Seattle's chilly summertime is winding down with scattered sunshine following cloudy mornings. Warm evenings are rare,...
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Italia in America
I'm grateful for the little reminders of Italia that I encounter here in Seattle, going about my day. Names for...
Crab at the Water’s Edge
"We're having a crab feed on the beach tomorrow night. Do you want to come?" There's only one answer for that...
Rhubarb Homecoming
Sunday Morning. August 1. (I arrived home yesterday in late afternoon.) Home in the summer chill of Seattle with a 60...
New Faces, More New Friends
How often do any of us put ourselves in the position to meet so many people in so many ways in so short a time? How...
Cogne: Alpine Italy
Journal Entry: 24 Luglio The bus just left Aosta, heading back to Milano. I have been visiting my friends, Ewa and...
Into Mountainous Valle d’Aosta
On Thursday, the bus pulled away from a 95 degree day in Milano and headed into increasingly blustery skies in the...
Goodbye Mary
It would have been impossible to leave Milano without saying "goodbye" to Mary. Our first meeting is a story in...
My Raw Meat Salad
I'm going to miss my Insalata di Bresaola, my salad of dried, cured (raw) beef. Boo hoo. They can't bring bresaola...
Hot Like a Sauna
It's been toasty-o here in Milano lately, with temperatures in the high 80s to high 90s, and humid. When I walk out of...
Carlotta Café – Milano
Octopus as tender as a dream, served warm and simply, with potatoes, olives and olive oil. Fish and pasta prepared and...
Another History Lesson
My "History Buff on Wheels", Angelo, went rolling past me along the canal this morning. In a cycling daze and not...
Fish Snob That I Am
I have caught and cooked a LOT of fish in my life and I cook it well enough that I'm a snob about eating fish at a...
Minnie & Michelangelo at the Castle
The little girl was unrestrained and so pleased with herself. She and I both saw the humor of her Minnie Mouse joining...
Jackrabbits Like the Morning
Since it's been so toasty here lately, I took my bike ride in the morning today, heading out from the house just after...
Megan’s Leaving!
Megan and I met while struggling through Italian classes together in the winter. We had come here for different...
Tasting Wine with Friends
The grape varieties and resulting wines here in Italy are numerous and quite different than in the U.S. What better...
The Perfect Summer Lunch
When it's beastly hot outside, what could be a more perfect lunch than sublimely-ripe melon with culatello...
Sardenara: Not-Quite-Pizza, with Anchovies
Last Friday, after my whirlwind morning in Genova, I continued on to Sanremo for what was likely my last visit with my...
Marina Pavani: Antiques in Genova
It all started with hat forms on Milan's Grand Canal. Five weeks ago I went to the Mercatone Antiquariato - Antique...