Napoleon who said to his troops "Follow me to Italy where there are opulent towns with clothing stores on every block" and his troops cried out in one voice "Vive l'Empereur". Shopping in Italy is like shopping no where else. Italian manufacturers and artisans present you with products made by that "fine Italian hand". One of … Continue reading Milan’s Cathedrals of High Fashion
How Time Flys
Come vola il tempo. How time flies and how can we manage our time better in the New Year to balance work with relaxation. Traveling in Italy and staying with my Italian family and friends has led me to believe that they seem to know how to balance work and relaxation. They go through the day with a … Continue reading How Time Flys
The Designer Barges of the Brenta
There is a scenic strand of coastline along the Brenta River that links Venice to Padua known as the Brenta Riviera (Rivera del Brenta ). Architects, such as Palladio, designed summer residences (villas) for wealthy Venetians who were looking for a diversion from the summer heat of Venice. They would take "designer" barges known as a … Continue reading The Designer Barges of the Brenta
A Day in the Life of a Tourist in Italy – Suggestions
Every city and town in Italy offers a unique mix of food, wine, art and design to see and savor. So how might a traveler in Italy organize their time and effort to their best advantage. Follow the clock 9 -10 -1 -3 7- 11, beginning with breakfast. 9:00am - Although Italians do not eat a … Continue reading A Day in the Life of a Tourist in Italy – Suggestions
Between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn
Making coffee in Italy is an art but growing coffee depends on a botanical landscape far removed from the coffee bars of Milan, Rome or Venice. The life of every town, village or borgo in Italy begins with un caffé and while Italians have perfected the roasting and brewing of coffee they rely on latitudes … Continue reading Between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn
The Most Famous Comic Strip in Italy
When I was first met Rita at Castello Gropparello we visited over Piacenza cuisine, castles, Celtic legends and Italian ghosts. General conversation for a woman who together with her family have transformed a medieval castle and surrounding wood into one of Italy's top gastro-historical sites with food festivals and evocative events. Rita's esthetic is for … Continue reading The Most Famous Comic Strip in Italy
Chosen Cheese
Behind every cheese there is a meadow, of varying green under a varying sky. There are different herds with their stalls; And transhumance;There are secrets of works transmitted over the centuries . . . Italo Calvino One of the fatal charms of Italy is the food, subset cheese. From Asiago to Unriaco Prosecco the textures, flavors … Continue reading Chosen Cheese
Seeing and Savoring Italy 