Getting back up on the bike: literally and figuratively
Two years ago, when I fell during the 600 mile AIDS lifecycle from San Francisco to Los Angeles, I thought it would be hard to get back on the bike. I was scared, sore and maimed...with 21 stitches stretching from my eye to my cheekbone. But I got back up...because it...
Life lessons from Italy #10 – Wine, a lesson in six bottles
Amarone, Barbaresco, Barbera, Barolo Brunello di Montalcino, Chianti, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo and Valpolicella...I tried them all. There was a lot of wine in Italy and I tried them all, often asking waiters for the best local wines they served. I sniffed, tasted,...
Life lessons from Italy #9 – The Italian Downton Abbey
I love Downton Abbey. From the first piano note of the rapturous theme song, I have been addicted to the colorful conflicts of the fictional aristocrats and proletarians. I can easily see myself in several of the characters: I'm a cross between Lady Sybil,...
Life lessons from Italy #8 – All pastas are not created equal
I've done Atkins... but I love carbs. I've done Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig... but I love carbs. I've done Lindora and Nutrisystem and South Beach... but I love carbs. And Italy is the capital of carbs. To be a connoisseur of pasta, one has to learn the alphabet...
Life lessons from Italy #7 – The art of packing and why I love Scott Vests
My life as an amateur packer began when, at seven, I watched my mom packing for her vacation. I wasn't quite sure why one needed eight black tee shirts. So, I became her mini consultant...putting her suitcase on an immediate diet. As I grew up and went on vacations of...
Life lesson from Italy #6 – The importance of theatre and why I love actors
I had the privilege which I hope every playwright should have - I got to see my play performed in a different language: First Sister Cities in French...now The Affair in Italian. Sitting in the eighth row of a gorgeous old theatre in a tiny Italian town, I got to be...
Life lesson from Italy #5 – When in Rome…
When I was in college, I saw Rome in a day. Literally. Traveling the way only 20 year olds can travel...with a heavy knapsack and a light budget. And the budget dictated that I could avoid spending the night in a hotel room if I took the train from Florence to Venice...
Life lesson from Italy #4 – The Art of the Slow Meal and how to unplug
I’m guilty. I multitask when I eat, especially if I’m eating alone. Ambidextrous, I can eat with either my right or left hand while simultaneously checking my email, texting or Facebooking. Yes, the verb facebooking. In Italy, I unplugged...because eating is not a...
Life lesson from Italy #3 – It’s okay to be a tourist…if you eat lots of Gelato
Vats of Gelato. Gallons of Gelato. Entire Storefronts of Gelato. When I travel, I don’t wear socks with sandals or bright colors sneakers or Chico’s ensembles. I don’t want to look like an American, I want to blend in. I like to look the part when I travel. Yet,...
Life lesson from Italy #2 – Some of the best restaurants look like brothels
Never judge a restaurant by its appearance. I single handedly ate my way through most of Italy and during my gastronomic journey I discovered that oftentimes the best meals were at the sketchiest looking restaurants. Sure, dining on the rooftop of the Danieli Hotel is...