Memory Bank Riches: Tuscany, 2012

Posted On: June 5, 2014
Comments: No Responses My last BreakAway was exactly two years ago. Our extended family (11 of us!) flew off to Italy for 17 days. You know you’re alive when you go, in a matter of hours, from watching…

“Send me an e-mail…”

Posted On: September 19, 2013
Comments: No Responses Twice this week, while on the phone trying to expedite matters of consequence that had become stalled, this was what my teleconference-mate told me. “Uh, okay, as you wish,” was my delayed response—though I secretly…

Italia Flickrs…

Posted On: March 13, 2013
Comments: No Responses It’s never too late! Look! Hark! Flickr has (finally!) uploaded the Tuscany 2012 mix! Click and find yourself in Barga, Lucca, Pisa, Viareggio and more! Be reminded of the dolce far niente… Ciao!  …

5 Fave Photos from 2012 / 3

Posted On: January 29, 2013
Comments: No Responses It takes a lot to be a lifeguard in Viareggio, Italy, as these two gentlemen proved when I was lucky enough to spend a few sunny days there last June. It takes guts, as you…

Arrivederci Italia, Old Friend

Posted On: June 24, 2012
Comments: No Responses Serious sunlight seared mercilessly from above and sweat glowed on everyone’s brow. But because this was our last day in bella Italia, my heart was stuck in a Minnesota snowstorm. The intense mid-June light had…

Being There

Posted On: June 8, 2012
Comments: One Response Dorothy Parker’s notorious quote, I hate writing, but I love having written,” adapts well to, “I hate traveling, but I love being there.” On this Tuscan travel adventure, the first leg of a lite-gonzo Euro…

Leaving Italy

Posted On: November 23, 2000
Comments: No Responses Tolfa, Italy.If you’ve learned to love Italy, you hate to leave Italy. The place is unusually human—despite its spiritual obsession. And the country seems so enlightened—despite governmental disorder that makes America’s look minor. We…

From Tuscan Storms to Tolfa’s Warmth

Posted On: November 22, 2000
Comments: No Responses Tolfa, Italy.When we left Tuscany—where we could not finish this web site because the storms blew out our phone—at least live people near us were missing and presumed dead after their home had been…

Scenes from Sommocolonia

Posted On: November 21, 2000
Comments: No Responses Sommocolonia, Italy.Our Headdquarters in Italy is the stunning mountain village of Sommocolonia, which was sunny this one Sunday. There’s not much to do here—no bar, bakery, or shop of any kind. Meanwhile, the population…

Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Time

Posted On: November 20, 2000
Comments: No Responses Sommocolonia, Italy.We adore fresh herbs, and were thrilled when U.S. supermarkets finally began offering them some years back. Of course, those herbs come in plastic packages holding a fraction of an ounce, and cost…