food
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What made Italians?
Near the end of the 1969 movie “The Secret of Santa Vittoria,” the psychological battle between the Nazi captain and the slyly submissive mayor of the Italian town (played lovably by Anthony Quinn) reaches a tense climax. The two men… Continue reading
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Sabato marcheto
I am not a fan of shopping in America. Unlike those who enjoy it, I am a snorkel diver, swimming through my search or shopping list as if I might run out of oxygen before I reach checkout. Street markets… Continue reading
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Sic transit!
Germans display their orderliness even in a labor strike. The pilots of Lufthansa joined their fellow workers by holding a two-day strike, April 13 and 14. Danke schön, I picture management negotiators saying, and promptly informing us by email that… Continue reading
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By the Sea
It’s time to talk food and drink. This is Italy, after all. I’ll introduce you to one local dish and one high-octane Fanese coffee drink. Both relate to the Adriatic fishing that has been the lifeblood of Fano since before… Continue reading
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Lost in Translation
As Americans, we are twice-removed from how it feels to be in a European country. Our political consciousness is shaped by a two-party system (now more emotionally tribal than conservative-liberal) and elections set on two- and four-year cycles, rather than… Continue reading
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Putting on the Ritz
Here’s a cultural contrast between a pretty Sunday in Italy and one in the United States. It’s based, unfairly, on my own unscientific impressions. In Italy, I was lucky to be on the faculty of a one-month program for five… Continue reading
An American journalist heads for Italy to see his country changing from afar. 