My Umbria Blog (or what living here is really like)

Living here in Umbria has truly been an amazing experience. The story began kind of as a lark — a weekend trip to Italy to look at a palazzo I had been told about and never expected to buy — has become the adventure of a lifetime. It’s tested me and stretched me and created a new person. It’s also something I enjoy sharing. Read on . . .

Gay Umbria 2019 update

Gay Umbria update 2019 Desperately wanting to reinvent myself, in 2008 I moved to Umbria at 50. Call it brave or desperate. Hmm. . . ...
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Pumpkin ravioli

Pumpkin Ravioli Halloween is not an official holiday in Italy but it has been since the American moved to Bettona.  Most years since I moved ...
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Lo Spagna in Umbria

Discovering Lo Spagna in Umbria Some may think me the adventurer. But it’s not true. Not that true anyway. I’m not like others who are ...
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Pappardelle with lemon sauce

Pappardelle with lemon sauce Since moving to Bettona it has been my custom to return to New York for the winter. I know that’s not ...
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Pasta fagioli

Pasta fagioli (Bean soup) If someone were to make a video about mispronounced Italian words, mispronounced Italian food words would take up more than half ...
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Bringing a taste of Umbria to Soho

Bringing a taste of Umbria to Soho Word has gotten out that I’m a decent cook. While some of it is thanks to my mother, ...
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Life in the trenches: 2015

Just when I thought it was safe to out again. Some friends finally convinced me to attend another Saturday night installment of Dancing Queer here ...
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Of friends and polpette

Of Friends and Polpette One of my first ‘best’ friends in Bettona is the unstoppable Loretta Bartolini. Sister of Paola, the banker without whom I’d ...
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Food: The Amazing Villa Roncalli

Food: The Amazing Villa Roncalli Have you ever found a restaurant where, after the first bite, you felt you were home? Or the home you ...
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Saint Francis of Assisi and the Spirit of Umbria Tour

Discover Saint Francis of Assisi and the Spirit of Umbria Tour Join us for a week-long (7 days/7 nights) journey to discover the spirit of ...
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The World’s Largest White Truffle

The World’s Largest White Truffle That it weighed in at 1.89 kilos (or 4.16 pounds) is one thing. That we braved a frigid morning driving an hour ...
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It’s a free country, Love who you want

It’s a free country, Love who you want aWeekinUmbria.com and BestDerutaPottery.com offer these wonderful mugs made specially for the LGBT community. Deruta has been famous ...
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Best Deruta Ceramics

Purchase extraordinary ceramics online at bestderutapottery.com It is no secret that I’m in love with Deruta ceramics. My first trip here (in 1999) was specifically ...
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Gay Umbria: Local Color

Baby Love: Report from the Trenches 2014 Yes, Roberto, there is a gay Umbria. Although there are a limited number of drag queens here, you ...
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Gay Umbria: Life’s a Drag

Gay Umbria: Finding my way 2008: First, a little background on fitting into the gay scene in Umbria. Remember there is the constant uphill battle ...
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Eurochocolate

EUROCHOCOLATEOctober 13-22, 2017 The chocolate festival to end all chocolate festivals, Eurochocolate, comes to Perugia once again in October. Chocolate lovers from all over Italy ...
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