A Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and life (Michelle Johnston)
Explore every episode of A Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and life
| Pub. Date | Title | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Feb 2022 | Living La Dolce Vita, from Sydney to Bolzano to Monopoly with Nikki Taylor | 00:31:58 | |
“Who has not dreamed of going forth to meet the unknown in some new land, and thus in oneself” - Helen Barolini Music Composed by Richard Johnston, © 2022 | |||
| 11 Feb 2022 | Living in Italy 101 with Evelyn Hill | 00:38:50 | |
“Italy as destination was lodged in my imagination and in my future” - Helen Barolini Visit Evelyn Hill: Italy Travel Planner, Moving to Italy & Expat Consultant Instagram: @collinemontagne Music Composed by Richard Johnston, © 2022 | |||
| 18 Feb 2022 | The Flavor of Italy with Wendy Holloway | 00:35:57 | |
"First we eat, then we do everything else" - MFK Fisher Music Composed by Richard Johnston, © 2022 | |||
| 04 Mar 2022 | Allison Zurfluh: Art and Conservation in the Venetian Lagoon | 00:59:34 | |
“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world” - Anne Frank 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 the rediscovery of art, and painting the lagoon using watercolours and oil paints on linen canvas that woke her spirit to life again. Through her painting and evocative prose Allison's voice translates her love and care for the natural world and the concern she has for the conservation of the Venetian Lagoon for now and for the future. Visit Allison for Fine Art: Allison Zurfluh Visit Allison: Bespoke Venice and Lagoon Travel Instagram: @allisonzurfluh_artist & @allisonzurfluh Please find all Show Notes and details mentioned at: Music Composed by Richard Johnston, © 2022 | |||
| 01 Apr 2022 | Postcard from the Grand Canal, Venice Travel Share | 00:16:36 | |
"If you think adventure is dangerous, try routine, it's lethal" - Paul Coelho Music Composed by Richard Johnston, © 2022 | |||
| 05 Apr 2022 | Postcard from Parma, Emilia Romagna Italy Travel Share | 00:33:50 | |
"These are the days that must happen to you” - Walt Whitman | |||
| 09 Apr 2022 | Postcard from Liguria, Genova…Ancient Doorways and Bitter Oranges | 00:38:04 | |
"Whatever it is I am trying to preserve may not be entirely real, but it isn't altogether false" - Andre Aciman.....'Homo Irrealis, Essays' Music Composed by Richard Johnston, © 2022 | |||
| 10 Apr 2022 | Postcard from Camogli, Liguria…Sea, Sunshine and Orange Blossoms | 00:22:52 | |
“Place will have its way with you” - Frances Mayes, ‘See You in the Piazza’ Music Composed by Richard Johnston, © 2022 | |||
| 14 May 2022 | Moments in Italy, Travel Share - Part 1 | 00:47:16 | |
“I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read on the train.” - Oscar Wilde Music Composed by Richard Johnston © 2022 | |||
| 26 May 2022 | Moments in Italy: Caffes & Coffee Bars, Turin, Italy - Travel Share | 00:33:35 | |
“Sometimes I think we only half live over here. The Italians live all the way” - 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. Music Composed by Richard Johnston, © 2022 | |||
| 03 Jun 2022 | How the Venetian Spritz became synonymous with the Good Life in Northern Italy and beyond.. | 00:36:57 | |
"Let us be honest: who hasn't wanted to be just a little bit Italian?' - Kay Plunkett-Hogge, Aperitivo..... 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 not exactly sounding like the pure sweet notes of Italiano. So I went on a little journey to discover how the Spritz became the drink of the Veneto region in Italy and beyond. Music Composed by Richard Johnston © 2022 | |||
| 16 Jun 2022 | Moments in Italy, Part 3 - Beautiful Things…The Villa Necchi Campiglio, Milano | 00:28:35 | |
"You can make the world beautiful just by refusing to lie about it" - Gio Ponti (1891-1979) And that is why I organised a ticket to the Villa Necchi Campiglio in the heart of chic Milan. Not far from the Corso Venezia and the Fashion District on Via Monte Napoleone, this urban and modernist villa is quite the inspiration if you are interested in Italian design and Beautiful Things…. Music Composed by Richard Johnston © 2022 | |||
| 30 Jun 2022 | Culinary Adventures in Southern Italy with Nadia Fragnito | 00:50:27 | |
“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 Fragnito Music Composed by Richard Johnston © 2022 | |||
| 28 Jul 2022 | The Art of Eating | 00:31:21 | |
“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 Music Composed by Richard Johnston © 2022 Stay Tuned for the next Podcast: A Table for One - on Solo Travel..... | |||
| 05 Aug 2022 | Table for One - On Solo Travel, Artist's Dates and Grand Adventures | 00:53:38 | |
"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 Life 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 couple of adventures up may sleeve where I leave the kids and the husband at home, here is my take on what is good and bad, and deliriously wonderful….I love the quote from the book Alone Time: Four cities, Four Seasons and the Pleasures of solitude…. Music Composed by Richard Johnston © 2022 | |||
| 20 Aug 2022 | Travel Diaries, Artist Journals, Aide Memoir, and Excerpts from Paris, Italy and More…. | 00:32:21 | |
"The only joy in the world is to begin" - Cesare Pevase Music Composed by Richard Johnston © 2022 | |||
| 25 Aug 2022 | The Writing Life….Travel Diaries from Liguria, Milan, Siena, London, South of France..…. | 00:30:42 | |
"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 Notebooks Music Composed by Richard Johnston © 2022 | |||
| 03 Sep 2022 | A Musing on Lemons, Life and Limoncello......The Recipe for Limoncello Included.... | 00:20:33 | |
“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 Journey 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 are two types of Limoncello, a sweet liquor in a small, thin bottle that is super sweet, or the turbo charged punch in the mouth digestivo that has you reciting poetry to a fellow tourist. This recipe is like the later, but certainly can be diluted or sipped gently, but here you go. Music Composed by Richard Johnston © 2022 | |||
| 10 Sep 2022 | Artist's Notebooks: For the Poets and the Dreamers..... | 00:30:55 | |
"I think that a writer should observe the real world before imagining a non-existent one" - Music Composed by Richard Johnston © 2022 | |||
| 18 Sep 2022 | Seventeen Cypress and a Life to Create | 00:30:00 | |
"Nature accompanies me, exalts me" - Henri Matisse A Serenade to a Sunday.... Reflections on a house and a garden. I go back to Italy and I look at the cypress, in gardens, next to villas, lined up on roads. They seem to hold the measure of us, grand companions on the journey of life. Guardians and mysterious knowing trees, always I feel better when I see them in the distance. When I realised I could have a taste of Italy here in my back yard, well why not? There was no turning back" Find all Show Notes and details mentioned at: Music Composed by Richard Johnston © 2022 | |||
| 07 Oct 2022 | Have you ever wondered why you feel attracted to a certain place? Let’s talk Locational Astrology with Lynnette from Cosmic Moves | 00:55:31 | |
The aim of life is to live, and to live means to be aware, joyously, drunkenly, serenely, divinely aware“ - Henry Miller This 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 Wennerstrom who gave me a great insight into my cosmic map for astrology. Basically it turns out that Italy was destiny and that is that. But certainly I was curious about the placements of my astrology and how they look on the world map and potentially how they could effect my life. Enjoy this Episode and if you are new to astrology you can get a sense of what is possible. Music Composed by Richard Johnston © 2022 | |||
| 15 Oct 2022 | Book Lovers & Artists Unite…Here are a few of my favourite things | 00:19:13 | |
Welcome 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, A Place in the World: Finding the Meaning of Home by Frances Mayes Visit: Frances Mayes for the Book Club Questions and Reading Guides…. Discovering Vegan Italian, The Second Edition by Nadia Fragnito…. Visit: The Vegan Italian Kitchen Find all Show Notes and details mentioned at: Music Composed by Richard Johnston © 2022 | |||
| 18 May 2019 | Chapter 1: "Take the Gun, Leave the Cannoli or Buy a Ticket to Italy - Take a Risk" | 00:38:50 | |
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. Music Composed by Richard Johnston, © 2021 | |||
| 03 Nov 2022 | Windows into Italy: Lets visit Padova in the Veneto | 00:37:42 | |
"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' 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 explore the region, and then went back for more of the Northern Italy in April this year…. Here is a window into the many reasons you need to go, and some of the history and ambience on the historical and cultural gem of a place. Music Composed by Richard Johnston © 2022 | |||
| 18 Nov 2022 | Sumptuous Venice with Margie Miklas | 00:50:02 | |
“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 Know Margie Miklas has a special connection to Italy as a second generation Italian/American. Come along for a sweet conversation about Margie’s Italy. Enjoy, Visit the website: Margie in Italy Music Composed by Richard Johnston © 2022 | |||
| 26 Nov 2022 | Love in a Tuscan Kitchen with Sheryl Ness (Part 1) | 00:31:36 | |
"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 Kitchen 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. There is so much I love about this book…Taking risks and following the heart’s needle, and really trusting the bigger picture, that something very beautiful wants to be revealed. In this case, it turned into a great Tuscan adventure and one that continues to delight and surprise you. Music Composed by Richard Johnston © 2022 | |||
| 07 Dec 2022 | Love in a Tuscan Kitchen with Sheryl Ness (Part 2) | 00:38:03 | |
"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 Kitchen 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. Music Composed by Richard Johnston © 2022 | |||
| 17 Feb 2023 | Art & Love: Peggy Guggenheim (Part 1) | 00:27:50 | |
“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 Addict 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 kaleidoscope of Peggy’s life and how she became a 20th Century icon in the art world. Find all Show Notes and details mentioned at: Music Composed by Richard Johnston © 2023 | |||
| 02 Mar 2023 | Art and Love: Peggy Guggenheim (Part 2) | 00:22:06 | |
"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 Krasner Music Composed by Richard Johnston © 2023 | |||
| 28 Mar 2023 | Drink Wine and Be Beautiful with Kimberly Sullivan | 00:47:54 | |
"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 Sullivan 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 Society. Her books trace themes of identity and women’s lives. This is a fun chat about Italy, books, self publishing, writing resources and of course the writing process (the fun part!) And any time great authors like Jane Austen, Edith Wharton, EM Forster, Lord Byron and Henry James come up in a conversation well, all is well in my world. Enjoy. Music Composed by Richard Johnston © 2023 | |||
| 05 Apr 2023 | The Art of Devotion and the Black Madonna with Stephanie Georgieff | 00:57:10 | |
"The Black Madonna represents a time of direct connection. She is the spiritual connector. She is the energy behind creation. We are to bring our thinking into our heart and have this influence our deeds" - Stephanie Georgieff, The Black Madonna: Mysterious Soul Companion Black Madonnas are scattered all over the globe, yet Italy is one of the places they seem to proliferate (France and Spain too). You can visit places like Venice, Positano, Loreto, Rome, Tropea, Naples and Sicily to see the shrines and sacred sites, if of course you haven’t already. There are Marian trails and pilgrimage routes all over Italy and a vast history that has many people exploring Europe and beyond to know more. Stephanie’s devotion to uncovering the heart of the Black Madonna is quite a triumph. She describes herself as a practical mystic and each week on her Podcast shares a unique story, of a unique Black Madonna, from a unique place at The Black Madonna Speaks You are welcome to email me at 23colours@gmail.com if you would like to share your story or experience of The Black Madonna…. | |||
| 07 May 2023 | Less is More, Except when it comes to Books! With Laura Botten... | 00:39:45 | |
"The Thing about Rome is that it always manages to give you something special" - Luca Spaghetti, Un Amico Italiano - Eat Pray Love in Rome 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 favourite books set in Italy and that special trip to Rome that led to her writing her first book! Visit: Laura Botten Music Composed by Richard Johnston © 2023 | |||
| 19 May 2023 | Italian Inspiration - An Invitation.... | 00:09:35 | |
“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. Forster Music Composed by Richard Johnston © 2023 | |||
| 20 May 2023 | The Road Less Traveled - Eat Pray Love - A Book Journey | 00:19:39 | |
"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 Love Music Composed by Richard Johnston © 2023 | |||
| 23 May 2023 | In Sardinia: An Unexpected Journey in Italy with Jeff Biggers | 01:05:05 | |
“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 This is a rich and expensive conversation not only about the convoluted history of Sardinia and the culture, but illuminates a part of Italy that many are yet to discover…..Biggers excavates stone by stone, poet by poet and layer by layer and gives us a fresh perspective on the island and the Sardinian culture, and what’s more he is a wonderful storyteller. In the book and conversation you will discover: Music Composed by Richard Johnston © 2023 | |||
| 28 Jun 2023 | R is for Rome - The Writers Life with Michelle Ciani | 00:52:33 | |
"R is for Rome. Roma is my Lupa, the She-Wolf. She is mother and my muse" - Michelle Ciani, Letters from Rome 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 city takes you under their wing and points the way? R is for Rome, Michelle Ciani writes letters to her city and she mails them all around the world to people who want to connect and feel that Roman magic. We speak of Michelle’s writing journey and daily journal writing as a tool for introspection and therapy. We talk about writing memoir and her connection to the region of Basilicata. Music Composed by Richard Johnston © 2023 | |||
| 15 Jul 2023 | Emiko Davies - Tuscan Life and Enoteca Marilu | 00:56:23 | |
"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....." 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 Natural Wine Shop and Cooking School close to home. We discuss Emiko’s cookbooks and the next publication, ‘Gohan: Everyday Japanese Cooking Memories and Stories from My Family Kitchen’ that is due out September 2023. One cannot resist asking Emiko a 100 questions about her books and the food writing journey. We discuss ‘food’ and the journey to creating her beautiful cookbooks. Enjoy…. Music Composed by Richard Johnston © 2023 | |||
| 26 Jul 2023 | Casalvento: House of the Wind with Author and Winemaker Gudrun Cuillo | 01:03:34 | |
"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 Cuillo 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 introduced to an ancient Borgo in Radda, Chianti that might be up for sale. A week later they were the owners of medieval Casalvento, a hamlet of land and historic buildings. Bob And Gudrun didn’t even realise there was a vineyard, and on the ground were vines of Chianti Classico. Bob and Gudrun’s fate was sealed and the next twenty years or so were spent restoring the vineyard, the olives and the Borgo, amongst other projects in their busy and creative lives. Later they purchased more land close by, a medieval hamlet called Livernano and onwards they went. Today I introduce to Gudrun Cuillo and her book of fiction Casalvento - House of the Wind. If you love a book set in Italy, and heart thudding, more palpitations set in the beautiful hills of Tuscany, but not just Tuscany that Italian Ideal, the Italian beauty Chianti, one of the oldest settlements ancient Radda, and if you love a little romance and travel, and Italian history and a story that makes you want to jump on a plane, well as soon as possible, well then Casalvento: House of the Wind is a book to escape with, wherever you are in the world. Gudrun’s estate these days makes award winning wines, Chianti Classico, Chianti Riserva, those gorgeous Super Tuscans and much more. You can also stay and sip at your own leisure, do cooking classes, and wine tours, but mostly if you are intrigued you can visit her website Livernano Winery and Resort and follow Gudrun on Instagram at livernano_casalvento_ …. Or just listen along and enjoy Gudrun’s story about the vines, the wine making and the writing journey. And the surprising and wonderful process of becoming a fiction author, something she turned to at a time of grief and loss. You can find her book Casalvento: House of the Wind at all the usual places. Music Composed by Richard Johnston © 2023 | |||
| 26 Aug 2023 | The Travel Journal - how and why you should make one! | 00:31:36 | |
“And we are of course, each one of us, the historians of our own lives” - Hisham Matar, A Month in Siena Music Composed by Richard Johnston © 2023 | |||
| 09 Sep 2023 | Ms Britaly and Life in Southern Italy as an Expat | 00:43:52 | |
"I just knew that I had to figure it out for myself, step by step" - Claire Hearn, My Five Year Journey in Italy.... 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. Enjoy, YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/MsBritaly Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/MsBritaly Music Composed by Richard Johnston © 2023 | |||
| 02 Jul 2019 | Chapter 2: Rome: Take the Gun, Leave the Cannoli or Buy a Ticket to Italy, Take a Risk | 00:21:38 | |
Book Share: In the Shadow of a Cypress: An Italian Adventure Music Composed by Richard Johnston, © 2021 | |||
| 04 Oct 2023 | Luca Spaghetti - Anything is Possible! | 00:34:42 | |
"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 Rome 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 International Best Seller. Luca Spaghetti suddenly found himself as a character in the book and later in the film “Eat Pray Love”. Today is a special guest - Luca Spaghetti telling his story about this beautiful chapter in his life and the treasured friendship that endures. We talk about the two books he wrote “Un Amico Italiano - Eat Pray Love in Rome” and “Anything Is Possible”. They are two of my favourite books, and a real delight to read and discover. Music Composed by Richard Johnston © 2023 | |||
| 21 Oct 2023 | On Living a Bigger Life | 00:37:09 | |
"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 Kidd While in the middle of a big year, I reflect on what has filled my cup this year and why it all matters. Music Composed by Richard Johnston © 2023 | |||
| 28 Oct 2023 | Cookbook Author Tessa Kiros: Now & Then | 01:05:59 | |
"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 always Visit Tessa Kiros on Instagram at Tessa's Travels Music Composed by Richard Johnston © 2023 | |||
| 15 Jul 2019 | Umbria, Orvieto "I have a great talent for perseverance" and Happy Messy Life. | 00:40:31 | |
Welcome to Episode 3: Orvieto, Umbria Music Composed by Richard Johnston, © 2021 Instagram: @awriterinitaly and @theyellowhouse__ | |||
| 09 Dec 2023 | Cucina Povera & the Art of Making Do with Food Writer Giulia Scarpaleggia | 00:33:12 | |
“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 Povera Find all Show Notes and details mentioned at: | |||
| 28 Dec 2023 | Allison Zurfluh and the Venice Lagoon - La Mia Arte | 02:07:57 | |
"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" Here is a wild and beautiful conversation from one wild and beautiful woman to another. Allison is not only happy to rock the boat, but paints from it too, sharing her gifts, lighting the way, protecting the sacred and reminding us, that we all make a difference in this wild and beautiful world we live in. Enjoy To buy Allison’s Books and Fine Art Allison Zurfluh | |||
| 31 Dec 2023 | In Good Company | 00:24:13 | |
"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 Bedford Find all Show Notes and details mentioned at: | |||
| 23 Feb 2024 | Dolce Amaro - Bitter Sweet | 01:17:24 | |
"You cannot lose what really belongs to you, even if you throw it away" - I-Ching | |||
| 24 Feb 2024 | On Italy, and Following the Charm... | 00:33:14 | |
"Italy was more than a subject, it was a tool of resurrection and empowerment" - Michelle Johnston Today I go deep into the many layers of my life and the inspiration that has led to this point on the journey, and share what it is to “follow the charm” in life and in the quiet and beautiful epiphanies that happen along the way. Find all Show Notes and details mentioned at: | |||
| 28 Jul 2019 | Episode 4: Cortona, Tuscany........."Terrible Ideas hmmm, don't you just love those?"....Under The Tuscan Sun (Film) and the Creative Life | 00:44:51 | |
Welcome to Episode 4: Cortona, Italy Music Composed by Richard Johnston, © 2021 Instagram: @awriterinitaly and @theyellowhouse__ | |||
| 20 Mar 2024 | The Big Leap - Solo Travel in Italy with Cookbook Author Nadia Fragnito | 00:51:45 | |
"We travel, initially to lose ourselves, and we travel, next to find ourselves" - Pico Iyer 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 the reins and travelling solo is the ultimate journey of self care. It isn't the easiest of path, but speaks to liberation and going on an inner journey, just as much as an outer one. Enjoy this Conversation..... First Conversation with Nadia Fragnito - Episode #55: Culinary Adventures in Southern Italy with Nadia Fragnito Some of the Inspiration behind Nadia’s Solo Journey to Italy - Episode #57: Table for One - On Solo Travel, Artist Dates and Grand Adventures
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| 28 Mar 2024 | Universe I Trust You - With Roberta Mussato | 01:05:17 | |
"You have not a right, but a duty to be happy" - Roberta Mussato 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: One Month in Sri Lanka I wanted to share that I listened to Roberta’s book on Audible late last year, which I thoroughly enjoyed, she made me laugh a lot with her honesty and candid truth telling, and well everything else that was working or not working in her life. The big question is, can the worst of crisis be the turning point for a grand new chapter in your life? Yes, it appears, it definitely can. Roberta was born in Treviso in the north of Italy, in the Veneto region. With a background as an Interpreter and Translator from Italian to English, most of her adult life has been lived in London. Roberta describes herself as a global citizen and loves to travel the world seeking and learning about people and places. When Roberta took this three month journey, she had one main provision - to let the universe do the work. Her theory was to let go and let it all unfold in a natural way without expectations or demands. It’s a fun story and Roberta’s second book is currently being written as Roberta goes on to reflect on what happened next in India and then Nepal. These days she is a Life Coach and avid traveler and currently lives in London, in the United Kingdom. Universe I Trust You, One Month in Sri Lanka on Audible Visit Roberta for her book and Life Coaching Sessions at Roberta Mussato Roberta is happy to offer a 10% discount on her three months Coaching Package - Contact her on robertamussato@gmail.com and mention this offer… Also she offers a 60 minute Coaching Session if you leave a review of her book on Audible or Amazon - just send a screenshot of your review and send it to robertamussato@gmail.com | |||
| 09 Apr 2024 | The Flavours of Liguria with Food Writer Enrica Monzani | 00:41:52 | |
"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 Monzani Enrica's Beautiful Cookbook - Liguria in Cucina: The Flavours of Liguria, Ricotta della tradizione - traditional dishes…. Follow Enrica on Instagram @asmallkitcheningenoa | |||
| 21 Apr 2024 | Writing our lives - A Poetic Ramble and Musings | 00:38:38 | |
"One's destination is never a place but a new way of looking at things" - Henry Miller Today a share a meander through the creative landscape of writing and my process and the discoveries on the creative journey.... | |||
| 15 May 2024 | Rome’s Last Noble Palace, Cafe Culture and Great Writing Advice with Fiction Author Kimberly Sullivan | 00:49:21 | |
"Be kind to yourself and just get going, because even if you are just writing a little bit, for a few hours a week - it adds up" - Kimberly Sullivan Welcome to Episode #94: Today I have a conversation with fiction writer Kimberly Sullivan and her recent novel Rome’s Last Noble Palace. Kimberly loves to weave a story that includes a contemporary and a historical perspective, in this case dual timelines. It is quite an alchemical process and a wonderful story about two women from different centuries in Rome, with one place in common - the Palazzo Brancaccio. Kimberly and I have beautiful chat about the writing process. Kimberly shares great advice on fiction writing and how she approaches the craft and the creativity of bringing it all together on the page and into book form. This is a lovely chat about her book Rome’s Last Noble Palace and Kimberly’s writing and traveling adventures in Italy - Enjoy…. Two women. Two different centuries. One attic room Visit for books, news, blog and travel news: Kimberly Sullivan & Instagram @kimberlyinrome Listen to our first conversation on the Podcast Series: Drink Wine and Be Beautiful | |||
| 11 Aug 2024 | The Next Chapter - Book Dates, Italy Adventures, An Extract of my Book “Cortona”… | 00:41:51 | |
"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 tour of mine. Alone and happy with a pen and journal, to just muse, people watch and write notes" - Michelle Johnston, In the Shadow of a Cypress Welcome to Episode #97: | |||
| 19 May 2024 | Strange Fruit, Italian Lessons, Dreaming of Sicily | 00:25:41 | |
"Perfection is static, and I am in full progress" - Anais Nin Today I go on a whimsical journey through my process! Reading and working on my book. The book is done! Yet, I am most keen to record an audiobook first - so here I go. It’s a journey of ruminating over recent books I have read and what is happening IRL and certainly what is on my mind! There are quotes and beautiful moments to capture along the way, nothing is lost and life is good. Enjoy xo | |||
| 20 Jun 2024 | Children of the Volcano with Travel Writer and Author Ros Belford | 00:51:59 | |
"Time in Italy seemed less linear than it was at home, more of a space waiting to be filled with whatever delights the day might bring – exquisite miniature pastries behind the etched glass of an art nouveau window, a sliver of cantaloupe on a market-stall holder’s knife, amber and pink spritzes on a waiter’s tray, a flirty glance, a raised eyebrow, a tanned ankle in a tasselled loafer" - Ros Belford, Children of the Volcano Get ready for a wonderful adventure today with Ros Belford - Travel Writer, Journalist and Author of Children of the Volcano: Finding Freedom and Making a Home for Three in Sicily. Enjoy this conversation and read her book - it’s a wonderful account of making a life in Italy and following the call. *Arriving on the island of Salina 16:29 Children of the Volcano: Finding Freedom and Making a Home for Three in Sicily by Ros Belford Children of the Volcano tells the story of motherhood and childhood on the Sicilian island of Salina. Izzy and Juno grow up playing on the beach, learning to swim over volcanic bubbles, hearing tales of Aeolian witches, fighting battles armed with jellyfish and watching Stromboli erupt on the horizon. But nowhere is paradise. The school is atrocious, the teachers scary, and there are power cuts, storms and an earthquake. However, an eclectic community of islanders take them to their hearts, friendships are forged and Salina becomes home. Full of humanity, vitality, honesty and optimism, Children of the Volcano is for anyone unwilling to give up dreams of adventure and excitement simply because of parenthood, lack of money and not getting things right the first time. On Instagram: Ros Belford | |||
| 17 Aug 2019 | Assisi: The Spiritual Heart of Italy | 00:30:45 | |
Welcome to Episode 5: Assisi, Umbria Music Composed by Richard Johnston, © 2021
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| 27 Sep 2024 | My Book Journey, Primavera and Stories to Tell…. | 00:41:17 | |
"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 and I write a few more thoughts in my journal. I pack up my books and my water bottle and wander out to the street. A perfect morning in Siena, like no other" Welcome to Episode #98: | |||
| 31 Oct 2024 | Roman Holiday - Italy Adventures.... Part 1 | 01:25:55 | |
"I adore the spirit of Rome" - In the Shadow of a Cypress - An Italian Adventure Today we go on an adventure in Rome… I share some travel adventures and a few details on staying in Monti, Roma. I take a few beautiful tangents telling you all about my recent time in Italy with my family, some discoveries, some funny moments, some tricky train delays and most importantly some glorious days in the Eternal City - Rome… | |||
| 02 Nov 2024 | Paradise Found, Ischia - Adventures in Italy, Part 2 | 00:48:03 | |
"Perhaps in Italy, surrounded by beauty and history, we shed the layers of who we think we're supposed to be and rediscover the essence of who we truly are" - Erica Simone Today on the podcast we go on a personal journey, the story of what took me to Ischia recently and what exactly I discovered there. From the Gulf of Naples we ferried over to the green island of Ischia in the Tyrrhenian Sea to discover the volcanic and mineral rich thermal spas, the natural beauty of Negombo, the magic of the Castello Aragonese, a journey to nearby Procida and the picturesque island life that is Ischia. There were beautiful days traveling and exploring and wandering the streets of the island Ischia in Campania, sampling the local specialities and basking in the charm of Southern Italy. | |||
| 01 Dec 2024 | Only in Naples, Adventures in Italy - Part 3 | 00:43:13 | |
"The city is beautiful at night. There's a danger but also a freedom" - Erri de Luca, The Day Before Happiness Today I go on another travel adventure and share some of the story of my Naples travel experience…. To say the least Italy is always an adventure, as it turns out so is my life. I reflect on our time in Naples and the magic of travel, friendship and serendipity, the Patron Saint of Naples - San Gennaro, and the books that call you without knowing why. Enjoy and visit the Shownotes for lots of beautiful images of this trip in Campania, Italy. Enjoy x | |||
| 07 Dec 2024 | Mamma Will Travel - Reflections on Solo Travel, Motherhood, Self Trust & the Creative Process | 00:49:14 | |
"Solitude, I reflected, is the one deep necessity of the human spirit to which adequate recognition is never given in our codes. It is looked upon as a discipline or penance, but hardly ever as indispensable, pleasant ingredient it is to ordinary life, and from this want of recognition come half of our domestic troubles" - Freya Stark, The Valleys of the Assassins and Other Persian Travels Today I share the story and personal journey behind my solo travel adventures, how I navigated my writing, creativity and family life to create the time and space to go on the adventure - to really listen to my heart, to trust the whispers, and to just do it anyway. This share is an honest account of my journey as a woman navigating relationship and family life and my dream to travel and explore Italy. Ernest Hemingway once said “All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence that you know”, here today on the podcast I let that sentiment run through my words and my voice, and this account of this stage of my life. The decision to travel solo made an immense ripple effect in my life (at the time I didn’t know that) in my writing, in my creativity and in my choice to later create a podcast on Italy because I loved Italy…. It has been an incredible experience, a work in progress and a lot of fun connecting with every one along the way. Enjoy xx | |||
| 28 Dec 2024 | In Bocca al Lupo - Celebrating over 100 Episodes | 00:30:50 | |
"My motive was simple and hedonistic: I was looking for beauty" - Alain de Botton, The Art of Travel Thank you for joining me and making this journey what it is for without the beautiful listeners and you whom I have connected with along the way in conversation and in spirit, it has made it just so much fun!! Michelle xo "In bocca al lupo (pronounced [im ˈbokka al ˈlupo]; lit. "into the wolf's mouth") is an Italian Idiom originally used in opera and theatre to wish a performer good luck prior to a performance. The standard response is crepi il lupo! - "may the wolf die" or, more commonly, simply crepi! ("may it die"). Equivalent to the English actor's idiom "break a leg", the expression reflects a theatrical superstition in which wishing a person "good luck" is considered bad luck. The expression is commonly used in Italy off stage, as superstitions and customs travel through other professions and then into common use, and it can sometimes be heard outside of Italy". (Wikipedia 2024) | |||
| 31 Jan 2025 | Appetito: The life, Soul and Tastes of Italian Home Cooking with Cookbook Author Alison Ranwell | 00:43:56 | |
"There's an immense amount of love in Italian food, and I believe this is the key ingredient that makes it stand out from the rest: a love of good food, love for those at your table, and a love for your territory and its produce. In Italy, food is never just food. Nowadays in particular, it's so important to know what we eat and where it comes from. I found this communal passion in Italy" - Alison Ranwell, Appetito: The life, Soul and Tastes of Italian Home Cooking Today I have Cookbook Author Alison Ranwell sharing her Italian journey, from moving from London to Italy on a whim, to making a life in the Veneto with her family, and discovering the essence and art of the Italian cuisine and culture. Alison shares her story of discovering the diverse regional heritage of Italian food, sharing her explorations and the wonderful stories behind the recipes in her new book Appetito: The Life, Soul and Tastes of Italian Home Cooking. These days Alison has one foot in Italy and one foot in the United Kingdom. You can her visit her website for travel advice, fabulous food adventures and her beautiful evocative cookbook that you must see if you love the visual beauty of Italy, the sublime ingredients and the magic of the Italian table. Book Share: Appetito: The Life, Soul and Tastes of Italian Home Cooking by Alison Ranwell On Instagram: Mangia Mangia & Alison Ranwell Visit Alison: Blog - Mangia Mangia Find all Shownotes at michellejohnston.life | |||
| 14 Feb 2025 | The Art of Creative Living & Life Lessons | 00:46:47 | |
"You actually have permission to orient your life according to your nature rather than according to your culture and what you were taught was expected of you" - Elizabeth Gilbert, Living an Imperfectly Perfect Life - In Conversation with Sarah Grynberg Welcome to Episode #105: After three days in Sydney pondering a workshop with Elizabeth Gilbert I come away with this share. It was a gift to myself to just get away for a few days, number one there was that. Number two, I could have just gone there to see the tsunami of women of all ages ready, pens and journals in hand waiting. There were people of all ages, including some men, one beside me scrawling notes, trying to catch what poet she quoted, all listening, waiting, watching, talking and mostly just feeling her words ricocheting off the podium where she stood. In such an experience there is before, there is then and then there is after. …. it’s the holy trinity… And so it has been many years of knowing her work from afar, reading her books, loving her books and Liz sharing the art of creative living. For most of us it did start with the iconic ‘Eat Pray Love’ - for some it was the love story, for some the epic travel journey, for some the long pasta lunches in Italy, for some it was the spiritual seeking and the searching for herself. For me, it was everything. Livy was in my belly when I first read ‘Eat Pray Love’, and she is now sixteen years old. I have had three kids, and managed to live a creative life and stay married, in my mind it is quite the endurance test. It is lovely to see her and listen to her to talk, but it is bigger than that, Liz Gilbert does the work. She questions and she calls it out, and she is willing to ride the wave and get dumped a few times. And if you see her live, you are with her walking into the fire, you are warmed and you are transformed, rising from the flames, anew and alive to whatever you are calling in next! This share I go all the way in the deep end of living my own personal journey and feeling the rumble of change and growth and my own potential hovering in the wings as I share this podcast. It is creative living and I wouldn’t change any of it - it’s a grand adventure and a joy to share along the way….. Find all Shownotes at michellejohnston.life | |||
| 21 Feb 2025 | An Italian Farmhouse in Piemonte and a Book - 'Pinch Me' with Barbara Boyle | 00:39:30 | |
"It was always in my heart" - Pinch Me, Waking up in a 300-Year-Old Italian Farmhouse by Barbara Boyle Welcome to Episode #106, Barbara shares her book ‘Pinch Me - Waking up in a 300-Year-Old Italian Farmhouse’ and the tale of traveling from France to Piemonte to discover the region of the Langhe, the place she would fall in love with, buy an old farmhouse and begin a grand restoration process. Barbara and her husband Kim made a life in Italy, following the pull, the irrational desire to create something special for them to enjoy in their retirement and live for an extended time in Italy. I love these stories about people making the leap into new territory, buying a home, learning the language, living another kind of life. It is very possible to do that and it speaks to living the Italian dream and giving it a go. Pinch Me - Waking up in a 300-Year-Old Italian Farmhouse by Barbara Boyle Visit Barbara’s Substack - Letters from a 300 year old farmhouse Barbara’s Website for More! Barbara’s Instagram Find all Shownotes at michellejohnston.life | |||
| 28 Feb 2025 | Tabula Rasa - Tips & Tricks to Start Writing that Book (or keep going)! | 00:35:10 | |
"The only joy in the world is to begin" - Cesare Pavese, This Business of Living Welcome to Episode #107: The writing life is full of possibilities and paradoxes, yet some times you need some tips and tricks on how to move forward, how to make time, how to get past the resistance and the limitations, and just write. Living a creative life takes a little audacity, a dose of commitment and a tonne of self care, it’s about nurturing your creativity and your projects until they are ready to bloom. Today I share some of the tools, the tricks, some tips and the books on writing and creativity that have helped me complete my books, or more so, just get started. It is all about beginners mind and the art of small compounding victories that lead you to build momentum and structure over time. Anyway, this is what I have discovered over thirty years of being curious and absolutely determined to keep creating and making things along the way! Find all Shownotes at michellejohnston.life Music Available on Spotify & Apple Music, today I featured Richard's 'The Ghan' on the Show!! Enjoy xo | |||
| 10 Apr 2025 | Piemonte - The Secret that Needs to be Told, with Bailey Alexander | 01:11:33 | |
"It's about the treasure beneath our feet, it's about the land..." - Bailey Alexander Welcome to Episode #108: Bailey Alexander lived in the region of Piemonte Italy in the small village of Loazzolo for seven years with her husband Francis. Over time the place, the land, the people, the traditions, the lifestyle, and the wonderful campilismo began to shape her life in new and creative ways. After many years circumnavigating the globe, this time living in Piemonte searching for the “authentic life” ignited a curiosity that led Bailey to go on a journey of sorts, a personal pilgrimage to understand more. Bailey had so many questions and soon this curiosity became a collection of stories that evolved into her second book - ‘Personal Legends of Piemonte’. Bailey and I discuss the many life lessons and the beautiful meandering journey of this time in her life to later come out the other side with a book that shares these intimate and magical stories of twelve Piemontese. This is a grand conversation and one that illuminates the many cycles in life, the power of change and the resiliency we discover when we follow the call to live authentically and with grace. Personal Legends of Piemonte by Bailey Alexander Instagram: Bailey Alexander Find all Shownotes at michellejohnston.life Buy my new book: In the Shadow of a Cypress - An Italian Adventure | |||
| 17 Sep 2019 | Florence, 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. | 00:55:30 | |
Welcome to Episode 6: Florence and Fiesole...... Music Composed by Richard Johnston, © 2021 Instagram: @awriterinitaly and @theyellowhouse__ | |||
| 08 Oct 2019 | A Conversation with Food Writer, Cookbook Author and Photographer Emiko Davies about Italy, Books and Family. | 01:02:47 | |
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 life. Studying art restoration and etching, living in Florence, starting a Tuscan food blog to cure her creative energy and fuel her days, getting the call to write a book, navigating motherhood and Florence, moving to the Maremma in the middle of writing and completing ‘Florentine’, observing and eating seasonally..........All of it a fabulous journey to partake in and share. I love book publishing stories so had to get to the bottom of how and when this all happened and Emiko is a wonderful story teller so I am grateful she had the time to chat in the lively ambience of Tilley’s on a bustling Monday morning, jazz tunes and all. Visit Emiko at www.emikodavies.com Music Composed by Richard Johnston, © 2021
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| 31 Oct 2019 | Siena, Tuscany and the Adventure Continues..... “The Bees, you don’t bother them, they won’t bother you” (Stealing Beauty) | 00:57:57 | |
Welcome to Episode #8 Siena, Tuscany 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 and a half away on the train or by car through majestic countryside and you find yourself in a city like no other. Once upon a time it was a stop on the pilgrimage route as the pilgrims came from the south to Rome along the Via Francigena. With its fan shaped piazza, Gothic Duomo, wonderfully dark secretive streets, the non stop celebrations of the Palio Race and the many Renaissance treasures there is much to discover and enjoy inside and outside of the medieval walls. Music Composed by Richard Johnston, © 2021 Instagram: @awriterinitaly and @theyellowhouse__ About A Writer in Italy Podcast: | |||
| 20 Nov 2019 | Amalfi, Campania.... “There’s nothing like a fountain and a magnum of French champagne to put you right again” - Under the Tuscan sun (film) | 00:40:59 | |
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 your luggage - everything, in fact, which belongs to your everyday life, is merely a hindrance. The tourist travels in his own atmosphere like a snail in his shell and stands, as it were, on his own perambulating doorstep to look at the continents of the world. But if you discard all this, and sally forth with a leisurely and blank mind, there is no knowing what may not happen to you.” About A Writer in Italy Podcast: | |||
| 09 Dec 2019 | Amalfi, Campania Continued.....Walking adventures in Positano, Minori and Real Life | 00:34:13 | |
Welcome 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..... Music Composed by Richard Johnston, © 2021 Instagram: @awriterinitaly and @theyellowhouse__
About A Writer in Italy Podcast: | |||
| 21 Dec 2019 | Rome, Italy “If you have no faith in me, have faith in what you see” (Cinema Paradiso) | 00:28:20 | |
The day has me wandering across Ponte Sisto to Trastevere in a reverie about life and how it is important to seek and create space for yourself. I cannot help but reflect on the weeks that have captured something beautiful in Italy. Music Composed by Richard Johnston, © 2021 Please find Show Notes at: About A Writer in Italy Podcast: 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 her love of travel. The adventure turned into the book and travel memoir............... In the Shadow of a Cypress: An Italian Adventure | |||
| 08 Jan 2020 | The Good Life at La Tavola Marche - In Conversation with Ashley Bartner | 00:49:19 | |
Welcome to Episode #12: 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 trials and tribulations (whatever good thing ever is?) and that is a testament to their ability to keep moving forward no matter what the universe threw their way. I loved this conversation for a bunch of reasons. Not only is Ashley full of heart and zest for life but she is a generous person who not only loves what she does but shares it in spades in this conversation and in life.
Music Composed by Richard Johnston, © 2021
About A Writer in Italy Podcast: | |||
| 11 Mar 2020 | One Writer’s Journey - On Memoir, Writing, Belle Italia and Food for Soul....... | 00:25:08 | |
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. Music Composed by Richard Johnston, © 2021
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| 26 Mar 2020 | Food For Thought: Cooking with Massimo and Friends, and Living the Simple Life | 00:23:43 | |
Welcome 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 our own fate with this virus. My prayers and thoughts are with those who are experiencing the harsh reality and pain of this time. Making the decision to flat out cook from the bountiful ‘Bread is Gold’ cookbook is not a light one. It takes time, thought, intention, resourcefulness and conviction. Time will tell about the conviction part however I am enjoying the process and finding my way even if I am slightly anxious how this will turn out. Onwards I say.......
Music Composed by Richard Johnston, © 2021
Netflix: Theater of Life Documentary, 2015: Documents Bottura opening the soup Kitchen for the needy using the food waste from the 2015 Milan Expo.......... Netflix: Chef’s Table......Season 1: If you don't already know Massimo Bottura this is the story behind his rise to No 1 Restaurant in the world. Fantastic and an incredible journey to be one of the most influential people in the world. Support and Learn More: www.FoodforSoul.it About A Writer in Italy Podcast: | |||
| 07 Apr 2020 | The Calabrian Homecoming - In Conversation with Josephine Gregoire | 01:26:23 | |
Welcome to Episode #15: The Calabrian Homecoming - In Conversation with Josephine Gregoire..... 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 what was hurtling toward them. Italy’s first case of Covid-19 hit the headlines at the end of January 2020. Then the spiral of life changes began to trickle and then absolutely pour into northern Italy at a disarming rate. Still right now all of Italy is in lockdown as are most places around the world. I am sharing this despite our worlds turning upside down and despite the fact that since last week Le Tres Bon has had to shut their doors to the public as have many restaurants around the world. Their Cooking School and their Tours of Alsace, France, Calabria, Italy and New Caledonia are on hold for now until that beautiful day arrives when this is over, a surreal thought right now. I am sharing this because conversations and time with people matters, the beauty of sharing a coffee has never been more of a sweet thing until now, simply because unless it’s with a member of your own personal household well it is not happening. When we sat down to chat last year it was because I knew Josephine’s story was an important one and one that I wanted to know more about and potentially share on the podcast. Firstly, I just want to thank Josephine for opening her heart to tell her story to us. I doubt it was easy as it is deeply personal and relevant to her life today. So thank you again Josephine for giving me the opportunity to listen and share your world.
Subscribe to Chef Christophe’s Cooking Show: Please find all Show Notes at: Music Composed by Richard Johnston, © 2021 About A Writer in Italy Podcast: | |||
| 26 May 2020 | Bringing Italy Home - The Spirit of Place......Books and Movies to Enjoy | 00:14:44 | |
Welcome 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...... Music Composed by Richard Johnston, © 2021
About A Writer in Italy Podcast: | |||
| 06 Jul 2020 | Bringing Italy Home - Part 2 - Accordions, Mothers, Second Chances, Culture, Tradition and there’s Always Italy......From the Armchair at Home | 00:24:38 | |
Welcome to Episode #17: Bringing Italy Home.. Since we are in the middle of a large adjustment around travel it is great that we can tap into film and books like Always Italy to feed the muse in the meantime. As I said in the last in the last episode, they teach and open one to the beauty of a place. Let that transport you for now. Enjoy..... Music Composed by Richard Johnston, © 2021
About A Writer in Italy Podcast: | |||
| 10 Aug 2020 | Padova, Italy to Paris, France - The Family Trip...... Part 1 | 00:34:27 | |
"We are all pilgrims who seek Italy" - Goethe, Italian Journey What 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 one of the seven provinces of the Veneto region of Italy, just a hop, skip and a jump away from the capital of the Veneto, Venice. We begin our stay there and enjoy the ambience of this beautiful medieval city, taking in the wonders of the Scrovegni Chapel and the canals and layered history around every corner.
Music Composed by Richard Johnston, © 2021
About A Writer in Italy Podcast: | |||
| 09 Sep 2020 | Venice and the Art of Travel....The Padova to Paris Journey - Part 2 | 00:31:10 | |
"Open my heart, and you will see / Graved inside of it, Italy" - Robert Browning Venice 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 Byzantine, the romance, the time worn elegance, the grand palazzi, the maze of alleyways, the bridges and the magic of the canals was a sweet thing. Contemplation and wonder over travel narratives and thoughts on the art of travel.......... In truth an ever expanding world that one shall be musing over for some time. Music Composed by Richard Johnston, © 2021
About A Writer in Italy Podcast: | |||
| 27 Sep 2020 | The Heart of Verona…. The Family Trip - Part 3 | 00:25:22 | |
"Travel is like any other addiction: the more of it you've had, the more of it you need" - Tony Wheeler Music Composed by Richard Johnston, © 2021
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| 30 Oct 2020 | La Cucina Povera and the Beauty of Simple Ingredients...A three part episode that begins in the chicken pen | 00:43:18 | |
“I just think food is so important to us, it is the most important thing we do, so why not enjoy it”...Rick Stein Music Composed by Richard Johnston, © 2021
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| 19 Nov 2020 | The Florentine Affair....Tuscany, Part 4 - The Padova to Paris Journey | 00:23:31 | |
“These trains have eaten into my mind and my writing” - Tim Parks ‘Italian Ways: On and Off the Rails from Milan to Palermo’ 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 walking city. I share this with a little detail on the rich history of Renaissance art how this city is considered the birth place of the Renaissance and the reasons why. Enjoy, See You Next time with Florence, Pisa and Lucca, Italy......... Music Composed by Richard Johnston, © 2021 Please find all Show Notes and details mentioned at: About A Writer in Italy Podcast: | |||
| 13 Dec 2020 | Padova to Paris - The Family Trip....Part 5 - Florence, Tuscany Continued and the Art of Tuscan Biscotti/Cantucci Making | 00:31:27 | |
“Italy, like the olive tree, is ever-green” 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. About A Writer in Italy Podcast: | |||
| 24 Dec 2020 | A 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 | 00:48:10 | |
“To make time to eat as Italians still do is to share in their inexhaustible gift for making art out of life” Christine can be found on I-Tunes or your favourite Podcast Channel @ Italian Dish and on Instagram at @italiandishpodcast. Enjoy and try one of her gorgeous Italian Recipes......or join her Patreon Community for extra cooking ideas and recipes. About A Writer in Italy Podcast: | |||
| 17 Feb 2021 | Betwixt and Between - The Writer’s Life, an ode to 'Eat, Pray, Love' and Truffle Magic | 00:18:58 | |
"Thy light alone - Gives grace and truth to life's unquiet dream' - Percy Bysshe Shelley 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. Music Composed by Richard Johnston, © 2021 See Show Notes for Books mentioned and a little share on podcasts I have enjoyed over the summer if you are interested in the creative journey.... About A Writer in Italy Podcast: | |||
| 07 Mar 2021 | Into the Light, Lucca, Tuscany - Part 6 The Padova to Paris Journey | 00:34:34 | |
“The rain was coming down in what seemed solid sheets. But it was Italy. Nothing it did could be bad” About A Writer in Italy Podcast: | |||
| 23 Mar 2021 | The Pisan Embrace.... Pisa, Tuscany Part 7 - The Padova to Paris Journey | 00:34:10 | |
"Enchantment - a useless thing, but as dispensable as bread" - Gio Ponti 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 little fun going down the rabbit hole and discovering this place. The Leaning Tower - Torre Pendente is obviously what sets this city apart, what magnetises the curious traveler. The thing I love about travel is when something happens that throws you off your tracks, our day in Pisa was full of lovely surprises. The beauty of the Piazza dei Miracoli - the square of Miracles is something I will not forget. A wandering city, the river Arno is wide, the beautiful gothic cathedral stands by the river ....the Santa Maria della Spina is a marvel as you meander along the beautiful bridges connecting the two sides of Pisa. The idea of travel now has a luminous quality, after a year of knowing we cannot go, our rosy glasses have had to come off. We have to appreciate what is within our own personal radius. I don’t mind this, and shall reap the benefits of my own beautiful country, yet Italy still lures me, calls me. It is only through books and art right now that I can fly away, escape the day to day. If you have any great books or film or ideas in general on Italy send me a little note on the email. I would love to hear from you.... Send to 23colours@gmail.com About A Writer in Italy Podcast: | |||
| 03 May 2021 | La Superba, Genova .... Part 8 - The Padova to Paris Journey | 00:34:01 | |
“There is already a tantalising sense of escape - of slipping beneath the radar of modern life" One 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 story!) As a maritime republic Genova maintained control from around the 11th century to later in the 18th. La Superba indeed, the gritty beauty of this large city runs parallel to Unesco World Heritage sites, old world palazzos and the fabulous array of art that hides behind beckoning world class architecture and the historic detail of a rivaling maritime city that makes for a fascinating and deeply layered place. Music Composed by Richard Johnston, © 2021 About A Writer in Italy Podcast: | |||
| 31 May 2021 | A Nostalgic Glance - Genova Part 9 - The Padova to Paris Journey | 00:28:52 | |
"After all it is the adventure that counts" - Gertrude Stein, The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas The 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 is time to pack up and head to Genova Principe Station an architectural marvel in itself. We barely get our toes wet in the realm of possibilities that is Genoa and I really wish we could stay longer, but the realities of family life have us on the move. There is much to discover in this port city that is the Ligurian capital. Go visit www.visitgenoa.it for the overview. Music Composed by Richard Johnston, © 2021 #29 Shownotes: Homo Irrealis: Essays by Andre Aciman Coastline: The food of the Mediterranean Italy, Spain and France by Lucio Galletto and David Dale (2017) Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat / Netflix Documentary - Four Part Series... Italy is Part 1 - ‘Fat’ Trip to Italy (2014) Film written and directed by Michael Winterbottom Two comics take a road trip from the north in Piedmont to the south in Capri meditating on the English Poets, stopping for gastronomic delicacies and enjoying the scenery while life unfolds. * If interested in the Genova mention it takes place at 18 minutes or so into the film... Coogan and Brydon finish their decadent meal at Trattoria della Posta and then stop in Genova to salute Lord Byron at his last address in Italy on the Ligurian coast before heading to Camogli. Find out more about the great places to see in Genova: www.visitgenoa.it | |||
| 16 Jul 2021 | Postcards from the French Riveria, Antibes, Picasso and a little Carpe Diem... | 00:24:50 | |
"When I realised that each morning I would see this light again, I could not believe my luck" On 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 story of the sweet little adventure in Antibes, located somewhere between Monaco and Cannes on the Cote d’Azur. And includes some reckoning with present day life, the artist Picasso and his artistic legacy, and the convoluted history of Antibes that was once known as a Greek colony called Antipolis.... Enjoy, Music Composed by Richard Johnston, © 2021 #30 Shownotes: The Hero's Way: Walking with Garibaldi from Rome to Ravenna by Tim Parks (2021) | |||
| 09 Aug 2021 | Italian Life with Cinzia Ferri | 00:40:37 | |
“We do not remember days, we remember moments” - Diary Entry, 28th July… And if you are wondering she is not yet my teacher, but certainly it would be an excellent idea. Cinzia and I connected up on Instagram and I kept thinking it would be lovely to discover more about her life in Liguria. For a little while I have been receiving her regular emails on Italy and her life and I really enjoy reading them, they are not only informative but considered, honest and meditative letters to her readers. On Instantly Italy Cinzia shares stories about important Italians you need to know, Italian Life and Culture, the places she has connected with and genuine stories about expats living in Italy. She is a great story teller and has a deep and true love of books and literature. I was smiling a lot and laughing too because I really resonated with what she said about books... A book is more than a book if you ask me, they are a life line. I hope you enjoy the share and thank you so much Cinzia for preparing for this episode and bringing us all a happy dose of joy and authenticity. MJ Music Composed by Richard Johnston, © 2021 | |||
| 16 Aug 2021 | Italophilia: A Way of Life with Ishita Sood | 00:44:00 | |
“You may have the universe if I may have Italy” 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. Italy is a beacon, a radiant beauty that has many of us within its grasp. ‘Italophilia: the admiration, appreciation or emulation of Italy, its people, ideals, civilisation, and culture’. Last month I shared some time with travel blogger Ishita Sood from her home in India. We talked about everything that mattered in our lives right now in the middle of the pandemic and getting back to la grande bellezza was high on both of our lists. It was a generous and bountiful conversation and one that I will treasure. Certainly life in the past few years has thrown us a huge curve ball and we are all trying to pick up the pieces. We may continue to examine and navigate the events of 2020 and beyond for some time. In the meantime we will dream, we will share and we will remember the highlights and the beauty of what keeps us motivated and inspired. We are committed and we are waiting, but in the short term enjoy this conversation from two Italophiles who could think of nothing better to do than take a deep dive into the beauty of Italy, travel and everything in between. Enjoy, Michelle & Ishita Visit: Ishita on Instagram @italophilia and https://ishitasood.com Music Composed by Richard Johnston, © 2021 | |||
| 14 Sep 2021 | Art and Life on the Midi, Antibes, Picasso, de Stael, Matisse | 00:36:24 | |
"When a painter is obsessed by a view or an idea, no wind, no elements can stop him" - Gustave de Stael Later I discovered the writings of Picasso’s biographer John Richardson and the film Surviving Picasso. This particular share is full of Art and Life, mine and theirs, and of course the joy of a family day free to travel in the delightful city of Antibes on the Cote D’Azur; something I would recommend to any one who loves a deep blue sky and a seascape that travel dreams are made of. Music Composed by Richard Johnston, © 2021 | |||
| 05 Oct 2021 | Paola’s Istria - Recipes and Stories from the Hidden Heart of Italy, Slovenia and Croatia | 00:55:29 | |
"In food there are memories" - Paola Bacchia 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 book Istria: Recipes and Stories from the Hidden Heart of Italy, Slovenia and Croatia. It is a deeply personal story and one that I am honoured to share on the podcast. Music Composed by Richard Johnston, © 2021 | |||