After a recent trip to England, my friend Maureen Tripp brought me back something she knew would be of great interest: a travel book by Charles Dickens, Pictures from Italy. It turns out that Dickens lived in Genoa for more than a year, 1844-45, and traveled extensively around the country, by horse-drawn carriage. He wrote … Continue reading 201. Mr. Dickens Goes to Italy
An article from August popped up on my online New York Times feed: “My Beloved Italian City Has Turned into Tourist Hell. Must We Really Travel Like This?” Ilaria Maria Salas, an Italian journalist, voices a familiar complaint about the over-touristing of Italy, particularly the must-see destinations like Venice, Florence, and Rome. The two iconic … Continue reading 200. Bologna
My mother always said I should marry someone Italian. Not that she thought Italians were superior or anything (okay, maybe a little), but she just felt things would be "easier" if I was with someone with a shared background, culture and values. Of course, I thought that was ridiculous. But the thought came back to … Continue reading 199. My Peeps
Even at my (very) advanced age, I love my birthday. I really don't want stuff. What I want is experience. And this year was a real humdinger. It turns out that the Facebook gremlins have noticed that I'm interested in Italy, so they send a load of Italy-related posts my way. Most are from affinity … Continue reading 198. Photo Ops
It practically jumped off the shelf. I was browsing around my public library, and there it was on the "new arrivals" shelf. An Italian cookbook featuring a shirtless young man and the word "betch." How could I not take it home? It turns out the young man, Gianluca Conte, is an "influencer" and an Internet … Continue reading 197. Buon Appetito, Betch!
"They're eating the dogs." "So, my mother was 19 when she crossed the world alone, traveling from India to California with an unshakeable dream to be the scientist who would cure breast cancer." Shyamala Gopalan Harris and her daughter Kamala Two candidates for president; two entirely different portrayal of immigrants. And therein lies the American … Continue reading 196. Immigrati
Flying through the air: I am a person who is basically afraid of everything: heights, speed, being out of control. I can't ski and I can barely ride a bike. So, in Cortina, when I saw the vehicle that I would be expected to ride in, my first thought was "No way!" But I took … Continue reading 195. More scenes
I have always been curious about Trieste, a city on the Adriatic Sea a mere 63 miles from Slovenia. Like the Dolomites, it was annexed from Austria at the end of World War I, but it is nonetheless very Italian in feel, despite its history. The weather was hot, the food was (thankfully!) Mediterranean-style, Italian … Continue reading 194. Trieste
Everyone loves Elena Ferrante. When someone learns of my interest in Italy, my love of reading and my preference for writing by and about women, they assume I love her, too. For those unfamiliar, Elena Ferrante is the nom de plume of the author of a four-volume series about two girls growing up in poverty … Continue reading 193. Naples Novels
There are two conditions under which I will ride a bicycle: 1) The terrain must be perfectly flat, and 2) there must be a dedicated bike path, with no chance whatsoever of cars, and preferably, of any other people at all. So I felt I was in Bizarro World in the Dolomites, where all the … Continue reading 192. Bikers
Gigi's Italia 