fun for children & flood IQ

travelling with children to italy...sometime after the pandemic? 

If you are headed to Italy and will be spending time in Rome consider these activities - as vetted by the founders of Context and their local Roman guides - to be great ideas for children. 
1. Swap the Vactican for Castel St Angelo. Why? Castle St Angelo is the former palace of emperors, tomb of the Popes, and a notorious prison, the Castel is full of histories that will fascinate young visitors—not to mention the often overlooked playground hidden at the back of the Castel.

2. Hunt for I nasoni.  Nasoni—which literally translates as “large noses”— are the fountains - 2,500 of them - sprinkled through the City. The free app I Nasoni di Roma is a wonderful way to augment the exploration of the fountains.

3.Consider Ostia Antica instead of the Forum or Pompeii. This one is a challenge for me as I LOVE Pompei however I take the author's point.  Ostia Antica is a quick trip from Rome, is less visited = fewer tourists, and children love exploring it's well preserved baths and mosiacs.

4. Water, water everywhere. The Acqua Vergine aqueduct feeds fresh water into the city's nasoni and fountains (including the Trevi and Fountain of Four Rivers at the Piazza Naavona). The authors recommend viewing the Aqua Vergine from the coffee bar at the Rinascente department store on Via del Tritone— so grab a snack and see the  aqueduct in action.

5. Playtime.  Head to the Villa Pamphili, the locals love it for its playgrounds, fountains, and open spaces perfect for soccer (or football as the Italians call it).

what caught my eye

I was fascinated by this website I stumbled upon;  FloodiQ.com. It shows coastal cities in the USA most at risk of flooding, hurricane and sea level rise. You can populate your property address to understand the risk to your property. In addition the Army Corp of Engineers has modelled sea rise for the next fifteen years - again of your property address as well as indicators of how various amounts of sea rise will impact your property and  finally some proactive measures one can take to protect their property.  This website is created with open source data provided by various partners and I find it fascinating. Forewarned is forearmed...right?