November must be dreary, there is no escape, but crossing the Po so swollen with water thrilled me, and Cremona, despite the dreary afternoon, is still a little Po Valley living room. It is a city with a secret: its ancient relationship with musical instruments. Not far from the Torrazzo with its astronomical clock (to be wound every day) and the P...
Eulogy of slowness
Slowness is not being lazy, slowness is not coming in last.Slowness is the art of slowing down.Slowness is walking in tune with the beats of one's heart.Slowness is sitting, reading and letting the mind wander free.Slowness is investing time to admire beauty.Slowness is respecting ourselves.Everything needs its time, even us.
Between Perugino and Beato Angelico. 3-day getaway in Val di Chiana
Difficult to summarize my getaway in and around the Val di Chiana.Landscape, food, art. Photos help the narrative and here you will find several of them, some peculiar.They refer to some masterpieces of art that I saw and some of their details.They speak of women and their ability to express themselves through their bodies.Hands, gazes, bodies moti...
Without my knowledge...
This is the story of a favor done to a friend.Cecilia calls me. You know I have my niece here, she lives in London. She is crazy about Parmigiano Reggiano and would like to visit a dairy.Do you have time?And yes, of course, I have time for you.Giulia, the niece, is volcanic, handles the cell phone like an appendage of her hand.She asks, touches, sm...
Parma Baptistery: a secret language
1196 A unique artist, architect, engineer and sculptor, is called to build the Baptistery of Parma.He affixes his signature to the architrave of the north portal: SCULPTOR BENEDICTUS.His technical ability, his deep theological culture and his genius make this building a real stone book, full of symbols and stories.I imagine the amazement of those w...
The surprises, the ones you don't expect
And these are the surprises that my work holds.Because a guided tour is not only a matter of 'transferring' beauty, history, love for good food, but it is also a way to meet people.People who give unexpected gifts. Like Abigail, a food blogger by passion, who posted this reel recounting with spontaneity, joy and beautiful images our visit to the pr...
When the going gets tough, the tough get going
My first contact with Elena of LA COMODA BIKE VERNASCA was by telephone and I immediately liked her.Practical, welcoming and very attentive to the safety of her customers.And so the adventure began.Helmet, ebike, caution and here I was, ready to bicycle down the hills and vineyards of the Piacenza valleys.Down but also up!Uphill along the cobbled s...
Supper at Emmaus
Every time I admire a Caravaggio painting, the time I spend in front of it increases.Is it because in museums you get tired and generally in front of a Caravaggio there is a place to sit?I would say no.Consider the Supper at Emmaus yet another tavern painted by a great tavern-goer like Merisi.That finger raised on that broken bread, that finge...
Cheers!
Many people, especially from the United States, come to Emilia to experience how good our food is.It's definitely a great idea.Visits to production facilities are really appreciated. They activate the sensorial memory of each of us as well as being a journey through history and local traditions.There is a privileged moment among all to live these e...
Artichokes and paprika
Mantua surprises you in all seasons. Just as it appears, suspended between earth, water, sky and often, very often, fog.To discover it you have to be patient, stroll its squares and enter its stupendous palaces.A food break is a must and in Mantua, choosing a warm old-fashioned restaurant like the Trattoria "Cento Rampini", you expect pumpkin, boil...