The culmination of a year of collaboration with my Calabrian Table Tour partner-in-crime, Tania Pascuzzi (In Italy Tours), paid off last week as we welcomed seven bright-eyed adventurers into our favorite little corner of Italy. I met the group at the airport, along with our handsome guide/interpreter Andrea (who all the ladies tried to squeeze...Read More
Back when I began blogging in 2006, memes were everywhere-you were either tagging or being tagged every couple of weeks and listing, numbering and ranking meme-style was oh, too cool. Then, it changed. Nobody was tagging nuthin’ anymore and memes, it seemed, were out of fashion. So, imagine my surprise earlier this month when I...Read More
Would you believe my Italy blogger friends … the expat-world-famous, Sara, Jessica and Michelle (of Ms. Adventures in Italy, Why Go Italy and Bleeding Espresso, respectively) just published their 48th episode of the Eye of Italy podcast? That’s remarkable. Those of you who remember when the girls started the show, might recall that little ‘ole...Read More
Some people are just naturally gifted language learners. They hear a word a few times and bam!-it’s engrained in their memories. They see something written and viola!-they can pronounce it. They can easily pick up grammar rules, idioms and tada! language nuances. I am no such person. Rather, I need to hear something oh, a...Read More
It has been a week of firsts for me … my first Mother’s Day, which was celebrated beautifully by husband and son … my first afternoon of back-to-back-to-back phone calls with travel consulting clients … even a first-of many, no doubt-conversations with my newly engaged sister about wedding dresses and colors. But there was one...Read More
I’m gearing up for my first Calabrian Easter celebration with my new bambino. Yes, my husband and I have done the traditional American Easter Basket vs. Italian Chocolate Egg thing in the past and we’re planning on continuing our Easter traditions, plus one. The weather is warming up and if it holds, we’ll spend an...Read More
Five years ago today I embarked on an adventure that would change the course of my life. Dramatic any? Oh yea. But it is also true. Five years ago today-on April 18, 2006-I bid a tearful goodbye to my mom, dad, sister, nephew and a culmination of 30 years of life as I’d known it....Read More
Most people who read this blog wouldn’t mind having a few new Italian words and phrases in their vocabulary. However, if they are anything like yours truly, actually studying those words-or worse yet, practicing the grammar-isn’t their cup of espresso. But listening to funky Italian songs might be. A couple of months ago I admitted...Read More
As many of you know, I recently found myself jolted into motherhood … sour milk stains, dingy diapers, dodging a sprinkler system with every changing and more exhaustion than I ever thought possible. My bags have bags … my circles have circles … and yes, I’m loving it. Tuesday was eight weeks since our little...Read More
Buon Anno, Ya’ll! I hope you got to sneak in a vacation and enjoyed (more than) your fill of turkey, dressing, pasta, poached fish … or whatever your poison might have been over the holidays. I have a feeling 2011 is gonna be a great year for those of us in-and in love with-the bel...Read More
