This year has been a busy one for me, with planning for the launch of my third novel and editing my fourth novel (out Dec. 2025) amidst all the other variances of life. Usually, we visit Il Bel Paese (the beautiful country) in the fall or over the holidays, but this year, it looks like it might not be until next spring. This fills me with extra longing for the country where my heart is.
I have a Google Home display that mostly tells me the weather, sets timers, and controls my lights. But what it does best is displaying the over 10K photos of Italy that I’ve taken since we started visiting yearly nearly 15 years ago. Photos that make me ever nostalgic but also fill me with great happiness thinking about those beautiful and exciting places we’ve been. Today’s post is a trip down memory lane for me, but hopefully, it will be a little bit of interestingness for you.
Torre Argentina, in the heart of Rome, where there is a cat sanctuary and the ruins of where Julius Caesar was murdered.
The incredibly well-preserved amphitheater in Ostia Antica, 30 minutes by subway from Rome
One of my favorite ceiling frescoes. This one is at Villa Farnese in Caprarola.
One of the most beautiful churches in Italy, Sant’Ivo alla Sapienza, a stone’s throw from Piazza Navona. You can only see the inside if you go to Mass.
Something you wouldn’t see in the States. Fireworks for our 20th anniversary, in the Tiramisu and Pistachio Pie.
Speaking of food, this fluffy crescentina bread from Emilia Romagna is one of my favorite things on earth.
On my first date with Joe, we went to the Fogg Museum in Cambridge, MA, where they had the terracotta models for these angels by Bernini that line the Ponte Sant’Angelo bridge. I cried when I first saw them in person.
They’re replacing many of the Sampiatrini stones in the city center because they are expensive and very hard on bikes and cars, but these centuries-old cobbles give the city so much of its character.
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It's so hard to be away--- I remember going crazy during Covid, not being able to get to Italy for almost a year. But at least your reasons for a delayed visit are more positive. Love these photos-- especially Villa Farnese and Ostia Antica. So many unforgettable places....
It's so hard to be away--- I remember going crazy during Covid, not being able to get to Italy for almost a year. But at least your reasons for a delayed visit are more positive. Love these photos-- especially Villa Farnese and Ostia Antica. So many unforgettable places....