How (NOT) To Implement a Recycling Policy in Your Town
I’m a big fan of recycling, and I was really happy to hear that our town, Soriano nel Cimino, was planning on implementing a recycling program. Better yet, it would include garbage pick-up. Cool! The fact is,...
You Want to Feed the Meal I Prepared… TO YOUR DOG?
On day one of every cooking vacation we offer, there is a little talk with all of the newly arriving guests. We go over the things that they can expect, and should not expect. We discus the plans for the days ahead,...
“Boh!?”… And Other Perfect Italian Words & Phrases That Don’t Translate Well
When you split your life between two cultures with two languages, it is quite easy to get trapped in the wrong language from time to time. I sometimes find myself speaking one language, then suddenly a word or phrase pops out...
Welcome To Italy… There’s a Tax For That
I haven’t gone on an Italy rant for a while, but with healthcare and taxes filling the US airwaves, it has really made me think about taxes in Italy. I’ll not get into my opinion of these subjects in the US, since...
Anglitaliano: English Words in Everyday Italian
We use a ton of Italian words in English. More than many might think. Just walk into a Starbucks, and you will probably walk out with something called a ‘LATTE‘ (Be careful asking for it in Italy, since...
The Wine Is Always Finer On The Other Side of the Fence
I’ve been wanting to write about this for ages. Not about wine actually being better on the other side of the fence, but the impression that it is. We take groups to wineries in Tuscany and the surrounding regions...
In Search of the Perfect Espresso
Like a fine wine or a great cigar, those who know their coffee are extremely discriminating. I count myself among them. Coffee is something I take very seriously.Technorati: VA2TJVJYZX67 Depending on the style of coffee,...
The FAMILY feeling of our vacations explained
Our future guests often ask me what our tours are going to be like, and I try to explain the feeling of ‘family’, and how it is so different than anything else out there. Oddly, it is a difficult thing to explain, especially...
A little more Olive Gardening Laughter…
Face it, I’m back in the states for a few months, so I just don’t have much material for the blog these days. I mean, when I am in Italy, I could write several posts a day, but I am sitting here in Florida, what...
Would you have a second home in Italy?
It used to be that when I would come to Italy, for the first few days, people would see me and give me a huge ‘welcome back’. That was then. I would come here once a year in the summer and spend a month to six weeks...