In the more than twenty years as an authorized guida regionale del’Umbria, Spello (che bello!) – not far from Assisi – has always been a favorite tour destination. Both for myself and for my tour guests. And now more than ever, for the recently-opened museum of Roman mosaics (first discovered in July, 2005 during work on a planned…
It’s all backwards here in March this year: the month came IN like a lamb and is moving out like a lion. March is gusting into April with cold and windy weather. But spring is waiting in the lobby: our peach trees are in bloom And at Novella’s market stall in Assisi, she might be…
The “heart of the problem” is the hazelnut itself; ironically, the idiomatic expression “the heart of the problem,” is translated as “il nocciolo del problema” in Italian, i.e., “the hazelnut of the problem.” A growing movement in Umbria and in nearby Latium is set on blocking the conversion of farm lands to the lucrative (for the land…
When I grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, an exciting school field trip might have been to Great America in Illinois to ride the roller coasters. If you’re in school here in Umbria, your class field trip these days might be to learn about the Romans’ intricate art of making mosaics after viewing the astounding mosaic…
Heavily damaged in the October 2016 earthquake, Norcia’s “resurrection” just might have started: the early March street fair, Nero Norcia (“Black Norcia”), starring black truffles – and not only! – animated the town, drew in the people. This mostra mercato (almost quite literally, a “show-and-sell”) drew people from all over Italy…… ….so important for Norcia, struggling to…
Never postpone. I have thought about Graziella Viterbi now and then over the past few months, wondering how she was and hoping to look her up in Rome. Alas, I can’t now: this survivor of the Holocaust who found refuge in Assisi with her family in 1943 died in mid-March at the age of ninety-two.…
“Salva il pianeta!” – and sometimes, “Save the planet!” – shouted fired-up students and teachers carrying placards as they wound through medieval Perugia on Friday, March 15th. In nearly two thousand cities in over one hundred countries all over the globe, students – and not only – joined in the Global Strike for Future promulgated by#FridaysForFuture…
I think Pino and I are due for a return to Piacenza (in Emilia Romagna). We have such good memories of our first visit there – when I wrote a note on our trip for Italian Notebook. Time to add the “Piacenza musings” now to this blog: *Founded by the Romans, devastated by the Goths…
! Nowadays, if you’re traveling in Italy, don’t be embarrassed to ask to take home your leftovers. Until quite recently, in fact, most Italians would never ask. I think for a couple of reasons: very little use of the microwave in Italy and most Italians would not reheat various dishes in any case. Pasta for…