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I’m back! Back in the land of la dolce vita, but also the land where corona struck so hard. At the end of February, when I decided to dedicate ‘one blog’ to that crazy corona virus that we perhaps should start taking more seriously, I had no idea the virus would be present in every single …
Last Thursday I suddenly found myself, together with my two daughters and husband, in a beautiful red Italian boat on one of the world-famous lakes in Northern Italy. But Loulou and Valentina, the two blond nine-year-olds in the back of the boat, were not really my children of course. Plus, I am also not married …
Less than thirty-six hours before I got on a plane for what should have been just a long weekend in the Netherlands, I moved houses in Rome. As soon as I would get back after the weekend, I’d decorate it to make it a cosy place. And I knew exactly how already. For years I’ve …
Last Friday, Rome would have been the centre of Europe. In the Stadio Olimpico the 16th European Football Championship would have been kicked off. Millions would have watched impatiently how 22 men, one visibly nervous, the other with an almost surreal calmness over him, had walked towards the centre spot, Italian children walking besides them, while the …
When I registered myself at the student association in Amsterdam ten years ago and I had to put down my full name, I got a response of disbelief and a little laughter. Sorry, what’s your name?! Now, you perhaps wonder what’s so strange about the name Anne. Well, nothing really. The amazement had everything to do with my two middle names: Godefrida Jacoba. I am named after …
I have a pretty weak spot for accents. Such an unmistakable accent that makes someone more accessible. More sincere. More authentic. The Neapolitan sizzling S, the way the Northern Italians almost pronounce the E as the Dutch do, or how the Romans seem to ‘eat’ certain vowels making their language very thick when endlessly stretching out words. “Annnaaamo” instead …
Quite often, I get the question where I find the inspiration for my weekly blogposts. Over the past few weeks, I was told a couple of times that I ‘probably wasn’t writing any blogs any longer now with this corona thing going on. Right?’ Because what is there to write about with everybody staying at …
Last week, while sorting out old boxes, I found the application letter I sent to the university in Rome five years ago. There was only one spot available for exchange students of my home university in Amsterdam, and when rereading my letter now, one thing got very clear. It was simply not an option for …
It’s been over ten months now since I quit my fixed job and booked a ticket to Naples. Enrolling myself in a small language school in the heart of this chaotic city was the only, and at the same time most concrete, plan for the future I had. In fact, it was pretty scary to …
Italy has entered ‘phase two’ today, after weeks of being locked up in the house. The lockdown measures have been eased a little, but to temper expectations right away: not that much has changed yet. Schools are still closed, just like the restaurants, and everyone still has to fill in a form when going outside. …