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28

Jan

Memorable Moments: Literary Excursions

by Your friends at OIC on January 28, 2019

Let a good book take you away.
© iStock

Who doesn’t love a good read? That’s why we figured some good reads about some great reads would be something our readers might really enjoy reading! So while our bloggers take a moment to gather their words, we invite you on a literary adventure with these popular literature-based posts from the past.

 

A Wanderlust for Words

Books that evoke a sense of place make travelers of us all. This post also includes a free download of wanderlust-worthy book recommendations! Go to the post.

   Read more...

 

Literary World

21

Jan

Everyday Aha Moments in Italy

by Joyce McGreevy on January 21, 2019

Santa Croce and passing trucks in Florence inspire an aha moment about everyday Italian rituals. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Santa Croce inspires. So do the delivery-truck drivers on their daily predawn rounds.
© Joyce McGreevy

Discovering Beauty in Life’s Little Rituals

It’s no revelation to say that icons of awe-inspiring beauty are everywhere in Florence. For some visitors,  the rarified aha moments induced by a surfeit of grandeur can even become physically overwhelming.

But as Italian psychologist Piero Ferrucci writes, we can also “discover [beauty] in everyday life: a song heard on the street, a crumbling old wall, the reflections in a puddle.”

The Arno at sunset in Florence Italy inspires an aha moment about life’s little rituals. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

A walk along the Arno at sunset is glorious, but . . .
© Joyce McGreevy  Read more...

 

Crossing Cultures/Discoveries/Italy/Life Lessons

07

Jan

In Florence, a Feast of Festivals

by Joyce McGreevy on January 7, 2019

A view of Firenze from across the Arno inspires a writer to reflect on the cultural traditions of New Year in Italy. (Image © Victoria Lyons)

Winter in the city of Dante: Florence invites reflection and revelry in equal measure.
© Victoria Lyons

Savoring the First Week of the Year
Is an Italian Cultural Tradition

Are “the holidays” a faint memory? In some countries, all trace of yuletide is tidied away with alarming efficiency. Trees that inspire ho-ho-ho’s one day, get the heave-ho the next.

Here in Florence, Italy, January’s air is still redolent with balsam. Fairy lights arch over streets, and by Italian cultural tradition, a feast of festivals continues. Long past December, much remains to be savored, so my friend Victoria and I go with the Florentine flow.  Read more...

 

Cultural Heritage & Traditions/Italy/On Foot

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