Rome and Italian

Just downloaded iTranslate, an app that translates English into Italian with an audio clip, and a dictionary. Hoping to learn a bit of Italian before I go to Rome later this year. I’ve been wanting to go for a few years, since I really got into Ancient Roman history. I now know how to order a beer in Italian.

I rewatched the HBO series Rome again recently and I noticed from the dictionary app that “salve” is still used as our equivalent of hi in Italy, as it is in the Rome series. It’ll be cool to be in a city with such an awesome history, knowing the actors from the equally awesome series actually shot it there, albeit in a studio of facades.

Also been reading Conn Iggulden’s Emperor books again. They tell the story of Julius Caesar, beautifully written. Full of fighting, battles and smiteing, his writing also has some quite intense and exploratory emotional moments. It has a very manly feel, yet Iggulden also writes with skill about the women of Rome. There’s four of the books and they all run together seamlessly so it’s one epic story. His forum is great.

Just remembered I read an article about the HBO Rome programme, they can’t afford to do a third series apparently, which is a shame, but there are plans for a film, which is very exciting. I hope Bruno Heller is writing it, should be bloody brilliant.

On a separate note, terrible news. Spartacus: Blood and Sand second series is on hold because Spartacus has leukemia I think. I hope he gets better soon, he’s such an awesome dude. He plays the Thracian so well and I miss watching him wreak devastation. Started watching Spartacus because of Charlie Brooker’s review on You Have Been Watching and this article at the guardian. Fantastic.