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

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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.

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Roman-style pizzerias: My five favorite in Rome

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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.

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

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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.

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Dupuytren: My surgical dive into private Italian healthcare

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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.

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Schengen Visa: Who needs it and how do you get it?

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If you’re not from an English-speaking country and want to visit Europe. you’ll likely need a Schengen Visa. Europe’s Schengen region consists of 29 countries, and the type of visa you need depends on what country you come from and your purpose of travel. Guest blogger Laurie Amber breaks it down.

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Ghent: Belgium’s other canal city the perfect 9th anniversary escape

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Marina and I love Belgium. It’s maybe the most underrated country in Europe. So we decided to break from our usual anniversary routine and left Italy. We spent three days in Ghent, Belgium’s second-largest city but oft overlooked as it’s in the shadow of the more glamorous Bruges up the road. We found Ghent so charming and life on the canal is a good place to remind us how far we’ve come.

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My 10 favorite restaurants in Lazio outside Rome

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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.

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17 hours in Shanghai: Dumplings, Bund and a lot of concrete capitalism

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On our way back from Japan recently, China Eastern Airlines stuck us with a 17-hour layover in Shanghai. But with China’s handy 24-hour airport visa, we could get a glimpse of the world’s third-largest city. We had a great authentic Shanghai dumpling dinner then were amazed at the Bund and Lujiazui, the city’s areas with the spectacular trademark skyline. But too much concrete. Too much smog.

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Japanese cuisine: Tasty, healthy and — yes! — cheap

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Eating healthy while traveling can be challenging. Eating unhealthy in Japan is almost impossible. During our visit three weeks ago, Marina and I ate mostly raw fish, grilled fish, vegetables, rice, noodles and teriyaki. It was not only tasty and healthy but, thanks to the yen tanking, mostly cheap.

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