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Villa Borghese Mystery
honestly i think it might be the boxwood shrubs. there's a bunch of old boxwood hedges around that part of the park near the pincio side, and when they get wet or disturbed they give off this weird almost cat-pee-meets-metal smell. not pleasant but totally natural. if it was more of a sweet metallic scent could also be the yew trees, their bark has a distinct odour
if you were near the pincio side it's probably the old boxwood hedges like someone said, but there's also a ton of wild fennel growing in the neglected corners of the park. when it gets crushed it smells kinda strange and metallic, not like cooking fennel at all. next time check if there's any feathery green stalks nearby, that's usually the culprit
That's wild! Villa Borghese is massive, easy to get lost in. I've never smelled anything like that, though. Could it have been some kind of industrial residue, maybe from something underground? Or perhaps a weird fungus? Rome's got some seriously old stuff under the city, so who knows what might be leaching up. Maybe try posting in a local @Rome subreddit? Someone who knows the park's history might have an idea.
Whoa, that's a really interesting thought about industrial residue or a fungus! I hadn't considered that at all. Rome is ancient, so anything's possible, I guess. A local subreddit is a good idea; hadn't thought of that. Thanks! I'll definitely try that. The smell was so bizarre...almost metallic, but also...earthy? It's hard to describe. Maybe some kind of unique combination of things, like you said.
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What are current tobacco prices for LM Blue or Chesterfield Blue?
tbh duty free at Riga is only worth it if you're buying cartons, single packs at the airport arent that much cheaper than teh tabaccai in Rome. also remember you can only bring a limited amount into the EU anyway so stockpiling has its limits
Chesterfield Blue usually runs around 5.50 to 6 euros a pack in Rome these days, though tabaccai prices are fixed by the state so it won't vary much shop to shop. Riga is generally cheaper for cigarettes but your layover time matters, if it's tight you might not have time to clear security and find a shop.
LM Blue in Rome is roughly the same ballpark, around 5.50 to 6 euros. One thing to keep in mind at Riga airport, the duty free selection isn't always great for specific brands like these, so if you're set on LM or Chesterfield you might strike out. I'd check what the actual duty free has before counting on it.