How to Say “Stuck Up” in Italian
I love this Italian idiom, which is used to refer to a snobbish person. Italians have a knack for going one step further with colorful [...]
When Not Speaking Italian Becomes a Problem
I am here to tell you, from personal experience, WHY having at least an intermediate command of Italian is essential. Speaking Italian isn’t just [...]
When You Speak Italian, Show Respect
Don't get too familiar with people, at least initially… Over familiarity is perhaps the biggest mistake that I witness English speakers making when they [...]
An Extraordinary Lunch in St. Emilion, France
Le Bis is forever etched in my culinary memory banks.Finding the right words to do justice to this recent dining experience (this past Saturday), is [...]
Introducing My New Painting, “Splash!”
This is the fourth in my water series. And the momentum seems to be growing. In fact, I’m well underway with my fifth, and other [...]
Introducing Customized Italian Lessons with Simone!
Here's a golden opportunity to learn Italian one-on-one with an excellent native speaker! I'm constantly advising people who want to spend substantial time [...]
Introducing “Going with the Flow”
This latest oil painting is still drying on its easel. And I am contemplating the next subject in this theme that has taken hold of [...]
Introducing “Ripple Effect”
Painting feels like my truest, most expansive space. And painting water-themed subjects, as I'm doing with my current water series, seems to take me deeper [...]
Loving My Daily Bella Passeggiata
I adore my early morning walks here in Italy. Yes, a bella passeggiata, a nice stroll, is high on my gratitude list for living [...]
Buying Property in Italy—What You Need to Know
Buying property in Italy is fairly easy. While buying a car isn’t, unless you’re a bona fide resident. You see, cars have to have [...]
Italian Crosswalks—Pedestrians and Drivers Beware
And you'd best prepare yourself. I first wrote about Italian crosswalks seven years ago (read it here). It was from the perspective of the pedestrian, [...]
Back to Valloria, the Village of Painted Doors
One Excursion to Valloria Wasn't Nearly Enough. I thought I'd done a fairly thorough job of seeing Valloria when I took a long leisurely stroll [...]
The True Colors of Italy’s Best Gelato
Just yesterday I indulged in a yummy cup of pistachio and stracciatella gelato. Beware of marketing, a.k.a. visual enhancement. I’ve lived in Italy [...]
Expressing the Beauty of Solitude
I’ve never been a crowd kind of guy. My painting subjects often reflect this. “Table for One,” my latest oil, is yet another example of [...]
Let the River of Life Carry You Along
Life keeps teaching me to let go and to let its current take me. Again and again, I find myself reflecting on the river [...]
La Mole in Torino Surprises and Delights
The National Museum of Cinema is housed in this architectural beauty. La Mole Antonelliana, called “La Mole” for short, constructed from 1863 to 1889, was [...]
Taking It Slowly, Mindfully
Painting is a journey of self-discovery for me. As usual, my painting is a way of exploring what lurks inside my psyche, bypassing the [...]
Midnight Explorations
I was needing a shift. And I’ve learned that when I need more equilibrium, I lean into my creative endeavors. They bring me back [...]