Posts Tagged ‘Italy’
The Adriatic seaside town of Trani, in Puglia
On a drive from Rome to Bari to catch a ferry, my family and I managed to make good time (never a given on Italian highways during the holiday periods), so we decided to stop off to explore the Adriatic seaside town of Trani. This charming port city, with its long history, is well worth a…
Read MoreReason #5380 to love Rome: Bernini’s home and studio
One of the (many) great things about living in Rome, Italy is keeping your eyes pealed for all the famous authors/composers/sculptors/artists who once called the Eternal City home. Not surprisingly, one such illustrious resident was the Roman sculptor Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598-1680). Although I knew Bernini lived and worked in Rome, I didn’t know where until I…
Read MoreWork-in-progress wants YOUR opinion
I was thrilled when my blogging buddy, the talented YA author Evelyne Holingue, tagged me for the Work-in-progress challenge. Through her blog post, I discovered that Evelyne is not only a prolific YA author, but she also writes essays on her experiences as a French woman living, working, and raising her children in her adoptive…
Read MoreVisiting coastal Latina, Italy
I’ve already written about the interesting (short) history of Latina, Italy. Once the breeding grounds of mosquitoes that carried malaria, those mosquitoes were the true cause of the so-called Roman Fever that was romanticized in 19th century literature. The swampland was drained under Mussolini, and Latina was founded as a model fascist city. I visited the…
Read MoreReason #5379 to love Rome: Michelangelo’s Moses
There’s a great expression in Italian, l’imbarazzo della scelta, which translates loosely to such a wide range of choices that it’s almost embarrassing. That’s how I feel about Rome’s artistic treasures. There’s simply so much to see in Rome, and much of the treasure trove is absolutely free to visitors. One such (marvellous) artistic example of…
Read MoreWhen 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…
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