Michelle Damiani
  • Buy my books
  • Blog
  • Spello Visiting Umbria Travel in Italy Around the World
  • Books and Movies Food and Drink Gabe's Blog Italian Cats and Hidden Madonnas
  • Coaching
  • About
Michelle Damiani
  • 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/
kenny and friends ilb.jpg
Michelle Damiani

writing with Italy at heart

Blog

The journey continues.

Michelle Damiani
  • 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/

Chronicling our return home from a year in Umbria and the preparations for our around-the-world journey.

October 27, 2024

The 2024 Gift Guide for Italy-Lovers

October 27, 2024/ Michelle Damiani
The 2024 Gift Guide for Italy-Lovers

Your guide for how to give the gift of Italy this season.

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October 27, 2024/ Michelle Damiani/ 4 Comments
Gift Guide, italy
Italy, Gift Guide, gifts, books, Food
October 26, 2024

Alone in the most romantic city in the world

October 26, 2024/ Michelle Damiani
Alone in the most romantic city in the world

This was not the trip I signed up for.

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October 26, 2024/ Michelle Damiani/ Comment
Around the World, blog, travel
Paris, France, Food, Travel
January 14, 2024

Truffle hunting in Virginia? YES.

January 14, 2024/ Michelle Damiani
Truffle hunting in Virginia? YES.

How six acres of oak trees in central Virginia converted this truffle hater into a truffle aficionado, thanks to Virginia Truffles.

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January 14, 2024/ Michelle Damiani/ 6 Comments
Around the World, Virginia, food
Food, truffles
October 14, 2021

Paris: The Final Curtain on a Year Abroad

October 14, 2021/ Michelle Damiani
Paris: The Final Curtain on a Year Abroad

How France’s City of Light shed clarity on a year in Italy.

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October 14, 2021/ Michelle Damiani/ 2 Comments
blog, Around the World, travel
France, Family, Travel, Food
February 26, 2021

Eating on Alpine Time

February 26, 2021/ Michelle Damiani
Eating on Alpine Time

What I’ve learned about eating in Switzerland.

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February 26, 2021/ Michelle Damiani/ 4 Comments
blog, Around the World, travel
switzerland, travel, Food
January 29, 2021

Of bread and sugar

January 29, 2021/ Michelle Damiani
Of bread and sugar

The only one of my posts that should come with a warning label: Don’t attempt to read while hungry

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January 29, 2021/ Michelle Damiani/ 8 Comments
spello, umbria
Food, spello
  • 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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Are we excited, I think we are! Or at least I am! The last week has been so incredibly packed I haven’t given a thought to the fact that TOMORROW WE’LL BE IN ITALY UNTIL LITERALLY THIS MOMENT. I wonder what our first meal will be? Knowing
One of the great joys of my life is watching my adult kids play together with the same ease and joy as when they were small (in yesterdays post). I’m unsure if it’s because my eldest set the tone and loved making up games or if it’s
When I had kids I thought my traveling days were over and hung out to dry the dream of ever living abroad. Little did I know how bringing children along for the ride would allow me to slow down, learn flexibility, and find new ways of connecting acr
If you read my post about Australia and thought, “Wee kangaroos hopping through the foggy forest is well and good for you Michelle— as for me, there’s no way I’m sealing myself into a tube with wings for that long” I&rsq
It took me a year to write this post about my trip to Australia. Time I needed to let the whirlwind of thoughts settle into something cohesive. Check out my stories or bio to read how Australia is like visiting another planet—creatures you didn
My book survived its next round of editing! So much fun to gab about Aramezzo while sipping coffee. Kris has loads of opinions about what she wants to happen, but I’m keeping mum 😊 Here’s her blurb: “Come sit at the town bar with a
There’s a common joke that calls Molise “Mol’isnt”. Or another one that refers to the Italian region as “Molise è niente” (Molise is nothing). But I gotta say, I had a smashing time in Termoli a few years ba
Draft of the upcoming installment of my “Murder in an Italian Village” series is now with editors! And it’s about time, too, as the zillions of piles of dirty and clean laundry have blurred into one mega-pile screaming for attention
🍷 If you love wine, you may have heard of Montefalco, the Umbrian city famed for growing Sagrantino grapes. But unless you live in central Virginia, you probably haven’t heard of Montifalco. A name that made me chuckle for years. The owners&rs
I love my “job”.

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”