Preparing my September 26th hour-long ZOOM presentation “Assisi’s Calendimaggio: From Roman Rites to Medieval Splendor” has been a challenge: so much to share! Just the subject of the banners and flags alone could be a full lecture. Flags are certainly an integral part of the splendid Assisi medieval May festival, Calendimaggio. Each of the two…
Assisi’s glorious celebration of springtime, Calendimaggio, is above all una festa di amore, “a festival of love,” the love and passione of the assisani of all ages for their beloved early May medieval festival. In my ZOOM presentation of September 26, 2020, you’ll feel the joy and the passion during the celebration of this centuries-old…
Actually, when walking through Assisi, you won’t want to “zoom” past the over fifty outdoor frescoes and small shrines adorning the walls of homes, medieval city gates, and entrances to medieval guildhalls. But you can see them, learn about their history – and restoration – and enjoy them leisurely in the video of my early September,…
When Pino and I eat at home during these hot August nights, dinner is light. My favorite dinner? Prosciutto and melon and Pino’s goats’ milk cheese on our tomatoes, right from the garden on wheat bread. Our olive oil drizzled on top, logicamente. A bit of salt, too, and diced basil. Not all our dinners are light,…
In my late August 29th 2020 ZOOM talk, “Italy’s Islands of Refuge, ” I took you along with me to the “islands of refuge” that Pino and I have come to love. Over 200 kilometers south of Sicily – and only about 116 km from Tunisia – the island of Lampedusa is southern-most point of…
What joy to do the research for my most recent ZOOM presentation, “Sicily’s Age-old Culinary Mosaic.” Such fascinating new tidbits I unearthed as I researched Sicily culinary wonders. I centered my talk on Palermo and western Sicily…… ……as the various areas of Sicily and the small islands surrounding la bellissima Sicilia each boast their own…
We’re eating late late late these nights: the only disadvantage to Pino’s goat cheese-making. He milks five of our tweny-seven goats each morning and then again each evening – but with the last light of day when it’s cooler. The goats give us about three liters of milk per day and Pino makes cheese and…
Mamma mia, I am discovering that it will be quite a challenge to limit my upcoming ZOOM talk on the Mediterranean diet to one hour: too much to share. In 2010, UNESCO recognized the Mediterranean diet as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity that unites the dietary habits of Mediterranean basin communities. Linked to the…
Treasures of Italy include the peninsula’s glorious festivals and in my ZOOM talk, “Italy’s Uplifting Pagan-Christian Rites,” you’ll live the passione of the Italians as they celebrate their beloved saints in rites deeply rooted in pagan traditions: after all, this is Italy. UNESCO Cultural Intangible Heritage turns vividly tangible in my talk. From north to south,…
Who knows when I’ll again be able to share the wonders of Italy as a guide? Due to travel restrictions, it may be a year before I can share again my passione for Umbria treasures person-to-person and directly on-site. I’m working in another way now: through my weekly ZOOM presentations, I’m sharing the gems of our bellissima Umbria and…