Goodbye to Our Nonno House

Autumn is slowly creeping into our area. The grape and olive harvests are in full swing. The days are lovely and warm, but not uncomfortably hot. Nights are sometimes cool enough for a light blanket. For some reason, autumn always reminds me of Nonno’s house, our summer home. It’s the house my husband was bornContinue reading “Goodbye to Our Nonno House”

Cilento’s Caciocavallo Cheese

Caciocavallo cheese, made from the milk of the famous Podolica cows of southern Italy, is hard to beat! My husband’s area in Cilento (deep in the mountains of Salerno) is full of these grass-fed cows. The meat is 100% organic, grass-fed and so good. And the cheese – well, it’s just out of this world!Continue reading “Cilento’s Caciocavallo Cheese”

The Village Morning

Sitting here at the kitchen table, I hear the shepherd who lives uphill start his dilapidated truck. It seems quieter this time. Perhaps he has repaired it since our last visit. Or maybe our closed windows muffle the rattle. But it’s a welcome sound. For this quiet mountain village sinks into a deep silence asContinue reading “The Village Morning”

Italian Worm Cheese and Culture Shock

We have a saying in Italian. Non c’รจ niente di nuovo sotto il sole. (There is nothing new under the sun.) And yes, I know it’s from the Bible. But I also know that King Solomon, who wrote it, didn’t live in a foreign country. Otherwise, I wonder if he would have changed it to: “There is somethingContinue reading “Italian Worm Cheese and Culture Shock”

In Paul’s Footsteps: Pozzuoli Naples

A few years ago we were able to visit a church in Pozzuoli, a town where the apostle Paul landed on his way to Rome! They even have a sign in the harbor that shows where he disembarked, and we couldn’t help but wonder what it was like back then and how he felt. AfterContinue reading “In Paul’s Footsteps: Pozzuoli Naples”

Chestnuts Bursting on an Open Fire

Chestnuts, an open fire, and the importance of finding joy in simple things. The fire didn’t heat better out of the fireplace. All it really did was create more smoke! Although no one would ever convince the dear, stubborn, old man of that! Yet we fondly remember those simple evenings of reading by the fireContinue reading “Chestnuts Bursting on an Open Fire”