I was texting with a friend of mine about the differences between Italians and Americans.

Italians are connected to their ancient civilizations.  But each region in Italy is so different, each has their own civilization they connect with.  The Romans connect with the Roman Empire, Napolitanos are connected to Greek antiquity, also French and Spanish influences,  Guardia Sanframondi has Greek, Roman, Etruscan, Longobardi and Norman roots.   There is a continuity in having roots to the land you inhabit.   Instincts and local knowledge are passed down through the generations which promote a respect and reverence for their local cultures.  There is a respect for the earth and life is lived more in tune with mother nature, and the natural cycles of things.

The native Americans lived in harmony with the earth,  they were called Indians, but they each had their own name, there own values, they had the ancient wisdom of the lands they lived on for eons.  When the first settlers came to the New World, they brought a culture that was already not in harmony with mother earth, they brought indigenous people from Africa and enslaved them to work in tabacco farms and then they dessimated the indegenous inhabitants to make room for the New Americans and the industrial revelution which began the destruction of our earth.

Almost all Americans are descended from ancestors who left their homelands and their roots behind in search of a better life.  Many had severed all ties to their place of birth, their customs and way of life to become true Americans.  Their intentions were noble: to offer a brighter, richer future for their children.   So how did it pay off?  For many, it did.  These were the immigrants who built up this amazing country.  They valued hard work, building businesses to create prosperity for their families, saving for the future, inventing new techologies, expansion and progress.

Many families did want to pass on their values to their children but the younger generations were different and easily adapted to the new world, and much to their parents dismay, completely forgot about their heritage and their roots.   Without these roots, many also lost their respect and reverence for the earth and they lost their way.  Some became greedy which led them to producing more and more, enslaving Americans to work harder and harder to keep up with the American Dream and their neighbors.  It was all a big plan, the big banks offered cheap credit so Americans became addicted to a cycle of more, never having enough, never feeling filled, always feeling empty, filling their emptyness with addictions, chemical addictions, shopping addictions,  addictions to entertainment, sex, drugs, money.

Never satisfied, always anxious, never sleeping, never reflecting on the damage we unconsciously do to the earth, our loved ones, other people, animals, ourselves.  We are such a dysfunctional society.  And we are so stressed.  We know that, but we spend even more money on more drugs to numbs us, more therapy to fix us, more SOLUTIONS THAT ARE WORSE THAN THE PROBLEM.  And beyond numb we are.  We are numb to all the suffering all around us.  We are numb to all the polution, all the plastic in the seas, We are numb to all the gun violence, even if 6 year olds are being killed.  We are numb to refugees dying in boats, we are numb to immigrant children being forcefully taken from the arms of their parents and thrown into cages, being abused, being psychologically tortured.   Imagine if this was happening to our children...

We are numb to all the ways the earth is trying to tell us she needs this to stop,  she is pleading with us to  "Pay attention!"  And we aren't .  So she has been fighting back with broken ozone in the atmosphere, melting icecap, all the destruction from the fires, all the millions of  dead cute, innocent koala bears and kangaroos still did not wake us up enough. 

No one is listening to her and she is dying.  If we continue in this mad way, we wont have a home.  With no home, there are no people, and guess what?  There won't be any economy either.   We are nothing without Her.    How arragant to think we are in control.  I call BULLSHIT!   But luckily, the earth will always win.   And with a tiny virus that isn't even alive has reduced all of humanity to our knees.    Are we listening now?  Not everyone is....and this great county called America has become nothing but a House of Cards, build on the FALSE hope and brainwashing of its citizens to continue to consume more and more and more so the top 1% can continue to get richer and richer.  WE NEED TO OPEN OUR COUNTY AGAIN, read, we need you to go back to your meaningless jobs, to pay off your debts so we can continue to get richer and richer, we don't care about you at all and so what if grandpa and grandma sacrafice their lives so your  grandchildren can continue to make us rich!!!
Now we are collapsing.  Making America Great is collapsing this great country.  Like Mesopotamia, Summaria, the Roman Empire, our civilization is coming to an end.   There will be death and destruction, that is inevitable.   But we have a choice.  We can finally wake up from our numbness, or all those deaths will only be in vain.

Maybe we should have listened to our ancestors after all, when they reminded us to keep our traditions, keep our connection to earth, be humble, know when enough is enough, share with your neighbors, take care of each other, find pleasure in the simple things, like baking your own bread, making your own pasta, growing your own vegetables, living in harmony with the planet.   When they reminded us who we are.

We can all make better choices, starting now.  To physical distance but not social distance.  We can make a choice to wash our hands like our life depends on it, and make it our 20 second mantra or blessing for the future.  Several times a day, as we wash our hands, we are given a moment to reflect on what we have done and what we need to do and what we desire for our furture,  Yes dare, to dream.  Many of us never learned how to dream.    But that is our god given right that was taken from us.  And sqelching our desires because we feel guilty, because by saying  who am I to dream when there is suffering in the world does not solve the problem.  But when you embrace your pain, embrace your shame and allow yourself to heal, you are an example to others, encouraging others to embrace their pain and heal and healing will spread like a wild fire.

We have the choice to make good decisions that collectively can make a huge difference.  To say, its no point to make any changes because no one else is is no longer valid.   You never had control over others, so stop looking at what they do. Stop comparing yourselves.  Stop it.  because for the first time in forever, we are all doing the same thing and we only have control over our own actions and if we don't exercise what little control we have, we will contaminate others who will die.  We have a choice to make the right decisions for the future.  The earth hit the pause button for us to connect with ourselves.  To go within and get acquainted with who we are, while we are not so busy and stressed out.  To find out what makes us happy, what brings us joy, what we really value.  And, guess what?  Back to business as usual is not the right answer.  Are we going to learn the lesson this time?  Because if we don't there may be one more chance.  But if you think this is ugly, you aint seen nothing yet.  Because, people THIS IS NOT A HOAX.  NEVER FORGET THAT!!!

DOMENICA, 5 APRILE 2020

Stavo scrivendo a un mio amico un messaggio sulle differenze tra italiani e americani.

Gli italiani sono collegati alle loro antiche civiltà. Ma ogni regione in Italia è così diversa, ognuna ha la propria civiltà con cui si collegano. I romani si collegano con l'Impero romano, Napolitani sono collegato all'antichità greca, anche influenze francesi e spagnole, Guardia Sanframondi ha radici greche, romane, etrusche, longobardi e normanne. C'è una continuità nell'avere radici nella terra in cui vivi. Gli istinti e la conoscenza locale vengono tramandati attraverso le generazioni che promuovono il rispetto e la riverenza per le loro culture locali. C'è un rispetto per la terra e la vita è vissuta più in sintonia con la madre natura e con i cicli naturali delle cose.

I nativi americani vivevano in armonia con la terra, erano chiamati indiani, ma ognuno aveva il proprio nome, c'erano i propri valori, avevano l'antica saggezza delle terre in cui vivevano da eoni. Quando i primi coloni vennero nel Nuovo Mondo, portarono una cultura che non era già in armonia con la madre terra, portarono indigeni dall'Africa e li schiavizzarono a lavorare nelle fattorie del tabacco e poi dissessuarono gli abitanti indigeni per fare spazio ai Nuovi americani e la rivelazione industriale che ha iniziato la distruzione della nostra terra.

Quasi tutti gli americani discendono da antenati che si sono lasciati alle spalle le loro terre d'origine e le loro radici alla ricerca di una vita migliore. Molti avevano reciso tutti i legami con il loro luogo di nascita, i loro costumi e il loro stile di vita per diventare veri americani. Le loro intenzioni erano nobili: offrire ai loro figli un futuro più luminoso e più ricco. Quindi, come ha pagato? Per molti lo ha fatto. Questi erano gli immigrati che hanno costruito questo meraviglioso paese. Hanno valutato il duro lavoro, costruendo aziende per creare prosperità per le loro famiglie, risparmiando per il futuro, inventando nuove tecnologie, espansione e progresso.

Molte famiglie volevano trasmettere i propri valori ai propri figli, ma le generazioni più giovani erano diverse e si adattavano facilmente al nuovo mondo e, con grande disappunto dei genitori, si dimenticavano completamente della loro eredità e delle loro radici. Senza queste radici, molti persero anche il rispetto e la riverenza per la terra e persero la strada. Alcuni sono diventati avidi che li hanno portati a produrre sempre di più, schiavizzando gli americani a lavorare sempre più duramente per tenere il passo con il sogno americano e i loro vicini. Era tutto un grande piano, le grandi banche offrivano credito a buon mercato in modo che gli americani diventassero dipendenti da un ciclo di più, non avendo mai abbastanza, mai sentendosi riempiti, sentendosi sempre vuoti, riempiendo il loro vuoto di dipendenze, dipendenze chimiche, dipendenze da shopping, dipendenze da intrattenimento , sesso, droghe, soldi.

Mai soddisfatto, sempre ansioso, mai addormentato, mai riflettendo sul danno che inconsciamente facciamo alla terra, ai nostri cari, alle altre persone, agli animali, a noi stessi. Siamo una società così disfunzionale. E siamo così stressati. Lo sappiamo, ma spendiamo ancora più soldi per più farmaci per intorpidirci, più terapia per sistemarci, più SOLUZIONI CHE FANNO MEGLIO DEL PROBLEMA. E oltre siamo insensibili. Siamo insensibili a tutte le sofferenze che ci circondano. Siamo insensibili a tutta l'inquinamento, tutta la plastica nei mari, siamo insensibili a tutta la violenza delle armi, anche se i bambini di 6 anni vengono uccisi. Siamo insensibili ai rifugiati che muoiono in barca, siamo insensibili ai bambini immigrati che vengono presi con forza dalle braccia dei loro genitori e gettati in gabbie, abusati, torturati psicologicamente. Immagina se questo stesse accadendo ai vostri figli ...

Siamo insensibili a tutti i modi in cui la Terra sta cercando di dirci che ha bisogno che questo si fermi, ci sta supplicando di "Prestare attenzione!" E non lo siamo. Quindi ha combattuto con l'ozono rotto nell'atmosfera, sciogliendo la calotta glaciale, tutta la distruzione dagli incendi, tutti i milioni di adorabili morti, innocenti orsi di koala e canguri non ci svegliano ancora abbastanza.

Nessuno la ascolta e sta morendo. Se continuiamo in questo modo folle, non avremo una casa. Senza casa, non ci sono persone e indovina un po '? Non ci sarà nemmeno alcuna economia. Non siamo niente senza di lei. Quanto è arrogante pensare di avere il controllo. Chiamo BULLSHIT! Ma per fortuna, la terra vincerà sempre. E con un piccolo virus che non è nemmeno vivo ha ridotto tutta l'umanità alle nostre ginocchia. Stiamo ascoltando ora? Non tutti lo sono ... e questa grande contea chiamata America non è diventata altro che una House of Cards, basata sulla FALSA speranza e sul lavaggio del cervello dei suoi cittadini per continuare a consumare sempre di più e in modo che l'1% superiore possa continuare a ottenere sempre più ricco. ABBIAMO BISOGNO DI APRIRE DI NUOVO IL NOSTRO PAESE, leggi, abbiamo bisogno che tu torni ai tuoi lavori insignificanti, per pagare i tuoi debiti in modo da poter continuare a diventare sempre più ricchi, non ci importa affatto di te e quindi se nonno e nonna sacrificano le loro vite in modo che i tuoi nipoti possano continuare a renderci ricchi !!!

Ora stiamo collassando. Making America Great sta collassando questo grande paese. Come la Mesopotamia, la Summaria, l'impero romano, la nostra civiltà sta finendo. Ci saranno morte e distruzione, questo è inevitabile. Ma abbiamo una scelta. Possiamo finalmente svegliarci dal nostro intorpidimento, o tutte quelle morti saranno solo invano.

Forse avremmo dovuto ascoltare i nostri antenati, dopo tutto, quando ci hanno ricordato di mantenere le nostre tradizioni, mantenere la nostra connessione con la terra, essere umili, sapere quando basta, condividere con i vicini, prendersi cura l'uno dell'altro, trovare piacere nel cose semplici, come cuocere il tuo pane, fare la tua pasta, coltivare le tue verdure, vivere in armonia con il pianeta. Quando ci hanno ricordato chi siamo.

Tutti possiamo fare scelte migliori, a partire da ora. A distanza fisica ma non a distanza sociale. Possiamo fare una scelta per lavarci le mani come la nostra vita dipende da essa e renderla il nostro mantra di 20 secondi o la benedizione per il futuro. Più volte al giorno, mentre ci laviamo le mani, ci viene dato un momento per riflettere su ciò che abbiamo fatto e ciò che dobbiamo fare e ciò che desideriamo per il nostro futuro, sì, osiamo sognare. Molti di noi non hanno mai imparato a sognare. Ma questo è il nostro dio dato il diritto che ci è stato tolto. E sgretoliamo i nostri desideri perché ci sentiamo in colpa, perché dicendo chi sono io a sognare quando c'è sofferenza nel mondo non risolve il problema. Ma quando abbraccia il tuo dolore, abbraccia la tua vergogna e permetti a te stesso di guarire, sei un esempio per gli altri, incoraggiando gli altri ad abbracciare il loro dolore e la guarigione e la guarigione si diffonderanno come un fuoco selvaggio.

Abbiamo la scelta di prendere buone decisioni che collettivamente possono fare una differenza enorme. Per dire, non ha senso apportare modifiche perché nessun altro è non è più valido. Non hai mai avuto il controllo sugli altri, quindi smetti di guardare cosa fanno. Smetti di confrontarti. Smettila. perché per la prima volta in assoluto, stiamo tutti facendo la stessa cosa e abbiamo solo il controllo sulle nostre azioni e se non esercitiamo quel poco controllo che abbiamo, contamineremo gli altri che moriranno. Abbiamo una scelta per prendere le giuste decisioni per il futuro. La terra ha colpito il pulsante Pausa per connetterci con noi stessi. Entrare e conoscere chi siamo, mentre non siamo così impegnati e stressati. Per scoprire cosa ci rende felici, cosa ci porta gioia, cosa apprezziamo davvero. E indovina cosa? Tornare al lavoro come al solito non è la risposta giusta. Questa volta impareremo la lezione? Perché se non lo facciamo ci potrebbe essere un'altra possibilità. Ma se pensi che sia brutto, non hai ancora visto nulla. Perché, le persone QUESTO NON È UNA CERA. NON DIMENTICARLO MAI!!!

Kronos and Kaos

Im learning so much about the different concepts of time.  Kronos and Kaos, 2 gods of time...We live in such a linear, chronological world where time marches on, time is wasted, time is money.   This creates so much unnecessary stress,  yet, its needed to cooperate and get things done.  In Italy time is chaotic, expanding.  Time is dedicated to values that are important, family, pleasure, eating well, making love.

A life well lived requires a nonlinear relationship with  time that expands as needed.  Its hard at first and feels agonizingly slow, frustrating, even boring, but eventually delicious to savor the moments in time. 

At this moment, Im savoring my train ride along the Mediterranean sea,  through the countryside to Napoli,  just enjoying the scenery, feeling sensations, memories, anticipating a cappuccino at Mexico cafe with a warm sfoliatelle.  The trick is to shift between Kronos and Kaos as needed in life and keep both in balance, whatever that looks like...  being out of balance can lead to stress or unhealthy habits to fill the time.

It's Never A Dull Moment In Guardia Sanframondi

The best thing about living in Guardia Sanframondi is I really tune in and follow my intuition, you never know where it will lead me.  This morning, I woke up with a hunch to take a walk and see what the morning had in store for me.  I really enjoy this time of day when it's still fresh out and the heat of the sun is still a couple hours away.   I'm discovering my rhythm to connect to my soul's desires and feel my body move.  I really enjoy my morning walks.  I feel rested and fulfilled and I see things with fresh eyes this morning.  Also, I finished a tax return last night, so feeling a lot less stressed!

I pause to take a photo of the cobblestone street a little ways down from my home in the historical center.  I can smell the flowers and clean laundry hanging from the balconies. Yesterday was Corpus Domini, there were beautiful chalk drawings left on the ground but the flowers had mostly blown away with the scent of incense from the procession.

 I notice people are sprucing up their homes and gardens are in full bloom.  It's the beginning of summer and the town seems more cared for, more loved.   Everyong is very cheerful this morning, greeting me, as usual, "Buongiorno, come stai?"  asking for directions and me struggling to explain, afraid to lead them on the wrong path.   But there really aren't any wrong paths, just different ways of getting to the same place, or somewhere else all together.

In the piazza, there is a truck selling flowers and one selling fruit.  I stop to inhale the sweet fragrance of peaches and garlic, normally not at the same time, but...when in Guardia....   I decide to buy some flowers for my balcony and join the beautification of the town.  I choose pink geraniums.  I want 2 plants.   The vendor wants to sell me the whole lot for 14 euros, a savings of 1 euro.  "But I don' t want all of them, just 2 please."   He offered to take them to my home for me.  "But what will I do with them all?"   I pick out 2 nice ones and pay him the 5€ and start to walk home.

Another neighbor stops me.  She has a home to sell and hopes I might know some Americans who would be interested.  It's so well located next to everything but she prefers to live in her house down in the historical center because her daughter has the place upstairs and she likes to be near her.  But her daughter lives in Lake Cuomo and she only comes to Guardia for about a month every summer.  "So why not live there when your daughter is here and during the rest of the year live here where you are close to shops?" I ask.  "Because then I have to pay taxes on 2 places." she explains.   "But you have to pay taxes anyway!"   I tell her I will come back later and take some more photos to post on the blog.

I continue home and come upon another woman I know sitting at the bus station, she's just sitting there, as usual, she's not waiting for the bus.  She sees my flowers and gestures toward the dead plant in a terra cotta planter that someone left at the side of the road, offering me to take it home and nurse it back to life.   Then I hear  "NOOOOO, Alecia" from the guy who usually sits at the next bench.  "Che dici?!" I ask , what are you saying?!   "My friend is taking that plant, you can't take it."  "Ok Ok, Don't worry, I won't take it."  I don't adopt dying plants anyway. 

 I return home to place my flowers in their box and pick up some documents I need to take to the post office.  But first, a cappuccino and a pause to write.... 

Italy's Witches And Medicine Women and My Birthday

How did I get here?  Why Guardia?  A question I turned over and over in my mind after I took possession of my first property. 

I reseached the "herstory" of the Janare, the witches who were really medicine women using ancient traditions to heal.  Unfortunately many were deemed devil workers and burned at the stake.  Attrocities against women and healing our divine feminine nature have been huge themes in my life and I was drawn to Her energy in the hills, valleys and rivers.   This started me looking for clues to try to understand my big question... Why Guardia?  That's when I discovered Karyn Crisis....   http://www.karyncrisisheals.com/

I felt there was a bigger purpose for me behind being led to this magical land.  Seeking answers, I found Karyn's website.  She was a medium, artist, musician and translated Italian books about the stories of the Italian medicine women and their cures.  I was intrigued and immediately contacted her, maybe a reading would shed some light on my greater purpose.    We connected right away and she could sense a deeper spiritual meaning for me.  She suggested I meditate and write, continuing to ask God and my spirit guides for signs and clues. 

A few months later, Karyn contacted me.  She was coming to Italy to write a book on the ancient traditions of Italian women healers and asked if she could stay in my spare room and if I could help her organize a driver and meetings with local healers.    Little did we know, this is how my little tour business would begin.

I was fortunate to tag along with her to Benevento, Guardia and San Lupo searching for clues of the old traditions and connecting with women who were using local herbs, olive oil and prayer to cure and heal.   It was a magical experience for me.  Karyn went on and wrote and published her book Italy's Witches and Medicine Women and we stayed in touch meeting in San Francisco from time to time.   Then she went on to create  The Golden Bough School  offering online classes on mediumship and healing remedies she learned in Italy.   And I went on to create My Casa in Guardia Sanframondi, an apartment rental on Airbnb and My Sweet Life in Italy, a boutique tour company  for travelers who want to experience authentic life in rural Guardia.

We collaborated again on my birthday last Friday when Karyn brought her first group of young women students to Italy and she asked me to organize a full day in Guardia.  We did it! and it was magical.  12 young women descended on Guardia, we met at Dolce Pasticceria Dolci Delizie for a typical Italian breakfast,  cappuccini e cornetti.

After breakfast we took a walk down to Piazza Castello where we began our guided tour of the historical center.  Rossella was our guide and her daughter, Vera, translated for us as we navigated the charming historical center and told stories of the Janara and Streghe that Rossella remembered from her childhood.   We visited the Castello, Ave Gratia Plena and the Butterfly museum, a beautiful metaphor for our theme of transformation and change as the butterfly emerges from the chysalis.

After our stroll through the historical center, we visited Cantine Foschini where Adelina prepared a feast of typical homemade dishes for lunch and we celebrated my birthday with a beautiful homemade cake.

After lunch we had a moment with the sweet nonna Filomena who invited us into her lovely home to witness the olive oil remedy to heal malocchio.

The rest of the day we visited another healer and took a trip up to the mountain to surround ourselves in the beautiful nature around Guardia.

If you are planning to visit Italy, do plan to spend a couple days off the beaten path to visit authentic Italy.  I can plan guided day trips or longer excursions for you in and around Guardia Sanframondi which is about an hour and half from Naples, Pompeii, and the Amalfi Coast....and more!    I have a 10 day cooking and culinary trip comming up soon.  Stay tuned for stories about our exceptional experiences.

My Sweet Life

…When I finally took possession of my flat, the question still lingered….how did I get here?  Why Guardia?  A question I turned over and over in my mind.  It wasn't like I had a  burning desire my whole life to have a place in Italy.  In fact, I had a love affair with France since I was a little girl.  I thought, hoped, dreamed of having a part time pied a terre in Paris or the French countryside and for 6  years, I lived in France part time, created a tour company called Find Your Self in France and my story was published in the book My Paris Story.  But my dream to live in France didn't materialize the way I imagined and I was able to let go of what I thought I wanted for what actually took form.  My Casa in Guardia Sanframondi.

I didn't make an informed, logical decision to move to Italy.  I didn't do all the practical things I usually do to make a big decision.  No, I didn't travel around Italy with a checklist of what I wanted in a place to live and make a list of pros and cons.  Living near the sea would have definitely been on that list!  But Guardia is in the hills of beautiful wine country and the closest beach is over an hour away.   I always say, I didn't choose Guardia, Guardia chose me.  And I followed.  When you come to Guardia, you get what your soul needs.  I hear similar stories from other expats from different parts of the US and the world who heard their calling and also followed.  

I've had plenty of experience following my soul's longing, my soul and intuition are more highly tuned to what is needed in my life than my logical brain and I'm comfortable making important decisions on a hunch, trusting that my intuition knows better than I do.   My soul knows what it needs to grow and, my soul needed to grow in love; self-love.

For the first half of my life, money, finances and career were the important areas for my soul to learn, especially so I could care for my family as a single mother.  So I listened to my father's advice and became a CPA.  I wasn't fulfilled with this work but it paid the bills and allowed me to be available to my two sons as they were growing up.  But my passion to help women prosper spurred me to create Money Chi (Moulala), a coaching practice to help myself and others cure their relationship with money.   After successfully raising my sons, (they are both doctors and married!) this goal seemed to have come to some completion.  Its not that I created a lot of reserve resources for myself, a goal I would have connected with financial success and independence, but I have created a beautiful life where I have enough.

 At the age of 50, when my younger son, Sam, went off to medical school in another city.  I found myself in a deep depression.  Both my sons were living far away and I was lost.  What I needed was to find love; self-love.  And I found Guardia and many experiences to grow my capacity for love.   I  tuned to the Divine Feminine energy from the hills, the rivers, the nature which called to me quietly but powerfully and I heeded her call.... I now have the freedom and flexibility to live the life I want and follow my soul's calling, attracting all I desire.  For this I am eternally grateful and that is why I started My Sweet Life in Italy,  to share my love for the rural, authentic part of Italy I now call home.

Soon after I took ownership of the flat, I woke up to the smell of fire!  I jumped out of bed but couldn't detect where it was coming from.   I frantically called my real estate broker who arrived in moments to my rescue.  We followed our noses to the neighbor's flat. We figured it must have been a residual fire in their fireplace. Luckily the structures were made of stone so the danger of anything burning down was impossible.    

Later that day, I found the door to my neighbor's flat was open and they were busy inside stoking the fire in an antique wood burning bread oven. But this time the smells were sweet and garlicky as they were cooking a rich tomato sauce.  They beckoned me in to watch as the woman put the rich red sauce into large ceramic bowls as her husband carefully placed them in the oven with a wooden plank.   She showed me the garlic which was hanging to dry on the stairwell and the fragrant basil which she grew in her garden.   It was all so simple and authentic and my heart felt so nurtured from this experience.  She invited me to taste the sauce with my little finger.  The flavors were tantalizing. The tangy, sweet tomatoes balanced with just the right amount of garlic and basil.   In my broken Italian I told them how glad I was to find them making tomato sauce and not burning down the house.  Later that day, a jar of the thickened sauce arrived on my doorstop.  It was delicious over some hot pasta. 

Fast forward a year, the couple had asked me if I wanted to purchase their small apartment with the antique pizza oven.  It was another dream come true and we spent days making pizza and bread.  Next I want to learn to make biscotti and even roast a chicken in there.  For more information about travel, accommodations and purchasing a home, please email: abccpa@sbcglobal.net

I always say I didn't choose Guardia Sanframondi, Guardia Sanframondi chose me.

I was at a point in my life where it was like, change or die.  I was on the verge of turning 50, my youngest son was moving away for graduate school and I found myself depressed and desperately needing something to look forward to.

I think the universe heard my call because the next thing I saw were photos on facebook of an apartment for sale in a medieval town in Italy.  

For 3 days it was all I could think of, i couldn't even sleep, I was so excited. Maybe now was the time to realize my dream to live in Europe.  I always had a love affair with France but Italy was calling and I said yes.  I even consulted with my therapist to make sure I wasn't losing my mind.  No, she confirmed, I might actually be on the path to finding myself.

If I had a list of what I wanted in a place to live, which I didn't, Guardia would not have been on the list.  It lacked so many things I thought I couldn't live without.  For example, the sea was over an hour away and the historical center was mostly in ruins. But something spoke to me, below the surface.  In the surrounding hillsides. The vineyards and olive groves, the mountains and rivers, the beautiful nature, and crumbling stone buildings.  

2 days before my departure, I finally met the local real estate agent and I fell in love..... with a charming 2 bedroom apartment with views of rooftops and vineyards.  It was in move in condition with a purchase price of an inexpensive car.  I bought myself a piece of real estate in Italy for my 50th birthday and reinvented my life.   That was in 2015 ...

for information of travel, accommodations, purchasing a home, please email: abccpa@sbcglobal.net