The Bittersweet Life

When the sons of an old noble Roman family & the American widow of their father can’t decide who gets to live in the family’s priceless villa, a forced auction ensues! The catch: the starting price is nearly half a billion dollars—perhaps because of the original Caravaggio mural!

Liam Callanan’s new book When in Rome is a delightful romp when the life of a 50-something real-estate agent/would-be nun gets turned upside down by Rome. Liam joins us to discuss the book, his writing process & why foreign cities inspire his stories. ow.ly/OqsL50OIpra

Looking for a summer read set in Rome? We talk w Liam Callanan about his new book, When in Rome. We chat about what it’s like to write a book set in a foreign city, how travel inspires stories, & how cities like Paris & Rome influence stories set there. ow.ly/bWA050OFj2b

I’m calling this one “Tiffany in Ghent.” 🤭

School’s almost out! Hooray for summer! Aurelio stops by to tell us about his summer plan & why summer vacation for Italian kids is not quite as freeing as it is for their American counterparts. Bittersweet Moment n. 209 {Aurelio Summer Vacation Plans} ow.ly/Arbz50OC85H

“Coming out of Covid I have a real desire to have life be very varied, but I still have that pajama-pants-by-6-pm mentality.” —Heard on this week’s episode Today we talk about the post-Covid pull to stay home even when you’re a curious extrovert. ow.ly/byYp50OzTa8

Donna Camilla Savelli is more than a hotel—it’s a magical dreamworld that has inspired authors. It’s also the site of our Roman trip in this Oct! Hear why author Jess Walter was inspired to write about this hotel & DM us to learn more about the trip! ow.ly/7ECQ50OyVKo

Tiffany & Claudio got married at the exquisite Hotel Donna Camilla Savelli—also the site of our intimate Rome trip this October! Award-winning author Jess Walter joins us to explain why this hotel is so magical & shares a short piece he wrote about it. ow.ly/JcoX50Oyvlr

What makes a place magical? As author Jess Walter puts it, when “history connects with the experience you’re having.” In this case he’s talking about Hotel Donna Camilla Savelli. Today we talk with Jess to discover just what makes this hotel so magical. ow.ly/ACQN50Ox4e6

What’s it like to fall so in love with a region & a cuisine that you literally write the book on it? This week’s guest Marti Buckley, author of Basque Country, talks about this and more! ow.ly/6sKh50OvVsl

“Basque Country is one of the oldest places and one of the oldest people groups in Europe. They’ve been around for 1000s of years, and their origin is still pretty mysterious…” Don’t miss this inspiring episode featuring an in-depth interview with cookbook author Marti Buckley.

Today we’re joined by Marti Buckley, an author, cook & journalist living in San Sebastián, Spain. Her award-winning cookbook is called Basque Country. ‌Listen to this inspiring interview to learn more about Basque Country (the place as well as the book). ow.ly/AbFr50OtH62

Well finally, after weeks of endless rain and moody skies, the sun came out in Rome! It was glorious… for about an hour. Then the black clouds rolled in and it started to pour! This has been the grayest and rainiest May I’ve ever experienced in Rome! What is going on?? 🌧️ ☔️ 🌧️

San Clemente is a church with 3 layers of history—no other place in Rome gives you the feeling of stepping into the past. We take you on a virtual tour of this amazing site. But if you want us to take you there in person DM us about joining us in Rome! ow.ly/19ka50OsH7n

One of the most fascinating places in Rome is Basilica San Clemente. Today we take you on a virtual tour of this amazing site! San Clemente is just one of many places we’ll take the lucky guests on our upcoming Rome trip! DM us for more info! ow.ly/hoUS50OrqZ9

“It’s almost as if the story had to justify itself: how did this story end up in the world? It couldn’t just be in the world. It had to have a reason.” —Heard on this week’s episode Listen in on our chat about the Story Within a Story literary device. ow.ly/uQXG50OqBM4

While reading Wuthering Heights, I was a bit put off by the story-within-a-story device, so popular in the 19th-century. On this episode we chat about why authors may have decided to use this technique and what its benefits & drawbacks are. ow.ly/qEuV50Opysm

Why did the authors of Frankenstein & Wuthering Heights decide that to tell their stories they needed an external narrator to tell the story to another person? This week we discuss the story within a story why so many authors may make this choice. ow.ly/Z62b50Ookk3

Are you a storyteller? One of those people who have a way with the spoken word and a natural understanding of what makes a story engaging? Katy plays a story that she once knew by heart and used to tell to the sleep-resistant girls she used to babysit. ow.ly/WpZw50Omnfl

The power of storytelling is universal. We all feel it. Today Katy plays a story that she, in her babysitting years, had memorized for those moments when the stubborn kids she was watching refused to go to sleep. Extra points if you listen at bedtime. ow.ly/sAbY50OlZnk

“I loved it and I hated it… It was the bittersweet [life].” —Heard on this week’s episode ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If you’ve ever considered moving abroad and becoming an au pair, don’t miss this interview with Isidora Salcedo. Episode 479 {Diary of an Au Pair} ow.ly/8qGf50OkQ2s