Bailey Alexander: Dreams from Northern Italy

Prague unlocked the imagination, she just kept exuding her Bohemian ideals. All that truth, love and beauty lent well to writing a book. I felt very much in the present. And driving outside the city, across her borders, this time of year – sublime. Inspires the mind’s eye. Driving through Europe is a wonderful way…

My guy goes to Paris every month for work. We lived there for 3 years and here I thought I did everything, which is impossible in a place like Paris. A city of delirious distractions. I never go with my guy, I’m kind of traveled out, if I can’t do by car, no. And feel…

Can’t even imagine writing such a thing yet so many financial channels are suggesting it. Here’s why. Currently there’s over a billion impressions on twitter, there’s thousands of videos and opinions, all over social media, of American men letting us know why they think of the Roman Empire almost everyday. Apparently women started the trend…

Such mood swings when the mountains have their say – still warm sun then cool air, in a minute, around 4. Soon we’ll see the orange and pink glow called Alpenglow, or in Italian; enrosadira. For now, we’ll have to settle for this…

I say Italy’s a country full of artisans, still, and while shopping at Leonardo Guizzetti, I feel validated – Riva’s reknown for its leather. My guy bought a mouse pad this afternoon, so small and slim and perfect. And I can fantasize about the bags, their craftsmanship, so beautiful.

At 9:00 we all left our abodes and flowed down to the sailboat area with a prime view of the moon. They had to wait a day because of the rain, yet the message and the sky – as clear as could be. For the 74th years in a row they began on time. What…

I am possessive about the Tigli trees along our street. Especially their leaves. I moved to Piemonte to learn how to listen to the trees and by the time I arrive in Riva, when I was really honing my skills; they leave me. Every single year. Autumn comes along, exposing their ebony skin, stark elegant…

Sitting aft deck aboard Madi, drinking a glass of wine one afternoon, taking a break from cruising the Dalmatian Coast in ’09. Three dramatically different architectural styles before us – the imperial grandeur of the Austrian Habsburg Empire, the Pula Arena – the only remaining Roman amphitheatre to have 4 sides entirely preserved – and…

I sure am. Can feel the senses opening up as we soon skid into autumn. Here’s some late summer September scenes on Lake Garda, Barolo and our place in Loazzolo in Piemonte