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. . . ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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, ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...