Author: gigisimeone

I have been on a forty-eight-year quest to learn Italian. Putting aside the fact that I grew up with a native speaker that I never took advantage of, I started by taking two full years in college. Since then, I have done Rosetta Stone, Duolingo, Mango, an on-line intensive college Italian course (twice), taken adult … Continue reading 28. Language Lab

Men playing cards. Women (and a few daring male souls) doing a Zumba-lite-style exercise class.

Our work yesterday was at Fornello, a 12th-century cave church, where our job was to carefully scrape the salt deposits from the ancient frescoes. We were working so close-up that one of my colleagues had to point out to me that I had uncovered a painting of a bird! I was pleased to make progress … Continue reading 26. I found a bird!

Ever have the urge to buy your unmentionables in full view of your friends and neighbors? Going bathing suit shopping not difficult enough? Then move to Italy, where nearly every town has its weekly market, with outdoor vendors selling everything from shoes to curtains to men's suits. We enjoy market day so much that Ben … Continue reading 25. Market Day

The passeggiata is a great Italian tradition throughout the entire country in which everyone takes to the streets at the end of the day to chat with friends, eat gelato, seen and be seen. But is it truly everyone? In Gravina I've noticed that the passeggiata is nearly entirely male. I took photos of nearly … Continue reading 24. Boys’ Town

I cannot resist stopping in my tracks and watching Italian wedding parties. The excitement level is high, the noise level higher, and everyone is dressed to the nines, even if it is noon on a Friday. She's had enough!

I'm not much of an alcohol drinker, but if I were, Aperol Spritz would be my drink. Begun in northern Italy, but now available throughout, it's a mix of Aperol, prosecco, seltzer, and an orange slice. It's beautiful to look at, and the perfect combination of sweet and refreshing. I AM a coffee drinker, though, … Continue reading 22. Two perfect drinks

It felt like being on the set of a horror movie, with life-size figured just waiting to come to life and terrorize us all. But in reality, it was a field trip to the Bureau of Antiquities in Matera, a facility staffed by only four women, that restores damaged and deteriorating pieces of art from … Continue reading 21. Saint Chuckie

We took the finiculare up to the "heights" of Naples, and were strolling around looking for the best view, when a man, hearing our English, came up to help. One thing led to another, and before you know it, he was leading us to his cameo factory, which his family had owned for five generations … Continue reading 20. Cameo Appearance

In 79 AD, the people of Pompeii had everything going for them. They lived in a prosperous town of 10,000 outside of Naples, with a view of the Mediterranean about a mile away. They had houses and baths, gyms, bakeries, artwork, and even a system of raised crosswalks to avoid the sewage flowing down their … Continue reading 19. Environmental disaster