There was a huge festival in Viterbo, Italy, last night (Sept 3) … La Macchina di Santa Rosa (literally translated: Saint Rosa’s machine). Mere words will not do it justice. You may be wondering how a patron saint can have a “machine” and — “What in the world is it?” The “machine” is an over …
On the way to the top~
See and download the full gallery on posterous Put one step in front of the other… The final push is on to have the book make its September 1 release date. The journey from now until the book’s launch next week has me feeling like I am climbing a tower in Italy … …
Everyone…dive into the pool!
See and download the full gallery on posterous Hmmm, trunks or no trunks?! It is summer and it is hot. And the heat reminds me of a day trip we took to Paestum, Italy. Paestum is south of Naples…actually south of Salerno in the Campania region of Italy—close to where the “laces of the …
Where’s the beef?
See and download the full gallery on posterous Discovering the Italian sandwich~ Recently a friend e-mailed me asking for a “big, fat, greasy, wet, sloppy, Italian Beef Sandwich recipe.” Sadly, I had to tell him that the only place I have ever eaten something like that is in Chicago—and never in Italy. That isn’t …
Buona festa della madre
Happy Mother’s Day~ My very first trip to Italy was in 2001. Richard and I took our mothers with us for a 10-day trip in Tuscany—Siena, Florence, Cortona, Montalcino, Rome, and many other little towns along the way. It was the trip of a lifetime; so much so in fact, that I talk …
Lunch in Venice~
See and download the full gallery on posterous I Love You—now hush~ Yesterday Richard sent a book title to me that perfectly captured a lunch experience with a French couple that we had in Venice. But before that, let me tell you about one of our first lunch experiences in Venice—a very popular inn and …
When the outside comes in~
See and download the full gallery on posterous Awaiting Spring~ It has been a colder than usual winter here in the South. Yes, I know those of you north of the Mason-Dixon line have certainly had your fill of it, too. We have several potted citrus trees, which usually spend their winter outside; however, on …
Lesson Number 2~
Nonna cooks Pollo con Limone~ Recently, I received an e-mail from Alessandra filling me in on all the happenings back in Viterbo. I mailed the Feb House Beautiful with the article on our house (http://www.mark-leslie.net/2010-starts-with-a-bang) to them back in early January and, when I hadn’t heard from them, I sent an e-mail making sure that …
It’s a small world~
See and download the full gallery on posterous It’s all a ride~ My father was in the Navy when I was very young and for a couple of years he was stationed in San Diego, CA. While my father was away in the Pacific for months at a time, my mother was at home with …
Venice, from both sides~
See and download the full gallery on posterous “Venezia, Venezia…Chi non ti vede non ti prezia”~ What can I say about Venice that hasn’t already been said over the centuries by people more brilliant than I? Nothing. The above quote is from Shakespeare’s play Love’s Labour’s Lost and translated in the play it means, “Who …