Karin Loves Italia

 It is hot. It is so hot. It is unpleasantly hot. It is excruciatingly, unbearably, godawful, curse-worthy hot. I thought 108 degrees wouldn't feel much different from 103 degrees, but it does. It feels much, much worse.  For a little amusement we slip outside periodically to watch Italians pull their petulant dogs down the street to do their business. The dogs do not like this activity. They rebel. They refuse to move. As I was being manicured the other day a woman pulled her pug into the shop where he instantly collapsed onto the cool tile floor. I ruined three nails taking this picture, but I couldn't resist.  Harold and I are not stupid. We knew Florence would likely be hot in July. But hot and excruciatingly, unbearably, godawful curse-worthy hot are two different things. Every Italian we encounter has told us it has never been this bad for this long. But enough about the heat, let's talk about the dirt, shall we? As I said in a past blog, the drought here is unprece...

Italy's government is on the brink of collapse. Prime Minister Draghi offered to resign on Thursday, opening up a path for a new government.  President, Sergio Mattarella, however, did not accept the resignation. Inflation is high, the drought is unprecedented and war in Europe rages on.  But you'll hear no schadenfreude from me. I do not take heart in the fact that the country of my temporary residence is just as effed-up as the one I left three months ago.  I feel sad and discouraged on both fronts. On all fronts. Our earth is the cesspool of the universe right now.  That said, we just returned from a lovely five days on the Amalfi Coast. It has been two weeks since my last blog.  We spent the first in Florence, visiting our favorite haunts, taking long strolls in the evenings when the weather is cool(er), and getting our last minute shopping done. The euro and the dollar are equal at last! We are almost as familiar with Florence now as we are with Newtown. Th...

A few years ago, 60 Minutes  aired a segment about the annual Palio horse race in Siena. It was fascinating.  So much so that Harold and I decided if we were ever to travel to Italy again we would add the Palio to our list of must-see events.  We can now check it off our bucket list.  But rather than saying we "saw" the Palio, it would be more apt to say we "survived" it.  FIRST A BRIEF EXPLANATION The Palio is a horse race that takes place twice a year (July 2nd and August 16th) in Piazza del Campo, the main square (actually oval) of Siena. It has been an ongoing annual event since the 1100s. The Palio's  cancellation due to Covid was the first time it had been cancelled since World War II.  Seventeen horses compete in the race, each representing one of the 17 contrade (districts) of Siena.  The contrade were established in the Middle Ages in order to supply troops to the many military companies that were hired to defend Siena as it fought to pre...

 I ordinarily write a blog post once per week, but yesterday was a highly unusual day so I am filing a special report. Yesterday was John the Baptist Day in Florence.  John the Baptist (St. Giovanni) is the patron saint of Florence, and the importance of his feast day is right up there with Christmas in the Florentine calendar.  I only know this because the housekeeper who comes every two weeks told me she couldn't come yesterday because of the holiday. Three major events are held on June 24th each year.  The first is a lengthy parade of people, cows and horses all dressed in Medieval costumes. All of them have their heads firmly on their shoulders. Thankfully, there were no reenactments of what happened to John the Baptist! I took these photos and videos from the television. We were advised to watch from home. Do note that yesterday it was 94 degrees in Florence!  I don't have photos of the women participants, but most of them were wearing velvet gowns.  T...

For quite some time I have been telling my sons that when I die, many years from now, I would like them to sprinkle some of my ashes in front of each and every Broadway theater. My fondest desire is unlimited access to shows throughout eternity.  After visiting Lake Como, however, I am rethinking this strategy.  My new plan is to have the three of them journey to this magnificent locale together, ask our new friend, Alberto, to drive them into the lake on a traditional wooden boat, and dump me overboard.  Heaven is Lake Como. See? Speaking of death, I tried to catch up on the headlines while on the train to Como.  This one from The New York Times caught my eye.  "Drinking Coffee Lowers Your Risk of Death."   Really?  I have always believed my risk of death is 100%, but if drinking a few cups of coffee a day can lower that risk, I'm all for it.  I have had two fully caffeinated cups of Americano every day since reading that article, and I...