Day three of the Piedmont bike trip turned into quite an interesting day. We had a 47-mile trek, long climbs, steep climbs, a wipeout on an invisible oil slick and an Italian couple who came to the aid of one of the group. And it rained. The ride was long because we left Alba and went …
Itinerary for the day We started the second day of the Piedmont bike tour with a truffle hunting excursion in the woods. Tour leader Cristiano Bonino introduced us to a longtime dog trainer, puppy-in-training in tow, and we learned how they train, how they introduce the dog to truffles (put pieces in their food) and …
Continue reading Cycling in Piedmont: Day Two. Truffle Hunting and a Trip to Barolo
Cristiano holds the itinerary for the day, with a few edits. I made these signs a week before the trip. Some things change! Our first day started with bike fittings in the hotel garage. We all sent in our measurements but once you’re on the bike, it’s all about adjustments. Then we wandered around Alba …
Continue reading Cycling in Piedmont: Day One. Around Alba and a Trip to Barbaresco
My second cycling trip to Italy was just a bit different from the first one I took three years ago. In 2019, I went to Puglia, the heel of Italy, where it’s basically flat. I was new to cycling trips and it was the perfect mix of flat roads with a few climbs. The touring …
It was September 1982. I was a freshman at Ohio University and I had learned a few months earlier that my cousin John was a senior there. I got his telephone number and called him. He knew about me being there. We just needed to connect. When I reached him, the conversation went something like, “John, this is your …
"Believe in yourself. I believe in you. Get that ‘get-up-and-go’ spirit back. You have had a good year so far because you took risks and were willing to work hard. Let it continue.” They are words that are as relevant to me today as they were then. Today marks ten years that she’s been gone. …
Continue reading Ten Years Later, Mom’s Words Still Resonate. It’s All About Italy
When my dad died suddenly last December, we couldn’t hold a memorial service for him because of Covid-19 restrictions. So I honored him in my own way. I watched Walt Disney’s “The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes.” Dad and Disney movies went hand-in-hand. There wasn’t a Disney movie that came out when I was a kid …
Continue reading Remembering Dad, the Funniest Guy in the Room
"It's wonderful to not hear the sound of the ambulance sirens." That’s what my cousin Elena in Milan wrote when I asked her about life in Italy now, as the country continues to re-open after a two-month lockdown. Her building is on a thoroughfare that leads to three different hospitals. People are starting to go …
I’ve been chronicling for the past month how some of my cousins and friends in Italy have been managing their lives during the nationwide lockdown. Last week they were given the news that the quarantine will stay in place for another three weeks, through May 3. “Let’s hope we don’t go crazy at home for …
Two weeks ago, I reached out to my relatives and friends in Italy to find out how they’ve been dealing with the national lockdown to control the spread of Covid-19 from the coronavirus. They seemed to be handling it all with grit and patience, making jokes about how clean their houses are and lamenting not …
1cannolo, 2cannoli 