Italian Life

July 2, 2024

Tastes of Rome food tour sprinkles history on taste buds

I’ve taken food tours all over the world and I highly recommend them. In Rome I recommend the 10 Tastes of Rome. It sprinkles in history with the food. It starts in Campo de’ Fiori and finishes in Trastevere. Along the way I learned why they burned a philosopher at the stake and how a spout of oil the day Jesus was born inspired the construction of Chiesa di Santa Maria in Trastevere. Along the way I tasted some good pizza, gelato and Sicilian cassatina.

June 25, 2024

“The Cappuccino Chronicles”: My book is out on Amazon

If you ever wanted to know what it’s like to live in Rome as a retired expat, read my new book that is now out on Amazon. “The Cappuccino Chronicles: An American Journalist’s Decade in Rome” takes people inside the life of one of the world’s most glamorous cities. But it’s not the dream many burned-out people imagine when they look at retirement. The streets are filthy. The public services are lousy. Relationshios are difficult. But the food, wine and beauty meet the hype and I hope I found a balance that peels the veneer off the city to show what’s really inside while still showing what has kept me around for 10 years. I will soon announce a Zoom call for anyone interested in hearing about the book and to answer any questions about life in this crazy city.

June 18, 2024

Palazzo Farnese: Gem of the Roman Renaissance is a tour worth waiting a decade

I waited 10 years to tour Palazzo Farnese, the beautiful Renaissance Palace that’s home to the French Embassy here in Rome. Tours were always booked. I finally got in recently and it was worth the wait. The entrance alone with giant marble columns taken from Egypt were worth it alone. Inside is art that can rival some in the Vatican Museums and Michelangelo’s fingerprints are all over the palace. Too bad there’s a major cleanup on the facade. The entire building is covered with scaffolding.

June 11, 2024

Track and field: Empty seats in Olympic Stadium and my hometown make me wonder about its popularity

Despite not writing about it much during my career, I remain a closet track nut. The European Championships are in Rome through Wednesday and attendance hasn’t been great. Combined with bad attendance for major meets in my hometown of Eugene, Oregon, the “Track Capital of the World,” I wonder if this sport is beginning to wither in popularity.

June 4, 2024

Roman-style pizzerias: My five favorite in Rome

What’s your favorite pizza style in Italy? Neapolitan, with its thick, chewy crust, is the most famous. I prefer Roman style’s thin, crispy crust. After 10 years in Rome, I have updated my Five Favorite Pizzerias in Rome but this time limited it to Roman style.

May 28, 2024

Rome food fair? My ‘hood had it all covered this weekend

My Rome neighborhood of Monteverde had a food fair featuring more than two dozen food stands filling my local piazza over the weekend. Hare wraps (meaning WILD hare), pizza in fried bread, tiramisu. It was all there. So good I went twice. Here’s my juicy report.

May 22, 2024

Dupuytren: My surgical dive into private Italian healthcare

I started noticing my right pinkie involuntarily bend about two years ago. Soon it was at a 90-degree angle, making typing difficult. What I have is Dupuytren disease, a condition that shortens and thickens the connective tissue in the palm. I had surgery two weeks ago. It was tremendous insight into the world of private healthcare in the second-ranked healthcare country in the world.

April 30, 2024

My 10 favorite restaurants in Lazio outside Rome

Ever since Marina and I started our TraveLazio blog in January 2023, we have discovered fantastic restaurants in little towns outside. Rome. After traveling to 34 towns in the Lazio region, I came up with my 10 favorite restaurants. They’re in rough order and include contact info, photos and links to the towns we featured in TraveLazio. If you love Italy, this is a must read.

March 19, 2024

AS Roma: The return of Roman icon gives my club a special season after The Special One falls

My beloved AS Roma soccer club was going nowhere fast until they fired The Special One, Jose Mourinho, and hired local legend Daniele De Rossi. Despite hardly any managerial experience, he has led Roma to a 9-2-2 record, the quarterfinals of the Europa League and fifth place in Serie A. I attended Sunday’s 1-0 win and here’s a full update on the team that made me a fan again.

March 15, 2024

Italy and reverse retirement: Should I stay or go?

Annamaria Borelli, a native of New Jersey, has lived in Italy for 13 years.

Living in Italy is more than sun-splashed beaches and incredible food. It’s also low salaries, shaky employment and stress. Guest blogger Annamaria Borelli explains her life at the Italian crossroads.

March 12, 2024

Blending in to Rome as an expat: New clothes, new diet and is there anything better than a frothy cappuccino?

Many people talk about moving to Italy but few do. I did. I retired to Rome 10 years ago. I’ve learned a few things along the way, particularly how to blend in when I don’t look remotely close to Italian. Here are 10 things I did to make me blend into the city.

March 5, 2024

A single woman in Florence: An American expat describes the ups and downs of living in Tuscany’s crown jewel

American expat Chandi Wyant has lived in Florence for many years over various stints and four years ago bought an apartment in the San Frediano neighborhood. It took her two years to renovate but now it’s available to rent as a B&B. A dream living in Florence? Yes. But it also has drawbacks. Chandi tears away part of the veneer that is Florence’s glorious image.

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