Our Olive Harvest in Umbria Yields Gold!
What a glorious experience from start to finish! When I’d taken a closer look at our trees back in late summer, I knew this year’s [...]
Immersed in a Culture of Train Travel
I love trains and train travel. Ever since I received my first Lionel train set for Christmas at age four, I’ve been hooked. But, the [...]
Buone Feste! Let There Be Magic!
I am indeed fortunate to be living in Italy and experiencing yet another magical holiday! I confess, a long career in advertising and marketing had [...]
My Italy Move, Several Years Later
My enduring metaphor for life… Here I am, several years after pulling the trigger on my Italy move. And I’m damn glad I made the [...]
Italian Faces in the Saturday Market
Fragole – © 2017 Jed Smith The big Saturday markets will never cease to be a goldmine of opportunity for capturing the [...]
My House in Umbria…Heaven on Earth
Dining al fresco – with a view that makes me keep pinching myself. Welcome to my home away from home. I’m a [...]
Encountering Real Life Italian Angels
It all started with a dead battery. And, it all came to a successful conclusion, thanks to the divine intervention of an Italian angel at [...]
May the Stars of Possibility Light Your Way
My extraordinary artistic mother lit the fuse of my imagination. My brilliant engineering father taught me how to construct a plan and a path towards making something [...]
Coming to live in Italy? Get used to the marca da bollo
Get used to buying a marca da bolla when you navigate the Italian bureaucracy This post isn’t glamorous or riveting – that is, [...]
Embrace the mystery of life, and prepare for things to change…
Contrary to a life-long desire to figure “things” out, and arrive at a metaphorical destination in which I finally can relax, I’m learning that constant [...]
My Buddy, the Bidet
Here in Italy the bidet is indispensable when it comes to person hygiene. Well, I promised myself I would be faithful to discussing [...]
Talking Trash, Italian-Style
The systems for managing trash in Italy can vary significantly from region to region and town to town. Sorry to disappoint if the title [...]
At Rest – New Photo by Jed
At Rest is a recent photo by Jed Smith I am drawn to, in my art and photography, scenes of simplicity and calm. [...]
Waiting in line, and practicing patience!
"Scusate, chi è l'ultimo?" which means "Who is the last one?" is a phrase you'd best remember when you prepare to stand in line at the post [...]
Buone feste from Italy!
The holidays are elegantly rendered in the ancient streets of Italy. My favorite holiday decorations in Italy are the chandeliers suspended in the middle [...]
Don’t Wish Me Luck – Talk about Wolves, Whales and Poop!
Photo by NatureGuy, Adobe Stock Images You’re probably asking (if you’re not offended) “What do wolves, whales, and poop have in common?” They [...]
The Beauty of Silence
A river in the Veneto at sunset. I am grateful to be "stunned" into silence by the many beautiful scenes that present themselves [...]
Preparing for Winter in Italy
Just a few winters ago winter bit hard in Umbria, and left people homebound in rural locations. Autumn is firmly entrenched here in [...]