It was a moment of joy - lykke - when I found this old tin of Norwegian skincream in yet another half-opened box from our shipment of stuff in our new house in Dublin. This is the second time we've moved country with kids and of course, all our worldly possessions were put into boxes (or last-minute … [Read More...]
That wasn’t so boring (part 3) – Ytalia sculpture show at Forte Belvedere
Reflecting balls... smelly sculptures... discussion on life and death... views over Florence... one gigantic skeleton. This is what you'll get on a visit with your kids to Ytalia, the contemporary sculpture show at Florence's Forte Belvedere. It's only on for until October 1st but now is the … [Read More...]
There’s something about Elba
What do you know about the island of Elba? Probably that it's where Napoleon was exiled and has some nice beaches. Anything else? Well, after a trip there both this summer and a couple of years ago I can gladly tell you that it's a summer paradise. You might not have known that it's actually in … [Read More...]
The day the bomb closed the bus stop
I was looking through photos from 6 years ago and one from made me stop to catch my breath. It was taken 6 years ago today, on July 22 2011, on the day of the Oslo attacks. We had been living in Oslo for 3 years and that week happened to be in Dublin visiting my parents. Wherever we've lived I've … [Read More...]
That wasn’t so boring (part 2) – Video Renaissance
For a completely different family art experience in Florence – and a perfect way to cool off – check out the Bill Viola show at Palazzo Strozzi. It's only on for two more weeks, closing on July 23rd. Hang on, you say. Go to see contemporary video art? By an American (albeit with an Italian name)? … [Read More...]
Swimming pools of Florence
I've been enjoying contributing to Florence's wonderful English-language monthly magazine The Florentine with some stories about family life in Italy. My latest - in the July issue - gives a taste of the outdoor city pools around Florence, which … [Read More...]
The (Wet) Stones of Florence
Florence made world news this week when it was announced that the city is to start hosing down church steps with water to clear away the tourists who have a pesky habit of sitting down to eat a quick lunch. This was big news around here, and most … [Read More...]
Learning on the Land
I published a story about my daughter's Montessori school in the woods in this month's edition of the Florentine, the English-language newspaper of Florence. It's always nice to hold in your hands a printed copy and the story is now also … [Read More...]