I am so excited to have Kathy McCabe, the founder of the award-winning newsletter, Dream of Italy, stopping by today! Kathy and I have partnered together before – in fact, you can see my contribution in her new FREE Christmas in Italy Guide! Perfect for the Holidays.
Kathy and I have one very important thing in common. Our love for Italy.
Kathy was kind enough to agree to a little interview. And to help me kick-off my new website- Kathy is offering one lucky reader the chance to win a entire year’s subscription to the Dream of Italy publication!
So, let’s chat with Kathy!
MM: Kathy, how did you fall in love with Italy?
DOI: I fell in love with Italy right after college when my mom took me on a graduation trip to Italy. Our itinerary included the major destinations – Venice, Florence, Rome, Amalfi but we decided to add a decidedly untouristy destination to our plan – the small town Castelvetere sul Calore – in the mountains of Campania, near Avellino.
This is the town my mother’s grandfather left for the United States at the end of the 19th century. No one from our immediate family had been back and we – two blonde Americans who didn’t speak any Italian showed up there one day. It was one of the most incredible days of my life – about 20% of the town had my mother’s maiden name, we learned that anyone with that name only came from this town and that our family were originally Norman invaders. I ended up falling in love with Italy and going back any chance I could and returned to my ancestral home town several times again as well.
MM: What part of Italy is your favorite and why?
DOI: Picking my favorite part of Italy is like picking a favorite child. But I’ll play along. My favorite city in Italy is Rome; I am just mesmerized by the mix of antiquity and modernity. I also think Turin is a special and undiscovered city offering incredible museums and cuisine. In general, I’m partial to all of southern Italy. I’m completely enamoured with Puglia – gorgeous beaches, beautiful vineyards, the biggest olive trees I have ever seen. I also love Basilicata – especially the seaside paradise of Maratea.
MM: What is your favorite Italian recipe- you know the kind you’d eat every day and never tire of?
DOI: Depending on the season, when I’m heading over to Italy there are a number of dishes I can’t wait to eat. Stuffed zucchini flowers is one of my favorites. I love visiting Tuscany, Umbria or Piedmont during truffle season and enjoying truffles in a variety of dishes especially on pasta. Who isn’t a gelato fan? My favorite flavor is straccitella.
MM: Can you share your most memorable moment in Italy?
DOI: I have so many memorable moments from my travels throughout Italy. The ones closest to my heart are definitely from that first day I stepped foot in Castelevetere sul Calore. I have a wonderful memory of visiting Rome for Christmas and standing with my parents in St. Peter’s Square at midnight on Christmas Eve to observe midnight mass. The hottest I have ever been and coldest I have ever been in my life have been in Italy! Hottest – Venice – August 2003 when an unbelievable heatwave was hitting Europe. Coldest – February 2006 – watching the snowboard cross at the 2006 Winter Olympics.
MM: Dream of Italy has a subscription special running right now. Can you tell us about that?
DOI: Sure. Right now, we do have a terrific susbcription package which you can read more about at the Dream of Italy website.
A subscription includes-
+ 10 issues over the coming year
+ online access to 70 back issues
+ BONUS DVD – Visions of Italy: The Great Cities
And I’ll give one of your readers the online subscription – $39 value.
________
Thanks so much for chatting with me Kathy! It was great getting to know you better!
And since Kathy has been nice enough to give-away an online subscription and bonus DVD, I thought we would have a little fun with it!
All you need to do, is leave a comment on this post between now and midnight EST on December 1st, telling us why you Dream of Italy! I will randomly pick a winner on December 2nd, and announce the winner on the blog.
In bocca al lupo, all of you Italophiles!