The Bittersweet Life

When you come back after several years to a city where you used to live, what do you notice? What has change? What has stayed the same? What have you forgotten about in your time away? In this episode from our archives, Katy arrives in Rome after four years away, and immediately  notices something that—once ubiquitous on the streets of Rome—is now missing: accordionists. This sparks a conversation...

Where did Lord Byron and Percy Shelley come to sip coffee while they jotted down their verses? Where did Bizet and Berlioz go to discuss their work? Where could Casanova be found trying to pick up girls? Caffè Greco, where else? Having opened in 1760, Antico Caffè Greco is the oldest café in Rome and the second-oldest in all of Italy! And you can still go there and sit where Hawthorne, Ibsen, Gogo...

Need help falling asleep?   That's not usually our forte—at least we hope it isn't!—but this week the legendary sleep-podcaster Drew Ackerman, better known to his listeners as Dear Scooter, of the popular Sleep with Me podcast, has used not one but two of our past episodes as a script for his sleep-inducing show.   We are reposting his somnolent take on Episode 441 The Oldest Cafe in Rome and Epis...

This week, therapist and bestselling author Lori Gottlieb joins us to talk about change, loss, self-examination...and when you should really talk to someone. If you've ever wondered what your therapist was thinking, this is a conversation you'll want to hear. Lori and Katy discuss everything from what you should look for in a therapist to what your therapist is listening for—and why it's often not...

For a leisurely stroll that is full of artistic gems and delightful curiosities hidden in plain —and somehow overlooked by tourists—join us for a walk down Via Giulia, one of the most historic and sumptuous streets in Rome. Don't miss your chance to visit Rome with us, on our intimate Rome listener trip , coming up in October 2025. Find out all about it here , or email us for more information! ***...

The Bittersweet Life Podcast went on an unexpected and unprecedented month-long hiatus. As you can imagine, only something life-threatening could have caused us to take this break.   Katy sits down with her sisters Dana and Sara to have an honest and vulnerable conversation about the tragedy that has occurred in their family, and why it's a journey that's only beginning. And a journey with an unkn...

This week, we explore the underground world with Robert MacFarlane of Cambridge University in England. Robert is the best-selling author of Landmarks and The Old Ways, and was awarded the EM Forster Prize for Literature by the American Academy of Arts and Letters. His latest book, UNDERLAND, is an "epic exploration of the Earth's underworlds as they exist in myth, literature, memory, and the land...

Did you know that your favorite podcast hosts are also writers? On this week's bonus episode—available exclusively to our supporters on Patreon —we talk all about our various writing processes. Katy reveals that she has been sobbing while writing lately as she comes to the end of her novel, and prepares to say goodbye to her characters. And speaking of characters, Tiffany talks about what it's lik...

Five years after the world came to a grinding halt—when Italy and shortly after much of the globe went into a full or partial lockdown—Katy and Tiffany have a conversation about that unique and momentous time.  Do we really remember what it was like or are the memories vague and unreliable? How did the pandemic and the lockdowns change our perception of time?  And have we, as a society, changed si...

Continuing our month-long look back at life during the initial outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, we are re-airing Part 2 of our peek into our lives —and the lives of our listeners all around the world—while we live under the restrictions of our various countires. Katy offers a rare glimpse into what it's like to edit and a long piece of tape, extracting its gems to transform it into something eng...

Who remembers what life felt like during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, when cities and entire countries were shutting down right and left? Believe it or not, it all started five years ago this month! So we are digging back into our archives to bring you episodes from that momentous time all month long. On this episode, which originally aired on April 5th 2020, we ask our listeners: What...

Exactly five years ago this month—March 2020—the world went through something that no one living had experienced in their lifetimes: a global epidemic that affected the entire world, and forced much of the population into their homes for weeks and months at a time, unable to socialize, go to work, and in some cases (like Italy) even take walk around the neighborhood. This month, we are re-airing,...

Our regularly scheduled episode is going to be delayed this week. Katy makes a hard announcement on this much abbreviated episode to explain why The Bittersweet Life is going on a (hopefully very short) hiatus. Thank you for your patience and understanding. Remember, we have a vast archive of episodes that you may never have listened to, so take this time to dig back into our plethora of earlier e...

Do you remember what life was like during the first days and weeks of lockdown following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, almost exactly 5 years ago? This month, we'll be airing four episodes from our archives, one every Friday, during that momentous, uncertain, and historic time.  In this episode, which originally aired on March 16th 2020, Italy has recently entered lockdown. There was no g...

Everybody who visits Rome knows about the Mouth of Truth—and many of them line up for up to an hour (or more!) to stick their hand in its mouth and snap an iconic photo.  But what most visitors fail to do is to take the time to visit the incredible church that lies just beyond this monument of dubious importance, Santa Maria in Cosmedin. Today, Tiffany tells you all about it, and what to look for...

Just over 12 years ago, Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio was elected Pope Francis in the conclave of 2013. And Tiffany was in St. Peter's Square when it happened. She saw the white smoke pouring out of the Sistine Chapel chimney, she heard those famous words "Habemus Papam!" and she, along with the other thousands of people that had by that time gathered in St. Peter's Square that rainy March night, was a...

On this eye-opening interview with special guest Lisa Wilcox, taken from our archives, we explore the science of language learning through linguistics and speech pathology. Sound boring? Turns out, it is actually really funny. And you might just discover a new angle from which to tackle your language-learning goals. ***The Bittersweet Life podcast has been on the air for an impressive 10+ years! I...

On this bonus episode, available exclusively to our Patreon supporters, random questions like "What is your dumbest scar?" are answered by us with a great amount of laughter. This small excerpt is in our regular feed, but if you want to hear the entire episode, become part of the Bittersweet Life community by supporting us on   Patreon ! For as little as $5 per month—less than the price of a coffe...

What happens when you get sick in Italy? How much does medical care cost? As an expat, how does the Italian medical system differ from that of the United States? Is Italian healthcare really as disorganized as it can sometimes seem? And is European socialized medicine really as wonderful and stress-free as it might seem from across the pond? Also: does an old, dingy hospital subconsciously affect...

Katy moved to Rome once. Does that mean she'd be brave enough to do it again? Are you brave enough to move to a brand new city? What about a brand-new country? Katy and Tiffany use a listener email to kick off this episode from  our archives . If you like this topic, don't miss Part 1 of this episode! *** The Bittersweet Life podcast has been on the air for an impressive 10+ years! In order to hel...

On this Bittersweet Moment, taken from our archives, Tiffany and Aurelio chat about their recent visit to one of Rome's most secret and best-hidden gems: the Tempietto of Bramante. Find out what makes this minuscule "temple" so utterly sublime, which ancient temple it was inspired by, and which domes around the world have been inspired by it. Aurelio also chimes in about his favorite thing about v...

Have you ever lost your mind over a foreign language? This week's guest, Melissa Muldoon, did just that over 15 years ago, when she dove head first into studying the Italian language. She was so crazy about Italian in fact, that she dubbed herself the " Studentessa Matta " (crazy student) and started blogging about her Italian-learning journey... in Italian . What began as a blog to flex her Itali...

In this episode from our archives, Tiffany and Katy both say goodbye to their old lives: Tiffany moves out of her Trastevere apartment and braves the Roman outskirts for the first time in over a decade as an expat, and Katy's beloved Seattle home is torn down. On this surprisingly vulnerable episode, we explore life, loss, and the pain and annoyance of moving. ***The Bittersweet life podcast has b...

On this bonus episode, released exclusively for our Patreon supporters , we're joined by Tiffany's son, 9-year-old Aurelio—our redheaded mascot and "third co-host" who answers our Patreon supporters' burning questions! Find out where he'd rather live, the US or Italy, which language he prefers to speak, and what it's like, as an American, having to take English lessons from an Italian teacher. Thi...

Author and Italy travel expert Susan Van Allen joins us today to talk about what she loves about Italy and why she believes the bel paese has particular appeal to women. In addition to being author of the book, 100 Places in Italy Every Woman Should Go, Van Allen also leads women-only tours of Italy, and shares her insights on the feminine allure Italy holds for so many, and why women seem to get...