The Long Italian Good-bye

If I see you in the U.S. and greet you with a “Ciao!,” please don’t be annoyed. It’s reflex now. At the bus stop, at preschool drop off, at the bakery, at the grocery store, at the cafe, walking through town… every hello and good-bye has been “Ciao!” for the past three years. (Unless we’re…

Modena, Italy

You already know that Italy is famous for incredible food and sports cars. Did you know that Modena is the place to enjoy it all at once? It’s perfect if you’re ~meh~ on sports cars but !HECKYES! on amazing cheese, or all about sports cars, or even just interested in seeing a part of Italy…

Sweet Sicilia

Our 2017 will live on in our family as one of our most epic travel years. We did so much, and it was wonderful. Condensing it into one photo book is impossible! I’ve come to recognize how much I rely on my Instagram archives and even this blog to support (or even stand in for)…

Cinque Terre

No doubt you’ve heard people rave about Cinque Terre. This national park along Italy’s Ligurian coast boasts five small, colorful villages clinging to the rock cliffs edging aquamarine seas, all connected by train and trails. The water is beautiful. The villages are charming. It’s no wonder it’s no longer Italy’s hidden tourist gem. We avoided…

Barabarca, Isola d’Elba

So, I have a list of places to write about from our travels in the past couple of years. It’s just that I absolutely must tell you about our recent trip to Elba Island before summer is underway. Elba is a small island off the coast of Tuscany, accessible by a one-hour ferry ride. You probably…

The Accidentally Bilingual Child

We’ve passed the halfway point of our time in Italy. The youngest–who asks me to call him the Piccolino, or the very little one–has spent 13 months in Italian preschool. Being the little brother of one of the world’s most articulate and conversant preschoolers meant he developed his language in a big shadow, often talked…

O, Toscana

Honestly, I didn’t want to love Tuscany. I wanted it to remain this Hollywood fetish-ized promised land for middle age divorcees. But I couldn’t help it. There is no choice but to love Tuscany. There is no way to describe the feeling Tuscany evokes other than love. Good food. Spectacular wine. Breathtaking views. History, art.…

Florence, Italy

So, I had to go to Florence last month. How could I not? Everyone who has been to Florence loves it. It’s beautiful, they say. There’s so much to see, they say. “The art!” “David!” I couldn’t tolerate a lifetime of admitting, “No, I didn’t make it to Florence when we lived a few hours…

Bergamo, Italy

We’re very close to recovered from the bewildering experience of moving overseas (for the second time in a year). Our home is feeling like a proper home. We’re starting to run into people we know while we’re out and about. I know which grocery stores will have what I’m looking for. It feels like we are settled…

Festa di Sant’Antonio alla Motta Varese

I dropped the ball on making a reservation for our Saturday night date. Fancy didn’t appeal to me, and I kind of liked the idea of stumbling into some place unexpected. We were turned away from three different restaurants before I suspected that something big was afoot. We made our way toward the new sushi place, which was…