Children Will Listen…and Learn
These lyrics, part of "Children Will Listen," rendered by the extraordinary Stephen Sondheim, are more on my mind than ever. Why? Because, in the [...]
Italian Healthcare Vs American Healthcare
Italian healthcare wins, hands down, in my opinion. And, on multiple fronts. I've been in Italy for almost eight years now, and as I look [...]
COVID in Italy, When Defiance Turns Deadly
The privileged elite thumb their noses at the pandemic and party hard. And this kind of defiance reared its head at a posh club [...]
Italian Words That Don’t Mean What You Think
There are plenty of them. Many Italian language newbies make the mistake of thinking that because some Italian words sound so similar to English [...]
Get the Skinny on Down and Dirty Italian
What do I mean by "Down and Dirty Italian?" I mean oft-used Italian words, phrases, and expressions pertaining to expletives, bodily functions, partying, gossiping, [...]
Join Me for a 360º Tour of My Umbria Homes
Oh, the views! Believe me, I've not taken for granted the panoramic views I enjoy from my two Umbria homes. Many a meal [...]
A Nighttime Excursion in Surreal Venice
I've never seen my favorite Italian city like this. A surreal Venice is a lonely Venice. Even in the wee hours of normal Venice [...]
Has My Love Affair with Social Media Gone Too Far?
Time to reclaim my peace and sanity. The Covid-19 crisis has provided far too fertile ground for reigniting my love affair with social media. [...]
The Italian Driver’s License Exam – Get a Grip on Order of Precedence
The order of precedence at Italian intersections can be a bit confusing. At least that was my experience when I spent several months studying [...]
Here in Italy We Settle in for the New Face of Travel.
"Out and about" looks vastly different in the shadow of Covid-19. To me, this new face of travel was particularly evident in the experience [...]
Untangling Our Knotted Up Places
Crisis has a knack for dynamiting the status quo. And when two come along, double-barreled, with the pandemic and the massive protests and outcry [...]
Celebrating the Beauty of the Ordinary
Most of us are trained to pursue idyllic beauty. Myself included. From an early age, marketers have pummeled us with pictures and messages that [...]
Key Italian Words and Phrases for Navigating the Health Crisis
These aren't just "nice to know." No, a few Italian words and phrases are essential if you find yourself in Italy while Covid-19 still encroaches [...]
Exploring Venice Night Scenes, Introducing”Midnight Passing”
"Midnight Passing" — © Jed Smith 2020, oil on canvas Two solid months of steady work on a large [...]
Capturing Telling Moments of Italy in Crisis
Beauty, even in the shadows. I've been watching, my camera always close-by, the scenes of Italy in crisis and people living in lockdown. Like [...]
Lose Yourself in Six Favorite Italian Films
Feed Your Love of Italy! International travel has been severely cut back or sidelined. Most of us have been tethered to our homes during [...]
Italy Opens Up (Just a Tad)
And we savor small but limited freedoms. Italy opens up by allowing us now to leave our abodes for long walks, a jog, or [...]
Can You Make Peace with Yourself During Crisis?
In this crisis do you wake up stuck in your head, ruminating non-stop? It has become far too easy (myself included) with such extended [...]