IT'S A BOOK! THIS ITALIAN LIFE - People and Places

CHIAVARI, Italy - For many of us there comes a time when we think about the things we have always wanted to do and ask ourselves, if not now, when. For me that time came in 1990 when I decided to fulfill my lifelong dream to live in Italy.

For as long as I could remember, I wanted to live here, but it wasn’t until I took my first trip to Italy back in the 1980’s, that it all became real. I knew the minute I stepped off the plane in Fiumicino airport in Rome that I belonged here, I could feel it in my bones. This was where I was supposed to be.

In May 1990 I packed my books, my measuring spoons, my Diego Rivera Watermelon print and moved to the Italian Riviera.

Now, after twenty-five years of living in this land of contradictions and complications, this Italian life has become a book.  It’s a rather unusual travel book. It’s not about what to see or which restaurants to eat in, it’s about the people I have met, and places I have gotten to know.  They are the best part of living here and I want you to meet them like I did, one person and one place at a time.

People often tell me I’m brave or courageous, but truthfully it’s the Italians who are brave and courageous. Some of their stories will make you laugh, others will bring tears to your eyes, but one thing they will all do is touch your heart just like they touched mine. And they still do.

The e-book is now available at

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/582219