This Editor’s Note originally appeared in the October/November 2022 issue of Dream of Italy. Members receive access to more than 180 back issues—if you’re not a member, join here.
For the past year I’ve been hearing so many people talking about their desire to spend more time in Italy and to have that time be much more than a vacation. This post-Covid trend brings together our desire to live more fully and the near realities of fluidity in our work and post-work lives.
If this is a dream you have, this feature package in this issue is meant to get you thinking about ways to plan an extended stay or sabbatical – never have there been more resources and now there are even companies devoted to designing this very type or experience.
Martha and Gregor Henze planned an adventurous sabbatical on the fly and met my friend art historian Paola Vojnovic while staying at a community for artists outside Florence. They got to talking and not knowing that I was a dear friend, the couple told Paola that watching Dream of Italy was an inspiration for their time in Italy. Paola then introduced us.
Dream of Italy, the TV show, also has a connection to another couple featured in this issue and I didn’t even know it at first. I discovered the new company Vero in Italy via Instagram and loved the look of their new property Poggio Belvedere so I booked a stay. It wasn’t until I arrived that Kaila and Ludo Terraneo told me how my Umbria episode inspired them to make this very big dream of theirs a reality.
I’m a Negroni purist and love to imbibe in this strong drink each time I visit Florence. A variation on the Negroni, the Negroni Sbagliato, although it has been around for decades, has recently enjoyed a resurgence in cocktail culture. If you haven’t tried it, we have a recipe on the back cover.
I always welcome your feedback. Send me an email at kathy@dreamofitaly.com
–Kathy McCabe