Peace on Earth
Christmas is always a special time – you feel a sense of renewal, of peace, and of hope. This year has been especially meaningful for me. So many things have changed for me this year, not the least of which is that I don’t go to work every day...
It Came to Pass in Arezzo
Arezzo is about 30 minutes away and is the biggest city near us. It’s about 100,000 people and we go there for many things. It’s where we both got our booster shots, we spent many happy times in the Questura (police headquarters) there trying to get our permesso di...
The Homecoming and an Italian Christmas Miracle
Steve went to Atlanta for 10 long days and came back home on Monday. He flew into Rome and took the train to Arezzo where I skillfully drove to pick him up. Millie and I were waiting in the car when I saw his beautiful silver hair appear from...
The Clutch is My Friend
Our first day in Anghiari was July 28. That means that today is my four month anniversary of living here. For three-and-a-half of those months I did not get behind the wheel of a car. Steve has chauffeured me around like I’m some kind of royal in our 15-year-old...
Thanksgiving in My Heart
Thanksgiving is a uniquely American holiday. And as with all uniquely American holidays, it’s not without its controversies. Regardless, it’s a day where we pause to gather around a table with friends and family while giving thanks for the blessings that we have received. It’s also a day that...
The Baths Up the Road
We visited Bagno di Romagna recently, a small village near here known for its thermal springs. Bagno di Romagna is a Roman town and became an important stop on the route between Rome and Ravenna. The thermal springs are a cozy 116 degrees year round. I can imagine that...
A Place for the Soul
Last weekend Anghiari hosted a great celebration of the food of the area, called the Centigusto, or One Hundred Tastes. As part of the festivities, there was a nature walk through the forest and countryside around here. We joined our friend Rossano, who guides these walks, and three other...
Road Trip
We took a road trip recently to the Adriatic coast. We’ve decided that now that things are somewhat settled for us, we should take an overnight trip about once a month. We’d like to go to places we’ve never been, but since we’ve been traveling here for over 20...
Sunday in Florence
One of the absolute best things about living where we do is that we are less than two hours from Florence, one of the greatest cities in the world. To finish up my birthday week, we decided to spend the day in Florence just because we could. We had...
Saturday Night in a Small Town
I’ve spent many Saturday nights in small Southern towns. My formative years were full of them. But nothing beats Saturday night in a small Italian town. Steve and I went to our favorite bar, the Bar della Sport (we call it the sports bar) on Friday for our happy...