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We are all so very ready to begin a brighter New Year and let go of 2020. According to Italian tradition, La Befana flies through the night sky on January 5 to sweep away all the troubles of the old year, and clear the way for a fresh start. I’ll go along for that ride! Here’s an excerpt from my book of essays, Letters from Italy, about my experience of celebrating La Befana in Rome, years ago… Postcard from Rome: The Legend of La Befana* “There is no Santa Claus in Italy,” my Nana told me when I was a kid.I had nightmares of howRead More →

It’s a warm, sunny day in Hollywood — -weather that still seems odd in December for this Jersey girl, and adds to an already unsettled feeling, amidst EVERYTHING ELSE. I close the curtains and curl up on the couch to gaze at the coffee table filled with a collection of Christmas stuff I’ve hauled in from the garage. I haven’t decorated our bungalow for holiday times in who knows how many years. Like many transplants to California, winter holidays for my husband and me have become about flying back East to celebrate with family. Sure, I’d put a few things up to get in theRead More →

A Conversation with Kathy McCabe, Host of PBS Dream of Italy Travel Show series… Dear Friends, My apologies for Thursday night tech probs, mucking up the Women Who Love Italy conversation on Facebook Live that I had perfectly planned (so I thought), with my dear friend Kathy McCabe. Grazie mille to you who did bear with us and joined in. Your hearts and thumbs up and comments mean so much to us. It’s ALWAYS GOLDEN to share time with friends, however it can happen. I became a fan of Kathy’s when I first came across the Dream of Italy newsletter, and our friendship began whenRead More →

Covid-19 Cleaning, Italian Travel

Ciao Amici, I send you and yours my good thoughts as we go through these days together…Springtime Covid-19 Cleaning brought on some discoveries and inspired these thoughts… In the springtime of uncertainty, there was certainly time to clean out closets. Strangely, burrowing in dark corners brought comfort. Outside were so many questions: When will it end? Will my loved ones suffer and die? Will I get it?   The answer was always: I don’t know. But inside my closet were things I knew everything about. That Twiggy doll was a Christmas gift from Aunt Tuddy, there were faux pearl rosary beads I held tightly at my First Holy Communion.Read More →

Ciao Amici, I send you and yours my good thoughts and prayers during these challenging days. One of the comforts I’ve been grateful for lately has been recipes from my maternal line and from cooks I’ve met over many delicious years of traveling in Italy. Along with great flavors, they’ve wrapped me up in beautiful, rich memories, that connect me to Italy’s abundant heart and soul. I’ve collected some of my favorite Italy adventures into my latest book, Hungry for Italy. It’s a chance to immerse yourself in the flavors of the Bel Paese, with stories that range from stirring risotto in Milan, to harvestingRead More →

Ciao Amici… I’m sending good thoughts and prayers your way, wherever you are in the world, as we go through this crisis together. Today, I am reflecting at home, in my Hollywood, California bungalow… 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…surprising news… Pope Francis called out for prayers around the world today at noon. I filled my table with Annunciation images from Italian masters, gathered over so many years, and prayed the rosary… I’mRead More →

Tonight’s the night La Befana rides through the night sky, sweeping away last year’s troubles with her broom, bringing in a Bright Happy New Year To All… Full of New Possibilities! Here’s an excerpt from my book of essays, Letters from Italy, about my experience of celebrating La Befana in Rome, years ago… Postcard from Rome: The Legend of La Befana* “There is no Santa Claus in Italy,” my Nana told me when I was a kid. I had nightmares of how awful Christmas must be over there. Nana said she had to wait until January 6, The Feast of the Epiphany, to get gifts. TheRead More →

As more and more travelers flock to Italy, more and more big tour groups traipsing behind screaming-flag-waving guides appear…This is NOT what you want for your Italian vacation. It’s well worth paying the extra euros for a small group tour or a private guide to have an enriching experience of Italy’s world-beloved masterpieces and places.  You have lots of choices when it comes to guides, especially in the big cities. All licensed guides have gone through years of study and rigorous exams to earn their badges, but there’s a huge range of differences out there between great guides and the ones who are…well let’s be nice andRead More →

Of all the beautiful spots in the beautiful Cinque Terre, Vernazza is certainly the most beloved by photographers and painters…and book cover designers… It’s a dream to arrive to this village on the path from Corniglia… The view is crowned by the Belforte tower and Doria Castle, named after the powerful Doria family from Genoa. (BTW, as I’m always highlighting HERstory, the name Doria actually came from a 12th century Genoese noblewoman, Auria, who married a noble pilgrim who went off to fight the first crusades in Jerusalem. The name was originally, in Latin, de filius Auirae=Sons of Auria). If you arrive to Vernazza byRead More →

Florence = Heaven for so many reasons. There’s the masterpieces of architecture and art, amazing food and wine, welcoming natives, AND wonderful shopping. During our Golden Weeks, I’ve loved seeing the great joy women experience over filling their suitcases with gifts to bring home, and to keep for themselves for lasting memories… It’s so easy to come by fun leather finds in the market stalls of San Lorenzo, around Santa Croce, and the Mercato Nuovo (aka Straw Market, Mercato del Porcellino)… And lovely to stroll along Via Tornabuoni for designer brands in shops that were once Renaissance palaces… What’s marvelous is how history and traditionRead More →