[A DAY IN THE LIFE #1] Italian summer

Introducing the first post in this new category: A DAY IN THE LIFE, where once a month I’ll share with you updates about lifestyle, travels and food and writing process.

Life Update!

So, summer is almost over. This year I took my holidays in July and used that time to go back to my hometown in South Italy. I attended a friend’s wedding, went to the beach and enjoyed my Mom’s cooking. If you’ve read When we were sea and stars, you might have an idea what a Southern Italian wedding is like. Usually there’s a function at church, followed by a HUGE party with a full meal, dancing and a lot of fun. My friends had organized an aperitivo for when the guests arrived to the venue (just drinks), followed by a buffet of appetizers (fried traditional dishes, seafood, sushi, and even a guy making fresh mozzarella on the spot) and a full dinner. After dinner they cut the wedding cake and opened the dessert buffet & open bar.

And here for you: the magical making of mozzarella:

Places I’ve visited: Pizzo

When it comes to go to the beach, my homeland offers so many wonderful places. This year I visited Pizzo, a small town on the west coast of Calabria, near the more famous Tropea. It was amazing: clear sea, amazing food, lovely people, gorgeous village.

Just look at this water!

Let’s talk food

Nothing screams Italy and summer more than gelato! And coincidentally Pizzo is very famous for a particular type of gelato called “Tartufo.”

Tartufo got its name thanks to its shape, that resembles a truffle. It comes in many flavors but the original version has a warm heart of melted chocolate inside.

I tried to capture in video how the chocolate flows in the cup. Not sure you can see it, but this is serious #foodporn

Writing process

As always, when I’m back from my hometown I have tons of ideas for my next works. I’m currently writing book 4 in my Italian Romance series, which will be set in Florence, but since Marco is a Southerner like myself, I’m sure the inspiration I gathered during the summer will prove itself useful!

I hope you enjoyed this little trip to Italy with me! If you did, please leave me a like and comment, and share this post on social media!