On my first day back in Rome since October, I was reminded of the many small details that differentiate this part of the world from Toronto. Even from the plane I could see the statuesque stone pines, a variety so graceful that they can be used in bonsai. I also delight in the tiny cars that would make perfect sense in a city like Toronto. The grocery store aisles are brimming with all exotic varieties of dried bread. Then there's the less pleasant mainstays of any Roman trip: the graffitied and odorous train taking you from Fiumicino airport, attempting to roll your suitcase along a cobblestone road, and the conspicuous absence of recycling bins.