There is no closing statement, no bon viaggio, no arrivederci. A simple ci vediamo presto will do. It is not the end. We will be back, if only for a week at the end of summer to jar tomatoes with my Zie, or to go to find the festa di Rasa in Gruaro, or hear the chorale sing the same songs they have been singing for years nibbling on gnocchi del'anitra from Fannio. Thanks you so much for taking the time to travel with me, to love my town as much as I do and tasting my travels! Grazie mille. Baci [View Full Entry]

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We left for Bolzano on a Tuesday because we felt like drinking a hot chocolate (the consistency of warm pudding, mind you) in the snow. As it turns out, we stepped into a valley surrounded by mountains with canopies of bursting grapes climbing the Alps around us. There was no snow, and no hot chocolate, but plenty of German beer and Goulash. It’s a nice change; I think we are going to like this place. We were warned before we left not to speak Italian. It is one of the only places in Italy where it is better to be a [View Full Entry]

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It is nice to leave Rome at sunset. It almost seems proper to do so--a bow of thanks, a humble exit. We arrived in the afternoon and headed to Campo dei Fiori where we would stay in a small apartment on Via del Pelligrino for the next 5 nights. The taxi left us off in the middle of the Piazza and made sure we knew where to go. "I'll take you down Via del Pelligrino, it is right here," the taxi driver offered. "No thanks," I replied. "I have been here before". The fact is, I am not a recurring visitor, [View Full Entry]

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Riccardo is quite a chef and specializes in dolci. We had a conversation entirely too late in the evening about fig jam, risotto with strawberries, chicken with zucchini, salsiccia and other foods that made me go to bed starving but dreaming of wonderful pillows of gnocchi ai funghi. He came over last night to teach us how to make Tiramisù. So here you have it. It only takes about 15 minutes to prepare but you should make it a day in advance so that it is very chilled and all the flavors absorbed. Tiramisù (serves 10) **This recipe contains raw eggs [View Full Entry]

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My cousin and her friends picked us up at 10am to go to the letto di fiume which literally is the river bed. The day before she said that she would bring panini and we would have sandwiches by the water. Just a plain old picnic on a nice day, right? Patrick and I offered to bring something, but she said that it was covered, so we packed our books, towels and 1 bottle of water. The caravan arrives with cars packed to the gills, tables strapped onto the roof of the car, tents filling the trunks, and coolers with so [View Full Entry]

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Walk into a restaurant, ask for a table, the hostess looks at you like Why did you ever come here to eat? Tables...hmmm let me think. Maybe if I stand here long enough with a blank stare, they'll leave. Ask for the check, they jump! Check? Who does this person think I am? I've never heard this word check before. Ask if this is the right train to Portogruaro. Portogruaro, that's nowhere near here. Oh, I have no idea how they would possibly get there. I mean, this train goes there and it's only a twenty minute ride, but I don't [View Full Entry]

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The nights here are really beautiful. You can see the campanile of Concordia from that back yard and the bells still ring every hour. The cathedral stands next to the bell tower and is a main attraction here. Well, I should actually say cathedrals. What stands today is the latest cathedral built atop a previous structure that was erected and destroyed, the first dating back to 389 BC. We went to church on Sunday in the Cattedrale di Santo Stefano, said all of our usual hellos and walked past the baptistry and on to Piazza Roma for a Sunday aperitivo before [View Full Entry]

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The difference in Italy's regional cuisines varies based on seasons, soil and local ingredients. While the Veneto is known for their cheeses, risotto, and cured meats, Rome hosts claim to dishes like Buccatini all'Amatriciana and Spaghetti Carbonara. You will find an abundant use of white beans in Tuscany and dishes incorporating chestnuts in Umbria, while in Sicily, you will see a greater use of dried pastas, tomatoes and and firmer cheeses with the exception of mozzarella (yes please don't forget the la, it is an entire word, not mozzarel, or mozz. Don't be bullied into cutting your Italian [View Full Entry]

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It goes something like this... One pair of scissors, one small butter knife, a bucket and a prayer that you don't melt in the blazing sun. It is 4:00 pm and Mauro has come to cut the lawn. Our lawn mower hasn't yet been delivered, so he has come to help us with the upkeep. The entrire job takes until 8:00 and sweat is pooling around his feet as he thanks us and says goodbye. I have never seen somebody edge like that. Dig into the edge with the butter knife, cut it with the scissors so it is just perfect, [View Full Entry]

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The nights here are really beautiful. You can see the campanile of Concordia from that back yard and the bells still ring every hour. The cathedral stands next to the bell tower and is a main attraction here. Well, I should actually say cathedrals. What stands today is the latest cathedral built atop a previous structure that was erected and destroyed, the first dating back to 389 BC. We went to church on Sunday in the Cattedrale di Santo Stefano, said all of our usual hellos and walked past the baptistry and on to Piazza Roma for a Sunday aperitivo before [View Full Entry]

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