So here we are on the eve of what is probably the greatest sporting event in the world and more to the point almost the eve of my return to South Africa after an absence of 8 years. I wouldn’t have chosen this precise time to revisit, (Summer has finally arrived in Europe) but my […]

My son Max recently had his 1st Communion so I’ve been going to church, something I don’t usually do other than when someone gets married or dies and maybe at Christmas. Two things happened that reminded me why I don’t actually go.  On the Saturday before the Communion we were asked to go for a […]

Apparently, more and more Italians are making use of Itanglese, a linguistic phenomenon which sees English words being used as a part of the Italian language. This anomaly has increased by more than 773% in the last 8 years and has been adopted mostly by professionals. All this was revealed by the association Federlingue, who […]

When it comes to coffee, the older generation of Italians are purists. None of those Starbucks flavoured coffees for them. The traditional Italian coffee culture flourishes in quaint, sometimes pokey little bars the size of postage stamps. The younger generation instead like to frequent the modern, trendier coffee bars where they can be found propping […]

We were celebrating a birthday with friends over the weekend when the conversation turned to our impending old age and retirement home choices. Yes I know, not exactly a thrilling topic but at some point one has to vaguely start thinking about it. An animated discussion followed with everyone putting in their two cents worth […]

It’s already February and I haven’t done half the things I wanted to get started on in the new year, including blogging for sapeople on a weekly basis. Firstly there has been the weather. I could go on about it, but suffice to say it has been one of the cruelest Winters since the Ice […]

They call it the silly season and it don’t get much sillier than here in Italy. It all starts on 6 December with San Nicolo and doesn’t end till the 6 January with the Epiphany or Festa della Befana, one of Italy’s oldest and most celebrated holidays. Christian legend has it that the three Wise […]

“Every man should be born again on the first day of January. Start with a fresh page.  Take up one hole more in the buckle if necessary, or let down one, according to circumstances; but on the first of January let every man gird himself once more, with his face to the front, and take […]

I know that its the week before Christmas and that I should be blogging about shopping, panettone and peace and goodwill on earth but something is happening in my back yard that has shifted my attention momentarily. Not since I lived in South Africa have I been reminded that racism and apartheid never really die, […]