as the city starts to fill with tourists and cruise-hoppers, Seattle's neighborhoods have slowly drained themselves of residents off to vacation in different parts of the world. Yes, Seattle is a destination city, but for many of us who live here all-year 'round, there is that urge to get outta Dodge. The fact of this was brought home when our friend William Bernhard sent us a link to his Flickr account, where William has uploaded some fabulous photos of Rome, including this scultpure of Agustus Cesar.

William is a poet, musician and web designer -- not necessarily in that order. He is also a guitar-playing member of the long-time popular Seattle band, Sky Cries Mary. He's off to Rome with the University of Washington Rome Center, where the UW-based poet Rick Kenney is teaching again this summer.

In other words, the cultured folk have decamped to the Eternal City, leaving us still in Seattle so far this summer to wonder if staring at the mountain, bay and ferries is quite the same as walking among the ruins?