Posts Tagged ‘Italy’
Ghost town? No, ghost castle – in Tuscany…
You’ve probably heard of ghost towns. Towns where residents moved away, and which are now quaint relics from the past. But on a recent trip to Tuscany, I visited a “ghost castle”. Truthfully, it’s not a real ghost castle, since there were a couple of elderly residents who resided there. We spoke to them, and…
Read MoreLast day to download my Easter at The Three Coins Inn for free!
Just a reminder that – not only did my latest novel pick up four book awards, but Easter At The Three Coins Inn is also FREE for downloading this month over at the Book Cave Summer Book Bash. Today is your LAST day to download my novel for free if you sign up for my…
Read MoreSpring hiking in Abruzzo
I’ve written many times about how much I love Abruzzo. Abruzzo is the Italian region neighboring Lazio, where Rome is. This makes it the perfect weekend escape to nature from Italy’s capital. I’m a frequent visitor here, and my husband and I decided to enjoy a long weekend here over the 1 May holiday weekend.…
Read MoreL’Aquila’s reconstructed Basilica di Santa Maria di Collemaggio
The Basilica di Santa Maria di Collemaggio is L’Aquila’s most important church. It was built in 1289 by the Celestines and is the final resting place of Pope Celestine V. With all of the Papal talk in these days, with the recent death of Pope Francis and the Conclave that elected Pope Leo, this is…
Read MoreSanta Maria Maggiore – The Papal Basilica where Pope Francis is buried
With the recent death of Pope Francis and his decision to be buried not in the Vatican, but at Santa Maria Maggiore, it seemed like a good time to spotlight this impressive basilica. Santa Maria Maggiore is one of Rome’s four papal basilicas. The others are Saint Peter’s, Saint John Lateran and Saint Paul Without…
Read MoreEnjoying the early spring rays in Marche’s seaside Fano
It was a glorious, sunny March day and my husband and I were were driving from our weekend trip to Urbino and long the Marche coast back to Rome. We had never been to seaside Fano, and since it was on our way we stopped off to explore this beach town. The weather was perfect…
Read MoreThe stunning fourteenth century frescoes in Padova’s Palazzo della Ragione
You can’t miss this spectacular structure on your visit to pretty Padova. I’ve already written about the picturesque Piazza della frutta and Piazza delle erbe, on which this palace is located. The bottom of the Palazzo della Ragione (The Palace of Reason) was dedicated to a covered market built in 1166, but the upper section…
Read MoreDownload Italian-themed short stories for free – with my Drink Wine and Be Beautiful
There’s something about (almost) spring that gets that Wanderlust flowing through your veins. But, if you can’t get away right now, I have the perfect solution for you. My short story collection, Drink Wine and Be Beautiful, follows stories of Italian women and expatriates in Italy across Europe and in far-flung locales in Indonesia, Morocco…
Read More110 years ago today – the devastating Pescina, Abruzzo earthquake
Today marks a very sad anniversary – the commemoration of the Pescina Earthquake that struck the region 110 years ago – in the early morning hours of 13 January 1915. Pescina is a small town in Abruzzo, and it was close to the epicenter. The little town of 6000 people lost an unbelieveable 5000 residents.…
Read MoreNew Kirkus review for Easter at The Three Coins Inn
In preparing for my next novel’s release on December 6th, I’ve been receiving a lot of editorial reviews. My next novel, Easter at The Three Coins Inn, is a follow-up to the first novel I published, Three Coins, and part of a new series (I’m well into the third installment, which I plan on publishing…
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