To the Contessa and all those of you considering a trip to Italy (ooh, am I jealous!), may I suggest a GREAT book? It's called,"The Virago Woman's Travel Guide to Rome," by Ros Belford. From the back cover: "Rome -- in the beginning was the she-wolf that suckled Romulus and Remus...female gladiators, empresses who poisoned their way to power, medieval saints and Renaissance courtesans....Vestal Virgins, Cleopatra...history and mythology...[all] mixed in equal measure." This book is full of great stories, and it tells you how to find the place where each story began. You'll love having it along as a travel companion/guide! It's now out of print, but it's worth the time sleuthing around bookstores to find it. We, of course, will anxiously await your own stories!