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 [...]
Enjoying the Bounty of Imperia’s Annual Olive Festival
Ligurian olive oil is considered to be amongst Italy's best. So, I can understand why Imperia's Annual Olive Festival is such an important event. [...]
If You’re Accused of Having “Le Braccia Corte” (Short arms)…
Then people are implying that you're stingy. Maybe "le braccia corte" is being used in jest when it's your turn to buy the next [...]
Life Goes on in Italy
I'm a lover of reportage, or documentary photography."Life Goes on in Italy, doesn't it?" I recently thought while having my morning coffee in the city [...]
When Expectations Become Attachments.
And when they turn into mental prisons…Believe me, I’ve been learning this lesson in spades during my eight years in Italy. I’d never really considered [...]
I’m Dancing in a Sea of Italian Wine Finds
I've been stocking up my sweet new wine fridge Hallelujah! I’ve just returned from Conad, where I harvested a load of Italian wine finds. [...]
Dive In! Start Learning the Italian Culture NOW!
If I had a do-over, I'd have started WAY earlier and studied WAY harder If there is any one overarching piece of advice that [...]
Seeking Light in a Period of Darkness
The world seems like it has gone mad. For me, despair comes when I enter circular thinking in an attempt to figure out two [...]
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 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!” [...]
Relax into the Unknown
This has become my mantra. Why? Because, for most of my life I’ve tried to master and control my experience. Trusting life and knowing how [...]
ItalyWise is Back Online!
Just a quick post to apologize to all of you, my loyal subscribers, who may have encountered an error message when attempting to access ItalyWise.com [...]
Tanti Auguri for a Spectacular 2017
If you plan on moving to Italy, or spending a fair amount of time here, be prepared to make “auguri”, in its many uses and [...]
Buone Feste from ItalyWise!
Wishing you the best of holidays my dear friends and followers! May the season be full of joyful surprises, like the one above that I [...]
Introducing The Net – A New Painting by Jed Smith
I'm excited to unveil my recent labor of love, with the current working title of The Net. This is my second oil painting to-date, previously [...]
In the Face of a Sheep
My recent sojourn with shepherds, goats, and sheep in the stunning Apennines mountains of the Parco Nazionale della Majella of Abruzzo left me musing about what I had [...]
The Permesso di Soggiorno – Don’t Expect Speedy Processing!
The permesso di soggiorno is essential for stays of longer than 90 days. I am waiting for my fourth permesso di soggiorno. Each [...]
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 [...]