Michelle Damiani
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Michelle Damiani
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Michelle Damiani

writing with Italy at heart

Around the World

Michelle Damiani
  • Buy my books/
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    • Spello
    • Visiting Umbria
    • Travel in Italy
    • Around the World
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    • Books and Movies
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    • Italian Cats and Hidden Madonnas
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From Southeast Asia to the Canadian Rockies, from Provençal villages to the wild coast of Australia—these are the stories gathered along the way. If you want fresh wanderlust delivered monthly, sign up for The Grapevine and come explore the world with me.


October 09, 2016

Go in Curious (the benefits of SE Asia)

October 09, 2016/ Michelle Damiani
Go in Curious (the benefits of SE Asia)

How Asia keeps you curious, and therefore traveling more intentionally.

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October 09, 2016/ Michelle Damiani/ Comment
travel
Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Asia
October 06, 2016

Relaxing in Southeast Asia

October 06, 2016/ Michelle Damiani
Relaxing in Southeast Asia

Asia is intense. Plan accordingly.

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October 06, 2016/ Michelle Damiani/ Comment
travel
Asia, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos
October 04, 2016

Southeast Asia Pries Open our Horizons

October 04, 2016/ Michelle Damiani
Southeast Asia Pries Open our Horizons

How a trip to Asia can redefine your boundaries, and your understanding.

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October 04, 2016/ Michelle Damiani/ Comment
travel
Thailand, Laos, Vietnam
October 03, 2016

Markets in Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos

October 03, 2016/ Michelle Damiani
Markets in Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos

Exploring the markets in Bangkok, Hanoi, and Luang Prabang

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October 03, 2016/ Michelle Damiani/ Comment
travel
Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, markets
October 09, 2015

Normandy, France

October 09, 2015/ Michelle Damiani
Normandy, France

Normandy is burnished like copper, like calvados in a glass, like sedge wound around a ripened round of Livarot. Simple in appearance, but sfumato in resolution. It is no wonder Monet painted in Normandy.

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October 09, 2015/ Michelle Damiani/ Comment
travel
France
October 09, 2015

Pre-Paris

October 09, 2015/ Michelle Damiani
Pre-Paris

Sometimes the universe messes with the best laid of plans.

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October 09, 2015/ Michelle Damiani/ Comment
travel
France
October 09, 2015

Tapas, Tapas, Tapas

October 09, 2015/ Michelle Damiani
Tapas, Tapas, Tapas

I'll be quite frank. Tapas are really one of the best parts of visiting Sevilla. Because they are tasty, sure, but also because of how marvelous the experience is.

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October 09, 2015/ Michelle Damiani/ Comment
travel
spain
October 09, 2015

Flamenco! in Sevilla

October 09, 2015/ Michelle Damiani
Flamenco! in Sevilla

Andalusia is the birthplace of flamenco music and dance, and therefore going to see flamenco was a priority for our trip to Sevilla.

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October 09, 2015/ Michelle Damiani/
travel
October 09, 2015

Savoring Sevilla

October 09, 2015/ Michelle Damiani
Savoring Sevilla

Sevilla is a moveable feast, a feast for the senses. The air smells of oranges and incense and garlic, and something indefinable that is probably tapas cooking at the neighborhood bar—tapas that you can purchase with just the change in your pocket.

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October 09, 2015/ Michelle Damiani/ Comment
travel
spain
October 09, 2015

History in Andalusia

October 09, 2015/ Michelle Damiani
History in Andalusia

Besides tapas and wandering and churros and wandering, we also enjoyed some historical sites during our stay in Spain. It's interesting to me how some of those really spoke to me, to all of us, and some were interesting but did not move us at all.

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October 09, 2015/ Michelle Damiani/ Comment
travel
spain
October 09, 2015

Three Days in Brussels

October 09, 2015/ Michelle Damiani
Three Days in Brussels

Three days in Brussels is simply not enough.

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October 09, 2015/ Michelle Damiani/ Comment
travel, Around the World, blog
belgium, Travel, Food
  • Previous
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  • Buy my books/
  • Blog/
  • Travel/
    • Spello
    • Visiting Umbria
    • Travel in Italy
    • Around the World
  • What I Love/
    • Books and Movies
    • Food and Drink
    • Gabe's Blog
    • Italian Cats and Hidden Madonnas
  • Coaching/
  • About/

Michelle Damiani

Website for Michelle Damiani, author of Il Bel Centro: A Year in the Beautiful Center, the funny and heartfelt memoir of an American family living in Spello, as well as Santa Lucia, a page-turner set on the Umbria border. 

Rumors. Romance. And more than a little espresso.

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Cat cafés: come for the cats, stay for…everything else.

The good ones feel like a living room you wish you had—soft corners to curl up in, a drink in hand (ours had free tea and coffee), WiFi if you need it, stacks of manga if yo
As a citizen of two countries, I take my civic duty seriously x two. Voted early in Virginia (VA voter? You can vote early until April 18th! I did it well before the deadline because I thrill to have my voice counted) and am sending off my Italian ba
The thing no one tells you about Japan is that it is an island so overflowing with marvels, it can be overwhelming to plan a trip there. 

My advice? Lean into YOU. What YOU care about. Let that be your guide.

For me, it’s always food, so food
Yesterday’s post about the trendiest coffee of my life got me thinking about memorable cups of coffee. I offer for your consideration:
1. Cappuccino in Turin, where a cup brought atmosphere to a foggy morning
2. A “Snow Monkey Marshmallow
And then there was Tokyo. Being the caffeine-addled family that we are, first order of business was seeking out a trendy coffee establishment. Hence, Glitch. A place that takes its coffee so seriously, you pick a single-origin bean from the canisters
While I was soaking in hot springs and reflecting in temples and wandering the countryside, my husband, daughter, son and son’s girlfriend were skiing! Japan, you are full of wonders.
Much like yesterday’s snow monkeys I am ALL IN on Japanese hot springs! We stayed three days in Shibu Onsen where overnighting in a hotel gets you a key that opens 9 different onsen. Fun, and especially fun to traipse all over town in a yukata
Imagine walking through a frost-laced forest, turning at every rustle in the branches…was that one? Yes, you can spot the furry head resting against a tree down the hill. Then you see another. And another. A mamma carrying her baby, friends cu
An unexpected beauty of Japan? All these tucked away moments to pause and reflect and connect with something deeper.

A trip to Italy is better with language basics! Here’s my recommended course to learn Italian and make your trip fantastico!


Festival participant, speaking about “Il Bel Centro: A Year in the Beautiful Center”

Festival participant, speaking about “Il Bel Centro: A Year in the Beautiful Center”

Featured speaker on panel discussing Romance for “Santa Lucia”

Featured speaker on panel discussing Romance for “Santa Lucia”