Italian Life

December 13, 2024

Rome to Sicily by train: Ten hours of beautiful scenery but didn’t Mussolini make the trains run on time?

Gabor Kavocs, a lawyer in London and a friend I’ve known since we met in Florence in 1978, recently took a 10-train ride from Rome to Sicily with his wife, Caroline. It was full of lovely scenery and was a comfortable ride, the long delay notwithstanding. This is a guest blog from a good friend.

November 26, 2024

Transnistria: The breakaway republic is a little Russia inside Moldova — and Lenin is watching you

Transnistria is a breakaway Russian republic in Moldova right on the Ukraine border. Neither Moldova nor the United Nations recognizes it as an independent country. It is very Russian, from the Cyrllic alphabet to the Russian language to the ruble monetary unit. I spent a night there and took Village and Soviet tours for a full report.

November 12, 2024

Moving to Italy: Trump’s victory leading thousands of Americans seeking pasta, vino and calm seas

So many people are disgusted with last week’s U.S. election that they are flooding expat websites trying to leave the country. A major target is Italy where I have received numerous inquiries, and the CEO of Expats Living in Rome says her emails have tripled. I examine the whole phenomenon with the CEO as we discuss the obstacles facing desperate Americans but also the rewards that are here..

October 22, 2024

Moldova wine: National Wine Day and world’s largest wine cellar plenty to drown my Italian-trained palate

Curious about Moldovan wine after a couple of tastings in Italy, I flew to Europe’s poorest country for the Moldova National Wine Day. For two days I tried wines from some of the 100 wineries that attended. I also toured the Milestii Mici winery boasting the world’s largest wine cellar with 2 million bottles of wine.

October 15, 2024

36 Hours in Rome: How I’d spend a short weekend here

The New York Times does a wonderful feature in its Sunday travel section called 36 Hours in … It picks a city around the globe and give readers places to go at appropriate times of the day. I did the same for Rome. I don’t include the major attractions such as the Colosseum and Vatican. You know those. I wrote about the places I would go as a Rome resident of 8 1/2 years. Hope it gives you some ideas next time you come to town, especially for the second time.

October 1, 2024

My Five Favorite Restaurants in Rome 2024: A new No. 1

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I started running a list of my five favorite restaurants in Rome in 2016. I try to do it every year that’s not wiped out by a global pandemic. The 2024 list is a little late but it’s out today. There is a new No. 1 but my usual No. 1, Renato e Luisa, made the list for the fourth time. Keep this list handy for that next trip to Rome.

August 27, 2024

Porticoes: These golden arches make Bologna famous

I love Bologna, not just because of its luscious spaghetti bolognese but for its porticoes. Those are the graceful arches that cover 40 miles of Bologna streets. UNESCO awarded them with a World Heritage Site three years ago and they remain one of the most distinct architectural styles in Italy. I visited last month and came away with this report.

August 20, 2024

United States impressions: Expensive and divided but still a beautiful, spotless nation

I knock the U.S. a lot for its divided politics and obese population. After our recent 11-day jaunt across the country, I found a new reason to hate it: prices. It’s outrageously expensive. But I was also reminded of its spotless beauty and the people were ob, so nice. Now if Kamala Harris can just win in November, I might go back.

August 9, 2024

South American beaches: Top 10 from Colombia to Brazil

Winter isn’t that far away. If you think you’ll need a beach fix in December, skip the Caribbean and consider South America. It’ll be their summer down there. Guest blogger Kathy Spencer lists the the top 10 beaches in South American for your perusal.

August 6, 2024

50-year high school reunion reminds me of the true meaning of success — and it’s not money

I attended my 50-year high school reunion last month and it was great to see old friends, catch up and share laughs and beer. But I also realized that my life in Italy has taught me that success isn’t based on what you can tell me about your resume. It’s more than that. It’s inside.

July 26, 2024

European fashion: Here’s how to amp up your European vacation style

If you’re traveling to Europe this summer, don’t look like a tourist. Dress like a European. In this guest blog, you’ll get some handy tips on how not to stand out.

July 16, 2024

Italian island guide: From south of Sicily to north of Sardinia, there is something for everyone

I wrote that Capri "is the prettiest island in Europe."

It’s July, the worst time to travel anywhere in the world. But if time restraints limit you to visiting Italy in July, I’m here to help. After living here 10 years, I’ve been to a lot of Italian islands. Here are some of my favorite. They will be crowded. But they will be hot, and they will be clean. They will also be beautiful if you can ignore all the bodies. This is a repost of a blog I wrote in 2017 as I’m trying in the United States.

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