advice on visiting or
living in rome

Be very careful what you say about Rome's soccer team, 'Roma'.

Italians are wild about football. In May 2001, the Rome team won the national soccer championship.

The public celebrations went to extraordinary lengths. These pictures on the left are just a few scenes photographed by Romebuddy in our sleepy local suburb on the morning after the victorious final match.

Fans (and when I say fans, what I really mean is the entire population of Rome, women, children, old men, and pehaps even the dogs) all turned out and literally painted the town red (and yellow, the Rome team's colors)

Miles of red and yellow ribbon were artfully laced through the skies across every main street. Lamp-posts, fences, highway kerbstones, zebra pedestrian crossings, and even trees were painted or wrapped in red and yellow ribbon or craft-paper. Football is a religion here. Even a special 'shrine' was erected in my local piazza, in thankful glorification and praise of the home team.

For over a week, cars drove around flying or trailing huge flags of the colors of Rome and Italy behind them. One driver I saw had recorded the radio commentary of the final winning match and drove around town for a week with his windows wound down, playing the commentary on his car stereo at full volume.

And still, over a year later, if you visit Rome today, you will see many streets here still flying their red and yellow banners even though in 2002, Rome lost the championship cup again to Turin.

However, beware, because the other soccer team based in the Rome area is 'Lazio'. Their team colours are pale sky-blue and white, and the Lazio fans and the Roma fans hate each other vehemently. So be careful you do not accidentally cheer for the Rome team in the earshot of Lazio supporters on the streets of Rome, or you may regret opening your big mouth.

Perhaps it's best to just keep quiet and stay out of it...!