
How My Life Changed Living in Italy
Today, I fly back to the US for the winter months. I'm going to spend time with my kids, my family and my many friends in southern...

Hadrian, Rome's Gay Emperor
Handsome Emperor Hadrian Hadrian married in about AD 100, but there is not much written about the life of his wife and empress, Vibia...

Satisfaction in a Spoleto Cemetery
In 1804, Napoleon introduced the 'Edict of Saint-Cloud', ordering all cemetery burials outside of the city walls. Today, most Italian...

Siena, Sadism and a Saint's Head
A visit to Siena wouldn't be complete without a visit to the Basilica San Domenico to see the dismembered, mummified head of Saint...

Wine Barrel Racing in Montepulciano
2016 Bravio delle Botti The Bravio delle Botti, Barrel Racing takes place on the last Sunday of August along the main streets of...

My Highlights of Living in Cortona
1. Riding my bicycle past a local winery and watching the grapes grow. 2. Knowing what time it is by hearing the church bells ringing at...

Pigeons on my plate
During my college years in New York City, I spent a lot of time in beautiful Central Park. Unfortunately, I had to share the park with a...

Turning Water to Wine and Keeping the Dead Out
Saint Gilibert's Well In the year 515, St. Gilibert passed through Monsigliolo on a pilgrimage to Rome. The local road was renamed Viale...

The Dying City of Civita di Bagnoregio
Il paese che muore, 'The town that is dying'. Today I took a road trip to visit the city that Rick Steves has declared his favorite...

Solo Trip to Capri
On July 10, I left my home in Cortona for a solo trip to Capri. With a turkey and cheese sandwich tucked in my backpack and all the...