Of all the haunting images of Pompeii that have been uncovered in the three centuries since the archaeological site was rediscovered, it is the plaster casts of the many victims that drives the tragedy home to the heart. As we see bodies huddled in fear or sprawled on the floor as they sought ...
Steinbeck’s Salty Turkey and Thanksgiving in Amalfi
As an expat, holidays are always a bit different from what they once were. You can recreate traditions, but without the familiar places and, most of all, the familiar faces of family and friends, the holiday can feel quite flat. Of course, there are new families created and friends found, but it's ...
Big News … Moon Amalfi Coast 2nd Edition Coming Out in 2021!
Amidst the stress and challenges that 2020 has presented there has been one very welcome surprise. Earlier this year I received an unexpected email from Moon Travel Guides, the publisher of my guidebook Moon Amalfi Coast with Capri, Naples & Pompeii. Thanks to all of the lovely people who have ...
Book Review | Always Italy by Frances Mayes & Ondine Cohane
There's never been a moment quite like the present when we all need a way to hold the beauty of Italy in our hands. COVID-19 has changed the landscape of travel and left so many people canceling long-awaited vacations, destination weddings, and family holidays. Or maybe just left that dream of ...
Recipes from Expats in Positano
The joy that comes from cooking and sharing meals is a staple of Italian daily life. During the long days of quarantine on the Amalfi Coast, time together over lunch and dinner was often the highlight of the days for many families. In fact, in the early days of quarantine the only thing you might ...
Connoisseurs of Blue
Blue wasn't always my favorite color. When I was young, I don't even recall having a favorite color. I wasn't ever particularly good at coming up with an answer to those inane yet popular favorite thing questions kids seem so fond of asking. Over the years, it's more like I've grown into blue. From ...
New Live Streaming Amalfi Coast Cooking Classes with Mamma Agata Live
If you've been missing the flavors of the Amalfi Coast, I have some exciting news. The Mamma Agata Cooking School has launched a series of live streaming cooking classes direct from their kitchen in Ravello! Since so many travelers are unable to make it to the Amalfi Coast this year, they've created ...
Amalfi Coast Tourism Restarts
After months of being quarantined and a slow restart, earlier this month marked the reopening of travel between regions in Italy and, an even bigger step, the reopening of borders in the European Union. While we're all happy here in Amalfi to see shops and restaurants opening again, it has been ...
Dream of Italy Capri Special Report
When you think of Italy, where do you dream of visiting? For so many travelers around the world, the Amalfi Coast and Capri are top of that list. It was exactly the same for me. Living here for more than a decade has only confirmed what I felt on that first visit. This place has a certain something ...
A Glimpse of My Scala in Italia! Magazine
While travel and most everything has been on hold this spring, the April 2020 issue of Italia! Magazine featured an article I wrote called 48 Hours in Scala. For those of you following Ciao Amalfi for some time now, you'll know that I've spent a lot more than 48 hours in Scala. About 12 years ...
