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My dear friend, the wonderful writer Ellen Sandler, raved to me about her time in Bologna. She and her daughter Molly signed up for Carmelita Caruana’s Cook Italy class, and had in Ellen’s words, “The most AMAZING EXPERIENCE!” Ellen joins lots of fans on Trip Advisor who have loved taking Carmelita’s classes. Carmelita is originally from Malta, and has been passionate about cooking since an early age. She fell in love with the beautiful city of Bologna, acknowledged food capital of Italy, aka La Grassa=the Fat, which is shorthand for the abundance, fertility, and generosity that characterizes Bologna. In 1999, she set up her cooking school here, Cook Italy,Read More →

It was delightful to discover Ciao Bologna, the blog of an American expat couple, Audrey and Luke, who have been living in Bologna for two years.  In Audrey’s words: “I left my corporate job in the networking industry to follow a handsome biomedical engineer to Italy, where he was sent for a work assignment.  Living in Italy has kindled my passion for good food and its power to build community and healthy food cultures.  In my free time, I volunteer with Slow Food Bologna, work on organic farms through WWOOF (Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms), linger in Bologna’s farmers’ markets, and enjoy traveling Italy to tryRead More →

It was great to discover Emilia Delizia, a website that offers travelers a wide range of experiences to discover the delights of Emilia Romagna–from Gourmet Food Tours and Pasta Making Classes to tours of the Ferrari and Lamborghini car factories. Gabriele Monti is a writer and tour guide on the website team, who loves to welcome visitors to his homeland.  I’m grateful he’s joined in to give his advice for a Golden Day in Ferrara: Located on the Po River, the city of Ferrara is abundant with ancient churches, royal castles and medieval fortresses. The unique combination of modern environment and antique buildings has created a thriving cultural andRead More →

We’re moving up to the northern region of Emilia Romagna: A gourmet mecca, that foodies believe has Italy’s finest cuisine. We’ll begin in the town of Modena, home to beloved Traditional Balsamic Vinegar. For a Golden Day in Modena, begin in the Medieval town’s pedestrian only historic center,  which fans out from the Piazza Grande, the 12th century Romanesque Duomo and Tower–a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Nearby, is the covered daily Mercato Albinelli, a football-field sized paradise of tidy stalls stocked with tempting greens, fruit, cured and fresh meats and baked goodies, graced by a lovely bronze statue in the center. Stop for a panini at Vino e Panini (Via Albinelli, #13).Read More →

Calabria’s star art treasures are The Riace Bronzes: Two Greek bronze sculptures of warriors from the Fifth Century, BC. They are stunning glorifications of the ideal male form, with rippled muscles, majestic stances, exuding an air of mystery. Their discovery was simply miraculous: In 1972, a chemist from Rome was snorkeling off the coast of Riace. He caught sight of an arm emerging from the sand, that he first thought was a dead body. Moving closer, he realized he’d stumbled upon an ancient masterpiece…and then found another nearby! He called the police, the sculptures were dredged up, and found to be in excellent shape. TodayRead More →

When I stumbled upon the website: A House in Italy, I was intrigued to dig deeper. What were Americans doing in this remote mountain village? The search led me to Grace Cleere, and here’s how she explains it… I was working with the National Geographic Society and the U.S. Navy in Washington DC, taking middle school students around the world on navy oceanographic ships. We did oceanography while at sea, along with history and culture touring while on land. One year the ship was based in Naples, and we took the students south to Calabria to see “the real Italy.”  We met Antonio Parisi as our guide, andRead More →

I was immediately charmed when I found Lulu Bianco’s Calabrisella Mia blog. Lulu is a native of Toronto, Canada, and her dear father, who passed away five years ago, was Italian, instilling in her a love for the Bel Paese and its traditions. She picked up and moved to Cosenza a few years ago, and now writes a blog that’s a beautiful mix of her personal journey and a fascinating insider’s look at the town, including such fun things as the We Are Happy…from Cosenza You Tube video that was shot all over Cosenza and went viral! We’re so glad she’s come along with us to spread the joys ofRead More →

I’m grateful to have met Anna Lebedeva, of Green Holiday Italy. She’s a freelance journalist and passionate follower of the Slow Travel  movement, who lives in the region of Abruzzo, and travels up and down the boot in search of the best traditional food and hidden corners. Anna has a beautiful blog, www.greenholidayitaly.com, where she writes about such fascinating things as Birdwatching in Rome and the village of Cerchiara, Calabria, which was recognized by the Slow Food Movement in 2012 as having The Best Bread in Italy.   I’m so glad Anna is joining in to give her advice for a Golden Day in Civita, Calabria.   Civita is oneRead More →

I’m grateful to have connected with Domenico Russumanno, a native of Vallefiorita, (Flowering Valley), a beautiful village in the province of Catanzaro, Calabria. Domenico is part of the team who created the Made in South Italy Today website, that’s full of insider’s information about Italy’s southern regions–including fascinating history, natural landscapes, and companies that sell artisinal products–such as olive oil, sweets, pastas, and fine textiles. I’m intrigued by what I found there about Calabria, such as the clip from the 1959 movie, The Forgotten Ones, that gives new meaning to “Off the Beaten Path”–showing the rituals of a remote mountain town–from hauling up supplies overRead More →

  Today, March 25, Catholics celebrate the day Mary receives a startling announcement: “The Divine is Within You!” It comes from the Angel Gabriel, who swoops in to tell this virgin she is pregnant with the Son of God…nine months before Christmas. Florentines felt so connected to Mary that they traditionally celebrated their New Year on March 25. And Venetians chose the day to officially establish their Republic. Italian Renaissance painters loved interpreting the action packed scene, capturing a moment when a young woman’s life is forever changed…and Mary humbly accepts her destiny. Fra Angelico’s painting above, from San Marco in Florence, is the most famousRead More →