Everyone in England might be celebrating Halloween this weekend, but in Italy they are celebrating All Saints – Ognissanti or Tutti i Santi. This is the time when the Italians pay their respects to the dead and the roads to Prima Porta – where Rome’s biggest cemetery is located – are clogged with traffic. Everyone is bearing bunches of chrysanthemums as this is the traditionally the flower of death in Italy. All the florists are full of them this week.

On a lighter note, the hour went back in the UK and also in Italy this weekend so we got an extra hour in bed – and we have another very simpatica American – Shelley – staying in Casa Marconi for a couple of nights

. She lives in Rome and has her own blog: unamericanaaroma.com.