Italian Life

August 2, 2022

Via Francigena: Ancient pilgrimage from France to Rome an enlightening journey for this American wanderer

Kevin McAllister doesn’t just go places. He walks there. And he experiences every inch of culture along the way. The 66-year-old retired software salesman just finished walking 900 miles over 70 days, the vast majority over the historic Via Francigena pilgrimmage route that stretches from Canterbury, England, to Southern Italy. I met him during my stay in Cinque Terre last month and told him to look me up when he finished his pilgrimage in Rome. He did. We sat for drinks and he told me his story.

July 26, 2022

Italy’s government collapses and the far right awaits us

Normally, the phrase Italy’s government collapses wouldn’t be cause for alarm here in Italy. After all, we’ve gone through 14 prime ministers and 19 governments in the last 30 years. But now what’s waiting in the wings, what is favored to win the snap Sept. 25 elections, is a right-wing coalition led by the neo-fascist Brothers of Italy.

July 19, 2022

Monti: Rome’s historical and hippest neighborhood (and once my favorite) is a slow victim of gentrification

Monti has been a prominent Roman neighborhood since Ancient Rome but has changed its face over the centuries. Once Rome’s most teeming ghetto, it became a place to be for the rich in the Middle Ages and later the hippest place in Rome and now has gentrified into just another touristy neighborhood. It was my goal to live there. Not anymore.

July 13, 2022

Overtourism in Italy: Some hot spots are cutting back but pretty and crowded Cinque Terre isn’t one of them

Cinque Terre is a UNESCO Heritage Site consisting of five pastel-colored villages on the Ligurian Sea. It gets 2.5 million visitors a year and when we visited over the weekend it felt like they were all there with us. The village of Vernazza was packed. As Italy recovers from Covid, tourism is back in full and some places are laying down limitations. Cinque Terre is not.

July 5, 2022

Elba: Napoleon Bonaparte’s island of exile still an Italian beach paradise — but you’d better bring your car

Elba sits an hour’s ferry ride off the coast of Tuscany and for half a century has been one of the most popular summer destinations for Italians and Europeans alike. But you’d better bring a car. Marina and I were two of the few who didn’t and learned the hard way that island transportation isn’t reliable. Still, it was worth it to have a beautiful hotel with a pool in the countryside and we still made it to two relaxing beaches. We did not, however, beat the crowds. Elba is filling up fast.

May 31, 2022

Texas massacre reminds me why I’d rather live in Italy

I’m often reminded of why I live in Italy and last week’s Texas massacre gave me another reason. An 18-year-old walked into a gunstore and legally bought two semi-automatic weapons to blow away 19 children, aged 9-11, and two adults. You can’t buy semi-automatic weapons in Italy. You need certificates from doctors in Italy. You need safety courses in Italy. Five years after the Las Vegas massacre moved me to compare the gun laws in my two countries, I’m forced to do an update.

May 24, 2022

A.S. Roma on verge of its first official European trophy has this Romanista on edge of his red and yellow couch

Since trading my sports writer’s hat for a fan’s banner upon retiring to Rome eight years ago, I’ve waited patiently for my adopted team, A.S. Roma, to achieve greatness. Wednesday night it can earn its first official European trophy in its 95-year history. I attended last week’s media day in preparation for Wednesday Conference League final in Tirana, Albana, against Feyenoord of Holland.

May 17, 2022

10 lessons I learned from traveling the world for 44 years

The world is traveling again and during these last two years Covid has kept us mostly tied at home I’ve reflected a lot about my travels. Over 44 years of traveling the globe, I’ve learned a few things, from how to budget to how to be alone. Here are the 10 lessons I learned from traveling the world. Hopefully, when you set out again you’ll learn the same.

May 10, 2022

Ukraine War hits home in Rome where 200 volunteers help Santa Sofia church send tons of supplies to Ukraine

Before, the Ukraine War, Italy had 234,000 Ukraines, the third most in Europe. Since the war began, it has taken in more 110,000 Ukrainian refugees. Rome’s Santa Sofia Church has organized a supply chain in which up to 200 volunteers have collected supplies and sent them to war victims in Ukraine. I visited with Father Marco Semehen, who has family still in Ukraine, about the operation.

May 3, 2022

Cagliari: Sardinia’s capital a parade of colors and warmth

Sardinia is best known for its beautiful beaches and chic Italian summer clientele. But its capital of Cagliari has so much to offer. From a lively central piazza to a clifftop neighborhood overlooking the city to a cuisine unique to Italy, Cagliari is well worth a trip on its own. We went this past weekend to celebrate our seventh anniversary and it turns out the city was having its biggest celebration of the year: the Festa di Sant’Efisio.

April 26, 2022

Rome’s birthday unveils high-tech shows in an ancient city

I spent Rome’s birthday Thursday at two press conferences unveiling high-tech shows that seemed odd in such an ancient city. The Synesthesia is an 8-foot-high orb that is designed to help us understand our relationship with machines which are creeping ever too close to our daily lives. Rome’s Planetario reopened after an eight-year refit with “Return to the Stars,” an hour-long film and light show in the theater’s 300-square-meter screen on the round roof. The day was one part weird and two parts revealing.

April 19, 2022

Greek Islands: How does one choose from so many?

Before I moved to Rome, Greece was my favorite country. Every island has its own history, terrain, vibe. So how does one choose which island to visit? Guest blogger James Ritter helps you decide which of the Greek Islands to choose with capsules of some of my favorites.

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