Fantastic Fall Festivals in Tuscany Tuscany brims with abundance in Autumn, with the grape harvest in the early part of the season and the new olive oil pressed in the later part of the season. For the updated version of this post go to my Substack.
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Mystical Solstice Event in Florence
"The information was lost, we didn't know..." The monk tells me from behind the counter of the monastic shop. "No one had noticed the solstice sun illuminating the zodiac?" "No, we didn't notice." The monk smiles. "It was figured out by Simone Bartolini." Simone Bartolini is an astronomer and cartographer who recently (around 2011) figured out that the marble zodiac on the
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Special Places on the Via Francigena
The Via Francigena (fran-CHEE-jee-nah) is a pilgrimage route from the Middle Ages that starts in England and crosses France and Switzerland before entering Italy at the Gran San Bernardo Pass. Less known than the Spanish pilgrimage route, the Via Francigena was revived in the 1990s and is becoming more traversed each year. In the first week of my trek on the Via
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Norcia: Gastronomic Delights and Tragic Earthquake
"NOT NORCIA!" I cried out as I saw the news of the October 30th earthquake on an Italian friend's Facebook page. As I watched footage of the damage in the town I've enjoyed so much I began to cry. "Oh, not the church!" My tears doubled as I realized that the historic basilica of Saint Benedict had collapsed. Even before I read the words, I knew, this was the single most
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Gutsy Expat Life on Sardinia
I am pleased to add this interview to my Taking the Plunge series Here is Jennifer Avventura, a Canadian Freelance writer who lives on Sardinia: The life of an expat is never easy. Moving to a new country, maybe learning a new language and generally starting a new job are stressful factors for anyone beginning new. I’ve been an expat for sixteen years and in four
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