November 25, 2016
Many different countries have celebrated some sort of harvest feast- Native Americans celebrate with a corn dance, while Jewish people honor the end of the agricultural season with Sukkot. The Romans honored the God Ceres with a celebration called Cerelia, where they celebrated the first fruits of the season by…
November 9, 2016
On June 24, Florence celebrates the feast day for its patron saint, St. John the Baptist, considered the “symbol of moral rectitude and political correctness.” Medieval Florence aspired to build its economic fortune and good government of the Republic based (at least in part) upon these values. All well and…
October 29, 2016
Travelling over rolling hills through northwestern Sicily, you may find yourself in the countryside of Corleone. The unassuming town is set in a dramatic valley of stunning beauty 70 km south of Sicily’s capital, Palermo. Corleone is synonymous with the gory, dark history of the Mafia. Once the stronghold of…
October 9, 2016
Trending in Sicilia: What to look for; what you can’t leave behind I’ve just finished a brilliant week on the isle of Sicilia. Stepping into an old Sicilian street, you may see caged canaries in display windows, vendors selling an assortment of colorful herbs, and fresh fish piled high in…
September 14, 2016
European white truffles may well be the most expensive food in the world. With prices upward of $3600/pound in a slim year (supply and demand truly rule this market), white truffles top even Russian caviar ounce per ounce. Focusing solely on Italian truffles (tartufo sing. or tartufi plural), the most…
August 24, 2016
This point in the summer finds me searching for good TV entertainment. I ran across Da Vinci’s Demons, a very engaging if fantastical look at the genius as a young man struggling against multiple obstacles in 15th century Florence. You might love or hate the 3-season TV series, but it…
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