Posts Tagged ‘Italy’
When in Naples … eat pizza!
No trip to Naples, Italy is complete without eating pizza. For although pizza has a much longer history, our modern-day pizza is most associated with this southern Italian city. Today’s Naples is filled with famous pizzerias. You’ll spot them by the huge lines outside of clients patiently waiting for a table. Although precursors to pizza,…
Read MoreThe splendors of Naples’ renovated San Carlo Opera
I’ve always been curious to see Naples’ Teatro San Carlo – the oldest continuously active public opera in the world. On a recent visit to Naples, I went on a guided tour to see the recent renovations that restored this historic opera house to its former splendor. San Carlo Opera was commissioned by the Bourbon…
Read MoreReason #5378 to love Rome: “The Art of Bread” at Rome’s Panella bakery
Romans have loved their bread for the past 2000 years. The famous “Panis et circenses” (bread and circuses) poked fun at how easily the Emperors could maintain their power over the masses in Ancient Rome. Although the circuses (gladiatorial battles, pageantry and ancient circus performances) may have been replaced today – some would claim by…
Read MoreRunning at Ancient Rome’s Port Traiano
My youngest son is in a running team, and I spend an awful lot of time on weekends dragging him to races around Rome and its region of Lazio. I always enjoy cheering him and his team on, but it’s even better when I have the chance to make new discoveries. This happened recently when…
Read MoreOnce written, a book no longer needs it author – Elena Ferrante
In an era of relentless social media, around the clock tweets, Facebook pages, Goodreads fans, and endless promotion required to sell books, most authors might balk at these words. And yet this sentiment of a seemingly bygone era are the words of the contemporary Italian author Elena Ferrante in a 7 November 2014 interview in Io…
Read More2019 European Culture capitals – Matera and Plovdiv
Two European cities or towns are selected by the European Commission each year to serve as European culture capitals. Two cities I’ve visited and enjoyed have just been named as 2019’s culture capitals. The first is the beautiful Bulgarian city of Plovdiv, the first ever European culture capital in Bulgaria. I already posted about this…
Read MoreMy short story, Abandoned Towers, is now online
I’m pleased to announce that my short story, Abandoned Towers, is now available at Digital Papercut Literary Journal. If you’d like to read the story online, click here. My story tells the story of a difficult homecoming. Serena fled her small town in Abruzzo years ago, and has carved out a life for herself as a…
Read MoreReason #5377 to love Rome: Rome wasn’t (re)built in a day…
I’ve lived in Rome for the past (gulp!) fifteen years. Not surprisingly, as soon as I landed here, I insisted on living near the Colosseum. We Americans are always fascinated by European history. We grew up going on tours where we’re told something is ‘really old’ if it was built 100 years ago, so imagine…
Read MoreReason #5376 to love Rome: Volpetti delicatessen
If you’re visiting Rome and doing it right, there is no reason you should be feeling hungry between meals. Nevertheless, to be fully versed in Rome’s food culture, no visit to the Eternal City is complete without a stop at Volpetti, on Via Marmorata in the Testaccio neighborhood. Be sure to stop in and have…
Read MoreGallipoli : The “beautiful city”
Gallipoli is a lovely town in the region of Puglia – the heel of the Italian boot – and is just along the Ionian Sea. This part of Puglia is known as the Salento, an absolute must-see region and one of my favorite southern Italian destinations. Salento is best known for its beautiful, unspoiled beaches and…
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