In our little village of Citta Sant’Angelo, signs of Easter began springing up weeks ago. Shop owners hung pastel construction-paper bunnies in their windows; grocery aisles overflowed with large chocolate eggs wrapped in foil; and bakeries started selling packages of colomba (a dove-shaped cake kind...

Snowflakes the size of golf balls are falling outside the windows, and Luke, Charlie and I are huddled on the couch in front of the electric radiator. It’s been a month since we moved into our Abruzzo apartment, and the best decision I’ve made is...

It’s three days before the new year, and our coastal Croatian apartment is littered with stuff. Plastic IKEA tubs have been pulled out from under the beds, filled with reusable water bottles and exercise equipment. Kitchen cabinets sit open, reminding me of all the food...

It’s 8:30am in Benkovac, Croatia, and already I’ve learned my new word of the day: “živjeli” (pronounced ji-vo-lee), or “cheers.”  The shot of homemade brandy burns my throat, and my host Vito holds up the bottle—a proud smile on his face. He says this is how...

Before my parents came to visit us in Abruzzo, I spent hours trying to research what we should do. I’d found lists of the best things to see, but got overwhelmed when looking at the map. There was just so much —and no suggested itineraries.  Abruzzo...

Ever since I was a kid and saw the “I Love Lucy” episode where she stomps grapes, I’ve dreamt about climbing into a wooden wine barrel and doing the same—dancing and stomping with the Italian countryside as my background.  And a few weeks ago, my dream...

It’s 7:30 on a Sunday night and Luke and I are the first customers to arrive at Perilli Arrosticini: a family-run restaurant famous for its lamb skewers.  The staff are still in their pre-shift meeting, but one of the cooks waves us in, yelling “Benvenuto! Buonasera!...

It’s 8am in Atri, and Luke and I are sitting outside a cafe enjoying capuccini and a bomba: Abruzzo’s answer to the custard-filled donut. It’s market day, and it seems the entire patio of patrons is there to people-watch. ...