Sunday, April 01, 2007

My Italy: Here it is!

Here now, for all to admire, are the wonderful "entries" to My Italy, La Mia Italia. Most of my bloggy buddies are here, both new and old. Thanks for the great response.

As you may or may not know, I'm on my honeymoon in April. So, you've got a whole month to savor these lovely posts: take your time, come back often, and enjoy!

And don't forget to take note of your absolute favorite post from the list. There will be prizes, people, prizes!! Voting to be held by secret ballot in early May...details to come.

(BTW, any comments that the authors sent along with their posts are in parenthesis. I include this disclaimer because Tracie B. knows that I personally would NEVER use the word fart on my blog. At the very least I might write "scoreggia" or something like that. Which is actually probably vulgar in the end and therefore worse, but hey, might I remind you that I live in Rome and as vulgarity is pretty much the the hallmark of Roman dialect, please cut me a break!)

Since this is my home turf, I'm pulling rank and going first. It was hard to choose, 'cuz there's just so much oddity and fun around here, but in the end these are a few that are close to my heart:
  • Bread and Tulips (I don't generally talk much about "my story" on the blog, but this was one time when a little healthy reflection made me appreciate how far I've come on my adventure here.)
  • Do You Knead? (The story of making homemade pasta for the first time)
  • One Day in Naples: Part One and Part Two (I didn't intend for my Naples day trip to become two posts full of photos, but the things I saw were way too good not to share. Remember the two cars stuck in the alley? Love it.)
  • Odes to the why and the weird: Ten Things I'll Never Understand about Rome and Roma è Strana (The quirky, endearing mysteries of my adopted city)
And now, for your enjoyment, are my bloggy pals who sent in their entries.

(*The ones with stars next to their names are ones I chose myself...pals of mine who didn't have time to send me their faves and gave me permission to choose my favorites, or Italy bloggers who I wanted to share with you on this line-up, or a mixture of both!)

Ann: My Life in Italy
Annika: Dove Mi Porta il Cuore
Arlene: NYC/Caribbean Ragazza
Avery: La Dolce Vita
*Brendan: Brendan Eats and Drinks in Italy

My pal and former colleague, a New Yorker voluntarily transplanted here in Rome, shares his food adventures in the bel paese.
Cherrye: My Bella Vita
David: Travel Horizons
  • Rosy-Fingered Dawn
     (has a sunrise picture from Anacapri and a brief blurb about the Homeric language the title is alluding to)
  • The Last Supper (talks about the thrill of going to Milan and actually getting to see Leonardo's The Last Supper)
  • Bypassing the Queue (tells the story of our trip to the Vatican Museum and lucking into a guided tour that let us bypass the huge line already present at 9:30 a.m. It also has a tip about where to get your tickets for the Colosseum)
  • By the Dawn's Early Light (has a sunrise picture from a harbor in Naples lookout out towards Mt. Vesuvius)
*Diego: Il dottor StranoWeb

I couldn't bear not to have Diego, a young Roman journalist, on my list. He writes in Italian (with the exception of one post in English that I've included here) so unfortunately not everyone is going to get the joke, but for those of you who speak Italian or even study Italian, do yourself a favor and bookmark his blog. His posts are clever, well-written, and often laugh-out-loud funny.
Elizabeth: Cross-Cultural Moments
Ellen: M.A. Peel
Heather: Yummy Sushi Pajamas
Jeff: Jeff in Puglia
Jenn: Travel Closeup
Jessica: Finny Knits
Jessica: Italylogue
Loulou: Chez Loulou
Michelle: Bleeding Espresso
Michelle: MichellaneaMitch: Oak Street Ranch
*Roman Wine Co.: The Official Blog of The Roman Wine Company (Brendan strikes again on this blog which is a celebration of Italian wine through the business he shares with his Irish pal John)
*Rowena: Rubber Slippers in Italy

A truly delectable blog exploring la cucina Italiana here in Italy. Try not to lick your screen.
Sara: Ms. Adventures in Italy
Sara: One Hot Processor
Sparrow: American Girl in Italy
Tamara: Woman with Stylus
Tracie B.: My Life Italian
Valerie: 2 Baci in a Pinon Tree
Now comes the hard part... which one did you like the best? Sharpen your pencils and start your lists...

[UPDATE: The votes are in and the winner is... drum roll please... Michelle a.k.a. Sognatrice of Bleeding Espresso for Conquering Evil (One Plastic Red Horn at a Time). I selected a prize I know she's been wanting: she gets my copy of Eat Pray Love, heading down to Calabria soon. Go ahead and check out her winning post!]
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