The Bittersweet Life

After her recent two-week trip to Austria, Tiffany reflects on the differences between Italy and Austria. Despite the fact that the countries share a border, it turns out there are many glaring differences between the two. ------------------------------------- ADVERTISE WITH US: Reach expats, future expats, and travelers all over the world. Send us an email to get the conversation started. BECOME...

Today we talk names. What names are most popular for kids in Italy these days? Which are evergreen favorites and how does popular culture play a part? And are old-fashioned grandpa and grandma names back in style in Italy as they are in the US? And speaking of, what are the most popular baby names in the States right now? Can you guess better than Katy can? Also, what if our parents had gone with...

Do dead bodies make you squeamish? Have you ever seen one up close? For some, attending an open-casket funeral or a wake is as close as they'll ever come. For others, their career (funeral home director, embalmer, coroner...), close encounters with the dead are a regular fact of life. Then there are Romans, who, whether they notice it or not, are never very far away from a corpse—dead bodies of po...

Mamma Ho Perso L'Aereo! (Mom, I Missed the Airplane!) This is the Italian title for a  popular American movie—can you guess which one? On our twice-monthly bonus episodes, which we put out exclusively for our Patreon members and regular donors, we often talk about silly things, off-topic subjects, and deeply personal stories we prefer not to share with the entire world. And sometimes we continue a...

We talk (and talk and talk) about Americans living in Italy. But what about Italians who live in the US? What happens when the shoe is on the other foot?  Today we sit down with Rosanna Staffa, an Italian-born playwright and author who lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.. Her debut novel The War Ends at Four is out now. Listen in to hear first-hand about the expat experience from the other perspectiv...

Tiffany has been complaining about the criminal way in which Romans park since nearly the dawn of her now-dormant blog back in 2010. And becoming a Roman driver herself has not cooled her resentment towards the selfish jerks who park with complete disregard to their fellow citizens. But last weekend it got personal. After a Saturday evening out in Trastevere, Tiffany and her husband Claudio return...

This month, Tiffany took her first solo (non-work-related) trip since becoming a mom almost 8 years ago! (What took her so long?) We reflect on the thoughts and realizations that came to her during this much-needed weekend get-away, specifically why she thinks it's vital that every mom take at least one trip away from her family every year. ------------------------------------- ADVERTISE WITH US:...

Planning a visit to the Vatican Museums this season? Forewarned is forearmed! Today we hear from three Vatican tour guides who dish the dirt on what it's really like inside the Vatican Museums, from unmanageable crowds to unbearable heat to rare acts of violence against the artwork.  But they also share their insider tips for how to survive—and enjoy—a visit to the Vatican Museums in high season....

What's it like to be in the Vatican Museums in the middle of the night? Not just during evening hours, but long after they close... Journalist Cullen Murphy got a chance to do just that and he writes about his experience in a  recent article in The Atlantic. The article sparked a discussion of places that change character entirely after nightfall. We chat about the places we've been at night and h...

On Monday's episode we explored the music that we grew up listening to and loving—as well as how we discovered and acquired that music. (Call-in radio request, anyone?) Today, Katy digs up some old cassette tapes she recorded off the radio back in the 80s, when sometimes, the only way to find a favorite song was to sing it to the DJ and hope he recognized it. For anyone else who grew up in the 80s...

A question from a listener sparks today's conversation: What music do we love and listen to on a daily basis? Have our tastes changed and matured over the years or do we still love the same music we loved as kids?  Also, find out why Katy says that listening through her music library takes courage. Join us as we dive into the music we love. ------------------------------------- ADVERTISE WITH US:...

Fries, chocolate, canals, art, gabled houses... what's not to love?  Fresh off a long weekend in Ghent, Tiffany sings the glories of one of her favorite European towns, and explains why Belgium is Europe's best-kept secret. ------------------------------------- ADVERTISE WITH US: Reach expats, future expats, and travelers all over the world. Send us an email to get the conversation started. BECOME...

Looking for the perfect summer read, something light yet introspective and thoughtful that takes place in Rome? You're in luck! This week we are joined by nationally bestselling, award-winning author Liam Callanan to talk about his new book, When in Rome , a " story of an opportunity to start over at midlife, a chance to save a struggling convent in the Eternal City, and the dramatic re-emergence...

School's almost out! Hooray for summer! Aurelio stops by to tell as about his summer plans, and why summer vacation for Italian kids is not quite as freeing as it is for their American counterparts. ------------------------------------- ADVERTISE WITH US: Reach expats, future expats, and travelers all over the world. Send us an email to get the conversation started. BECOME A PATRON: Pledge your mo...

Do you ever have days when everything just lines up perfectly? When you couldn't have planned your day to work out in a more ideal if you had had it under your own control? Those days are rare when you live in Rome, but they do happen!  In the spirit of serendipity, we let this conversation lead us where it wanted.  ------------------------------------- ADVERTISE WITH US: Reach expats, future expa...

What makes a place magical? A lot of factors can go into it, but one of them is certainly, as author Jess Walter puts it, when "history connects with the experience you're having." In this case, he's talking about the Hotel Donna Camilla Savelli , the very hotel where we are hosting our magical Roman Adventure this October. ( Email us to find out how you can join us!) Today we talk with Jess to di...

Today we're joined by Marti Buckley, an author, cook, and journalist living in San Sebastián, Spain. Her award-winning cookbook is called Basque Country , and her second book, The Pintxo Book , will be out in spring of 2024. ‌Listen to the interview to learn more about Basque Country (the place as well as the gorgeous book). We also discuss life in Spain vs. the United States, the challenges of si...

One of the most fascinating places in Rome by far, the one that packs the most layers (literally!) of history into a single site, is without a doubt the Basilica of San Celemente and the archeological excavations that lie underneath it. Today Tiffany takes you on a virtual tour of this amazing site, a sneak peek of what's to come this fall. You see, San Clemente is just one of many places Katy and...

What is the deal with the story within the story device? When reading 19th century literature, you're very likely to come across this technique, also known as a "frame story." And if you're like Tiffany, you find it annoying and distancing. Then again, if you're like Katy, you find it intriguing and charming. Why did the authors of mega-works like Frankenstein and Wuthering Heights decide that, to...

There's nothing quite like being told a story. Whether you're a child whose parent or babysitter is telling you a fairytale to help you fall asleep, a camper sitting in the magical glow of a campfire while one of your friends tells a ghost story, or a thrilled movie-goer in a darkened cinema, the power of storytelling is universal. We all feel it. Today Katy plays a story that she, long ago in her...

What's it like to move in with a family you've never met, in a foreign city you've never been to, to take care of children that are not your own? Turns out it can vary vastly, from finding your "second family" and sobbing when its time to leave, to being treated like a prisoner without even the freedom to decide what and when to eat. Isidora Salcedo, a visual artist from Chile, has run the gamut o...

We've all heard the term "hidden gems" when it comes to going off the beaten track in popular tourist locations. Everyone wants to find that truly secret masterpiece that their fellow tourists miss.  But do hidden gems really exist in a place like Rome, where millions of tourists visit every year? Some say no, but Tiffany knows better. After spending 19 years exploring the Eternal City, she has fo...

Today we are making our biggest (and most exciting) announcement ever.  We are organizing an exclusive trip to Rome this October for just TEN of our listeners and their guests. Come to Rome with us! Spend 6 magical nights in one of the most beautiful and artistic hotels in Trastevere . The trip includes a walking tour of Rome's marvelous hidden masterpieces with us every single morning , a kick-of...

Today we bring you a story of passion, perseverence, and loss—an adventure on the high seas (really!). Listener Jordan sent us an extraordinary letter, about a bittersweet decision he had to make recently to say goodbye to the rowboat in which he rowed across the Atlantic Ocean—and won a Guinness World Record for it. A boat that has been with him on the greatest adventures of his life; a boat that...

One of the things we pride ourselves on at The Bittersweet Podcast is our relationship with our listeners. We always welcome listener emails (and even voice memos) and we read and answer every single one.  We love hearing from you, learning what struck you on a particular episode, your feedback on questions we put out into the ether, and even just what's going on in your lives. Every so often we d...