Exploring Our Connection to People and Place
Leaving Italy after four months during Coronovirus proved a bit more challenging than I expected.
The town of Monreale (meaning “royal mountain”) sits 300 meters above sea level, overlooking Palermo. The Monreale Cathedral, built between 1170 and 1189 AD, is considered the most beautiful church in all of Sicily. A unique blend of Norman-Romanesque architecture and Byzantine craftsmanship, with… Continue Reading “Monreale Cathedral”
Le Luminarie Residenza Creativa in Balestrate, Sicilia, has been my home for the last 11 weeks, through the most significant time in modern history. A refuge and a sanctuary. A respite and inspiration. My time here will forever be seared in my memory and… Continue Reading “Le Luminarie, My Quarantine Home”
What do you do when stuck in a foreign country during a worldwide pandemic and your Schengen visa expires?
How I’m doing in quarantine in Sicily during Covid19, and a few tips for what you can do too.
I was stopped by the police a few days ago. Well, not stopped. Checked. As I was waiting to enter a grocery store. It was early, only twenty minutes since the store had opened, and already there was a small crowd of shoppers clinging… Continue Reading “Coronavirus in Italy, Part 3: Police, Shopping, and the Italian Response”
In my (unsuccessful) search for oatmeal yesterday, I walked to the other side of town. Maybe a mile away. Not exactly a hike but, remember, we’re instructed to stay as close to home as possible. Just like in Rome, it’s wonderful to take in… Continue Reading “Yesterday in Balestrate”
I’ve had a headache for 2 days. Maybe three. Time is a bit of a blur, marked only by the light outside. I can’t tell if it’s tension or sinus. Probably both. Ibuprofen doesn’t touch it. Yoga feels great but doesn’t bring relief. Nor… Continue Reading “Some things are the same”
The State Department is advising all United States citizens abroad: return home now or stay where you are and wait out this pandemic. If you stay, “you may be forced to remain outside of the United States for an indefinite period of time.” So,… Continue Reading “The Ultimatum: Stay or Leave?”
According to Italian law, enacted on the 9th of March, 2020, you are no longer allowed to leave your dwelling, to go out, stroll the streets. No gathering in parks, no chatting with neighbors on street corners or at the local bar (for coffee).… Continue Reading “Following the law / Italy during the Coronovirus”
10 March 2020 It was never my intention to stay in touch. Six weeks in Italy and I wanted to disconnect, to fully immerse myself in this place where I had never been. I wanted to discover new things, things I had read about,… Continue Reading “The beginning”