Okay, I'll admit it. Even though it appears my invitation got lost in the mail, I read every word and looked at every photo of the New York Times' coverage of this weekend's Bezos-Sanchez wedding in Venice. Photo credit: Associated Press Venice, which is besieged by out-of-towners on a normal day, is none too thrilled … Continue reading 219. Wedding Bells
Of course, everyone knows that Italy has arguably the greatest art in the Western world, and believe me, I saw plenty of it. From the Palazzo Doria Pamphilj in Rome to the Capodimonte in Naples to the Brera in Milan, I saw more Virgin Marys than you can shake a stick at. The artist seems … Continue reading 218. Artsy
My father always said that at times of great emotion -- joy, disappointment, worry, celebration -- he turned to food. It would be impossible to argue that food is not the central feature of Italian life. Community, family, tradition, history, the economy: they all have a major food component. World-wide, it is no surprise that … Continue reading 217. Our Daily Bread
I’ve always been interested in Calabria. But its location at the tip of the Italian boot made it challenging to get to, without a good amount of extra time for logistics. This trip, though, time was not a problem, to an extent it may never be again. I had to grab my chance. We stayed … Continue reading 216. Calabria
I’ve come to Italy enough times over the years that I don’t feel a need to have every moment preplanned and locked down, as I might going elsewhere. I’m headed to Milan today, for example, and made my hotel reservation three days ago. (I see people on Italy travel Facebook groups wondering if it’s too … Continue reading 215. Expecting the Unexpected
I’m a sucker for salt water. Having grown up close enough to the Atlantic to have the air smell briney when the wind blew a certain way, I am always going to seek out a salt-water destination if the opportunity arises, even a slightly cheesy one like the Jersey Shore. My all-time favorite, of course, … Continue reading 214. Tale of Two Beach Towns
I am fascinated by Fascist architecture. This building helpfully has a Fascista label You don’t have to be an expert to identify them; they are everywhere in Italy and you can’t miss them. Massive, hulking, solid, graceless: they hit you over the head with a comic-book version of strength and masculinity. (I can think of … Continue reading 213. Fascist buildings
2025 will mark the year that I fell in love … with Rome. I tried to count how many times I’d been, and came up with fourteen since 1965, when I spent a week there with my parents. There have probably been more. There have been several trips in the winter, when it’s drizzly and … Continue reading 212. Tale of Two Cities
On Thursday afternoon, when my daughter Lizy texted me “American Pope!” followed by “Villanova grad, from Chicago!” I thought it was the set-up for a joke. After all, we had been in St. Peter’s Square just a few hours earlier, and it looked like a normal day. I had expected to see priests engaged in … Continue reading 211. We Have a Pope!
Whenever I am going to be in Rome, I always reach out on Facebook to my cousin Clara in the hopes that she will arrange a get-together with my relatives. Clara learned English in high school 65 years ago, so she comes the closest in the group to being competently bilingual English-Italian. (If you’re wondering … Continue reading 210. Family
Gigi's Italia 