Carla Bruni Is Glad She's Not Italian

After Prime Minister Berlusconi's Obama gaffe last week, the wife of French president Nicolas Sarkozy, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, told a French newspaper that "I'm very happy that I became French!" To this former Italian president, Francesco Cossiga (who is a supporter of Berlusconi), replied "We too are indeed happy that she is no longer Italian." The Washington Post reports that tonight Nicolas Sarkozy and Silvio Berlusconi are attending a White House dinner for world leaders. Will sparks fly?

Pompeii and the Roman Villa: Art and Culture Around the Bay of Naples

Opening today at the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. is an extraordinary exhibit of artifacts from the excavations of Pompeii and its neighboring towns. Luxurious furniture, personal effects, and exquisite works of art were all buried in the eruption of August 23rd, 79 C.E. Among these artifacts are sculptures from the Villa of the Papyri which inspired the Getty Villa in Malibu. These objects are now on display (many for the first time ever in the U.S.) at the National Gallery until March 22nd when the exhibit will travel to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Today's Washington Post has a detailed article on the history of Pompeii and its excavations and an excellent slide show of some of the major works.

Take a Walk in Rome with the Washington Post

Giovanna dell'Orto, a former resident of Rome and well-known journalist, takes readers on a walk to her favorite (and mostly free) sights in Rome. She hits many of the Modern Traveler's favorite spots, like the Capitoline Hill, the Forum, the Pantheon, Tiber Island and Via del Governo Vecchio. Along the way she stops for pizza, gelato and pasta. She doesn't forget to stop at the Trevi Fountain to throw in her coins, ensuring that she will come back to Rome again.

Washington Post Food Critic Highlights his Favorite Eats in Rome

Tom Sietsema, a Washington Post food critic, lets us in on some local dining secrets. He sends us to Il Tordo Matto, 30 minutes from Rome, Ristorante Ditirambo in Piazza della Cancelleria and Il Gelato Di San Crispino, located just around the corner from the Trevi Fountain. All three promise to be rich in regional flavors and native traditions. The Modern Traveler's only complaint about his recommendations? He claims that Rome is not known for its great restaurants! As if!