Archive for 'Uncategorized'
Duelling Poets Posted by Serena on Jun 2, 2014
Introduction and photos by Geoff For some reason June seems like the kind of month that needs a poem … or maybe even two! These beautiful days of early summer, full of nature’s renewed activity and the return of colours and scents that we’ve been deprived of for months, seem to inspire creativity. We feel…
Elisa’s Apple Jam Posted by Serena on May 29, 2014
Yesterday afternoon, as I was looking in the fridge to see what ingreadients I had, I noticed an open carton of fresh single cream that needed using up. “Stasera faccio un bel apple crumble per dolce” ho pensato (“This evening I’ll make a nice apple crumble for dessert” I thought). But first I needed to…
The Italian Monuments Men Posted by Geoff on May 20, 2014
Reading about the work of the Monuments Men during WWII left me with a strange sense of unease. It’s not so much the thought of what could have been lost. What really disturbs me is the idea that the same sick brutes who engineered the ‘Final Solution’ could have put so much time, effort and…
Saving Italy’s Artistic Heritage Posted by Geoff on May 19, 2014
What would it be like to fight a war inside a museum? Not long ago I had an e-mail from a long time follower of our blog, William Auge, telling me about a fascinating book he’d just finished reading called Saving Italy by Robert M. Edsel. “How about writing a guest blog for us Bill?”…
Spinning Wool … The Hard Way! Posted by Serena on May 15, 2014
Have you ever tried to spin wool? It looks so simple when you see an old peasant lady sitting there on a rustic wooden chair, turning the spindle with one hand and holding a distaff under her other armpit. But the truth is actually very far from this charming bucolic image. I can personally testify…
Wild Daffodils Posted by Serena on May 12, 2014
By Serena, with Photos and Translation by Geoff The Prati di Logarghena, with the rugged peaks of the Apuane Alps in the background. Mai prima di sabato avevo visto così tante giunchiglie selvatiche! Mi era stato detto tante volte che a maggio i Prati di Logarghena sono ricoperti di giunchiglie, ma pensavo che fosse la…
Senza Tè Posted by Geoff on May 8, 2014
Music can be a great consolation in our darkest hours. Many times over the years, when I’ve felt close to desperation music has kept me sane. And so, it was to music that I turned this morning when I pried open the lid of my late grandmother’s tea caddy to discover that I only had…