Eat Play Cook
Home » Eat Play Cook

My two Italian husbands

My two Italian husbands

Citta della Pieve, Umbria. “Call me.  I can do any­thing for you.  AN-knee-theeng.” This strange man had just thrust his card in front of my face, so close that even with my read­ing glasses on, I had not a prayer of read­ing it.  He had fol­lowed... 

Continue reading »

Women who run with the camels

Women who run with the camels

That is what co-owner Miranda Innes calls women who show up in at her Moroc­can B&B alone. Yet I would not rec­om­mend it for the fem­i­nine faint of heart.  A woman alone in a souk with her own pock­et­book in tow throws Moroc­can male con­cepts... 

Continue reading »

About packing

About packing

Check out www.onebag.com .  This web­site has a good pack­ing list, as does Rick Steves’ web­site, www.RickSteves.com .  For more than a month, you may not be able to get every­thing in one bag, but it is a help­ful place to start!  And you... 

Continue reading »

“Make me Harry Potter!”"> “Make me Harry Potter!”

<span class=“Make me Harry Potter!”" />

“Make me Harry Potter!” Paciano, Umbria: Festa di Tavolo Lungo As I was installing a light­ning bolt on this British lad’s fore­head, a la Harry Pot­ter, his older brother watched care­fully, and then signed up for a shoot­ing star on his fore­head: ... 

“Make me Harry Potter!”">Continue reading »

Gershwin and the Knights of Malta

Gershwin and the Knights of Malta

Mag­gione.  Open­ing night, in June. Photo credit: Jill Hackett Built 9 cen­turies ago, between 1150 and 1170, the Cas­tle of the Knights of Malta is impec­ca­bly restored, and is the first cas­tle I have seen that I have ever wanted to live... 

Continue reading »

Dealing with people’s reactions

Dealing with people’s reactions

When you share your plans:  “I’m going to Italy for two (or three) months!” be pre­pared to han­dle the reac­tions.  You’ll find three main reactions.   1.The detrac­tors, who will try to tar­nish or take your dream.  (For exam­ple:... 

Continue reading »

Dreams are one thing, having them another.

Dreams are one thing, having them another.

It sounds like it should be a sim­ple choice, when the oppor­tu­nity presents itself, to grab that brass ring. But it isn’t always. I first learned this when my daugh­ter asked for a trip to Europe with me as her grad­u­a­tion present from col­lege,... 

Continue reading »

Italy is not a good place to experience suffering

Italy is not a good place to experience suffering

Every Christ­mas day, in the fondo of Palazzo della Corgna, the terzieri of Castello presents inspi­ra­tional scenes for the sea­son (called a pre­sepe).  It is Castello’s gift of the sea­son to the com­mu­nity.  Castello is one of three terzieri’s... 

Continue reading »

Expats are like dandelions

Expats are like dandelions

“They are a dif­fer­ent breed,” my friend Claire informed me.“The friend­ships form fast, go deep, and can get pulled up just as fast.” Expats are like dan­de­lions. We make a wish, and the winds take us to new ground. We grow quickly on... 

Continue reading »

Harry’s Bar

Harry’s Bar

Venice, Christ­mas Eve You leave the grand space of San Marco’s campo, with its four horses and St. Mark’s body, clipped as goods of war, now bring­ing cre­den­tial­iza­tion to the duomo. Walk along the water’s edge, and you’ll feel this... 

Continue reading »

Page 1 of 212