The house is in shambles. I ping pong from one project to the next, dropping whatever I am doing as soon as I notice a potentially more pressing task sitting across the room. Nothing is done. Everything is everywhere. We are moving. Again. It’s a happy move. It’s an impulsive move. A move undertaken due […]
Category Archives: Explore Italy
20
Jan
Jan
Roman rain is dreary in January, which is why we escaped to slightly-warmer Spain over the weekend. The Barcelona jaunt was short lived and being back in the land of unpredictable downpours and unreliable transport has me longing for summer in Tuscany. Rome is photogenic if you get below its chaotic facade, but Tuscany is […]
30
Nov
Nov
I love November in Tuscany. November in Tuscany is cozy. It means olio nuovo, which is one of things I can’t live without! The days can be rainy, or they can be surprisingly sunny, though always with a chill that nips straight through and makes you long for hearty soups and evenings by the fire. […]
31
Oct
Oct
Did I tell you about that one time my sister came to Rome? My big little sister (so called because while I have several years on her, she has been taller than me since she was 14). When I asked her what she wanted to do in Italy she came up with: 1. arial yoga […]
29
Oct
Oct
You can do Siena in a day from Rome. You can do it, but you will be tired. I know this because I did it and regretted it slightly… we probably should have stayed the night. Siena is large enough to draw crowds (especially during July and August when the Palio is held in the […]
02
Jul
Jul
There is something about castles that appeals to my American sensibility. In fact, when driving near Vulci (Viterbo), I think I actually said: “Ohhhh! Look! Look! A castle! Can we stop!?” Seriously. Medieval towers and fields of poppies hold plenty of appeal. But the most impressive feature is not the castle at all, but the […]
08
Jun
Jun
A sagra is a festival, usually centered around a local delicacy. You can have sagre for porcini mushrooms, gnocchi, beer, lavender… but the sagra I most wanted to go near Rome is the sagra della fragole- the Nemi strawberry festival. With a fearless (and manual-transmission trained) fellow explorer, we navigated the strange world of Italian car […]
02
Jun
Jun
The spring has been so strange, with thunderstorms and freezing winds marking the first day of June. So you’ll just have to trust me when I say that sometimes when the weather is hot you get a nagging urge to leave Rome for the day. One such place to skip off to is the ancient […]