familiar with or I can't relate to…I mean, sometimes I can relate to some of the feelings, I’m pretty confident, but even if I can't, I still want to help because I know the other side of it is it’s nice to get the sleep we need, right, and it’s not nice when it’s hard or there’s obstacles to it or it feels just out of reach. The best part is there’s people listening to the show who are rooting for you, who can really relate to how you feel, and they're…there’s people you don’t know around the world thinking kindly of you right now, and then there’s some of you who are also thinking kindly…you regular listeners, you're get…you're giving it and receiving it, right?

 

You're thinking kindly of the new listeners and the regular listeners, and there’s regular listeners who have been through what you're going through who are thinking of you. What a great exchange. It is a little bit indirect and…but I hope you could feel that. You really do have to kinda pause and soak it in, and it’s subtle, a subtle, special thing we have here. The other reason I make the show is because you deserve a good night's sleep. Like I said, you deserve a bedtime you don’t have to dread, that you could look forward to or feel neutral about, and that’s what I hope I can be a part of. You say, well, at least I got that dude who rambles on and on about nothing, the bittersweet…no, he’s not bittersweet. He’s semi…the old semi…wasn’t that a song, Semisweet Style of Life or something? Was that in the nineties?

 

I don't think that was. There was also a song about…in the…yeah, in the nineties there was another band, Big Head Todd; they sang a song, but it wasn’t about semisweet, either. More…he’s more semi than sweet, though. That’s funny. That’s what they’d sing about me. Yeah, he’s more semi. Well, what’s semi? It’s like the new mid. He’s like the new mid. What’s that? Oh, it’s a word I heard a teenager use. Oh. So, semi’s the new mid? It might be. I mean, it does seem like it’s…it fits, and I know I’m more semi than sweet. It kinda makes sense. He’s definitely semisweet, that one. No one said that about me, but it’s the truest thing…it’s the truest thing about me that’s never been said until I said it about myself. I never…I’m not a…unfortunately I’m not a morsel, though, but I am semisweet.

 

They’d say, yeah, you're not…he’s not a morsel, but…'cause that’s what they say instead of chips. They say, oh no, these aren't chips. These are morsels. What do you mean? Well, they look like drips, but we never call them drips. Technically they're drips that have hardened. So, a lot of places call them chips. We call them morsels. Doesn't that sound good? These are semi-sweet morsels. Yeah, but the podcaster, he’s semisweet, more semi than sweet. He’s sweet in intention. In presentation, he’s almost…he’s lacking sweetness, but it’s in there somewhere. But with the sweet…sweet podcast…sleep podcast, he tries to keep it semisweet. He goes off topic a lot, and he was in the middle of explaining…you deserve a good night's sleep. That’s why I make the show, a bedtime that is more sweet than semi.

 

That’s what I prefer for your bedtime for you. So…I mean, bittersweet’s good in that way, too. You’d say, yeah, I’d prefer a sweet…sweet bitters, you know? I’d say, it’s gotta be sweet, but I wouldn't mind a little bitter, a little tang in my podcast, at least. That’s why I…I don't think that’s why I have creaky, dulcet tones, but the way this podcast works is I send my voice across the deep, dark night. I’ve got lulling, soothing, creaky, dulcet tones that are bitter but sweet and semisweet. ‘Cause you say, yeah, I do need that. I wouldn't mind a little sour…like a sour melon…that’s what…when you say, what is this podcast I’m listening to? I’d say, yeah, it’s like one of those candies you taste. People say, trust me, it’s not like anything you ever tasted, but give it a second. You say, what is this, a sour melon ball? That’s just…this is just an example.

 

Say, I never tasted anything like this. Then you're like, hm, wait a second, it’s not too bad, though. It’s an acquired taste, right? Well, yeah, it took me…for Sleep With Me, it does take about three times for most people to acquire a taste for it. Sour melon ball…I don't know if…I don't even know if that’s  a thing, but I can imagine it’s like…it’s kinda like one of those imaginary…imaginary candies; imaginary conversations, real people, but we're not actually…everything else is imaginary. So, the real people aren't actually here, as I said in other podcasts, and someone pointed out…actually, Nathan Fielder, a comedian, also…we must be related somehow. I gotta see if we could ever connect…also rehearses for…Nathan Fielder and I, we rehearse for life. That’s a part of those imaginary conversations of real people.

 

Unfortunately for me, I never…anyway, I gotta…I’m so far afield in a good way, 'cause I’m not here to put you to sleep. I’m here to keep you company while you fall asleep. This is a podcast you just barely listen to, and I think you kind of are getting some pretty good examples why, 'cause I go on pointless meanders and superfluous tangents, and then eventually I try to return to things, 'cause I’m not here to put you to sleep. I’m here to keep you company while you fall asleep, to take your mind off of stuff, to be your bore-friend, your bore-bae, your bore-sib, your bore-bud, your neigh-bore, your semi-sweet friend, your Boris Borlaf, your best bore-friend forever to keep you company. There’s no pressure to fall asleep with this show.

 

That’s why the show is over an hour, so you don’t have to think, okay, in a hour, I gotta be…I say, no, there’s plenty of time. Plenty of episodes, plenty of time. I’m here to put you to sleep slowly, but not even directly. Eventually you just fall asleep and you say, honey, what was that podcast about? You say, I don't know, but all of a sudden I realized that those chips that go in cookies are actually drips. That’s the first thing I thought of this morning. They're semi-sweet drips, not chips. Actually, they're not quite…I mean, I think they're smaller…I would say they're less than a morsel, just in my opinion, but I just realized that; they're drips, not chips. Okay, honey. Why don’t…it sounds like…maybe you should go back to bed. Oh, but they're drips.

 

I gotta go get the bag and look to see if…was that what he was talking about on the podcast? I think he was talking about playing ball with…he was…some sort of ball game he was playing with melons. Huh, which one? I don't know. You're right, hun. Maybe a cantaloupe or a honeydew, off the top of my head. That’s what I would think would be the most suited…but yeah, I don't know. I’m gonna go upstairs and go through the cupboards for a while. Okay, hun. Great. I’m glad you got some sleep. So, that’s the typical Sleep With Me listener. So, yeah, just kinda see how it goes, right? I’m here to put you to sleep eventually. This show just isn't for everybody. I wish it worked for 100% of the listeners, because I know…I believe you deserve a good night's sleep whether you like me or not, whether you like the show or not.

 

But this show, it is an acquired taste like those melon balls, and so, alls I could…oh, like a candy. I’m not talking about eating a melon like a ball. Oh, melon ball…there’s a melon-baller. That’s what I would call myself if I was playing a ball-based melon game. I’d say, oh boy, am I a melon-baller. Oh boy, am I gonna bring it. I’m gonna bring the melon to the fruit plate. So, what was I talking about, though? Oh, most people don’t like me or the show. It does take some getting used to. So, what I recommend is just give it a few tries and see how it goes, 'cause when you first get here, you might have a expectation of something reasonable without all this nonsense, but this show is all about the nonsense, right?

 

It’s always never getting started because, yeah, I’m here…I don't know, I’m just here to bring some levity to bedtime, because I mean, who wouldn't? Who wouldn't want to call themselves a melon-baller if you were pretending to play a ball-based game with a melon? Not that I’m recommending that, 'cause melons are pretty heavy. It’s more like…it’s more for…it’s another imaginary thing. My imaginary counterpart, the melon-baller. Also, yeah, I could have…great point; I could have a utility belt full of melon-ballers and ball…hard melon candies that were imaginary to try to make a metaphor about the podcast, and then I went way off track in a good way.

 

So, that’s what I mean where it takes some getting used to, 'cause I made this show to be different than the stuff eleven years ago that was meant to put people to sleep that felt too serious to me, too straightforward, or just not enough to get my attention to distract me. I know that stuff works for a lot of people, but I was looking for something different. So, I started making this show to kinda help people out. So, just give it a few tries. See how it goes. If you don’t like me or the show, don't worry. I have a website set up, sleepwithmepodcast.com/nothankyou, that has other sleepy stuff on there that you could check out. So, try that out, right? There’s tons of sleep podcasts and other sleepy stuff on there, 'cause you still deserve a good night's sleep whether you like me, whether you say, melon-baller…rather never I knew you.

 

Or, I don't know what you’d say on the way out, but usually it’s not that nice. It’s funny. That’s why I set up that website…I don't even know, five, six, seven years ago. I said, hey, no need to send me that message. I’ve gotten it already. So, no need to send it. Just, hopefully you find another sleep podcast to help you get some sleep. So, the only other thing I want to tell you about is the structure of the show, because it’s good news. This show is structured the way it is after doing this for a long time, getting a lot of feedback, and trying to make something that helps the most amount of people it can, but it’s also adjustable. That goes for every podcast, kind of. There’s different ways to adjust how you listen as you become a regular listener.

 

So, the show starts off with a greeting; friends beyond the binary, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, so you feel seen and welcomed in. Then there’s sponsor support so paying for the show is optional. If you don’t want sponsor support, you could get the show on Sleep With Me+ or Apple Podcasts or wherever and then you don’t have the ads. But that’s…most people prefer something where paying is optional. Then there’s a long, meandering intro, which we're about fifteen minutes, twenty minutes into, meant to ease you into bedtime, where I explain what the podcast is. Tonight’s a pretty good example. I go off topic a bunch of different times, but I’m following a familiar structure, but every time…every intro is different so the show stays distracting, not like what…what I was looking for my whole life.

 

I want something that barely engages me in a different way every time but also has some familiarity to it and some friendliness to it. So, that’s what the intro is, but the intro doesn't put you to sleep. If you decide you don’t want the intros, we have a ad-supported podcast, Bedtime Stories from Sleep With Me, that’s also in all podcasts apps. So, you could get that if you wanted. Then…oh, what was I…? Oh, the structure of the show. So, after the intro is support, then there will be a bedtime story. Tonight it’ll be our crossover with Bittersweet Life. I’ll do two episodes of Bittersweet Life, and then you could listen to that podcast during the day to compare. It’ll be fun for you. So, I think that’s it. That’s the structure of the show. That’s why I make the show. I’m really glad you're here.

 

If you're new, I really appreciate you checking the show out. Regular listeners, as always, glad to have you back. I already forgot…I proposed an idea for an episode, but now I don't even know what it was. So, looking forward to reminding me. We got two things out of it; some sort of episode idea that I don't remember anymore, and then a character called…the pseudo-version of me called the melon-baller. What was it called? Ordinary conversations; imaginary people? No, real…something…imaginary people…no, real people; imaginary conversations. Was that the idea? I don't know. But anyway, I’m glad you're here. We work really hard, and this show exists only because of the people that opt in to this podcast to support it directly, to support our sponsors, or to spread the word about the show.

 

This show is a effort based by the people that benefit from it the most, and then everybody else gets to benefit. But it’s only when people opt it, and you get a lot of good feelings. ‘Cause think about it; those of you that are opting in, not only are you sending your good intentions across the deep, dark night, you're doing a action with that. So, it’s like, I really couldn't do it without all of you that opt in to support the show. So, thank you so much. If you're new, thank you so much, 'cause like I said, it is an acquired taste, so I appreciate you checking the show out, and I really hope I can keep you company and help you fall asleep tonight. Thanks.

 

Alright everybody, Scoots here. So, make sure to check out during the day The Bittersweet Life podcast. Tonight we're starting with Episode 441, The Oldest Cafe in Rome. Yeah, check it out on your podcast app of choice or use the link in our show notes. Welcome to Rome. I don't know why Scoots…it wasn’t easy for you to say that. Yeah. This is the Sleep With Me version of The Bittersweet Life with Katy and Tiffany. Yeah, and I’m gonna be filling in for…I’m doing double duty here as both Katy and Tiffany, and I want you to start to picture yourself in Rome or Katy and Tiffany in Rome, or Scooter in Rome, or just the faint mist in Rome.

 

Maybe we’ll observe Rome, at least in this episode, as a faint mist, water molecules in the air, 'cause we can go high, we can go low, we could see whatever we see, and right now we're near the Spanish Steps of Rome on a beautiful sunny day. Just a touch of mist in the air. It’s warming up here in Rome, and soon we’ll be going to a different location. However, we're going to introduce where we're going prior to getting there. This is a show that’s inspired by a bittersweet listener, Paul. Not that Paul’s bittersweet; he listens to The Bittersweet Life. Paul’s been a long-time supporter of the show. Oh boy, Paul, thanks for supporting the podcast you believe in. He’s one of those wonderful people we count on to help us pay the bills in a big way. He supports the show $50 every month to keep the show going.

 

This is…what an amazing thing, Paul. Listeners of The Bittersweet Life get to influence what it is we do, what it is we talk about, where it is we go, and what it is we think about, however you want to take it. Paul wanted us to go on a little adventure of looking for things. That’s right; he sent us in a…he sent us a very long and ambitious list of things to find on our adventure, a hunt of scavenging, as they say, things to do, really, on our little adventure here, a sleepy adventure, in this case. We're sending mist out floating through Rome, and…because time is of the essence, and there’s a lot of things on Paul’s list. Even one thing would take sometimes an entire day, and they're very good ideas that Paul shared, though we don’t have time today to do all of them.

 

If Katy and Tiffany were here longer, if mist…we do have to…as mist, we both…you and I, listeners, we…I don't know what we do. We could become…we change form, right? Solid, liquid, gaseous. Right now we're in-between state. But if Katy and Tiffany could have spent more time in Rome together…but don't worry; Katy let Paul know, 'cause some of them are super-fun ideas. Like, for instance, he said, what if we were to record and describe what we see if we were on every single bridge that crossed the river? I think there’s twenty-four bridges, which is a lot, and that would be a cool show to see. Like, how different is the neighborhood around each passage where the bridge crosses the Tiber River? But that would…that might take twenty-four episodes, Paul.

 

But Katy wrote to Paul and asked him about it, and he said, just go ahead and pick something on the list, whatever is on the list that feels like it would be good. I trust you to come up with what it is you're doing. I’m more than happy to be a quiet supporter of the show, but since you wanted me to pick something, pick something from the list. So, we decided to pick number four on Paul’s list, which is to go to the oldest cafe in Rome and interview someone who works there or the owner. That is correct. So, we headed…we're gonna head to Antico Caffe Greco, which is right around the corner on Via Condotti. It was founded in the year 1760 by someone…a Greek man, a man of Greek parentage, anyway.

 

That’s why it’s called the Caffe Greco, after him, apparently, and the only cafe in Italy that is older than Caffe Florian in Venice, so that is pretty impressive. You know, I was thinking, how do you make a decision to open the first cafe in your entire city and the second in your entire country? How do you have the confidence that people will come, since clearly getting coffee outside your home is not a thing yet? Think about how…1760. Wow. Even in 1960, I don't know if getting…cafe outside of your home was a thing, right? At least here in the US. Yeah, who knows? Yeah, I have no…if coffee shops are so prolific now, you almost forget that there was a time before that where it would have been odd to go outside of your house to get coffee.

 

Exactly; that begs the question when…well, we’d have to go back to our interview with Wendy Polger to hear this, but when did espresso makers become a thing, and when was it that people roast…? People went from making a little bit on their stove to those big machines, making it pressed, making it fast, all that. Was it around this time? Yeah, I don't know. I was hypothesizing that perhaps 'cause he was Greek, maybe it was a thing in Greece. So, he had the confidence that people would come or that people will love coffee, especially in the a.m. or…I don't know if back then people had a case…I don't think people had a case of Mondays back then, but they could have. Scoots, are you adding in things from Cathy here? I am. But it’s possible that we don’t know, but I’m sure there is Greek coffee, but I don't know which place.

 

But it’s getting bigger now. So, yeah, we're gonna go there, and we're actually gonna buy $1000-coffee. I told Katy…this is water vapor quoting Tiffany that we should. We should just do it because we're there. We're thinking about having lunch, and she said, let’s just get lunch there. I said, no, that’s…because it’s the most famous and the oldest cafe in Rome, it’s very touristy now. Lots of people want to say they’ve been there, and it’s so packed with tourists and it’s very expensive. So, Katy and I are gonna do the authentic Italian thing. We're gonna waltz inside and have our coffee at the bar, at the banco. That will make it so because it’s less expensive, but I’m also curious to see how much it’s going to cost.

 

‘Cause usually when you go to a cafe and you stand at the banco, even in some of the most famous cafes in Rome, like Tazza D’Oro or Sant’ Eustachio, usually it’s around a euro for an espresso. A little more, a little less. But, you know. So, I’m curious to see…what are they gonna have there? Do things…what are they gonna charge? We may be pleasantly surprised. We haven't even got there yet. They might not even have a bar. You don’t think Italians actually go there anymore? Which they may or they may not. I don't know. We’ll find out. Huh, I didn’t think about that. Yeah, maybe it’s all just seating at this point, you know? Maybe people don’t stop there on their way to work. I don't know. That’s cool. That’s a good point. I guess we’ll see.

 

Before we go in, we should definitely see why this bar, this cafe, why it’s so impressive beyond the fact that it’s just the oldest one here. Well, it’s impressive, too, 'cause it was the meeting place for a lot of intellectual and artistic non-Italians and some Italians who were in Rome during that period, starting in the late 1700s all through the 1800s and the early 1900s. The neighborhood…we're sitting in the area where the Spanish Steps are, and not a lot of people realize it 'cause now it’s so commercial. You got Prada, Gucci, Dolce and Gabbana. That’s all the shops and the tourists, and it’s beautiful, but you got the staircase. There’s a bachelor party going on up there or something. Yeah, something. Museum de John Keats…and beyond that, don’t you think about this as being the left bank of Paris?

 

You don’t, do you? You know what I mean? It doesn't have that same feel of being the place all the intellectuals hung out, but actually it is, or it was, starting in the late 1700s. This is where, if you were coming to Rome as a part of the Grand Tour, meaning you're young, American, English, German, you're traveling, you're well-to-do, you just finished all your education; you go to Europe. You have to go specifically to Italy as a part of your Grand Tour to celebrate the completion of your learning. If you don’t go to Rome, this is the final part of your education, this trip. That’s what they believed in at the time. This was the neighborhood where everyone went.

 

There’s a Hotel un Grasse, the Hotel d’Inghilterra, the England Hotel…where everyone stayed, and they got apartments and stuff. It’s where the actual artists stayed, put their roots down. Keats, Shelley, Byron, Goethe, they all lived around here. Where did they go? Caffe Greco, apparently, I mean. There’s also Babington’s Tea Shop, which opened about a hundred years later, 'cause there was nowhere in the city to get a proper cup of tea. Huh, that makes sense since they're all English. Yeah, so, they need tea. I mean, a lot of them were English. So, obviously that fills that niche. But the Caffe Greco has some…it’s…we don’t have the list of everyone that was there, but a lot of people had coffee in this bar.

 

Alright, well, let’s see whose shoes we're filling. Let’s go through the list before we even set foot on the threshold. Alright, yeah, because now us as water vapor…and Katy and Tiffany’s names are gonna be added to this list. We’ll tell Wikipedia, don’t forget to put Katy, Tiffany, and water vapor of Sleep With Me listeners on the list of famous historical figures who had coffee at the Antico Caffe Greco. Stendhal, Goethe, Schopenhauer, Thorvaldsen, Mariano Fortuny, Lord Byron, Georges Bizet, Berlioz, Brahms, Keat, Ibsen, Hans Christian Andersen, Mendelssohn, Joyce, D’Annunzio, Chateaubriand, Welles, Twain, Nietzsche, Mann, Gogel, Grieg, Canova, De Chirico, Baudelaire, Wagner, and even more. Even supposedly, Casanova had coffee in this bar. Wow. I mean, maybe even some of them are still visiting on some level.

 

Yeah, it’s interesting. I always…I wonder how they come up with a list like that. Yeah, did they sign a guest book? Alright, yeah, I don't know. I’m kidding, but…on the walk up to it…this…it doesn't have a wonderful reputation for allowing you to linger at a coffee shop in Italy. Usually here it’s like, get in and get out. It’s not like in America where you could sit at a coffee shop for hours while you're writing your novel. Not in a coffee shop here. Maybe it wasn’t that way way back then, or maybe it was like, okay…I don't know, was it…did people hang there or did they get their coffee and keep moving? I’m curious. Yeah, I don't know.

 

In Vienna, the Vienna coffee houses were really where this whole idea was born, the idea that you sit, you got this big stack of newspapers, you sit in the cafe, you smoke, you drink coffee, and you talk to your fellow intellectuals all day long. That’s a Viennese thing. It’s not really an Italian thing except maybe in Turin. But maybe the Caffe Greco was an exception. I like to picture it. I don't know why I picture Hemmingway there, 'cause he’s not on the list, but I picture Hemmingway in there writing everyday, getting up at 7:00, doing his writing. So, I don't know, maybe it was just a place where they got together during breaks between writing sessions or composing sessions. I don't know. I don't know, that’s interesting. I guess the regret is that you can only imagine it. You can't witness it for yourself.

 

I know. I’d like to have some time-travel goggles. The other interesting thing is when you were saying ‘the Grand Tour’ is that we're sitting close, as you mentioned, to the Keats-Shelley Museum, which is something that I don't think most people go to. It’s basically a preservation of the room…the final room that Keats lived in before he moved on in the 1800s, in the early 1800s. We have another episode about Keats. I wrote a article about it, but…at the place where some people rest, which is one of my favorite places to go when I’m in Rome…and there’s other places where people rest. But this is where Keats and Shelley…Percy Shelley are resting. I was struck again by how many people are resting there, 'cause they give these great descriptions, their whole life written out; when they came to Rome, this nice Italian sun.

 

They said, I’m coming to Italy for the intellectuals and the sunshine, right? That’ll turn things around. That’s kinda like…yeah, we spent time here in a similar situation. Yeah, you're right about that. So, yeah, a lot of people, regular people, intellectuals, came to Rome, and some stayed and some went to Rome in another realm. Yeah, so, I wonder if that’s the reason that place was built that I like going to. Maybe guests from…yeah, I guess depending on their belief system, huh? Yeah, or the belief system they were associated with, and they fell in love with the city and they wanted to stay here. Yeah. Interesting thought. Very interesting. Well, let’s head over. What do you think? I’m ready. We’ve introduced this place pretty well with this gravitas we’ve been growing. I think so.

 

I mean, just the name or the names on the list, like Goethe…yeah, Goethe had coffee there, so I’m going there, or Hans Christian Andersen. Is that even a real person, I wonder? I mean, I know it is, but so ubiquitous that you feel like it was something…was there a time before that? Yeah, don’t forget to support your podcasts, right? Support a show like this. It means a lot to us. Alright, so let’s head over there. I wonder what it would be like working in the oldest cafe in Rome. Could we ask that? Yeah, it’s a good idea. We're now standing outside the cafe itself. All the outdoor seats are full. We floated over. They don’t have that many seats, but we're gonna go in and see if it has a bar and see if we can talk to somebody, as requested. We’ll try. Alright, let’s try. Alright, are you ready? What do you think?

 

Do you think Percy Shelley or Hans Christian Andersen are ghosts keeping an eye on us? I don't know. Maybe…oh yeah, there is a bar in here. Oh good, there’s a bar. But yeah, Keats; 100%. Now, most of these cafes, you have to pay before you actually get your food or your drink. So, let’s head over and do it the correct way. This place is full of tourists, so I bet you they're insisting on it. Okay, here, you hold this; I’ll get out my credit card. I’m gonna pay based on Paul’s support. Yeah, so, hopefully…we’ll see. We’ll find out how much it’s gonna be. Do you want anything besides coffee, anything like a sweet pastry thingamabob? I mean, I don't know. It depends on how much they're gonna cost. Okay, yeah, we’ll just do two coffees. Is it five euros? Five euros for two coffees? 2.50 each? I’m pleasantly surprised.

 

Do you want to ask how long she’s worked here? Okay, so, she’s worked here about a year. Not…never met Keats when he came in, sadly. Well, let’s see how this coffee is. I don't normally have coffee except on a special occasion like at a cafe. Do you want a drop of milk in yours? Sure, sure. Okay, you too? Yeah. I’m gonna grab a picture of this. Alright, now they’ve given us a little bonus piece of mini chocolate. Well, wow. Paul, you get a mini chocolate. We got a mini chocolate. Thanks, Paul. The coffee’s made here. It’s not quite as crowded as I expected it to be. Yeah, maybe the myth has worn off. Well, it’s more like it’s 12:00; so, people are either having lunch or thinking about having lunch. They're not really doing the coffee thing at 12:00. Yeah, you're right.

 

Okay, so, we ordered some cafe macchiatos, which means it’s steamed with a little bit of milk. Oh, and they made it into hearts, a little heart. The milk is in the shape of a heart, or has a heart shape on it. Here we go. Paul, we're about to drink our coffee at the famous oldest cafe in Rome. It’s pretty good. Thanks, Paul. We’ll get you a Caffe Greco napkin and a Caffe Greco sugar packet as a souvenir, and we’ll put some of this very famous sugar into my drink right now. This is the first time…seventeen years. Such an important place for Italian literature. Not just Italian literature, but a lot of stuff written about her in Rome and intellectual thinkers thinking about Rome. Yeah, yeah. Okay, so, you hold the equipment and the coffee. Okay. I thought we could read some quotes about Rome, of course.

 

I have this big list, and some of them have nothing to do with literature, so I’m gonna skip those. Here’s one from Goethe. Only in Rome is it possible to understand Rome. Would you agree with that? I would. Yeah, you can't really imagine it. You have to experience it. Yeah, I think if you're not here, you don’t really get the feeling of the span of centuries you do when you are here. But you also don’t get to see modern life on top of ancient life, like actual people that are here living now, and the perfume and the city smells and this…all this beauty and grittiness combined together. Yeah, that’s very, very true. I love this quote because of how exuberant it is; oh Rome, my country, city of the soul. Lord Byron. It’s like, how do you really feel about Rome? Can you explain it better? I think he likes it.

 

Yeah, he’s got another quote in here. Oh no, it’s Goethe again. Okay. I’ve finally arrived to this capital of the world. I now see all the dreams of my youth coming to life. I love to imagine these guys. Obviously well-educated, well-read…read about Rome. They’ve read about the stuff, the history. Finally, they get to see it with their own eyes, 'cause they don’t have YouTube back then, or Instagram or pictures. They can only imagine what it is they're seeing that’s been written in books and hear people talking about it. They're artists. They may be sensitive, so they're moved by it. I love reading that. Yeah, I love reading it, too. I do love when they write about it. They had to try to express their thoughts.

 

I mean, we’ve talked about it on the show, but one of my…things about people traveling to Rome or anywhere is that it’s so focused on the documentation of it and not the focus on the living of it. I think there’s probably people doing both, but I feel that anybody that needs to document their trip so much…yeah, that’s true with travel these days. I do it, too, though. I gotta go against the instinct. Yeah, like documenting your…and they're documenting, I guess, in a different way. A more thoughtful way, maybe. Or maybe I’m being a luddite, you know, prefering the way it used to be instead of the way it is in my lifetime. But there’s a really beautiful one by Anatole Broyard. You know who Anatole Broyard is? No. I don't know, I just heard the name with the association with this quote, but it’s so beautiful.

 

Rome was a poem pressed into service as a city. Wow, that’s lovely. It is. Katy, do you have a quote about Rome you could read for us? Yeah, this is by Louisa May Alcott. She writes, Rome took all the vanity out of me, for after seeing the wonders there, I felt too insignificant, and then my…and then paraphrasing; made my thoughts feel foolish. So paraphrased, but yet beautiful and dramatic. But you stand in front of Colosseum and any of these other monuments…I can see it…feel insignificant, or the pyramid. The pyramid in Rome that’s been here since 12 BC, it looks nearly new. You can't help but stand in front of that pyramid and think, I’m just ones…one of millions and millions of people that have stood by this for these generations. This pyramid will be long here after me.

 

Yeah, I mean, why even bother with vanity like she’s saying? Yeah, it makes you feel insignificant, but it’s inspiring, too, at the same time. I think a lot of people stood here, inspired to do amazing things, so why not me? So, it could go in either way. That’s true; we're standing in front of the cafe where all these people spent time. Now we're here. So, thank you, Paul, for this idea. It’s been an adventure. We’ll take some photos to get an idea of where it is. Like I said, you get a fancy napkin and a packet of sugar. Thank you so much. Let’s also move on to Episode 440; Where Are All the Accordions? We're right here. We're gonna start out near Tiffany’s place. It’s a fine spot to sit; a brilliant sunny afternoon.

 

We're still water vapor, and we're talking about a mish-mash, a mish-mash…a kaleidoscope of different things, observations or information. We're gonna find out. Yeah, I mean, 'cause Katy asks…you first ask when you come…when I come back to the states every couple years, what’s surprising you? What did you forget about? What are you not used to? What has changed? Yeah, and the one thing that changed that I’ve noticed in Rome of all my walking around recently is I haven't heard a single accordion, not one. I haven't even seen a person holding an accordion. Yeah, I didn’t realize that, either, not until you said that. I don't even remember the last time I heard an accordion. Huh. So, we're gonna have to come up with a different theme song then, right?

 

Because when I was here and we picked the accordion theme…it was one you've heard a thousand times if you listen to the show, you know? It’s a quintessential Rome accordion. But now, from what I can tell, if you listen to the podcast during the day, you could hear the accordion. But from what I’m seeing walking around now, it’s…a three-part jazz combo is the new sound of Rome. I don't necessarily think that’s a bad thing. But yeah, we could…if you listen to this podcast during the day, you could hear one of the many jazz combos you could hear as you walk around Rome. I mean, I like it. It’s a step in the right direction. But yeah, don’t you feel nostalgic? You've heard these songs over and over again. What about it? Well, yeah, it’s not like they're playing traditional Italian music.

 

It’s…I don't know where it comes from. It’s not…I think the tourists think it’s traditional, but it’s quaint and picturesque. But I think those of us that live here…well, when you're sitting trying to have dinner and someone comes up and starts playing and holding their cup out, you say, well, do…I don't know if I need to listen to you or pay you for me to listen to you. You mean as an accordion versus a jazz combo, huh? Yeah. I mean, I like that music more. It’s just more my taste. It’s usually…people are feeling it, right? I’m not against accordion players. I think it’s a worthy instrument, and I love some of the stuff, some of the Argentinian-style stuff, the buskers and what they do. There’s a shtick, you know?

 

But when you see someone who’s actually playing jazz or playing the drums and they have a certain amount of training and talent…maybe it’s going on at a higher level, but maybe it’s also personal and personal taste. I like that music better. Well, yeah, another thing I’ve noticed, not as much of in Rome, although I’ve been…stand corrected, actually, is a lot of people doing their own take on really famous pop songs. Like, maybe not singing along, but if they have a violin or they're playing the guitar, they might be playing a popular, familiar pop song, but they're playing it acoustic, of their own take. I’ve also seen that in Berlin. There was someone playing a recorder, and I’ve never heard…play a recorder as beautifully. So, I recorded it, and I’ll play it on the daytime podcast.

 

I don't know if I’ve ever heard anybody play the recorder that’s not an elementary student. Yeah. I’ll tell…I don't…if you can identify the song, it hasn’t…it’s one thing that hasn’t totally disappeared from Rome, but it’s another thing that people probably don’t necessarily associate with Rome, another instrument called the dulcimer. I mean, I was walking around; I finally heard some dulcimer yesterday. Oh wait, I’m trying to figure out what a dulcimer is. Well, if you listen to The Bittersweet Life during the day, you could hear the example of the dulcimer. It kinda sounds like a piano. I don't necessarily associate the dulcimer specifically with Rome, but when I lived here, there was always this jazz combo…well, not a jazz combo, but they were focused around the dulcimer.

 

Oh wait, yeah, was that in Santa Maria, this big thing…? Well, the dulcimer, yeah, it’s…it looks like the top of a grand piano, though slightly smaller. You took the part with…took the part out where the strings are, and that’s what the dulcimer looks like. So, anyway, what I just noticed is how much the music changed. The other night I was walking across Ponte Sisto, which is a bridge, a very famous bridge, in the center of the square of Piazza Trilussa, right at the edge of the bridge, and there was a reformer there, just a man with a microphone set up, and a very enthusiastic crowd singing along with whatever he was singing. Then there was a bachelor party there, which made it a bit more intense.

 

But everybody in the crowd knew this song, and whenever he would get to the chorus…so, I want to play it so we can say, do you know this song? Is it super famous? Yeah, yeah, yeah. You gotta listen to The Bittersweet Life during the day, but yeah, I could tell you who this is. I don't know because it’s one of those extremely famous pop-rock Italian singers with a super long career, like seventies, eighties, nineties. I’m trying to think of an American counterpart to these…but it’s like Italian pop music. Rossi, maybe? I’m sure people listening are like, come on. It’s one of those songs you hear all the time. People love to sing along with it. I don't know the words, but I can hum the melody. It’s a true classic, classic Italian rock, I’d say.

 

It’s so interesting, 'cause walking around, with the exception of the dulcimer, which was played by a very…a older gentleman, the music in the city now feels very young, very rock and roll, very jazz, very blues-heavy, which is interesting. Yeah, yeah, I guess…yeah, it’s…I don't know what to tell you. Maybe the lack of the tourists in the city for a little while, maybe the lack of the accordion or the requirement for the accordion…as time passed, the time with less tourists, maybe the buskers had to up their game for something for the locals versus the tourists. Yeah, maybe. Maybe, and maybe they're clustered around these people, and…I mean, I do have to report to you that my favorite accordion player would wear a sombrero on the Ponte Sisto, and she’s not there anymore. Yeah, I know. I know who you're talking about.

 

I loved her. She was very good in a way…way better than the average accordion player in Rome. She was amazing. So, that’s some of the things I’ve been listening to around town. Okay, let me ask you another question. Have you noticed more outdoor seating, more sidewalk seating? Yeah, definitely more outside. But I mean, they…I felt like Rome had outdoor seating, but yeah, it’s great. In Seattle, people will be astounded 'cause Seattle has no outdoor seating before, then suddenly there’s outdoor seating everywhere. But yeah, it’s tripled. Even in Rome, it’s astounding. But because of that, I’m noticing restaurants I’ve never even noticed. Maybe it was a pocket restaurant and all of a sudden there’s tables outside. I’m like, hey, has that restaurant always been there? Yeah, I love it.

 

I love that there’s so many picturesque places in Rome, like Pia Piazza di Pietra, where they just…they don’t allow it there, but now they have it. But there’s just so many really beautiful places to just sit and take in the scenery. I really love that. Yeah, and this is just another reminder here; don’t forget to support your favorite podcasts, right? Support Bittersweet Life so they can keep the show going, right? Alright, what are some other things that may have changed or stayed the same? Well, I don't know if this is the same or not, but I wanted to catch a recording of seagulls, you know? The seagulls are a visible part of Rome; picking stuff up, spreading it around, almost like meowing cats. Have you ever noticed they sound similar? I’m trying to think. I don't know if I’ve noticed that. Well, yeah, the gulls almost meow.

 

I’ve always noticed the gulls here, especially along the Tiber River, of course. If you wake up to the sound of seagulls and other birds, you hear this meowing. It’s just like a feline sound, I guess. So, I don't know, maybe it’s just being used to the sound of cats. The first time I noticed, it was on the Italian Riviera. They sounded so much like cats that I thought it was a cat, and…because our whole trip to Italy had been quiet up until we got to the coast, we got to the Riviera, and all of a sudden it was loud. I mean, Rome’s loud, but I heard this loud meowing and I was like, whoa, those are loud cats. Then I looked over and I said, no, no, it’s a seagull. I have a recording of it in the distance. Do you ever find that there’s more parrots here than when you were here last time? I haven't seen more, but I hear them. I don't know.

 

Maybe it does seem like there’s…where I’m staying, it’s a little closer to trees, so maybe that’s why I’m hearing the gulls more? I don't know. We could hang out and look for…we could do some…instead of…we could do some birding. Out on our balcony, you could see them day in and day out. They are fun to see even though they don’t…the parrots aren't from here. Yeah, I like them. I like these long, gorgeous green feathers. Yeah. We gotta go soon, but I do still…I still haven't heard any accordion music. I’d like to record some accordion pop music. I got some I recorded in Prague and some jazz in Prague, but that’s the only accordion I heard, was in Prague.

 

Well, I’ll keep my ears open here in Rome for the accordions and every other kind of music. Yeah, report back to me. Okay. Well, that’s the end of our Bittersweet Life crossover, but maybe we should go through the list of bridges in Rome even though it’s incomplete on Wikipedia and run through those just to carry you off in the last few minutes to dreamland. Sure; there’s the Pons Sublicius, Ponte di Castel Giubileo, Ponte di Tor di Quinto, Ponte Cestio, once called the Ponte San Bartolomeo, the Ponte Flaminio…that was only in ‘51.

 

Ponte Milvio, Ponte Nomentano, Ponte Duca d’Aosta, Ponte de Musica Armando Trovajoli, Ponte Risorgimento, Ponte Matteotti, Ponte Nenni, Ponte Regina Margherita, Ponte Cavour, Ponte Umberto I, Ponte Sant’Angelo, Ponte Vittorio Emilio II, Ponte Principe Amedeo, Ponte Mazzini, Ponte Sisto…there’s one that came up…Ponte Garibaldi, Ponte San Bartolomeo, Ponte dei Quattro Capi, Ponte Rotto, Ponte Palatino, Ponte Aventino, Ponte Testaccio, Ponte dell’Industria, Ponte della Scienza, Ponte Settimia…Ponte Marconi, Ponte della Magliana, Ponte di Mezzocammino. Okay, let’s read about Ponte Sisto. That’s a bridge in Rome’s historic center, spanning the river Tiber. It was constructed between 1700…1473 and 1479. 

 

Reused the foundations of a prior Roman bridge, the Pons Aurelius, which was lost in the Middle Ages. Currently pedestrian-only. Before that, it was another bridge. It’s architecturally characteristic because of the Oculus and the central spandrel. That was erected to diminish the river’s pressure. On the left of the bridge are two marble slabs, and…but they got taken out. Then, what else do we got here? It’s got quite the history. 1600s, 1800s…and yeah, it’s not that far from the Spanish Steps, which I think we’ve…maybe we’ve covered before. I want to say we have. How about some Tiber River facts to close us out then? Third-longest river in Italy, longest in Central Italy. Goes through Tuscany, Umbria, Lazio, and it’s…drains a basin estimated at 17,370 square kilometers.

 

It goes through Rome, which was founded on its eastern banks. The river rises in Central Italy and flows…generally southernly direction and…until it reaches the sea. Known in ancient times as Flavas; that was a reference to the color of the river. It has advanced significantly, three kilometers, since Roman times. It does not have a proportional delta owing to its strong north…the north-flowing sea close to shore and the shelving of the coast and slow tectonic subsidence. The source of the river is two springs ten meters apart from one another, Lavena, V-E-N-A, and they're in a beech forest. 4,000…1,268 meters above sea level. Yeah, I think that’s it, everybody. Hopefully you get a nice daytime listen of those two episodes of The Bittersweet Life. Thanks for listening, and goodnight.

 

[END OF RECORDING]

(Transcription performed by LeahTranscribes)

Crossover / Bittersweet Life

 

Melon Baller

https://www.the-american-interest.com/2013/06/11/the-strange-death-of-the-melon-baller/

https://www.thekitchn.com/all-the-ways-i-tried-and-failed-to-make-a-melon-baller-useful-234857

https://money.yahoo.com/melon-baller-every-southerners-favorite-230957239.html

 

The Bittersweet Life podcast

https://thebittersweetlife.net/

https://seattlemag.com/food-and-culture/love-italian-style-bittersweet-life-podcast/

https://www.instagram.com/thebittersweetlifepodcast/

 

History of Cafe Culture

https://blogs.loc.gov/folklife/2014/04/coffeehouses-folk-music-culture-and-counterculture/

https://rockcreekcoffee.com/blogs/blog/introduction-to-coffee-houses-and-their-significance-in-different-cultures-throughout-history

https://magazine.coffee/blog/1/6521/a-very-brief-history-of-cafe-culture

 

Spanish Steps

https://www.stefanorometours.com/blog/docs/why-are-the-spanish-steps-famous/

https://citywonders.com/blog/history-of-the-spanish-steps

https://www.wantedinrome.com/news/all-you-need-to-know-about-the-spanish-steps.html

 

DOWN TO BUSINESS

I guess I’m a semisweet

Your distracting semisweet friend

My intention is full sweetness

Is semisweet chocolate only in chocolate chips?

A crossover with The Bittersweet Life

Reinterpreting a couple Rome podcasts

2 childhood friends interpreting the expat life in Rome

You’ll love this podcast

 

PLUGS

The Bittersweet Life podcast; Sleep With Me Plus; SleepPhones; Story Only Feed; Rusty Biscuit Links; Emily Tat Artwork; Crisis Textline

 

SPONSORS

Helix Sleep; Zocdoc; Progressive; Acorns; Marley Spoon

 

INTRO

Thoughts on your mind about the past, present and future

I’ve had a lot of imaginary conversations in my mind

Imaginary Conversations With Real People

I’m barely real in those conversations

Sometimes the feelings are just there

Twofold reasons I make the show

And sometimes the reasons are just baffling

An Audio Service

I want to help however I can

It can sometimes feel out of reach

People you don’t know are thinking kindly of you right now

What a great exchange

Was “The Semi-Sweet Style Life” a song?

More Semi Than Sweet

Semi is the new Mid

I’m not a morsel but I am semisweet

When did we start calling chips morsels?

I wouldn’t mind a little tang in my podcast

An aural sour melon ball

Imaginary Candy, Imaginary Conversations, Real People

I must be related to Nathan Fielder somehow

Semisweet Drips

Drips, not Chips

Playing a ball game with melons

This show is all about the nonsense

Who wouldn’t want to call themself the melon baller?

I wouldn’t recommend using melon as a ball in a game

Melon Baller? I barely knew her

Explaining the show structure

Every intro is different

The show stays distracting

A crossover with Bittersweet Life

 

STORY

Make sure to check out du

Starting with ep 441 “The Oldest Cafe in Rome”

I’m filling in for both Katy and Tiffany

Picture yourself in Rome

A faint mist in Rome

Near the Spanish Steps

Inspired by bittersweet listener Paul

Wow, Paul supports with $50 a month, that’s awesome

Paul sent a long list

A little adventure looking for things

A hunt of scavenging

Describing the sights of every bridge in Rome (24 total!)

#4 on Paul’s list

The oldest cafe in Rome with an interview

Antico Cafe Greco

Founded in 1760!

A man of Greek parentage

The only cafe older is Cafe Florian in Venice

How do you decide to open the first cafe in your city?

When did espresso makers become a thing?

Maybe it was a thing in Greece before?

Buying a $1,000 coffee

It’s very touristy now and expensive

We’re gonna waltz in and have our coffee at the bar / banco

Normally it’s around a euro for an espresso

Who knows, maybe it’s all just seating now

A lot of intellectuals and artists would meet here

Now there’s a lot of designer brands here

But it used to be like Paris’s Left Bank

This used to be part of the Grand Tour

Keats, Shelley, Byron, Goethe

A proper tea shop opened about 100 years later

We’re just a water vapor host

Put our names on the list of customers

We’ll shop for an hour while we wait

A long list of famous customers

Wow, even Casanova had coffee in this bar

How do they come up with a list like that? Is there a guest book?

Lingering at a coffee shop is not a thing in Italy

Sitting at coffee houses really started in Vienna

A Viennese Thing

I picture Hemingway there (apocryphally)

The Keats-Shelley Museum (basically a room)

From Rome to another Realm

A lot of people came here and wanted to stay

What’s it like to work there?

All outdoor seats are full

Let’s see if we can grab a seat at the bar and talk to someone?

Oh good, there’s a bar

You have to pay before you get your stuff

Paying based on Paul’s Support

Only 5 euro for two coffees – not too bad

This server has worked here for about a year

A little bonus mini-chocolate

Caffe Machiattos

Milk in the shape of a heart

A napkin and sugar packet for a souvenir

Some literary quotes about Rome

Everyone is always documenting in different ways

Beautiful, dramatic quotes about Rome

Rome can take away your vanity

The pyramid of Rome has been here since 12 BC

Thank you Paul

Episode 440: “Where are all the accordions?”

A mishmash kaleidoscope of different things

We’re still water vapor

Tiffany no longer sees or hears accordions

We have to change our accordion theme song

Quintessential Rome Accordion

3-part jazz combo is the new sound of Rome

I’m not against accordion players, per se

A lot of people are doing their own take on famous pop songs

That’s also popular in Berlin

Hearing some dulcimer, too

Listen during the day to hear some dulcimer

A Dulcimer Combo

Like the top of a grand piano

One of those super famous Italian Pop Rock Singers with a long career

Classic Italian Rock

The music now feels very young and rock n roll

Our favorite accordion player who would play at the Ponte Sisto

Now there’s way more outdoor seating

Seattle has like no outdoor seating

Discovering restaurants you never knew before

Don’t forget to support your favorite podcasts

Catch a recording of the seagulls of Rome

The gulls on the Tiber have a feline sound

Rome is just generally loud

Are there more parrots here now?

Should we do some balcony birding?

We have to go soon

I recorded some accordions and jazz in Prague

Okay that’s the end of our crossover

Let’s run through the bridges of Rome

Ponte de Pastele Leo

Ponte de Tour de Quinto

Ponte Flaminio

Ponte Medo Vio

A lot of Pontes

Ponte Regina Margarita

Ponte Principe Amadeo

Ponte Sisto

Ponte Garibaldi

Ponte Roto

Ponte Platino

Ponte de Industria

Ok let’s read about Ponte Sisto

Currently pedestrian only

A central spandrel

Wow, this bridge has quite the history

Tiber River facts

3rd longest river in Italy

A general southerly direction

It does not have a proportional delta

Slow Tectonic Subsidence

That’s it, thanks!

 

SUMMARY:

Episode: 1342

Title: Visit to Rome | Bittersweet Life Crossover

Plugs: The Bittersweet Life podcast; Sleep With Me Plus; SleepPhones; Story Only Feed; Rusty Biscuit Links; Emily Tat Artwork; Crisis Textline

Sponsors: Helix Sleep; Zocdoc; Progressive; Acorns; Marley Spoon

Notable Language:

• Semisweet
• Imaginary Conversations With Real People
• An Audio Service
• More Semi Than Sweet
• Semi is the new Mid
• Morsel
• Sour Melon Ball
• Semisweet Drips
• The Melon Baller
• A hunt of scavenging
• A Viennese Thing
• Sweet Pastry Thingamabob
• Quintessential Rome Accordion
• Dulcimer
• Classic Italian Rock
• Ponte
• A central spandrel

 

Notable Culture:

• • The Bittersweet Life podcast
  • “The Semi-Sweet Style Life” song
  • “Semi-Charmed Kind of Life” song
  • Nathan Fielder / The Rehearsal
  • Rome
  • Spanish Steps
  • Antico Cafe Greco

• Cathy

• Garfield

• The Grand Tour
• John Keats
• Percy Shelley
• Lord Byron
• Goethe
• Casanova
• Ernest Hemingway
• YouTube
• Instagram
• Louisa May Alcott
• Seattle

 

Notable Talking Points:

• • Thoughts on your mind about the past, present and future
  • I’ve had a lot of imaginary conversations in my mind
  • Imaginary Conversations With Real People
  • I’m barely real in those conversations
  • Sometimes the feelings are just there
  • Twofold reasons I make the show
  • And sometimes the reasons are just baffling
  • An Audio Service
  • I want to help however I can
  • It can sometimes feel out of reach
  • People you don’t know are thinking kindly of you right now
  • What a great exchange
  • Was “The Semi-Sweet Style Life” a song?
  • More Semi Than Sweet
  • Semi is the new Mid
  • I’m not a morsel but I am semisweet
  • When did we start calling chips morsels?
  • I wouldn’t mind a little tang in my podcast
  • An aural sour melon ball
  • Imaginary Candy, Imaginary Conversations, Real People
  • I must be related to Nathan Fielder somehow
  • Semisweet Drips
  • Drips, not Chips
  • Playing a ball game with melons
  • This show is all about the nonsense
  • Who wouldn’t want to call themself the melon baller?
  • I wouldn’t recommend using melon as a ball in a game
  • Melon Baller? I barely knew her
  • Explaining the show structure
  • Every intro is different
  • The show stays distracting
  • A crossover with Bittersweet Life

• Make sure to check out du

• Starting with ep 441 “The Oldest Cafe in Rome”

• I’m filling in for both Katy and Tiffany

• Picture yourself in Rome

• A faint mist in Rome

• Near the Spanish Steps

• Inspired by bittersweet listener Paul

• Wow, Paul supports with $50 a month, that’s awesome

• Paul sent a long list

• A little adventure looking for things

• A hunt of scavenging

• Describing the sights of every bridge in Rome (24 total!)

• #4 on Paul’s list

• The oldest cafe in Rome with an interview

• Antico Cafe Greco

• Founded in 1760!

• A man of Greek parentage

• The only cafe older is Cafe Florian in Venice

• How do you decide to open the first cafe in your city?

• When did espresso makers become a thing?

• Maybe it was a thing in Greece before?

• Buying a $1,000 coffee

• It’s very touristy now and expensive

• We’re gonna waltz in and have our coffee at the bar / banco

• Normally it’s around a euro for an espresso

• Who knows, maybe it’s all just seating now

• A lot of intellectuals and artists would meet here

• Now there’s a lot of designer brands here

• But it used to be like Paris’s Left Bank

• This used to be part of the Grand Tour

• Keats, Shelley, Byron, Goethe

• A proper tea shop opened about 100 years later

• We’re just a water vapor host

• Put our names on the list of customers

• We’ll shop for an hour while we wait

• A long list of famous customers

• Wow, even Casanova had coffee in this bar

• How do they come up with a list like that? Is there a guest book?

• Lingering at a coffee shop is not a thing in Italy

• Sitting at coffee houses really started in Vienna

• A Viennese Thing

• I picture Hemingway there (apocryphally)

• The Keats-Shelley Museum (basically a room)

• From Rome to another Realm

• A lot of people came here and wanted to stay

• What’s it like to work there?

• All outdoor seats are full

• Let’s see if we can grab a seat at the bar and talk to someone?

• Oh good, there’s a bar

• You have to pay before you get your stuff

• Paying based on Paul’s Support

• Only 5 euro for two coffees – not too bad

• This server has worked here for about a year

• A little bonus mini-chocolate

• Caffe Machiattos

• Milk in the shape of a heart

• A napkin and sugar packet for a souvenir

• Some literary quotes about Rome

• Everyone is always documenting in different ways

• Beautiful, dramatic quotes about Rome

• Rome can take away your vanity

• The pyramid of Rome has been here since 12 BC

• Thank you Paul

• Episode 440: “Where are all the accordions?”

• A mishmash kaleidoscope of different things

• We’re still water vapor

• Tiffany no longer sees or hears accordions

• We have to change our accordion theme song

• Quintessential Rome Accordion

• 3-part jazz combo is the new sound of Rome

• I’m not against accordion players, per se

• A lot of people are doing their own take on famous pop songs

• That’s also popular in Berlin

• Hearing some dulcimer, too

• Listen during the day to hear some dulcimer

• A Dulcimer Combo

• Like the top of a grand piano

• One of those super famous Italian Pop Rock Singers with a long career

• Classic Italian Rock

• The music now feels very young and rock n roll

• Our favorite accordion player who would play at the Ponte Sisto

• Now there’s way more outdoor seating

• Seattle has like no outdoor seating

• Discovering restaurants you never knew before

• Don’t forget to support your favorite podcasts

• Catch a recording of the seagulls of Rome

• The gulls on the Tiber have a feline sound

• Rome is just generally loud

• Are there more parrots here now?

• Should we do some balcony birding?

• We have to go soon

• I recorded some accordions and jazz in Prague

• Okay that’s the end of our crossover

• Let’s run through the bridges of Rome

• Ponte de Pastele Leo

• Ponte de Tour de Quinto

• Ponte Flaminio

• Ponte Medo Vio

• A lot of Pontes

• Ponte Regina Margarita

• Ponte Principe Amadeo

• Ponte Sisto

• Ponte Garibaldi

• Ponte Roto

• Ponte Platino

• Ponte de Industria

• Ok let’s read about Ponte Sisto

• Currently pedestrian only

• A central spandrel

• Wow, this bridge has quite the history

• Tiber River facts

• 3rd longest river in Italy

• A general southerly direction

• It does not have a proportional delta

• Slow Tectonic Subsidence

• That’s it, thanks!