And it begins with a wine tasting in an old palazza in Bologna.  Sponsored by an association formed to spread the culture of Italian wine, I spent the late afternoon tasting wines and sampling food to accompany them.  And a fitting way to kick-off Sampling Italy which is all about traveling and living in Italy, in particular in Bologna and the Emilia-Romagna region.  See About to learn more about me and why this region intrigues me so.

I have pondered what should be the voice and tone of this blog as I hope it will reach beyond my friends wanting to know about my living in Bologna. I will be posting about places to see, how to travel, great places to eat and where to rest your head as well as tours and other activities to partake in.  Some of these I have first hand experience with and others will be through connecting with those who can recommend activities as known experts in their areas.

But I will also write about what it is like to immerse yourself in a new culture and how to become part of a community that is not within your comfort zone. As one who has “retired” from a career that was my main support to now enjoying the fruits of my efforts as I start on this new journey in my life, I also hope to share with you my lessons learned and aspirations for others to reach out and seek their dreams.

I also will be sharing resources about all these areas that I have gathered throughout my travels and plan to offer itineraries that you can use when exploring these areas on your own.

Stay tuned for upcoming posts in particular my foray into learning the lyrical Italian language