Sharing

There have been quite a few changes going on in my little corner of Blogdom and at least one addition to my list of favorites.

• In an unusual concept three of my favorite bloggers have joined forces with a friend of theirs, who I'm ashamed to say I hadn't visited before, to become East End Boys and West End Girls. Auld Hat (The Voluptury), Cowbell (I Need More Cowbell), Eric (Secrets of the Red7) and Maine Gay have turned blog reading into one-stop-shopping - we'll now be getting four great blogs for the price of one. And Ms Hat's template is innovative and cool.

King David plays his harp before the Lord - bas relief from the organ decorations at San Giovanni in Laterna.

• And the sexiest food photographer I know has, with his buddy Al, done a redesign of his blog. The new look over at Tater is clean and classy and the writing remains amongst the best in blogdom. And those photographs... I want me a big bowl of cherries.

I knew those damned SmartCars needed some sort of power booster.

• And speaking of food, at Around Britain with a Paunch Jonathan has posted a very unusual food fight. As well he and Cowie are cooking up some goodies, visiting some upscale restaurants and on a very serious pancake hunt.

An very Deco spider spins its metal web on a gate near our house.

• Our blogmother Lynette has come briefly out of retirement and posted another one of her powerful pieces. Kayla is not an easy read and if you are like me you will be both heart-broken and enraged.

Towards the Piazza San Pietro from the steps of the Basilica.

• Elizabeth at Love Elizabeth touches on diversity in two posts - one as an observer and the other as one of the observed. And over on her other planet, Ridiculon, she's posted a photo that asks, it seems to me, a reasonable question.

These tombstones lay forgotten by the side of Via Nomentana, our main street. No doubt they are relics from the catacombs that warren the area.

• Buddy Sling recounts an adventure in dining at Applebee's that makes me appreciate that here in Italy being a waiter/waitress is a profession not a inoportune pause on the road to stardom. And earlier in the week he provided us with some real pretty guitar music.

The Fountain of the Four Rivers in Piazza Navona is being restored. This means using dental equipment to clean delicate surfaces. Sort of like a teeth cleaning only takes a hell of a lot longer.

• It often happens that someone posts a comment and you've never seen them before, so off you going to check out their blog and how it would connect to you and your interests. I'm guessing Gertsamtkunstwerk is, amongst other things, an opera fanatic but the title Mad Musing of Me pretty much says it all. Been enjoying the posts immensely and according to one I'm in the Upper Middle Class. My accountant would be surprised to hear that.

21 febbraio - San Pier Damiani