July 10, 2019

Finding my Joy in Liguria

July 10, 2019/ Michelle Damiani

Part of the Local Guide Series — Discover Liguria with Marilyn Ricci.

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.

The Silent Madonna: Book Two of the Santa Lucia Series

A ruined castle. A town picking up the pieces. And a mysterious stranger who could change everything.

The Road Taken: How to Dream, Plan, and Live Your Family Adventure Abroad

Loaded with inspiration and practicality, “The Road Taken” will set your feet on the path to your family dream, and show you how to make it happen. Because you owe it to yourself and your family to consider discovering the world together.

Santa Lucia: Book One of the Santa Lucia Series

Santa Lucia is the contemporary saga of an Italian town on the brink of change, and the villagers that call it home. Awarded a place in the 25th annual Virginia Festival of the Book

Il Bel Centro: A Year in the Beautiful Center

By Michelle Damiani

A year in Umbria transforms an American family. Read how it all began. Did you finish IBC and want to know what happened next? Get the FREE Epilogue by clicking the button below! Awarded a place in the 2016 Virginia Festival of the Book

Free Epilogue

Featured speaker on panel discussing Romance for “Santa Lucia”

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Last time I posted pre-Infiorata photos…those that showed the work that happens all over Spello the night before the celebration. Here are photos from the day of the Infiorata. They can’t capture the frenzy of finishing laying petals onto the cobblestones before time expires and all covers must be removed (hoping all the while there is no rain or wind, as the petals are only held down with a mist of water: tourists often pause to ask, “But what if it rains?” and are told every time, “Dio l’ha visto”, God saw it), the start of the parade from the church down the hill, the hush of villagers as the priest walks upon the flower carpets, sanctifying them by creating imperfection (you know there’s a metaphor in there somewhere). And so the day passes, the petals fade and little foreign children like mine try in vain to repair the petal designs that are spent and ready to drift along the street, a flurry of faded color. Meanwhile the scent of chopped fennel and jasmine-like broom linger long into the air, as villagers gather in stone alleys to toast another Infiorata. . . . . . #travelmemories #visitItaly #Italy #igers_Italy #exploreItaly #umbria #flowers #Spello #adventurefamily #familytravel #adventureswithkids #loveyourtimetogether #gofurther #familytravelblogger #kidswhotravel #familyvacation #wanderlustkids #jetsettingkids #travelingwithkids #italytravel #italiandestinations #takeyourkidseverywhere #travelwithkids #takethekids #expatlife #familytravelblog #ippathfinders #exploremore #italyIloveyou #documentyourdays

One of the highlights of living in Spello for a year was participating in the town’s storied Infiorata celebration. Imagine a night of making flower carpets down cobblestone streets, surrounded by the scent of coffee and pasta tossed with wild asparagus (picked that morning, Roberto will gladly show you the photo of his beaming face with an armload) and freshly chopped fennel to hold the petals in place, the baker instructing workers on what petals go where, the constant burble of people passing, and breaks for Nutella-filled cake. Wait till you see my next post of the finished designs. Photos are of the process, including the family working. The kids took it VERY seriously. . . . . . #travelmemories #visitItaly #Italy #igers_Italy #exploreItaly #umbria #flowers #Spello #adventurefamily #familytravel #adventureswithkids #loveyourtimetogether #gofurther #familytravelblogger #kidswhotravel #familyvacation #wanderlustkids #jetsettingkids #travelingwithkids #italytravel #italiandestinations #takeyourkidseverywhere #travelwithkids #takethekids #expatlife #familytravelblog #ippathfinders #exploremore #italyIloveyou #documentyourdays

Dining on excellent food under sunset-hued porticos while the restaurant owner pours you another glass of wine... just another thing I love about #bologna #italy #italyiloveyou #travelitaly #igers_italy #travelblogger

Setting my next novel series in Bologna serves a secret purpose. It means I’ll have to spend more time there and I am okay with that. Excellent food, vibrant culture, few tourists, aperitivo culture. and streets like these… . . . . . #bologna #bolognaitaly #emiliaromagna #travel #travelwriting #theroadtaken #exploremore #foodietravels #postcardplaces #familytravel #italy #italy🇮🇹 #italytravel #italytrip #italyiloveyou #novels #italiancities #ladolcevita

You’ve heard it here first! My novel series takes place in fictional Santa Lucia. But I’ll set my spin off series in...Bologna! In the next few days I’ll post my fave Bologna photos so you can see why I chose this magical city. This fishmonger agrees, what do you think? . . . . . #italy #italytravel #igers_italy #familytravel #familyadventures #exploremore #exploremoretogether #italy🇮🇹 #italyiloveyou #travelblogger #travelbloggers #documentyourdays #passportlife #italylife #wonderful_places #italydestinations #bologna #bolognaitaly #emiliaromagna #authorsofinstagram #writersofinstagram

My son is 21 years old today. In the wink of a coin into the Trevi fountain he has transformed from this little boy on his first trip to Italy obsessed with good pasta to a man who this summer went to the Biennale in Venice with his girlfriend. And who is still a little bit obsessed with good pasta. I guess that part hasn’t changed. Neither has his adventurous spirit, razor-sharp humor, and fierce capacity to love. Happy Birthday, Nicolas. May the years ahead be full of new doors to open, new languages to learn, new art to explore, and new horizons to embrace. Thank you for 21 incredible years. . . . . . #familytravel #familytravels #travelmemories #passportready #travelingfamily #travelers #wanderlust #traveldeeper #traveltogether #familylife #familyinspiration

The Bay of #Naples boasts many treasures... one of which is this hot spring found on the island of #ischia. . . . . . #italy #italytravel #igers_italy #familytravel #familyadventures #exploremore #exploremoretogether #beachbaby #hotsprings #italy🇮🇹 #italyiloveyou #travelblogger #travelbloggers #documentyourdays #passportlife #familieswhotravel #italylife #islandtime #takethekids #travelmemories

No matter where we go in the world, this will always be home. . . . . . #spello #umbria #umbriainunoscatto #umbriacuoreverde #ig_umbria #italy #volgoumbria_ #volgoumbria #volgoitalia #exploremore #travel #travelblogger #travelblogging #travelbloggers #travelbloggerslife #travelwriter #travelwriting #traveling #travelgram #italiantourism #italy🇮🇹 #italytravel

This is a sponge. But sometimes a sponge is not just a sponge. You see, when we returned from our year in Italy, we started hiring someone to clean our house. Felt great, even though that feeling of walking into our spotless house lasted approximately 45 seconds (parents, I know you feel me). When we committed to our upcoming trip around the world, we realized the time had come to pinch the pennies again. Now every weekend we all clean the house together. My job is the kitchen, and the whole time I’m cleaning I’m thinking about Scotland, Sarajevo, Tokyo… or wherever my mind wanders. The last step of cleaning the kitchen is to replace the sponge. Today I realized that we have fewer sponges left than we have combined fingers and thumbs in our family before we leap off into the arms of our next adventure. One more Costco run for sponges, max. One more, and we’ll be off. Sometimes a sponge is not just a sponge. . . . . . #familygoals #travelfam #travelfamily #travelwithteens #exploremore #documentyourdays #travelwithkids #adventurefamily

We had our own vendemmia in #Cville today! Picked our muscadine grapes, made juice, and then jelly (recipe on my FB page, Michelle Damiani, author). What fun! . . . . . #bloomwhereyouareplanted #harvest #familytime #virginia #backyardgarden #ediblelandscape #familyfun #autumnharvest

I love finding niche things to do that embody a sense of place. Especially when they involve snacks. We’ve been coming to polo matches at @KingFamilyVineyards for years now, love the thrill of the game, the lawn sports during breaks, and did I mention snacks? How do you find local activities when you travel? . . . . . #crozet #virginia #virginiawine #polo #familytravel #familyadventures #exploremore #travelwithkids #familytravels #familyfun #familyforlife #charlottesville #rosewine #adventurefamily #getoutside #lawngames

They tell you the parenting—it passes quickly. A blip in your timeline, and that baby nestled in the crook of your neck is waving goodbye as he gets on the airplane. And it’s true. True in a way that you can’t really understand until you walk out of your child’s dorm room with no idea what he’ll be eating for dinner. I tell you this not to alarm you—there are already too many alarms in parenting. Not to shame you into putting down that novel you’re reading (or this post) to play Thomas the Tank Engine for the zillionth thankless hour— parenting is already filled with too many unrealizable expectations. I tell you this for only one reason. In the hopes that you figure out what your family does well together and do that thing with all your heart. So that when that sodden yet golden hour comes and you say farewell to that piece of your heart, you have memories to lean into, and patterns of being together that you can build a life around with your adult children. Who are still, no matter what they protest, still your babies. . . . . . #familytravel #familytravels #travelwithteens #travelwithkids #kiawahisland #exploremore #familytraveltribe #travelers #travelphotography #trip #familyadventures #adventurefamily #familyadventure #takeyourkidseverywhere #adventurekids #familytrip #familytrips

You know those moments that are almost too much #travel adventure? Seeing this fellow in our backyard lagoon on #kiawah ranks up there. #traveladventure #familytravel #travelvideos #eek

We had to lose Paris from our global itinerary. But the upside is two weeks back home in Spello. It’ll be November, so not as flower filled as in this video from last summer, but those bells... . . . . . #spello #umbria #igers_italy #travelmemories #aroundtheworld #italy🇮🇹 #Italy #italia #italytravel #italy_hidden_gems #umbriagram #italygram #travelgram #travelvideos #travelinspiration #travelblogger #traveling #travelholic

Our last morning in #NYC, and we stumbled on a cafe that looked good so we took a seat. Soon we noticed waves of student tour groups speaking... Italian! And taking photos. Looked it up and realized we’d accidentally found the cafe that brought the cappuccino to America! After our year in Italy, I love finding Italian wherever we travel. I hope we find bits of Italy during our global year. (Great sfogliatelle, too) . . . . . #nyceats #iloveitaly #familytravel #travelfam #italytravel #pastries #yumyum #greenwichvillage #caffereggio #travelwithteens

A city like #nyc, where it’s easy to confuse a shop with a gallery, makes me really think about the nature of #art. Here’s my piece of art, standing in front of art at the #fordfoundation. #nofilterneeded #motherdaughter #travelfam #familytravel #motherdaughtertrip #travelblogger

There are places you go because they have broad appeal, and places you go because, for one reason or another, they live in your heart. Today I visited the Leonard Street Library in Brooklyn, where Betty Smith discovered a love of reading, and where she had her character, Francie Nolan, do the same in #atreegrowsinbrooklyn... it’s been my favorite book since I first read it at 11 years old and visiting today was like coming home. Just wish there’d been a brown bowl. #brooklyn #library #bookworm #readersofinstagram #bookwormsofinstagram

It’s our third mother-daughter NYC trip and I’m feeling unbelievably blessed. #familytravel #exploremore #nyc #chinatown #motherdaughter #traveling

I’m not a dog person or a snow person but I learned in Quebec that I can be both. I wonder what new things I’ll learn about myself on our family global journey? . . . . . #mytravelgram #instatravel #quebec #dogstagram #winteradventures #familyadventure #travel #traveling #travelling #travelbloggers #globaljourney #familytravel #travelfam #familytraveller #dogsledding #visitquebec

It’s amazing how you can think you know how something is supposed to taste and then you eat it where it comes from and it’s like HOLY CRAP. What I’ve called a clementine and is called a “mandarino” in Italy tastes like nothing I’ve ever imagined possible. So orange it almost tasted like pine. What flavors have surprised you when traveling? . . . . . #travelblog #travelfam #tasteoftravel #italianfruit #procida #amalfi #exploremore #igers_italy #italy #postcardsfromtheworld #foodietravel #foodiefamily #visitamalfi #travelling #travels #discoveries #italianflavour #travellingthroughtheworld #traveldeeper

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

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