by | May 7, 2013 | Writing
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,...
by | May 5, 2013 | Television, Writing
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...
by | May 5, 2013 | Food, Writing
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,...
by | May 4, 2013 | Writing
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...
by | May 2, 2013 | Acting, Plays, The Affair, Writing
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...
by | May 2, 2013 | Writing
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...
by | May 1, 2013 | Food, Writing
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...
by | Apr 30, 2013 | Food, Writing
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,...
by | Apr 29, 2013 | Food, Writing
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...
by | Apr 28, 2013 | Random Musings, Writing
My favorite thing to do when I vist the Vatican is nun watch. But after my college roommate waited 45 minutes while I pretended I was Maria in The Sound of Music, she was ready to do something a bit more…cultural. So we went to the Vatican museum. I thought it...
