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A Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeBecoming Mariella, a Sicilian Book Journey with Janet Constantino"If you could write about anything you want to write about what would it be?"....Welcome to Episode #117:I am excited to introduce you to Janet’s Constantino’s beautiful debut fiction novel 'Becoming Mariella’. This is a deep and rich conversation about her gem of a book and writing journey. We discuss in depth Janet’s Sicilian-American heritage, navigating traditional values and family expectations. There are many wonderful tangents in this conversation - we talk travel and Italy and how place can be a powerful magnet without really know why, yet something deep insi...2025-08-0355 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeOn the Beauty & Necessity of Creative Action in Changing Times"What we can be in control of we should be, especially when it comes to creativity" - Tracey Emin, Strozzi Gallery Florence - Documentary This podcast share has been percolating for some time. Over the year I have found myself musing about creativity and the importance of opening up space in our busy lives to not only make beautiful things but to be available to our creativity as a way to keep steady as technological advancements continue to shift our lives in various directions. I love that we get to have this experience and make ch...2025-07-2542 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeThere is just Something About Italy - from the Piazza della Repubblica, Roma"I adore the spirit of Rome" - Michelle Johnston, In the Shadow of a Cypress - An Italian AdventureWelcome to Episode #115:More and more I realise there is just something about Italy. This podcast is a culmination of an eventful solo journey in Italy and Paris, and the culmination of the days wandering around Italia has me feeling very open to the beauty of the day and those last precious moments in Rome…Enjoy xFind all Shownotes at michellejohnston.lifeMy book: In the Shadow of a Cypr...2025-07-0433 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeIn Venice - Somewhere between a Macchiato and a Grignolino"Sometimes you just have to move forward and lead the way" - Michelle JohnstonWelcome to Episode #112,From the Campo Sofia between the gondole and the Strada Nova while sipping a macchiato I share some travel stories and adventures of my days in Italy, it’s full vibrant cafe life and feeling that Venetian light soaking into my skin while musing over events, places, journeys.Enjoy xFind all Shownotes at michellejohnston.life© 2025 A Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeMusic Composed by Richard Johnston © 20252025-06-2840 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeBringing Italy Home"Does the ever- evolving desire for beauty at home derive from a super sense of conviviality?" - Frances Mayes, A Place in the WorldWelcome to Episode #109:Some of the most delicious parts of this journey over the many years of loving Italy is the way it slowly became a part of my every day life. At home I see the art, the ceramics, the candle holders, the table ware, the cookbooks, the coffee table and Italian design books and my favourite coffee mugs that I enjoy using daily (let’s not forget the true for...2025-04-2131 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeIn Bocca al Lupo - Celebrating over 100 Episodes"My motive was simple and hedonistic: I was looking for beauty" - Alain de Botton, The Art of TravelWelcome to Episode #103I have mused over limoncello, Liguria, Milano and Roma, the streets of Genova and once wrote a love letter to Padova. I have revered Giotto and Botticelli and cried over Santa Chiara in Assisi. I have interviewed many beautiful women about their lives in Italy, their stories, their cookbooks and their passions for a bountiful table and the beauty of the artist’s life. I have researched Sardegna and even had a good la...2024-12-2830 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeMy Book Journey, Primavera and Stories to Tell…."The travel journey is always an interesting paradox. To spend time navigating, being, seeing, collecting and contemplating. And haphazardly wondering about the next step. Yet, to not get carried away, or in front of yourself that you miss the opportunity that is right under your nose. I like sitting here observing the morning pursuits, the cars zooming in and out of the piazza, the deliveries being made. The locals in animated conversation, the tourist stalls being uncovered. It is good sitting with the hum of the place, no need to race anywhere. The breeze blows through the open door...2024-09-2741 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeThe Next Chapter - Book Dates, Italy Adventures, An Extract of my Book “Cortona”…"So this is it. I am thirty nine years old. I am sitting at a table in a medieval piazza with a black moleskine journal. I am sipping a glass of Chianti Classico. I stare at the menu with none other than Luca Signorelli on the cover. I like the words Gran Caffe Signorelli. Luca Signorelli was born in Cortona in 1441. He is still revered. Signorelli’s art is in many of the museums and churches in Cortona and well, all around the world. I salute the artist, and the joy of making it this far, on this grand to...2024-08-1141 min
The Seismic Shift with Michelle K. Johnston10 Tips to Level Up Your Leadership with Dr. Michelle K. JohnstonThe final episode of season two of the Seismic Shift podcast provides the top 10 tips, themes and takeaways from the season. The themes include gratitude, allyship, inclusion, servant leadership, creativity, courage, mentoring, becoming coachable, deep listening, and work-life balance. Michelle recaps the guests, who are bestselling authors and global thought leaders, and shares her insights from their conversations on how leaders can adapt to the seismic shifts happening in the workplace and create positive environments that foster connection and collaboration. The key message is that everything has changed, and leaders must change and show up as the best versions...2024-04-1728 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeThe Flavours of Liguria with Food Writer Enrica Monzani"Ligurian cuisine is often defined as a "poor" cuisine, of humble, rough origins because it was born in the homes of fisherman and farmers who had only simple, seasonal and low-value ingredients available. Yet, it is also sophisticated due to the expert use and skilful transformation of those few ingredients"..... Enrica MonzaniJoin me for a conversation about the beauty of Ligurian cuisine and the unique terrain that is Liguria, Italy. Enrica Monzani specialises in the rich and diverse cuisine of Liguria, leading food tours, market and cooking classes in the city of Genova. Enrica is a Foo...2024-04-1041 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeUniverse I Trust You - With Roberta Mussato"You have not a right, but a duty to be happy" - Roberta MussatoWelcome to Episode #91: What a privilege it is to talk to women and share their stories. Women lead such fascinating lives. I continually notice this, the fact they continue to expand themselves, push their limits and boundaries, to grow, and not except contraction as the norm, but lean into expansion rather, living and learning so much about themselves, and making things happen!! I love that.Today I talk with Roberta Mussato about her book - Universe I Trust You: On...2024-03-281h 05A Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeThe Big Leap - Solo Travel in Italy with Cookbook Author Nadia Fragnito"We travel, initially to lose ourselves, and we travel, next to find ourselves" - Pico IyerWelcome to Episode #90:Today I have a special conversation with Nadia Fragnito from The Vegan Italian Kitchen. Nadia is here to talk about her solo travel experience and the journey of returning to Italy to research her next cookbook due out later this year. We discuss the triumphs and the pain points of travelling alone, things we both discovered on our own personal journeys. I might add, I have recognised over the past few years that taking t...2024-03-2051 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeOn Italy, and Following the Charm..."Italy was more than a subject, it was a tool of resurrection and empowerment" - Michelle Johnston“Can a place be an archetype? Or pertain mythical qualities? Emily Dickinson never left her home in New England to travel, the Italy she wrote and dreamed of symbolised something else, joy, hope, freedom…. And ultimately, the most powerful of qualities, transformation. Italy was more than a subject, it was a tool for resurrection and empowerment. Hmmm, I recognise this…”Today I go deep into the many layers of my life and the inspiration that has led to this point on...2024-02-2433 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeDolce Amaro - Bitter Sweet"You cannot lose what really belongs to you, even if you throw it away" - I-ChingHere I talk about the bitter sweet few months that have been, reflecting on life, books and events, and the books and writing adventures that happen along the way. Find all Show Notes and details mentioned at: michellejohnston.lifeYou can now Support the Podcast and send your encouragement.© 2024 A Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeMusic Composed by Richard Johnston © 2024Support the show2024-02-231h 17A Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeIn Good Company"One will never forget the sudden transcendent quality of ordinary things, the glow of the fruit in its own leaves, the purple and green of artichokes with bushy tales, the delicacy of the sea creatures, silver, lilac - pale and coral red" - Winter in Venice, Pleasure and Landscapes by Sybille BedfordHere is some light musing over books I have loved this year and my favourite Audible listens too....Family Lexicon by Natalia GinzburgA Place in the World: Finding the Meaning of Home by Frances MayesSerendipity: From Truffles and Champagne...2023-12-3124 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeAllison Zurfluh and the Venice Lagoon - La Mia Arte"Some things are here for our souls, not our interests, and every land has its pockets of wild. Let us leave then there for the birds, for the night watch, for the person who needs and longs for a creeping into invisibility"Welcome to Episode #86:This year Allison published her third book, 'Allison Zurfluh and the Venice Lagoon'. Here are pages of art and essays on her experiences living on the Venice lagoon. The book is an intimate look at the place that captured her heart and soul, the place that would initiate a 1...2023-12-282h 07A Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeCucina Povera & the Art of Making Do with Food Writer Giulia Scarpaleggia“Cucina Povera is not just a unique approach to cooking and ingredients; it’s the highest expression of the Italian arte delle arrangiarsi - the art of making do with what you have got" - Giulia Scarpaleggia, Cucina PoveraWelcome to Episode #85,Today a wonderful conversation with Giulia Scarpaleggia about her recent cookbook Cucina Povera: The Italian Way of Transforming Humble Ingredients into Unforgettable Meals.We talk about the book journey of creating Cucina Povera and that lovely panforte story I couldn't resist asking about, and the food writers that have inspired Giulia on h...2023-12-0933 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeCookbook Author Tessa Kiros: Now & Then"I travel and collect things that I love. Memories, tastes, colours and stories. I bring them home and make the beautiful meals I had, so we can live them all over again" - Tessa Kiros, Now & Then: A collection of recipes for alwaysWelcome to Episode #84:Tessa Kiros is here today, her most recent book is 'Now & Then: A collection of recipes for always'. This is Tessa’s 11th cookbook. This is a beautiful conversation about Tessa’s writing, her creative life, food and styling, the travels, and how she sees the world and the things th...2023-10-281h 05A Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeOn Living a Bigger Life"Much testing, much reflecting, much living must intervene before we can say 'My soul is my own'" - Madonna Kolbenschlag, (from) The Spiritual Sampler by Sue Monk KiddWelcome to Episode #83,While in the middle of a big year, I reflect on what has filled my cup this year and why it all matters.On creating community, on inspired books, on writing, on keeping on with it, on the adventure, on gratitude, on the special conversations and holding the vision.Find all Show Notes and details mentioned at: 2023-10-2137 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeLuca Spaghetti - Anything is Possible!"My grandmother always used to tell me your last name is going to bring you luck. When people meet you it makes them happy and a little bit hungry too" - Luca Spaghetti, Un Amico Italiano - Eat Pray Love in RomeWelcome to Episode #82:Twenty years ago the writer Elizabeth Gilbert made the city of Rome her home for three months before visiting India and Bali. While living in Rome one of Gilbert’s new friends was Roman born Luca Spaghetti. Soon the memoir “Eat Pray Love: One Woman’s Search for Everything” became an Internatio...2023-10-0534 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeMs Britaly and Life in Southern Italy as an Expat"I just knew that I had to figure it out for myself, step by step" - Claire Hearn, My Five Year Journey in Italy....Welcome to Episode #81,This week I share a conversation with Ms Britaly from Palermo in Sicily. Five years ago, Claire Hearn made the decision to change her life and move in the direction of her dreams. Claire landed in Salerno in Campania, on the Amalfi Coast and started a new life. Here is her story and the journey of life in Italy, moving to vibrant Palermo and writing her two book...2023-09-0943 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeThe Travel Journal - how and why you should make one!“And we are of course, each one of us, the historians of our own lives” - Hisham Matar, A Month in Siena Welcome to Episode #80;In this episode I share pages from ‘Italian Hours’ a travel journal I am in the middle of creating. I share my feelings about creativity and my artistic process on making pages happen! I also give tips on stationary, art paper and how to build the momentum one page at a time and not get stuck in feeling overwhelm at the beginning. I talk about art journals and travel journals and at the...2023-08-2631 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeCasalvento: House of the Wind with Author and Winemaker Gudrun Cuillo"I thought I had the perfect life in New York, but fate had something different in mind for me. I've fallen in love with this place and what it has to offer" - Casalvento: House of the Wind by Gudrun CuilloWelcome to Episode #79:About twenty five years ago, Bob and Gudrun Cuillo were looking for a place to buy in Capri Italy, not far from Benevento, near Naples where Bob had family ties to the region. The Capri property fell through and next they found themselves in Tuscany talking to friends when they were intr...2023-07-261h 03A Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeEmiko Davies - Tuscan Life and Enoteca Marilu"We will cook together, you’ll don an apron and get your hands dirty, learning about local traditions on the way. We eat and drink together, tasting wines chosen by Marco. Afterwards, in the late afternoon and evenings, you are free to go and explore or rest or catch up with family....."Welcome to the Episode #78:In this bountiful share we talk about Emiko Davies and Marco Lami’s new Adventure, Enoteca Marilu in the village of San Miniato in Tuscany. We talk Slow Food and Slow Travel and why they wanted to create their own Na...2023-07-1556 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeR is for Rome - The Writers Life with Michelle Ciani"R is for Rome. Roma is my Lupa, the She-Wolf. She is mother and my muse" - Michelle Ciani, Letters from RomeWelcome to Episode #77: Michelle Ciani lives in Rome, Italy. Through her writing and journals, she explores place, home, identity and belonging. Rome is the muse, the portal and the inspiration behind her words and letters. Life is a quest. Some of have a sense of belonging and some of us search for it. Here we talk about living in Rome and searching for identity and place. A place can mean many things, but what if a...2023-06-2852 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeIn Sardinia: An Unexpected Journey in Italy with Jeff Biggers“Far from a fleeting moment in history, or a stack of stones, the open museum of Sardinia recounted a story of foundations; a story of birth and rebirth, of endurance and resilience, and re-use, and a story of rituals and cross cultural ways that had made the island the staging ground of civilizations that not only shaped its own peoples, but the rest of the Mediterranean” - Jeff Biggers, In Sardinia: An Unexpected Journey Welcome to Episode #76,Today, I have a wonderful conversation with Jeff Biggers - Historian, Journalist, Author and Travel Writer about his new b...2023-05-231h 05A Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeThe Road Less Traveled - Eat Pray Love - A Book Journey"What if you could somehow create an expansive enough life that you could synchronize seemingly incongruous opposites into a world view that excludes nothing?” - Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat Pray LoveCan a book be mythical and kind of a life time journey. Yes it can! This a story about the book Eat Pray Love and the journey I have had with this book….Episode #75Find all Show Notes and details mentioned at: michellejohnston.lifeYou can now Support the Podcast and send your encouragement.© 2023 A Writer I...2023-05-2019 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeItalian Inspiration - An Invitation.... “And I do believe that Italy really purifies and ennobles all who visit her. She is the school as well as the playground of the world.” – E. M. ForsterWelcome to Episode #74Q.. Do you have a story you would like to share with me on Italy? I am open to a personal letter or a Voice Message that I will share or read on a special Podcast Episode or 2 on your Italy!!Possibilities…..*️⃣ Moving to Italy *️⃣ Starting a Business *️⃣ Starting Again, Second Life!*️⃣ Tak...2023-05-2009 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeLess is More, Except when it comes to Books! With Laura Botten..."The Thing about Rome is that it always manages to give you something special" - Luca Spaghetti, Un Amico Italiano - Eat Pray Love in RomeWelcome to Episode #73:Italy seems to find its way into many people’s hearts whether it be through the world of books or the joy of a holiday experience. It is always fun to have a conversation about favourite books and discovering how Italy has played a significant role in a travel journey or a writing project. Here is a fun chat with Laura Botten about her favo...2023-05-0739 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeDrink Wine and Be Beautiful with Kimberly Sullivan"It was only decades later, in my little house here in the shadow of the Apennines, that I was completely free to forge my own path" Shadow of the Apennines, Kimberly SullivanWelcome to Episode 71:Kimberly Sullivan works in International Development by day and moonlights as a fiction writer by night. Kimberly has written three books that she has Independently Published, and her fourth book is due out very soon Drink Wine and Be Beautiful. Kimberly lives in Rome Italy, and is a member of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association and the Historical Novel Societ...2023-03-2847 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeArt and Love: Peggy Guggenheim (Part 2)"In writing about Peggy, it's important to listen to one's own instincts. Don't listen to critics. What do they know? What one should say about Peggy is, simply, that she did it. That no matter what her motivations were, she did it" - Lee KrasnerWelcome to Part 2 of my epic share on the 20th Century Art Collector and Art Patron Peggy Guggenheim...Here is the story of Peggy's life in Venice..... and what happened next!EnjoyFind all Show Notes and details mentioned at: michellejohnston.life2023-03-0222 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeArt & Love: Peggy Guggenheim (Part 1)“I have never been in a city that gave me the same sense of freedom” - Peggy Guggenheim, Out of this Century: Confessions of an Art AddictWelcome to Episode #69:Are you dreaming of visiting Venice and one of the iconic galleries on the Grand Canal - The Peggy Guggenheim Collection?If you would like to know more about Peggy Guggenheim (1898-1979) listen to the story of her life and how she found herself searching for a palazzo and a place to share her art collection with the world. Here is the ka...2023-02-1727 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeLove in a Tuscan Kitchen with Sheryl Ness (Part 2)"The old cypress trees along the ancient noble roads stand tall as if to welcome you into their home" - Sheryl Ness, Love in a Tuscan KitchenWelcome to Episode #68,This week I share Part 2 of my conversation with Author Sheryl Ness about life in Tuscany and the writing of her book Love in a Tuscan Kitchen: Savouring Life Through the Romance, Recipes and Traditions of Italy.Today we talk about the traditions at the Italian table, book authors, writing, the writing process, language studies and more. I must add this boo...2022-12-0738 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeLove in a Tuscan Kitchen with Sheryl Ness (Part 1)"Everything around me gave me a feeling that I was at home, from the foods to the people and the unique landscape. I was falling in love" - Sheryl Ness, Love in a Tuscan KitchenWelcome to Episode #67,Today I share a wonderful conversation with Sheryl Ness about her time in Tuscany and her memoir, Love in a Tuscan Kitchen: Savouring Life Through the Romance, Recipes and Traditions of Italy. I think Sheryl’s story is very special because she had a connection to Italy without understanding exactly why. But she followed the thread...2022-11-2631 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeSumptuous Venice with Margie Miklas“The appeal of this floating city built on stilts in a lagoon is real. Venice remains a place always beckoning me to return. Far from perfect, this island shaped like a fish entices me” - Margie Miklas, Introduction, The Venice I KnowWelcome to Episode 66,Margie Miklas has a special connection to Italy as a second generation Italian/American. Come along for a sweet conversation about Margie’s Italy. We discuss her book and travel guide “The Venice I Know”. And lots more on travel writing, favourite places in Italy, solo adventures, films set in Venice and mo...2022-11-1850 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeWindows into Italy: Lets visit Padova in the Veneto"And we travel, in essence, to become young fools again - to slow time down and get taken in, and fall in love once more" - Pico Iyer, 'Why We Travel'Welcome to Episode #65:The thing is Italy has so much to offer. Twenty regions and each with something special and unique. I wanted to share all of the beautiful things about the city of Padova or Padua (in English) in the Veneto and give you a dose of what is possible if visiting the Veneto. I loved staying in this city as a base to exp...2022-11-0337 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeBook Lovers & Artists Unite…Here are a few of my favourite thingsWelcome to Episode #64:I couldn’t resist but share a few books and artists that are truely inspiring me and feeding my spirit in the realm of Muse Italia.Enjoy,The Art of Excellent Products: Enchanting Customers with Premium Brand Experiences by Riccardo Illy A Place in the World: Finding the Meaning of Home by Frances MayesVisit: Frances Mayes for the Book Club Questions and Reading Guides….Discovering Vegan Italian, The Second Edition by Nadia Fragnito…. Visit: The Vegan Italian KitchenThe Silver Spoon: Naples and the Am...2022-10-1619 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeHave you ever wondered why you feel attracted to a certain place? Let’s talk Locational Astrology with Lynnette from Cosmic MovesThe aim of life is to live, and to live means to be aware, joyously, drunkenly, serenely, divinely aware“ - Henry MillerWelcome to Episode #63This podcast share is a great window into my world…Have you ever wondered why a place is calling you, why you cannot stop thinking about it or more so, why you want to visit, or stay forever? Well this share might shed some light on how a particular location is aligned for you. Recently I shared some time with Astrologer and Podcaster Lynnette Wenner...2022-10-0755 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeSeventeen Cypress and a Life to Create"Nature accompanies me, exalts me" - Henri MatisseA Serenade to a Sunday.... Reflections on a house and a garden."I buy another five cypress. I work hard, water, pray, read them poetry. I listen to books as I dig... A Field Guide to Getting Lost, Rebecca Solnet….A Paris year, John Baxter….and I dream of a day where they will drill their taproot down into the earth, deep, hardy specimens, that I never even water. I go back to Italy and I look at the cypress, in gardens, next to villas, lined up...2022-09-1830 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeArtist's Notebooks: For the Poets and the Dreamers....."I think that a writer should observe the real world before imagining a non-existent one" -Jhumpa Lahiri, In Other WordsIn a day and age where the universe is at our finger tips and we can meander the world with a smart phone in our pocket. A device that has the ability to solve most of our problems, pay the bills, track your kids, read you a book, take you from A to B, or wander the streets with an incantation of Max Richter in your ears as you lose yourself in the city of B...2022-09-1030 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeA Musing on Lemons, Life and Limoncello......The Recipe for Limoncello Included....“Do you know the land where the lemon trees grow, in darkened leaves the gold-oranges glow, a soft wind blows from the pure blue sky, the myrtle stands mute, and the bay-tree high? Do you know it well?” - JW Goethe, Author of Italian JourneyWelcome to Episode #60:When I think about Limoncello immediately I find myself in Italy. In particular on the Amalfi coast wandering the side streets, following the fragrance of the beautiful sumptuous lemons that seem to be in baskets out the front of every door or shop front. From memory there...2022-09-0420 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeThe Writing Life….Travel Diaries from Liguria, Milan, Siena, London, South of France..…."Now I know why I keep a diary. I am not at peace until I continue the thread into the present. I am interested in analyzing myself, in trying to discover the reasons why I do such & such. I cannot do this without dropping dried peas behind me to help me retrace my course, to point a straight line in the darkness". Patricia Highsmith, Her Diaries and NotebooksSo many writers have taken to the page to transcribe their daily thoughts, to reflect and preserve, to vent, to articulate, to understand, to create. Diaries and journals can be...2022-08-2630 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeTravel Diaries, Artist Journals, Aide Memoir, and Excerpts from Paris, Italy and More…."The only joy in the world is to begin" - Cesare PevaseWhat do these people have in common? Jean Cocteau, Cesare Pevase, Virginia Woolf, Thomas Mann, Kurt Cobain, Frida Kahlo, Anne Morrow Lindbergh, Anais Nin and John Ruskin…. They were all Diarists and writers of a certain moment in time. And they found solace on the page, and for some of them their diaries were published for public consumption too.Today I am sharing a few pages from my own travel diaries from moments in Italy, Paris and Nepal.... They were great adventures and a fun way...2022-08-2032 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeTable for One - On Solo Travel, Artist's Dates and Grand Adventures"We often need to be alone to reconnect to life and to ourselves, which then allows us to connect more meaningfully to others" - Sarah Wilson, This One Wild and Precious LifeWelcome to Episode 57:Solo travel is make or break in my opinion and not for the faint of heart. However, traveling alone can be a lot of fun too. I love sharing the journey of travel with family and friends, yet I know there can be plenty of wild and beautiful moments when you take the reigns and travel solo. After a c...2022-08-0653 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeThe Art of Eating“It’s not just the great works of mankind that make a culture. It is the daily things, like what people eat and how they serve it” - Laurie Colwin, Home Cooking Welcome……There is something about food that weaves its way in and out of life, that we cannot deny. When I wrote this some time back I was in the middle of the day to day yet, musing over women and food, and how everything was pulsing around me, the orchard, the sunshine, the books on the shelf, the mentors I would seek to understand t...2022-07-2831 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeCulinary Adventures in Southern Italy with Nadia Fragnito“Recipes are like stories. Once told then re-told, they become familiar and part of our families heritage. Families would share food and recipes with one another and through this organic process a cuisine was born. Spread a little wider, and this tale becomes regional. There is handmade pasta created without eggs, sources that are meat free and celebrate seasonal vegetables. So now, in each region of southern Italy, there is a wealth of accidentally vegan dishes for you to enjoy” - Nadia FragnitoWelcome to Episode #55If you are in the mood to be tr...2022-06-3050 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeMoments in Italy, Part 3 - Beautiful Things…The Villa Necchi Campiglio, Milano"You can make the world beautiful just by refusing to lie about it" - Gio Ponti (1891-1979)Welcome to Episode #54:The last day of a travel adventure can be a quite distilling, generally it is a tricky day where the emotions run up and down, with that inner knowing that something special is about to end. Sometimes it can be a relief, sometimes the wheels fall off the cart, and sometimes the pressure to just enjoy it all can be simply too much, yet whatever the case it is a day to enjoy and revel i...2022-06-1728 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeHow the Venetian Spritz became synonymous with the Good Life in Northern Italy and beyond.."Let us be honest: who hasn't wanted to be just a little bit Italian?' - Kay Plunkett-Hogge, Aperitivo.....Welcome to Episode #53:Have you ever wondered how the effervescent Spritz drink customarily enjoyed at Aperitivo time in Italy became a cultural icon? Once a purely Northern Italian cocktail and now very much a sign of the Good life wherever you are. On my recent adventures in Italy I fell hard for the bitter sweet Aperol Spritz number and started to wonder how it came to be, and why mostly the word Spritz was no...2022-06-0436 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeMoments in Italy: Caffes & Coffee Bars, Turin, Italy - Travel Share“Sometimes I think we only half live over here. The Italians live all the way” - Ernest Hemingway, (letter to his sister)Welcome to Episode #52:Come with me on a journey to Turin, we will board the Italo service at 10.35 at Milano Centrale and arrive an hour later at the Porta Nuova in the beautiful and the elegant Torino in Piemonte. Travel days are such great experiments, where occasionally the spontaneous finds you, willing and open. Please find all Show Notes and details mentioned at: michellejohnston.lifeYou can...2022-05-2633 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeMoments in Italy, Travel Share - Part 1“I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read on the train.” - Oscar WildeWelcome to Podcast #51I thought it would be great to share a little more of the adventure and what happened next in Italy on the journey from Liguria to Milan. On the last days there was much to savour and explore. I love the adventure of it all, and the time to reflect on moments that continue to inspire along the way. Please find all Show Notes and details mentioned at: michel...2022-05-1547 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifePostcard from Camogli, Liguria…Sea, Sunshine and Orange Blossoms“Place will have its way with you” - Frances Mayes, ‘See You in the Piazza’Welcome to Episode #50I am sun kissed and sharing this moment with you from Liguria. I am in Camogli on the Italian Riviera, a surreal and beautiful experience I have to say. And so I share this with you as I reach the happy milestone of 50 Episodes! So that is kind of fabulous. I never really imagined I might be in Italy! After sharing much over the last few years from home (Australia). Otherwise, this episode is just another beauti...2022-04-1022 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifePostcard from Liguria, Genova…Ancient Doorways and Bitter Oranges"Whatever it is I am trying to preserve may not be entirely real, but it isn't altogether false" - Andre Aciman.....'Homo Irrealis, Essays'Welcome to Podcast 49....And another in the moment share while traveling in Italy...Reflections on Parma, Genova, La Spezia and more....Enjoy,Michelle xoShownotes are up live with a little photo montage and details of the travel journey.Please find all Show Notes and details mentioned at: michellejohnston.lifeVisit: Michelle: Instagram: @awriterinitalyand @theyellowhouse__© 2022 A Writ...2022-04-0938 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifePostcard from Parma, Emilia Romagna Italy Travel Share"These are the days that must happen to you” - Walt WhitmanWelcome to Episode #48Ciao from Italy,Salutations and greetings from the beautiful city of Parma in the region of Emilia Romagna, Italy. I was sitting in front of the Palazzo del Governatore on Strada Garibaldi at an outdoor cafe, O' Bistro in the piazza, when I decided to record this travel share. In other words, this is a little on the wing, in the moment situation. Travel is always full of big and small moments and this is a refle...2022-04-0533 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifePostcard from the Grand Canal, Venice Travel Share"If you think adventure is dangerous, try routine, it's lethal" - Paul CoelhoCiao from Italy.I am on the Grand Canal recording this to share with you. It is an off the cuff, on the wing travel share. I will add in some show notes later as I am off for my morning cappuccino and a cornetto. A PrestoMichelle xoShownotes are up live with a little photo montage and details of the travel journey.Please find all Show Notes and details mentioned at: mic...2022-04-0116 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeAllison Zurfluh: Art and Conservation in the Venetian Lagoon“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world” - Anne FrankWelcome to podcast #46 and my conversation with Allison Zurfluh.Allison is a woman of many layers, a Translator of Classical Music, an Author, Travel Consultant, Painter and at heart an Artist. Allison has lived all around the world, yet found her true home on the Venetian Lagoon on the island of Burano near Venice in northern Italy. In the past few years her life has had its share of trials and tribulations, yet it was...2022-03-0459 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeThe Flavor of Italy with Wendy Holloway"First we eat, then we do everything else" - MFK FisherWelcome to Episode #45 and a lovely chat with Wendy from the Flavor of Italy Podcast. Recently Wendy launched her 100th Episode at Flavor of Italy. Wendy is devoted to the world of Italian food, sharing recipes and travel itineraries for the savy traveler who enjoys a culinary adventure in Italy. Wendy has lived in Lazio for forty years and shares her knowledge and passion about her favourite places and regions on her website Flavor of Italy Please find all Show Notes and...2022-02-1835 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeLiving in Italy 101 with Evelyn Hill“Italy as destination was lodged in my imagination and in my future” - Helen BaroliniTheir Other Side: Six American Women and the Lure of Italy Welcome to Episode 44 and my wonderful conversation with Evelyn Hill about her journey from Vermont in America to Rome to study at the American University. We chat about moving to Italy, studying, creating a new life, living in Rome, Milan and Turin. Ten years later Evelyn makes the region of Piedmont her home with her partner enjoying trips to the mountains and the relaxed lifestyle. We talk the u...2022-02-1138 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeLiving La Dolce Vita, from Sydney to Bolzano to Monopoly with Nikki Taylor“Who has not dreamed of going forth to meet the unknown in some new land, and thus in oneself” - Helen Barolini “Their Other Side: Six American Women & The Lure of Italy”Have you ever thought of starting all over again in a new country and making your dreams real? Nikki was burnt out and disillusioned by all she had achieved living in London and in Sydney. Nikki made the decision to move to Italy. A year later Nikki landed in Italy by herself ready to begin again. Her story is full of trials and tribulatio...2022-02-1031 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeThe Dream Property to Win in Ostuni, Puglia and a Love Letter to Italy with Nikki Taylor“We are all pilgrims who seek Italy” - GoetheHave you ever dreamed of living in Italy? The exciting news is that there is a wonderful opportunity for you to live your own La Dolce Vita and this episode is about making that dream real.Nikki Taylor is giving away a property in Puglia and all you have to do is write a little letter of 30 words to enter the Competition. Nikki is also on a mission to create a Guinness World Record so join in on the fun and begin a new adventure in Puglia Italy...2022-01-2930 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeThe Art of Dolce Far Niente with Sophie Minchilli“Dolce Far Niente is about living in the present - savouring every moment as if it's the last - while remembering that life truly is beautiful. Let's never forget that" - Sophie MinchilliThis week I share a fun conversation with the author Sophie Minchilli. We talk about her book: The Sweetness of Doing Nothing: Live Life the Italian Way with Dolce Far Niente. We discuss the good life in Rome, discovering her path to becoming a professional pasta eater, slowing down, how to make the perfect Carbonara, and taking the time to write her book T...2022-01-2034 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and life100 Places in Italy Every Woman Should Go with Susan Van Allen“Italy became magical and mysterious beckoning me” - Susan Van Allen Welcome to Episode #40: I am most delighted to share this conversation with Susan Van Allen about her updated 10th Anniversary Edition, “100 Places in Italy Every Woman Should Go”. Susan is a Screen and Travel Writer, and an American Treasure. Her many books on Italy give travellers the inside tips on the places one should visit that will create the most magical travel memories. And truthfully, this book is for every one. If you want to feel safe in your decision on where to go, read ‘1...2022-01-1055 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeThe Luberon: Place of Beauty and Stone“The early-morning Easter Light, clean and clear as a polished sapphire, back-lit a ribbon of mist hovering over the Luberon plain. The almonds had burst into blossom and the cherries were hard on their tales’. - Alex Dingwall-Main, The Luberon Garden Welcome to Episode #39:This weeks share is a day driving through the region of the Luberon Mountains in Provence. A visit to Menerbes, the place of truffle and vin. We enter the tree lined village to marvel at the plane trees and to wander the paths and streets of the medieval village. The views are magnif...2021-12-1627 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeThe Call of Provence: Books, Gardens and Travel Adventures in the Luberon“My motive was simple and hedonistic: I was looking for beauty” - Alain de Botton, The Art of Travel Welcome to another share of the travelogue series from Italy to France. This day we find ourselves saying Au Revoir to beautiful Antibes on the French Riviera and heading onwards to Saint Paul de Vence to wander the historic medieval ramparts of the hill top village. And then back on the road to make our way to the Luberon region in the department of Vaucluse where an 18th century house in the countryside awaits our arrival.Also ref...2021-11-2426 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeFrench Appetites and Pleasures on the Riviera,…Antibes, Juan les Pins, Cannes, MFK Fisher"On the pleasant shore of the French Riviera, about half way between Marseille and the Italian Border, stands a large, proud, rose-coloured hotel. Deferential palms cool its flushed facade, and before it stretches a short dazzling beach"...F.Scott Fitzgerald - Tender is the NightWelcome to Episode #37Padova, Italy to Paris, France Travel Podcast Series..... Part 13The grand adventure continues on the French Riviera as we take a day to relax and explore Antibes, Juan les Pins, in the heart of the old port town, Vieille Ville. And then onto Cannes for a...2021-11-1228 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeLe Train Bleu, the French Riviera, Monaco, Nice, and the Grand Vacation Continues...“The glinting Mediterranean stretched off in the distance, and now the palm trees, beaches, and over built coastline of the Côte d’Azur loomed suddenly into view: Cannes…Juan-les-Pins…Antibes…and then Nice” - Provence 1970 by Luke Barr….Welcome to Episode #36Padova, Italy to Paris, France Travel Podcast Series..... Part 12A Travel Share on the history of train travel on the French Riviera and beyond. The grand adventure continues down the coastline of the French Riviera as we take a day to explore Monaco and the Promanade des Anglais in Nice. MJ...2021-11-0632 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeThe Enthusiastic Amateur, Too Many Cookbooks, Where to next & Do Italians Eat Pizza for Breakfast?!“My library is an archive of longings” - Susan SontagWelcome to Episode #35This weeks offering is a combination of the Good Life, Books, Food and More. The Italian Affair continues….Happy Adventures to you,MJ xoSee you next episode with the travel adventure to Nice and Monaco Part 12 of the Padova, Italy to Paris, France Travel Podcast Series.....© 2021 A Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeMusic Composed by Richard Johnston, © 2021Please find all Show Notes and details mentioned...2021-10-1527 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifePaola’s Istria - Recipes and Stories from the Hidden Heart of Italy, Slovenia and Croatia"In food there are memories" - Paola BacchiaWelcome to Episode #34:There are many layers to this conversation with Cookbook Author and Photographer Paola Bacchia. Place, identity, home, migration, culture, food, tradition, displacement, loss, family and ultimately celebration. This is an Istrian story, an Australian story and an Italian story. This episode weaves the many layers of these themes with the love of food and the threads of family and memories at the centre of Paola’s cooking. Paola’s connection to place and the history of her family are the foundation for her new...2021-10-0555 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeArt and Life on the Midi, Antibes, Picasso, de Stael, Matisse"When a painter is obsessed by a view or an idea, no wind, no elements can stop him" - Gustave de StaelWelcome to Episode #33This little foray into the south of France was a delight to write up once the writing process began. I couldn’t hold back but take a deep dive into the French Riveria and its artistic legacy which indeed is quite vast. When I discovered a few years back that the Picasso Museum was on the train line somewhere between Nice and Marseille in France well it was a given. There...2021-09-1436 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeItalophilia: A Way of Life with Ishita Sood“You may have the universe if I may have Italy” Giuseppe Verdi, ComposerWelcome to Episode 32:We are not the first and we will not be the last. The magnetic forces of Italy are powerful luring us from the comfort of our own homes and countries to dream, to ponder, to move, to see, to experience a culture that shows us a beautiful way to live. It is a sensual life that is deeply layered. Many of us would like a taste of it, a few weeks, a few months, perhaps a lifetime. Ita...2021-08-1644 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeItalian Life with Cinzia Ferri“We do not remember days, we remember moments” - Diary Entry, 28th July…Cesare Pavese - This Business of Living, A Diary - 1935-1950Welcome to Episode 31:This is a lovely chat with Cinzia about life and her love of books and life in Italia. Her love of language is at the forefront of her world as she shares the joys of reading in Italian and English and the path she followed to become a Teacher and Tutor for the Inglese who would like to know Italiano….And if you are wondering s...2021-08-0940 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifePostcards from the French Riveria, Antibes, Picasso and a little Carpe Diem..."When I realised that each morning I would see this light again, I could not believe my luck"Henri Matisse, 1917Welcome to Episode #30, Antibes, FranceOn the 13th March 2019, a family of five traveled from Genova Piazza Principe Station on the 11.43 to Ventimiglia in the province of Liguria, Italy. At 13.03 they entered a train with the white sign Region: Provence - Alpes - Cote d’Azur on the door. Arriving in Antibes at 16.01 to an ochre coloured railway station and a short walk to the old town in the French city. This is the...2021-07-1724 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeA Nostalgic Glance - Genova Part 9 - The Padova to Paris Journey"After all it is the adventure that counts" - Gertrude Stein, The Autobiography of Alice B. ToklasWelcome to Episode #29 Genova, LiguriaThe family trip continues after a too short stop over in Genova, we get ourselves ready to part with Italy and move onto France. In the meantime a wonderful morning is had walking the old town of Genoa in the Piazza La Maddelena and Piazza San Luca, checking out the local markets and enjoying the pleasures of a morning stroll into Piazza Bianchi not too far from Antico Porto where we wander until it...2021-05-3128 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeLa Superba, Genova .... Part 8 - The Padova to Paris Journey“There is already a tantalising sense of escape - of slipping beneath the radar of modern life" - Tom Chesshyre 'Slow Train to Venice'Welcome to Episode #28 Genova, LiguriaOne of things I adore about this whole Italian adventure is just how many doors Italy has to offer. Open one or two in you are in for a treat. Books, art, food and everything else. Travel takes on some kind of luminous quality once you get there, or are there...(Yes, I am waiting for the next door to open....that indeed is a different kind of s...2021-05-0334 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeThe Pisan Embrace.... Pisa, Tuscany Part 7 - The Padova to Paris Journey"Enchantment - a useless thing, but as dispensable as bread" - Gio PontiWelcome to Episode #27 Pisa, Tuscany....I have always been a little intrigued about Pisa. Wondering to myself what it was all about, so much so I thought we better go. And it is a curious place, a Tuscan city not far from the sea, a maritime power in its hey day. The city was built on the legacy of trade and its location on the Fiume Arno (River Arno) the one that connects it to its Tuscan neighbour Florence. It was a litt...2021-03-2334 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeInto the Light, Lucca, Tuscany - Part 6 The Padova to Paris Journey“The rain was coming down in what seemed solid sheets. But it was Italy. Nothing it did could be bad” - Elizabeth Von Armin ‘Enchanted April’Welcome to Episode #26Join me for a little Italian Joy and the delights of an afternoon wandering the Tuscan town of Lucca. The beauty of travel to me is leaving one molto bella historic city for another. An hour and a half on the train and then presto, we arrive at a medieval castle just outside the looming city wall that circumnavigates the centro storico. A little wet because it was raining but...2021-03-0734 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeBetwixt and Between - The Writer’s Life, an ode to 'Eat, Pray, Love' and Truffle Magic"Thy light alone - Gives grace and truth to life's unquiet dream' - Percy Bysshe ShelleyWelcome to Episode #25.......Sometimes you just need to start in the middle, and somehow you find the beginning and the end. That is how this episode came about. There is always the attention to the inner calling to do the work, to make way, to make hay while the sun shines. This episode is a soliloquy to the creative life, to getting back to writing and to some musing about life and art. 'Eat, Pray, Love’ and the book ‘Big...2021-02-1718 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeA Conversation with Christine from Italian Dish Podcast; Life in Tuscany, Italian food and how she found herself living in Italia.......Buon Natale to you all“To make time to eat as Italians still do is to share in their inexhaustible gift for making art out of life” - Marcella Hazan ‘The Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking Welcome to Episode #24Join me for the final episode for 2020 as I make a Spritz Prosecco Cocktail and share my last podcast for the year with Christine from Italian Dish Podcast.At the beginning of December Christine and I had a Skype chat about her Italian Dish Podcast and how she made her way to Italy over the recent years. We chat about the mood of Christmas as we near th...2020-12-2448 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifePadova to Paris - The Family Trip....Part 5 - Florence, Tuscany Continued and the Art of Tuscan Biscotti/Cantucci Making“Italy, like the olive tree, is ever-green” - Lina Waterfield, ‘Castle in Italy’Welcome to Episode #23.......I begin with a light serenade to December 2020 sitting out in the morning sun and then share the fifth installment of The Family Trip in Italy....Part 2 Florence, Tuscany....Firenze and the travel adventure continues. Enjoy, See You Next time with Christine from The Italian Dish Podcast #24And then onto Lucca, Pisa and Genoa Italy.........and then the French RiveriaMusic Composed by Richard Johnston, Copyright 2021.Please find all Show...2020-12-1431 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeThe Florentine Affair....Tuscany, Part 4 - The Padova to Paris Journey“These trains have eaten into my mind and my writing” - Tim Parks ‘Italian Ways: On and Off the Rails from Milan to Palermo’Welcome to Episode #22.......This an excerpt from the journey, the little adventure from Padua in Italy to Paris, France....Next stop - Florence, Tuscany....Firenze is one of those places that you can just wander and there is something wonderful around every corner. The architectural detail and the Renaissance treasures are all there to be seen and savoured. It is the open air museum like qualities that make it such a great w...2020-11-1923 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeLa Cucina Povera and the Beauty of Simple Ingredients...A three part episode that begins in the chicken pen“I just think food is so important to us, it is the most important thing we do, so why not enjoy it”...Rick SteinWelcome to Episode 21:This is just me, the real me, the girl that decides to make it happen regardless of the original plan.A garden walk and a podcast recorded in the chicken pen. A little cook up of the stinging nettle I foraged in the garden was the outcome of this spontaneous episode on the philosophy and heritage of La Cucina Povera. It goes without saying that 2...2020-10-3043 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeThe Heart of Verona…. The Family Trip - Part 3"Travel is like any other addiction: the more of it you've had, the more of it you need" - Tony WheelerWelcome to Episode 20: Verona, VenetoThe day began with a large yellow Mimosa heart wreath in the middle of the Corso Porto Nuova. And that pretty much sets the stage for a day of exploring the Veneto town of Verona. The star crossed lovers, the myth and the magic of Romeo and Juliet and the legacy of the della Scala family, the Scalageri in the Piazza del Signori and beyond. The Romanesque architecture, the cast...2020-09-2725 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeVenice and the Art of Travel....The Padova to Paris Journey - Part 2"Open my heart, and you will see / Graved inside of it, Italy" - Robert BrowningWelcome to Episode #19: Venezia, Venetia - ItalyVenice is the icing on the cake and should be sampled at least once in a lifetime or more if you are lucky. Traveling to see this city built on over one hundred islands, linked by bridges and canals halfway between the rising and the setting sun never fails to excite and entice the curious traveler.A family day walking this city to sample the delights of the Gothic and the By...2020-09-0931 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifePadova, Italy to Paris, France - The Family Trip...... Part 1"We are all pilgrims who seek Italy" - Goethe, Italian JourneyWelcome to Episode 18: Padova, VenetoWhat a sweet thing to create this episode and share our family journey in Italy and France. So grateful for a little Carpe Diem moment late 2018. Tickets to Italy arriving in Milano Milpensa and the fast train to Padova in March 2019 was the beginning of a wonderful adventure. Italy always inspires....the endless art, the architecture, the history, the grand cafes and the ambience of piazza life are all waiting there to be explored and savoured.Padova is o...2020-08-1034 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeBringing Italy Home - Part 2 - Accordions, Mothers, Second Chances, Culture, Tradition and there’s Always Italy......From the Armchair at HomeWelcome to Episode #17: Bringing Italy Home.. This is a second dose of possibilities of an Italian kind. Over the past few weeks I have been wandering into old books and new ones, and have felt delighted at sitting down to watch the documentaries Made in Italy, Franca: Chaos and Creation and my favourite Italian film I practically had to go on a pilgrimage to get my hands on. It turns out that E-bay came up with the goods in the end....I was so happy because for ages I have wanted to watch Bread and Tulips, the Ital...2020-07-0624 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeBringing Italy Home - The Spirit of Place......Books and Movies to EnjoyWelcome to Episode 16 Bringing Italy Home with favourite movies, cookbooks and travel narratives that have kept the spirit happy over the years....So you too can travel from your armchair at home at any given time......On a personal note I love my books and movies and that is why I am sharing these favourites today.........Just to feed the muse and taste the spirit of Italy through film, travel books and memoirs that inspire. They teach and open one to the beauty of a place. Let that transport you for now.Enjoy.....© 2021 A W...2020-05-2614 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeThe Calabrian Homecoming - In Conversation with Josephine GregoireWelcome to Episode #15: The Calabrian Homecoming - In Conversation with Josephine Gregoire.....I have sat on this conversation for a while now and let’s just say it has to be noted that we sat down on a beautiful summers day here in Bungendore, NSW, Australia at Le Tres Bon in Josephine and Christophe’s French Restaurant in late 2019 to record this podcast.It is important to note that at the time, all was pretty normal here in Australia. China was certainly not in a great place with Covid-19, yet Italy nor Spain had no idea w...2020-04-071h 26A Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeFood For Thought: Cooking with Massimo and Friends, and Living the Simple LifeWelcome to Episode #14: Food For Thought, Cooking from the Cookbook ‘Bread is Gold: Extraordinary Meals with Ordinary Ingredients’ as a project to see me though this year. I have no doubt it will take me that long......And surrendering to the Simple Life as I know it.Wow, things have changed so fast we barely know what will happen today nor tomorrow. We are in the middle of unprecedented times, certainly in my own personal lifetime never mind my kids. Italy is suffering so much as are most countries, and we are watching from the sidelines on guard to...2020-03-2623 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeOne Writer’s Journey - On Memoir, Writing, Belle Italia and Food for Soul.......Welcome to Episode #13 and One Writer’s Journey - On the beauty of writing and reading Memoir, a homage to Belle Italia and Food For Soul.This share is a montage of sorts and covers a few relevant areas of life in these modern times.1. Ode to Italy as we brace ourselves for our new reality. 2. Writing Memoir and the Writers Life: A share of tools and creative ways to get writing and enjoy the process as much as the outcome. For the love of writing as a practice and the books and the wr...2020-03-1125 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeThe Good Life at La Tavola Marche - In Conversation with Ashley BartnerWelcome to Episode #12: We kick off Season 2 with a wonderful conversation with the delightful Ashley Bartner of La Tavola Marche, a Cooking School, Farm and Agriturismo in Italy.Ashley and her husband Jason moved to Italy thirteen years ago from New York with a plan to create their own business off the beaten track in the region of Le Marche. With a big dream in their back pocket and hearts full of enthusiasm they both ventured into the world of farm life, cooking schools and the Italian Lifestyle.It wasn't without its tri...2020-01-0849 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeRome, Italy “If you have no faith in me, have faith in what you see” (Cinema Paradiso)Welcome to Episode #11 and the Eternal City of Roma. This is the final chapter of the book share In the Shadow of a Cypress: An Italian Adventure and Season 1 on the podcast A Writer In Italy. What a journey it has been. These last days wandering around Rome from Piazza to Piazza sipping cappuccino and people watching in Piazza della Rotunda were full of delight and spontaneity. The travelers dream day. No real destination, just the beauty of turning into a hidden street and discovering the best gelato one has ever tried or a stationary shop to tempt the p...2019-12-2128 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeAmalfi, Campania Continued.....Walking adventures in Positano, Minori and Real LifeWelcome to Episode #10 Amalfi, Campania and the joys and discoveries up in the terraced hillside of Pogerola, Italy.Certainly this recent podcast had me juggling the creative life and the realities of living in Australia at the end of 2019. However, I was more than happy to share the days in Amalfi and pages from my book ‘In the Shadow of a Cypress’ in podcast land.....Amalfi was a collection of rich moments. The architecture, the history, the location, the sea and the shades of colourful umbrellas on the beach at Positano certainly captured my spirit. Moments...2019-12-1034 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeAmalfi, Campania.... “There’s nothing like a fountain and a magnum of French champagne to put you right again” - Under the Tuscan sun (film)Welcome to Episode #9 Amalfi, Campania......Travel Writer and Author Freya Stark once said, “To awaken quite alone in a strange town is one of the pleasantest sensations in the world. You are surrounded by adventure. You have no idea of what is in store for you, but you will, if you are wise and know the art of travel, let yourself go on the stream of the unknown and accept whatever comes in the spirit in which the gods may offer it. For this reason your customary thoughts, all except the rarest of your friends, even most of...2019-11-2040 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeSiena, Tuscany and the Adventure Continues..... “The Bees, you don’t bother them, they won’t bother you” (Stealing Beauty)Welcome to Episode #8 Siena, Tuscany Book Share: In the Shadow of a Cypress: An Italian Adventure. Chapter 6 and the Italian Adventure continues.....After wonderful days exploring Florence and Fiesole to a sweet journey through the Tuscan Countryside to Siena by rail.Returning to Siena after many years it was wonderful to be sitting and sipping a cappuccino staring at the beauty of the Palazzo Pubblico on my first morning in the Centro Storico of this Unesco World Heritage medieval city. Siena is an obvious choice if visiting Florence. An hour...2019-10-3157 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeA Conversation with Food Writer, Cookbook Author and Photographer Emiko Davies about Italy, Books and Family.Welcome to Episode #7: A Conversation with Cookbook Author, Food Writer and Photographer Emiko Davies about Italy, Books and Family.......I had a lovely time over coffee at Tilley’s Lyneham on a chilly winters morning in Canberra chatting and getting to know Emiko and all of the wonderful details about her three cookbooks and how she started as a Food Blogger in Florence, Italy.I very much enjoyed this conversation forgetting that I am on the recording too, hence all of my oohs and ahhs while listening in rapture to the wonderful details of Emiko’s lif...2019-10-091h 02A Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeFlorence, Tuscany: "I have drunk deep the wine of Firenze: I've warmed both hands before the fires of Botticelli and Michelangelo", Tea With Mussolini......and the Italophile as a way of life.Welcome to Episode 6: Florence and Fiesole......Book Share: In the Shadow of a Cypress: An Italian Adventure. Chapter 4 and the adventure of seeing Florence again after many years, staying in the hill top town of Fiesole, visiting the fabulous Santa Maria del Fiore, The Uffizi Gallery for the Medici Art Collection and the Strozzi Gallery for the Picasso Exhibit. The journey of an Italophile at home and in Italy. Sharing the love of the Anglo-Italian experience and favourite books of past Anglo-Florentines who have loved Florence and made a life there.A R...2019-09-1755 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeAssisi: The Spiritual Heart of ItalyWelcome to Episode 5: Assisi, UmbriaBook Share: In the Shadow of a Cypress: An Italian Adventure The adventure continues in Cortona and a visit to Assisi, the spiritual home of Italy's patron Saint, Saint Francis. A beautiful day unfolds exploring the Basilicas and the cities artistic treasures. The magic of Assisi leaves its mark and many fond travel memories of the landscape, the cuisine, the art, the architecture and the spontaneous joy of travel.Endnote: New cookbooks to discover, visits to the library for resources and a fa...2019-08-1730 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeEpisode 4: Cortona, Tuscany........."Terrible Ideas hmmm, don't you just love those?"....Under The Tuscan Sun (Film) and the Creative LifeWelcome to Episode 4: Cortona, ItalyBook Share: In the Shadow of a Cypress: An Italian AdventureChapter 3: "Terrible Ideas, hmmm don't you just love those?"..........Under The Tuscan Sun (film)This chapter is an exploration of Cortona and shares the joy of spontaneous travel as events unfold over a day in the beautiful Tuscan town of Cortona. Food, wine and a visit to Villa Bramasole to take in the beauty and magic of Cortona. Inspired by the books and the lifestyle of Frances Mayes this episode has Michelle musing ove...2019-07-2844 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeUmbria, Orvieto "I have a great talent for perseverance" and Happy Messy Life.Welcome to Episode 3: Orvieto, UmbriaBook Share: In the Shadow of a Cypress: An Italian AdventureChapter 2: "I have a great talent for perseverance" My House in Umbria (film)This chapter is the beginning of my adventures around Italy on Trenitalia and has me musing over my time away from family and life as I know it. A few days here has me falling hard for the landscape, the architecture, the grand beauty that Italy is renown for and the hearty Umbrian cuisine of the autumn season. Enjoy.....Please find Show Notes...2019-07-1540 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeChapter 2: Rome: Take the Gun, Leave the Cannoli or Buy a Ticket to Italy, Take a RiskBook Share: In the Shadow of a Cypress: An Italian AdventureFive years ago Michelle Johnston traveled to Italy to create space for herself and her writing. Michelle traveled solo giving herself time to recalibrate after many years of parenting and life in general. Leaving her husband to take care of the family she reconnected with her writing, her art and her love of travel.The adventure turned into a book................In the Shadow of a Cypress: An Italian AdventureWelcome to a Writer in Italy Podcast. Please find show...2019-07-0221 minA Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and lifeChapter 1: "Take the Gun, Leave the Cannoli or Buy a Ticket to Italy - Take a Risk"Five years ago Michelle Johnston traveled to Italy to create space for herself and her writing. Michelle traveled solo giving herself time to recalibrate after many years of parenting and life in general. Leaving her husband to take care of the family she reconnected with her writing, her art and love of travel. The adventure turned into a book........... In The Shadow of a Cypress: An Italian Adventure.Welcome to A Writer in Italy Podcast. Please find all Show Notes at www.michellejohnston.life© 2021 A Writer In Italy - travel, writi...2019-05-1838 min