“Ciao” and The Long Goodbye
“Ciao” can flow like water at the end of a phone call. Years ago, I was on a northbound train in Italy, sitting close to [...]
The Italian Post. Know Its Limits.
The Italian Post is a mixed bag. If you live in Italy, on some days you might find yourself exclaiming “I can’t live with it!” [...]
Ready To Take the Plunge and Hit Reset?
If you’re moving to Italy you’d best be prepared to hit reset. Why do I say this? Because, in my experience, many people can be so [...]
Dying in Italy – Know the Landscape
Recently, I wrote philosophically about Learning to Dance with Both Life and Death. I shift now to navigating the practicalities of dying in Italy. Dreams [...]
The Gift of Winter in Italy.
A confession right up front: for most of my life I’ve despised winter (even winter in Italy) and looked on it as something to just [...]
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 [...]
Italian Holiday Greetings – Prep Yourself and Know the Protocol
The holiday trim and lights already are being prepped and strung across the ancient city streets of Italy. Mountains of panettone (Italian holiday sweet [...]
QUID PRO QUO – When Latin Takes Two Different Routes
Don’t assume anything, especially when it comes to language. Quid pro quo has been my most recent lesson in this regard. No, it doesn’t [...]
For Love of Frittelle
What’s the big deal with frittelle? After all, it’s JUST fried dough sprinkled with powdered sugar, right? That was my superior attitude until I remembered [...]
I’m a Fan of the Sisterhood
This week’s post is going to be short, and a break from the two previous posts dealing with the very un-glamorous, but necessary, topics related [...]
Owning a Car in Italy and La Revisione
This post isn’t going to be glamorous. It’s not going to transport you to romantic visions of being in Italy. It is, however, an [...]
Random Carabinieri Checks – Be Prepared
It finally happened to me––a random roadside check by the Carabinieri. And thank goodness my driver’s license and car documents were in order. For months [...]
Arm-in-Arm is part of the Italian Culture
Italians are passionate and affectionate I think I can safely draw this conclusion after living in Italy for several years and observing the interactions amongst [...]
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 [...]
Becoming an Expat in Italy? The Devil is in the Details.
When you take the steps to becoming an expat in Italy you’ll soon learn that there is a good bit of bureaucracy, which requires standing [...]
Sportoletti Cantina, in Umbria, Makes Amazing Wine
Sportoletti excels at making beautifully rendered wines at great prices Fair warning. I’m going to gush. But, for good reason. Just over eight [...]
Italian Faces in the Saturday Market
The big Saturday markets will never cease to be a goldmine of opportunity for capturing the wealth of Italian faces Recently, when visiting my [...]