June 19, 2013 | Rome, Italy | Partly Cloudy 33°C

Family values

Tuscan wine country brings out the supremacy of Italy's family ties, with land and vineyards handed down over generations like precious heirlooms.


Long waves

Troubled, feuding Europe might be do well to heed the advice of a Soviet economist.


Alive as the Dead Sea

Off to an ancient salty sea with camel postcards, seven stamps, and two liters of water.


A sense of place

Where exactly is "home," and what does it mean to live for decades in a foreign city?


No white lies

If you expect deference, politeness and kid gloves, don't choose to live in Italy.


FEATURES

Area 51

Sexistentialism

In recent decades, sexual orientation has taken center stage in defining self.

La Straniera

Corsican context

A trip to a stunning but untamed French island can flirt with life's darker side.

London Eye

Northern exposure

Though a woman's roots may be southern, her approach may take her elsewhere.

American Girl

Just in from Mars

Suddenly, New York is awash in futuristic bike-stands, leading to typically New York laments.

Milan Notebook

O Maramao

Of dead cats, foreign residency, and making a home in the away-from-home.

Man About Rome

On writing

In words, there's a difference between communicating and talking to yourself.


PARENTHOOD

Curbing tempers


LAW

Closing Argument

The Lamborghini

When it comes to taxes, having your cake and eating it can be a risky proposition.


FINANCE

The Economist

Long waves

When economic crisis strikes, look back can be as useful as looking ahead.


SPORTS

The Game

Doing a Portsmouth

On the verge of extinction, one club has bounced back thanks to fan ownership.


LIVING

The Farm

Farmed out

Farm life can bring on the blues, but better or worse, a sense of community endures.

Parenthood

The narc

When you start fighting kid tempers with your own, it's time to call a time out.

Parenthood

The narc

When you start fighting kid tempers with your own, it's time to call a time out.

2nd Generation

No white lies

In terms of looks and language, Italians are not inclined to mince words.

That's Queer

Words that burn

Homophobic slurs always risk transforming hateful thought into hateful action.

Wonderland

Dead Sea hitchhiking

Seven camel postcards, seven stamps, and two liters of water, then time to go.

L-Word

Perfect fit

Good sex can sometimes put weightier relationship questions into hibernation.


AT LARGE

At Large

Revived at last

Finally, Keith Haring's Pisa mural "Tuttomondo" is back in the pink, among other colors.

The Hiker

Masks on foot

Near Bergamo is a historic trail that awakens Lombardy's Valle Brembata.

Nomad

Midnights in Paris

The legacy of literary Paris is dense enough to make days pass in haste.

History 102

Cinema 'Slipshod'

Eager for a 1960s comeback, Alfred Hitchcock once turned to Italy, but unsuccessfully.

The Prowler

Free Union and Garth

A return to rural Virginia means a country store, odd characters, and a daily routine.

Letters

Queen, please help

When an eight-year-old writes to the lady in charge of England, he has a plan.


MUSIC

Tracks

Play it loud!

New releases from Kylesa, ASG and Survival crank up the volume.


WHERETOEAT

Roman fare

Finding the best of Rome in Rome itself means ranging far and wide.


TOURIST Q&A

Tour costs

When it comes to paying private tour guides, make sure you get it straight up front.


WHAT'SON

Summertime

Gearing up for the Lucca Summer Festival, also films in English.


FOOD&WINE

Apprentice Foodie

Late-riser heaven

Just because you get up late in Rome doesn't mean you have to go hungry.

Suzanne's Taste

New kid on the broc

Meet amazing tough little seeds that grow into a green you can live on.

Da Germano

The gnocchi wars

Gnocchi can seem simple, and are, so long as you don't venture into their attic.

In Cucina

The fix

Picking the best of the best of "cucina romana" means paying attention to ingredients.

In Provincia

Sunset moments

After a long day's work, time for beer, a party dog, and something with limoncello.

Tasting Notes

Family values

A trip to the Val D'Orcia honors several local families and the wines they love.


FILM

MUST SEE: Amour

Jean-Louis Trintignant and Emmanuelle Riva make death a masterpiece.

PICKS&PUNTS: The Master

Joaquin Phoenix and Philip Seymour Hoffman power a study of power, and brokenness.

ON FILM: Dreams and nightmares

For toxicity, see "Reversal of Fortune," "Eyes Wide Shut" and "Requiem for a Dream."


BOOKS

THE BOOKSHELF: Les Particules élémentaires (The Elementary Particles, U.S./Atomised, UK)

Michel Houellebecq's pugacious breakthrough novel still asks troubling questions.

THE A-LIST: The Fall of the Stone City

Ismail Kadare transforms a wartime anecdote into a watermark for conspiracies.

SCRIPTORIUM: Love, crash, burn

British novelist Julian Barnes a unique palette to a memoir of personal grief.









TAXES
The Lamborghini
CHOICES
On writing
TO A QUEEN
Please help
FARMING
Lonely land
GAY LIFE
Burning words