Contributors
These are the wonderful and extremely knowledgeable people who have chosen to share their love for Italy with us at Italian Notebook.
Interested in being a contributor too? Click here and let us know!
GB – Chief, cook, bottle-washer
GB launched Italian Notebook with the objective of taking his dual insider/outsider perspective on Italy to the web. He is quite pleased that publishing the material has received such a great response (. . thank you all!), and is looking forward to adding exciting new features to the site.
Born in Germany, raised in France and Italy, both a US and Italian citizen, educated at Penn in Philadelphia, he now lives in Rome again where proximity to good coffee is a non-issue.
Beth Anderson – Photographer, Pilot, Attorney
I’ve always been keenly interested in travel and it’s rare to see me without a camera when I’m on the road. Having lived in the Washington DC metro area for nearly 20 years I am now almost a native, and while I am a traveler and photographer by heart, I am an attorney by trade. In my next life I plan to be a full-time photographer and spend a lot more time in Italy. You can enjoy more of my photography here: www.compassrosegalleries.com.
Eleonora Baldwin – Bi-lingual food & wine connoisseur, home cook, freelance writer, film industry script supervisor and travel enthusiast.
Lives in Rome with her 4 year old son, where she is currently editing her Italian cookbook/lifestyle manuscript. Eleonora is the author/editor of three popular weblogs:
AGLIO, OLIO & PEPERONCINO a food/lifestyle blog which focuses on Italian cuisine, food history, travel musings and local hang-outs.
FORCHETTINE, written in Italian; an Italian food-lover’s online guide in which the author reviews restaurant facilities and regional specialties in Italy.
ROMA EVERY DAY a daily photo blog of the Eternal City.
Diana Strinati Baur – Innkeeper, Potter, Writer
Diana lives in the southwest corner of Piemonte, Italy. She and her husband Michael gave up the corporate game to renovate an old farm in a beautiful Romanesque spa town called Acqui Terme. Together with Michael she runs the Baur B&B, throws pots in her studio and writes regularly for on-line travel websites as well as her on blog, creativestructures.blogspot.com. You can find her B&B at www.baurbb.com.
Rebecca Bell – Writer, Communication Consultant
Rebecca Bell is a published writer and communications consultant based currently in Italy, with more than eleven years of marketing and promotions experience. Specializing in creative solutions that support bottom-line objectives, she served as public relations director for an upscale retailer and as director of communications for a business-to-business service provider before perusing freelance writing..
Penny Ewles-Bergeron - Writer, Artist
Penny is the English half of an Anglo-American couple who met through an advert in Private Eye. Their love affair with Italy began with a honeymoon in San Gimignano. Now enjoying a wildly different part of the country thanks to NATO, Penny lives in the centre of Naples. She wrote and published a children’s guide to the city of Cambridge, England, and a selection of her paintings may be seen here.
Gretchen Bloom -
- Gretchen is an Italian Notebook reader, Central Italy expert, and a recent Senior Advisor at the UN’s World Food Program as well as head of WFP’s Programme Unit in Kabul, Afghanistan, for 15 months. Expert in gender issues and community health.
Rosemary and Bob Connelly – Writer/watercolorist, and Photographer.
For two years, Rosemary, a watercolorist with Italian roots and her husband Bob, a photographer, lived in Italy, renting small, furnished apartments in four different regions. They amassed over 30,000 photographs and hundreds of watercolor journal paintings from favorite travel destinations like Rome, Florence, Venice and Naples, to less visited cities off the beaten path in Umbria, the Veneto, Sicily and the Amalfi Coast. Visit their website www.livecheapmakeart.com to see more of their travel art. (All text and images © Rosemary and Bob Connelly)
Context Travel – the Experience of Place
Context Travel was founded in Rome, Italy in 2002 as a collaborative of architects, art historians, archeologists, cooks, sommeliers and other specialists who organize and lead small-group walking seminars. We have subsequently grown and expanded to Florence, Venice, Naples, Paris, London, New York and Istanbul.
We draw on the tremendous breadth of expertise that our scholars possess to craft exceptional experiences in our cities. In addition, Context is committed to a high level of cultural, social and environmental responsibility within our programs and beyond. For more information regarding Context and our programs, visit our website www.contexttravel.com.
Mary Jane Cryan – Author, Historian, Cruise Ship Lecturer
Planning a Mediterranean cruise? You might meet our first contributor who is often guest lecturer aboard luxury cruise ships of the Silversea, Princess, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity lines.
Resident in Italy for almost half a century, Mary Jane Cryan writes for Italian and English magazines, guidebooks, and has authored several books about central Italy. Her new collection of travel and history essays Etruria Past and Present is scheduled for publication this summer. For a preview check her award-winning website www.elegantetruria.com.
Evanne Brandon Diner – Writer, Artist
Evanne Brandon Diner has spent the past five years trying to uncover the real history of her village’s patron saint. In the meantime, she feels she’s been reborn as a violinist, painter and chroniclier of local village life in Northern Lazio. Born in Boston, she and her husband lived in San Francisco for many years before moving to Italy in 2002. For information about how to buy or restore property or settle into Central Italy like a native, or just to peruse Evanne’s journal, visit their website at www.lavventuraitalia.com.
Michelle Fabio – Writer, Blogger, Attorney
Michelle Fabio is a freelance writer who has lived in her ancestors’ village in Calabria, the toe of the boot, since 2003. A licensed attorney, Michelle has written for America’s oldest daily legal newspaper, Philadelphia’s Legal Intelligencer, International Living, Transitions Abroad, Create Magazine, Women’s Independent Press, and LegalZoom.com. You can read more about Michelle, her writing, Calabrian fiancé Paolo, two adorable trilingual (English, Italian, Calabrese) dogs Luna and Stella, and experiments in the kitchen at Bleeding Espresso.
Lisa Finerty – Garden Lover
I have been living in Italy along with my husband Tom and our two children for five years — this time. Since living here as a child 39 years ago, I have made significant life stops in Chicago, Minnesota, and Santa Barbara CA, where I have always built and maintained a garden. There’s something about the satisfaction and pleasure of a garden that is like no other. After visiting the Italian gardens in and around Rome and finding myself going back time and time again, I decided to start my own tour business, www.SecretGardensItaly.com with the hopes of sharing these magical, magnificent and historic gardens with others.
Barbara Goldfield – Travel Consultant
Barbara came to Rome with her family in 1961 and in 1965 her parents opened the Economy Book Center, a new and used paperback bookstore on the Spanish Steps. She grew up in Italy, and worked for many years as a dancer, teacher and choreographer. From 1982 she worked as managing director of the family business until the end of 2004 when the bookstore closed definitevely. She now lives with her husband Federico and their german shepherd Sabra in Sant’Agata dei Goti where they run their travel consultancy www.SavourTheSannio.com.
Dana Kaplan – Freelance copy editor, proofreader, writer
Dana uses the charming lakefront city of Stresa, on Lago Maggiore, as her headquarters in Italy from which to discover the beauty, foods, and wines of the region. She writes her observations in a blog, Stresa Sights, which she hopes is a help to all who want to visit the area.
Dana ha scelto Stresa, bella città sulle sponde del lago Maggiore come sua base in Italia dalla quale viaggia per scoprire le bellezze, il cibo ed il vino di tutta la regione. Lei scrive le sue osservazioni su un blog, StresaSights, che spera sia utile a tutti coloro che vorranno visitare quest’area.
Visit Dana and Stresa at: www.stresasights.blogspot.com
Tiziana Manzetti – Italian Ceramic Expert, Co-founder of thatsArte.com
After a long and rewarding experience in the marketing department of an American company in Rome, Tiziana moved abroad as happy spouse, and mother of two cheerful boys. She came back to Italy in 2002, when she started studying and collecting hand made pottery from all over Italy.
Inspired by her passion she has recently launched thatsArte.com, an Italian ceramic web store devoted to the US market. She involved her best friend, Manuela, in the project. Together they selected talented potters from Umbria (Deruta and Gubbio), Tuscany and Sicily. They also started a thatsArte Blog, where pottery lovers can find any kind of info related to Italian pottery.
Lee McIntyre- Freelance writer and photographer.
Lee is an American expat living in Bolzano/Bozen, Italy, taking a break from her high-tech career (as an award-winning software designer) while working on her Italian language skills and enjoying the freedom to pursue her passion for photography. Lee has published a book of one of her photos projects, A Year of One a Days. Look for her blog about life in Bolzano/Bozen coming soon.
Lisa Meyer Club Organizer, International Woman of Mystery (and an R.N. just in case)
Would you like to meet new friends in Italy? Would you like to meet others in the U.S. that enjoy Italy as much as you do? Club Tutti International is an Italian social, language and travel club. We have events in Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Ft. Lauderdale, Miami, Las Vegas, NYC, Firenze, Milano and Roma. Club Tutti is much more than just a club, it is one “big Italian family”! The goal of Club Tutti is to continue the support and friendship we have found through our common bond, Italy!
Cherrye Moore – Writer, Bed and Breakfast Owner
Cherrye Moore grew up in rural Southeast Texas in the heart of the Big Thicket. She began writing at an early age, and became a published writer in her teens. After college she worked for the mouse in Orlando and was offered a position with the World Exchange Program at Disneyland Paris in France. There she met her future husband and embarked on her Calabrese adventure. In addition to writing, she and her husband own Il Cedro Bed and Breakfast in Catanzaro. You can read more about Cherrye on her blog, My Bella Vita.
Douglas Morris – Author
Douglas E. Morris is the author of Open Road’s Best of Italy, Florence Made Easy, Rome Made Easy, and Venice Made Easy. He has lived in Italy for over ten years and currently resides in Viterbo. You can contact the author through his website: www.TheItalyGuide.com.
Françoise Mouton- Professional Photographer
A professional photographer who loves taking photos of Rome, (and is a great business photographer as well). French is spoken. www.rmstudioroma.it
Monica J. Pileggi Contract Specialist, Photographer and Traveler.
Born in Spain and growing up in Central America, the Far East and Hawaii, Monica has a passion for traveling and photography. Her travels to Italy, France, Greece, Germany, and most recently China, are experiences that she willingly and enthusiastically shares with a large group of travel enthusiasts. You can view the photographs that documents her travel impressions on
www.pileggiphotography.com.
Vanessa DellaPasqua – Culinary Travel Service Planner, Entrepreneur
Vanessa DellaPasqua is the founder of Global Epicurean (www.globalepicurean.com), a bespoke travel services provider that focuses on culinary trips. Global Epicurean also publishes Italy in SF (www.italyinsf.com), a directory of everything Italian in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Born and raised in the culinary paradise of Romagna, in Italy, she grew up in the hotel and restaurants that were the family business. Her core passions are food and travel – that’s how Global Epicurean was born. In particular, Vanessa’s interest resides in exploring cooking as an expression of culture.
Vanessa holds a Masters from Bologna University and an MBA from the Haas School of Business. She lives between Romagna and San Francisco.
Layne Randolph – Int’l Attorney, Freelance Writer
Layne Randolph is an international attorney and freelance writer living in Italy. She has worked with Italian and American companies to produce marketing materials including websites, brochures, press releases and various sales materials. She has worked with Italian law firms to assist in preparation of documents for international tribunals, and she has been a speaker and presenter on various legal issues. She has published articles in several magazines and newspapers – typically in the areas of politics, travel, and law. Her current long term writing projects include a book on reinventing oneself, and a situation comedy for television. You can read some of her work at www.laynerandolph.com.
Normanno Ross – TV Producer, Special Events Organiser, Romaphile
Norman Ross is an avowed Romaphile. He first traveled to Rome in 1975 to produce and direct a musical documentary about the Holy Year for a major New York City TV station. During his TV career, he was honored to win two EMMY’s among his many other awards. Since moving to Rome in 1996, he has been associated with one of Italy’s top Destination Management Company creating Incentive Programs and Business Meetings for major American companies. In this endeavor, he has produced special events in every part of Italy, ranging from a private after-hours cocktail reception and visit of the Vatican Museum, to wine-tasting in the Chianti region, to grape-stomping in Rome, and a private dinner in front of the statue of David.
Kath Roycroft – Nursery Nurse, English Teacher
Born and brought up in NW London, but has lived in Tuscany since she came to work as a nanny in her 20’s. She lives in Campiglia Marittima, on the West coast of Tuscany, with her Campigliese husband and their teenage daughter, Cloe. She opened her own (1 room / 1 teacher) English school in Campiglia, in October 2009 (www.thehappyschoolofenglish.it) and is now happily, busy teaching English to everyone and anyone in the area but still specialises in teaching Engish to the under 5’s.
John Seybold – History teacher, Photographer, Tour Book Writer
John has been teaching in Madera, California, for over 30 years. He studied in Rome for 2 summers and has traveled to Italy many times before and since. John’s main focus while traveling in Italy is to enjoy the culture, the people and the sites. Growing up as a non-Italian in an Italian Neighborhood in Sacramento, John got his first taste for Italian food and friendliness. As he nears the close of his teaching career, John is looking to be a contributor to tour or guide books with either his writing or photos. You can see some of his great work at www.seybolds-place.blogspot.com
Stef Smulders – Mathematician, B&B owner, Travel Writer
Stef left his native country The Netherlands in 2008 to start a new life with his husband Nico in Italy.
Together they bought a house in the beautiful Oltrepo Pavese and restructured it into a B&B, Villa I Due Padroni, www.duepadroni.it, that recently opened its doors in Montecalvo Versiggia.
The Oltrepo Pavese is the wine region of Lombardy and you find its vineyards and hills 70 km south of Milan. It offers the real Italy, as it is still undiscovered territory. Excellent traditional food prepared in family owned restaurants, local wines produced at the uncountably many cantine.
Stef writes in Dutch about his life in Italy and contributes regularly to the Italian Notebook.
Valerie Schneider – Writer, Tour guide, Cappuccino drinker, Perpetual language student
Valerie Schneider is a freelance writer who deserted the High Desert of New Mexico for the vineyard-covered hills and medieval hill towns of southern Le Marche. She and her husband live in Ascoli Piceno where they conduct personalized visits of their corner of Italy through their tour company, Panorama Italy (www.panoramaitaly.com). A former travel agent, Valerie writes a monthly column for Slow Travel, pens travel agency newsletters and has written for several travel-related publications, including Budget Travel magazine.
You can follow her adventures and bureaucratic wranglings at www.2baci.blogspot.com.
Patricia Glee Smith – Artist, Archeaologist
Patricia has lived in Italy for many years, first Torino, then Rome, and now in Otricoli, a beautiful medieval village in Umbria, in the Tiber valley. She, her husband Giangi, and their Turkish cat, have chosen Otricoli for its peace and quiet, important for her and her artwork (painting, illustration, etchings, etc.) You can see her artwork on her website. Besides her art, she also regularly works on archaeological expeditions in Turkey, the Yemen and Tibet.
Conchita Vecchio – Teacher & Translator
A native of Brooklyn, NY, Conchita Vecchio is a TEFL teacher, translator, interpreter, and writer who has lived in Italy for over 20 years but never dreamed she would one day live in her genetic homeland of Sicily, where in fact she has been living since 1999. Driven by her love of the island and her insistence on doing things her way, she will be starting her own travel consultancy in and for Sicily early this year.
Ian Zurzolo – Writer, Editor
Born in Los Angeles, Ian has been living in Rome since 2007. He studies Italian Literature at The American University of Rome and is writing his graduating thesis in Italian on “Immigrant Literature in Contemporary Italy.” The decision to move to Rome came after his first experience living abroad in Israel as a Kibbutz volunteer. His goal is to rediscover his Italian heritage through the eyes of his grandfather who emigrated from Calabria to the USA.
