Having witnessed the last game between Ancona and S.P.A.L in April 2016, seven and a half years on, they were finally crossing paths once more, in the reverse fixture in Ferrara too. I was determined to be there.  The pageantry and love-in were a joy to behold at Conero all those years ago. S.P.A.L (Societa … Continue reading SPAL’s Forever →

Tuscany had been badly hit by flooding in the latter part of 2023. Just two weeks before arriving with my fiance to enjoy the delights of some of the classic towns and cities of the region, lives had been turned upside down by the impact of yet another storm surge. Those areas affected were away … Continue reading il Derby Nord-Est- Italy after the rain- Part 2, Pistoia-Prato →

The global weather patterns are changing, more extremes are already upon us. In Italy, like many in Southern Europe and beyond, the summer highs are becoming intolerable, and rains when they arrive are monsoon-like in intensity. In 2023, at least two regions of Italy have been badly hit by flash flooding. The first area to … Continue reading The Chain- Italy after the rain- Part 1- Imola →

In the last year I have been taking my Italian tales further and further south, predominantly as the north and central areas had been well rinsed. Albeit I still have loads of stories to tell in more northern reaches. It all started in Taranto last October, a first ever game for me in the southern … Continue reading C,C Signore! Calcio along the Appian Way →

I am sure we all have a favourite novel. Perhaps elements of the narrative resonate with you, and normally it is something personal within the text that adds to why we are drawn to any given book. My favourite novel, The Sheltering Sky by Paul Bowles has one element that ticks that box for me, … Continue reading Dulce Lecce →

CATANIA Catania, Sicily's second city, sits on the eastern seaboard of this sizeable island. It is located in the shadow of Europe's most active volcano, Mount Etna, which, on a clear day, adds some impress drama to the already picturesque skyline. Beware, it's unpredictable nature can see the local airport closed at short notice, with … Continue reading The Eastern Seaboard →

I love Italy, and I love its Calcio (football), but dear goodness it can sometimes be like the most strained relationship. Perhaps similar to a football daft fan bored in the summer without his/her team, they find themselves home too much for his/her partners liking. It is like that in those June to September months … Continue reading II Lupi di Cosenza →

I am celebrating 40 years of closely following Calcio this season, where back in the day, come round 6 of the 1983/84 season I had found a regular source of getting my hands on Guerin Sportivo magazine (the Italian bible on football). It used to be a weekly magazine back then, now monthly, and despite … Continue reading Catanzaro on High, literally! →