Gigi's Italia

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

I am not really one to watch sports, even though they are on constantly at my house, except for the occasional Eagles game and whenever Italy is in the World Cup. But there’s something about the Olympics that has me glued to the TV every night. It’s probably the only time that hearing the Star … Continue reading 191. The Olympics