paula reynolds

I can recall more than one incident of tap-tapping my foot on Italian pavement, repeatedly checking my watch as an exasperated sigh escaped my lips. The orario (schedule) said the train was to depart at 13.15 – where is it? …

It’s quite easy to toss around the term “magical” when referring to Italy’s vast number of charming, romantic villages. Some, however, wear the title a bit more earnestly than others. The tiny Umbrian borgo of Rasiglia is one such place. …

The famed marble quarries of Carrara are practically sacred ground. The gleaming white surface of the exposed marble graces the crests of the Apuan Alps, often mistaken by the unknowing for snow. Gargantuan chunks cut from the mountainside for almost …

No one comes to central Puglia in search of grandiose cathedrals, nor expects to find troves of precious art or opulent concert halls. Valle d’Itria, the Puglian region located right about where the heel begins, is instead a timeless land …

If hope springs eternal (oh how we need a lot of that these days), so, too, do the enchanting thermal springs of Bagni San Filippo. These temperate mineral waters have warmed the bones of many a person for more than …

“Would you like fries with that?” may not be as modern a phrase as we think. You’ve probably seen the recent headlines extolling the full excavation of a gloriously intact fast-food joint, or thermopolium, in Pompeii. Virtually undisturbed save for …

La Costiera Amalfitana. To borrow a few lines from a wonderful old song – “Say it loud and there’s music playing; say it soft and it’s almost like praying” – is befitting. Just the sound of the words hints at …

Marriage to the right person can really pay off. Companionship, a built-in cheerleader, a shoulder to cry on, someone to remind you where you left your glasses – all perks of saying “I do.” Marriage can pay off in other …

Did my use of “rules” and “Italian” in one sentence cause a second glance? Other than keeping that left lane on the Autostrada open for high-speed designer cars, or maybe dutifully respecting the ZTL signs (Zona Traffico Limitato) that come …

“No poem was ever written by a drinker of water” ~ Horace Rome, the beloved Eternal City, has contributed much to the modern world. Think about it: architectural innovation, models of governing, roadways, the Julian calendar, amazing art, cement…the list …