Sulmona
Of all the many reasons I love Italy, one of the principal is the ability to change your world in a very short period. By […]
The Celebrities
Preparing for New Year’s Eve, I introduce our family’s three guests of honor : Le lenticchie (assurance of prosperity in the New Year) L’olio novello […]
The Perfect House
One of my favorite Christmas presents this year was “The Perfect House“. This is an elegant, charming memoir/travel diary by architect Withold Rybczynski chronicling his week […]
Good King Wenceslas Last Looked Out, on the Feast of Stephen….
Today in Italy is Santo Stefano, the day after Christmas, a national holiday, which gives everyone another day to celebrate with friends and family, to […]
A Roman Christmas : Fish, an Aqueduct and Preparing for Father Christmas
Our Roman family’s day-before-Christmas began, and as tradition dictates, with the selection of fish for the classic Christmas Eve feast. In our case two local […]
The Poetry of Roast Beef alla Fiorentina
Travelers for whom I’ve planned trips may know that I am vegetarian, though my restaurant reviews go beyond my personal choices and are suited to […]
The Smell of an Italian Christmas
My aunt, who was born in Rome, says she comes to Rome both to see me and to smell. Because the smells of Rome, she […]
A Neapolitan Presepio and its Makers
It was with some trepidation that I stepped off the Eurostar train in Naples last week. I was pleased to be there, a city […]
Putting Up the Presepio
The Presepio is up ! We are a little late, since serious enthusiasts of the Italian presepio (Christmas creche) will tell you that the presepio must […]
Shopping for Kitchen Items in Rome
This post came to be because so many of our travelers ask us for advice regarding special packable gifts that they can bring home with […]