The day I’ve been waiting for arrives. It’s time to go to the frontoio, the olive press, to witness the oil extracted from the olives. Later will come the first taste, the gift I’ve anticipated since I arrived in Italy. I’ve dreamt of this for the past three years of lockdown. Though I have witnessed […]
Italian Observations: Time, Illumination, Toilet Paper, Laundry and of course, Garbage Please forgive me in advance; I could be wrong about everything. I have been trying to understand this strange and beautiful country since I first visited Italy in 2004. Even as I write, my arrogance and biases are on display. I have only scratched […]
In the summer, Cristina and Luca live in their house, Acquafregola, in the Vallombrosa forest. With winter coming, they move back to Paterno, a 20-minute drive down the mountain. They will return daily to feed the feral cats and fill jugs with fresh drinking water from the spring. I believe this water has medicinal […]
I left Florence in late November of 2019, expecting to return in the summer to spend time in the Vallembrosa forest with Cristina to learn how she makes her natural remedies. Of course, that was not to be, due to the Pandemic. It is now 2022 and I am in Italy for the first time. […]
Before visiting Venice in 2004, I studied guidebooks to learn the Vaporetto routes and the location of the churches and museums. I packed a map with all of the calles, campos and palazzos noted, confident that I’d be able to navigate my way around the city. I had my map, but no idea where I […]