How to Italy

Some Sunday morning thoughts

Laura Buonanno sent me this collection of Italy quotes a while back and I thought I'd share them with you here.

What is the fatal charm of Italy? What do we find there that can be found nowhere else? I believe it is a certain permission to be human, which other places, other countries, lost long ago. - Erica Jong

Italy is a dream that keeps returning for the rest of your life. - Anna Akhmatova

My love affair with Italy

As many of you know, I fell in love with Italy when I was a 19-year-old aupair with seriously, seriously bad Italian. I couldn't understand a word of anything anyone said to me. But even so, the magic of the country seeped through. I was hooked. Big time.

That summer, I spent time both in Naples and in the tiny village of Rivisondoli high up in the mountains of Abruzzo.

The buzz of Naples was something I'll never ever forget. Yes, it was bad. It was dangerous. And boys on their vespas were forever trying to snatch my handbag. But I was like a bee to a honeypot. I just couldn't get enough.