The road home
Maria E. Bellini This piece was originally published in Mslexia, the magazine for women who write, mslexia.co.uk Carmela, wife of Don Vito Corleone Buongiorno God. I hope You and all Your family are good. Today God, I’m not gonna pray for my husband. Ok? The Vito-prayers occupy too big a slice of my time with You….
Maria E. Bellini Davanti a me ho un piatto di carta rettangolare con sopra tre scaglie di Parmigiano Reggiano. È la prima lezione del corso per Aspiranti Assaggiatori del Parmigiano Reggiano e stiamo per fare un test. Il tutor ci dice che due scaglie sono uguali, provengono dalla stessa forma, mentre una, da una forma…
Maria E. Bellini Think Italian cult cars. A Fiat Cinquecento may spring to mind. Jigging along cobbled streets, a bella signora at the wheel on her way to glitz and the fizz of an Aperol Spritz. It’s unlikely we envision a mud-splattered 1980s Fiat Panda parked in front of a barn. The calloused hands of…
Maria E. Bellini Despite the drawn-out, soupy winters of the Pianura Padana, there’s a word that sparks a shot of summer into a dreary day. That word is ciao. It’s short and sounds like meow. Yet, how can a word that sounds like a cat, play such a huge part in the daily life of Italians? Delving…