Author Gayle

Here’s the thing about hand-made pasta … there are so many things that can go wrong during the process, it’s a wonder any pasta ever actually makes it to the table. And yet it does and it’s enjoyed by people… Continue Reading →

Enzo Ferrari once said if you ask someone to draw a fast car they’ll colour it red. Certainly it’s a theory that seems to hold true for the designers of very fast Italian cars and motorbikes. Lately we’ve been indulging… Continue Reading →

In the two months we’ve been here in northern Italy, we’ve visited probably several dozen churches and cathedrals. Every one has been different; some soaring and grand, others small and simple. Many contain masterpieces, precious paintings and sculptures that alone… Continue Reading →

They say that if you love someone you should take them to Verona. This beautiful city is probably best known as the setting for Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare’s epic tale of romance and tragedy. But the Bard’s star-crossed lovers are not… Continue Reading →

Recently we were wandering home from the local grocery shop when we met an Italian Master Violin Maker (as you do). Aaron Lorenzo Orfei is a ‘Maestro Liutaio’ (from the French word luth) which means he builds, repairs and restores stringed instruments…. Continue Reading →

By now you’re thinking ‘surely it can’t all be blue skies and sunshine?’, but it’s true that so far we really haven’t had any significant problems. Certainly sometimes even the simplest things have taken a bit of working out: Who… Continue Reading →

This week we visited Ravenna, known for its stunning 5th and 6th Century mosaics. Close to the Adriatic coast, Ravenna is about 90 minutes by train south-east of Bologna. In this small city, which has a a population of only… Continue Reading →

Here’s a question for you: what do Dr Who, Outlander and Bologna have in common? The link between the first two isn’t hard to guess, but what you may not know is that there’s also a portal to the past… Continue Reading →

So almost three weeks down and we’re settling nicely into our life here in Bologna. The local summer holidays are coming to an end and little shops around the place are starting to reopen. Turns out there’s a great take-away… Continue Reading →