Explore every episode of the podcast A Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and life
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cy Twombly - Life and Art in Italy | 06 Nov 2025 | 00:13:34 | |
"I am a Mediterranean painter" - Cy Twombly Welcome to Episode #125: In 1952 Robert Rauschenberg photographed his friend and fellow artist Cy Twombly standing with a thin notebook next to Constantine’s colossal hand while on holiday in Rome. They were together on a traveling arts scholarship. They traveled extensively for months in Italy and North Africa. Five years later Cy Twombly moved from America to live in Rome, Italy. Cy Twombly (1928-2011) made a life in Rome as an artist. He kept the art world at bay, painting vast canvases full of white space with a trademark style to his work, secluding himself in places like Gaeta, Bassano and Rome. Twombly would take many journeys over his lifetime. Moving between places and homes and making art. Twombly’s fascination with ancient civilisations, the Mediterranean cultures, the Greco and the Roman would converge on his canvases. A love of literature and poetry underlines his art. This is a story about place, art and history, and how they intersect on the canvas of life. Musical Scores by Richard Johnston Shownotes at MichelleJohnston.life © 2025 A Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and life | |||
| Merchants & Vagabonds - Tales from Travel in Italy | 25 Oct 2025 | 00:48:03 | |
“To awaken quite alone in a strange town is one of the pleasantest sensations in the world. You are surrounded by adventure. You have no idea of what is in store for you, but you will, if you are wise and know the art of travel, let yourself go on the stream of the unknown and accept whatever comes in the spirit in which the gods may offer it....." Baghdad Sketches, Freya Stark Welcome to Episode #124: Today I take you on a journey through a few travel experiences that have a left a wonderful impression on my life as a writer and lover of Italy. These are a handful of moments that captured the essence of travel and what I truly appreciate and love about the Italian culture and visiting Italy. The places that called me on the travel journeys in Italy, that are mentioned today.... The Venetian Lagoon, Venice, Padova, Torino, Sperlonga, Campania, Rome, Lake Garda, Milano….. and Paris Enjoy x If you are interested in another kind of rabbit hole, I mention these podcasts along the way.... Art & Love: Peggy Guggenheim Part 1 Art & Love: Peggy Guggenheim Part 2 Moments in Italy: Caffes & Coffee Bars, Turin Italy Shownotes at MichelleJohnston.life © 2025 A Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and life Today's end music - 'Chances' 'Seascapes" for mood music..... Richard's Music is available on Spotify and Apple Music - Album 4240 Links to Episodes that I mention in this podcast: Art & Love: Peggy Guggenheim Part 1 Art & Love: Peggy Guggenheim Part 2 Moments in Italy: Caffes & Coffee Bars, Turin Italy | |||
| There is just Something About Italy - from the Piazza della Repubblica, Roma | 03 Jul 2025 | 00:33:06 | |
"I adore the spirit of Rome" - Michelle Johnston, In the Shadow of a Cypress - An Italian Adventure Welcome to Episode #115: More and more I realise there is just something about Italy. This podcast is a culmination of an eventful solo journey in Italy and Paris, and the culmination of the days wandering around Italia has me feeling very open to the beauty of the day and those last precious moments in Rome… Enjoy x Find all Shownotes at michellejohnston.life My book: In the Shadow of a Cypress - An Italian Adventure | |||
| Betwixt and Between - The Writer’s Life, an ode to 'Eat, Pray, Love' and Truffle Magic | 17 Feb 2021 | 00:18:58 | |
"Thy light alone - Gives grace and truth to life's unquiet dream' - Percy Bysshe Shelley Sometimes you just need to start in the middle, and somehow you find the beginning and the end. That is how this episode came about. There is always the attention to the inner calling to do the work, to make way, to make hay while the sun shines. This episode is a soliloquy to the creative life, to getting back to writing and to some musing about life and art. Music Composed by Richard Johnston, © 2021 See Show Notes for Books mentioned and a little share on podcasts I have enjoyed over the summer if you are interested in the creative journey.... About A Writer in Italy Podcast: | |||
| A Conversation with Christine from Italian Dish Podcast; Life in Tuscany, Italian food and how she found herself living in Italia.......Buon Natale to you all | 24 Dec 2020 | 00:48:10 | |
“To make time to eat as Italians still do is to share in their inexhaustible gift for making art out of life” Christine can be found on I-Tunes or your favourite Podcast Channel @ Italian Dish and on Instagram at @italiandishpodcast. Enjoy and try one of her gorgeous Italian Recipes......or join her Patreon Community for extra cooking ideas and recipes. About A Writer in Italy Podcast: | |||
| Padova to Paris - The Family Trip....Part 5 - Florence, Tuscany Continued and the Art of Tuscan Biscotti/Cantucci Making | 13 Dec 2020 | 00:31:27 | |
“Italy, like the olive tree, is ever-green” I begin with a light serenade to December 2020 sitting out in the morning sun and then share the fifth installment of The Family Trip in Italy.... Part 2 Florence, Tuscany....Firenze and the travel adventure continues. About A Writer in Italy Podcast: | |||
| The Florentine Affair....Tuscany, Part 4 - The Padova to Paris Journey | 19 Nov 2020 | 00:23:31 | |
“These trains have eaten into my mind and my writing” - Tim Parks ‘Italian Ways: On and Off the Rails from Milan to Palermo’ This an excerpt from the journey, the little adventure from Padua in Italy to Paris, France.... Next stop - Florence, Tuscany....Firenze is one of those places that you can just wander and there is something wonderful around every corner. The architectural detail and the Renaissance treasures are all there to be seen and savoured. It is the open air museum like qualities that make it such a great walking city. I share this with a little detail on the rich history of Renaissance art how this city is considered the birth place of the Renaissance and the reasons why. Enjoy, See You Next time with Florence, Pisa and Lucca, Italy......... Music Composed by Richard Johnston, © 2021 Please find all Show Notes and details mentioned at: About A Writer in Italy Podcast: | |||
| La Cucina Povera and the Beauty of Simple Ingredients...A three part episode that begins in the chicken pen | 30 Oct 2020 | 00:43:18 | |
“I just think food is so important to us, it is the most important thing we do, so why not enjoy it”...Rick Stein Music Composed by Richard Johnston, © 2021
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| The Heart of Verona…. The Family Trip - Part 3 | 27 Sep 2020 | 00:25:22 | |
"Travel is like any other addiction: the more of it you've had, the more of it you need" - Tony Wheeler Music Composed by Richard Johnston, © 2021
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| Venice and the Art of Travel....The Padova to Paris Journey - Part 2 | 09 Sep 2020 | 00:31:10 | |
"Open my heart, and you will see / Graved inside of it, Italy" - Robert Browning Venice is the icing on the cake and should be sampled at least once in a lifetime or more if you are lucky. Traveling to see this city built on over one hundred islands, linked by bridges and canals halfway between the rising and the setting sun never fails to excite and entice the curious traveler. A family day walking this city to sample the delights of the Gothic and the Byzantine, the romance, the time worn elegance, the grand palazzi, the maze of alleyways, the bridges and the magic of the canals was a sweet thing. Contemplation and wonder over travel narratives and thoughts on the art of travel.......... In truth an ever expanding world that one shall be musing over for some time. Music Composed by Richard Johnston, © 2021
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| Padova, Italy to Paris, France - The Family Trip...... Part 1 | 10 Aug 2020 | 00:34:27 | |
"We are all pilgrims who seek Italy" - Goethe, Italian Journey What a sweet thing to create this episode and share our family journey in Italy and France. So grateful for a little Carpe Diem moment late 2018. Tickets to Italy arriving in Milano Milpensa and the fast train to Padova in March 2019 was the beginning of a wonderful adventure. Italy always inspires....the endless art, the architecture, the history, the grand cafes and the ambience of piazza life are all waiting there to be explored and savoured. Padova is one of the seven provinces of the Veneto region of Italy, just a hop, skip and a jump away from the capital of the Veneto, Venice. We begin our stay there and enjoy the ambience of this beautiful medieval city, taking in the wonders of the Scrovegni Chapel and the canals and layered history around every corner.
Music Composed by Richard Johnston, © 2021
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| Bringing Italy Home - Part 2 - Accordions, Mothers, Second Chances, Culture, Tradition and there’s Always Italy......From the Armchair at Home | 06 Jul 2020 | 00:24:38 | |
Welcome to Episode #17: Bringing Italy Home.. Since we are in the middle of a large adjustment around travel it is great that we can tap into film and books like Always Italy to feed the muse in the meantime. As I said in the last in the last episode, they teach and open one to the beauty of a place. Let that transport you for now. Enjoy..... Music Composed by Richard Johnston, © 2021
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| Bringing Italy Home - The Spirit of Place......Books and Movies to Enjoy | 26 May 2020 | 00:14:44 | |
Welcome to Episode 16 Bringing Italy Home with favourite movies, cookbooks and travel narratives that have kept the spirit happy over the years....So you too can travel from your armchair at home at any given time...... Music Composed by Richard Johnston, © 2021
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| In Rome, Lost but Happy.... | 29 Jun 2025 | 00:22:58 | |
"The brittle crust off the present fractures; my feet sink into the quicksand of antiquity" - Anthony Doerr, Four Seasons in Rome Welcome to Episode #114, A spontaneous moment sipping an Aperol Spritz sitting at a caffe/wine bar on the corner of a busy side street close to Via Nazionale has me musing over some beautiful moments in Rome, purely sunny days full of grand adventures, being lost but absolutely happy in Italy… Find all Shownotes at michellejohnston.life My book: In the Shadow of a Cypress - An Italian Adventure | |||
| The Calabrian Homecoming - In Conversation with Josephine Gregoire | 07 Apr 2020 | 01:26:23 | |
Welcome to Episode #15: The Calabrian Homecoming - In Conversation with Josephine Gregoire..... It is important to note that at the time, all was pretty normal here in Australia. China was certainly not in a great place with Covid-19, yet Italy nor Spain had no idea what was hurtling toward them. Italy’s first case of Covid-19 hit the headlines at the end of January 2020. Then the spiral of life changes began to trickle and then absolutely pour into northern Italy at a disarming rate. Still right now all of Italy is in lockdown as are most places around the world. I am sharing this despite our worlds turning upside down and despite the fact that since last week Le Tres Bon has had to shut their doors to the public as have many restaurants around the world. Their Cooking School and their Tours of Alsace, France, Calabria, Italy and New Caledonia are on hold for now until that beautiful day arrives when this is over, a surreal thought right now. I am sharing this because conversations and time with people matters, the beauty of sharing a coffee has never been more of a sweet thing until now, simply because unless it’s with a member of your own personal household well it is not happening. When we sat down to chat last year it was because I knew Josephine’s story was an important one and one that I wanted to know more about and potentially share on the podcast. Firstly, I just want to thank Josephine for opening her heart to tell her story to us. I doubt it was easy as it is deeply personal and relevant to her life today. So thank you again Josephine for giving me the opportunity to listen and share your world.
Subscribe to Chef Christophe’s Cooking Show: Please find all Show Notes at: Music Composed by Richard Johnston, © 2021 About A Writer in Italy Podcast: | |||
| Food For Thought: Cooking with Massimo and Friends, and Living the Simple Life | 26 Mar 2020 | 00:23:43 | |
Welcome to Episode #14: Food For Thought, Cooking from the Cookbook ‘Bread is Gold: Extraordinary Meals with Ordinary Ingredients’ as a project to see me though this year. I have no doubt it will take me that long......And surrendering to the Simple Life as I know it. Wow, things have changed so fast we barely know what will happen today nor tomorrow. We are in the middle of unprecedented times, certainly in my own personal lifetime never mind my kids. Italy is suffering so much as are most countries, and we are watching from the sidelines on guard to our own fate with this virus. My prayers and thoughts are with those who are experiencing the harsh reality and pain of this time. Making the decision to flat out cook from the bountiful ‘Bread is Gold’ cookbook is not a light one. It takes time, thought, intention, resourcefulness and conviction. Time will tell about the conviction part however I am enjoying the process and finding my way even if I am slightly anxious how this will turn out. Onwards I say.......
Music Composed by Richard Johnston, © 2021
Netflix: Theater of Life Documentary, 2015: Documents Bottura opening the soup Kitchen for the needy using the food waste from the 2015 Milan Expo.......... Netflix: Chef’s Table......Season 1: If you don't already know Massimo Bottura this is the story behind his rise to No 1 Restaurant in the world. Fantastic and an incredible journey to be one of the most influential people in the world. Support and Learn More: www.FoodforSoul.it About A Writer in Italy Podcast: | |||
| One Writer’s Journey - On Memoir, Writing, Belle Italia and Food for Soul....... | 11 Mar 2020 | 00:25:08 | |
Welcome to Episode #13 and One Writer’s Journey - On the beauty of writing and reading Memoir, a homage to Belle Italia and Food For Soul. Music Composed by Richard Johnston, © 2021
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| The Good Life at La Tavola Marche - In Conversation with Ashley Bartner | 08 Jan 2020 | 00:49:19 | |
Welcome to Episode #12: Ashley and her husband Jason moved to Italy thirteen years ago from New York with a plan to create their own business off the beaten track in the region of Le Marche. With a big dream in their back pocket and hearts full of enthusiasm they both ventured into the world of farm life, cooking schools and the Italian Lifestyle. It wasn't without its trials and tribulations (whatever good thing ever is?) and that is a testament to their ability to keep moving forward no matter what the universe threw their way. I loved this conversation for a bunch of reasons. Not only is Ashley full of heart and zest for life but she is a generous person who not only loves what she does but shares it in spades in this conversation and in life.
Music Composed by Richard Johnston, © 2021
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| Rome, Italy “If you have no faith in me, have faith in what you see” (Cinema Paradiso) | 21 Dec 2019 | 00:28:20 | |
The day has me wandering across Ponte Sisto to Trastevere in a reverie about life and how it is important to seek and create space for yourself. I cannot help but reflect on the weeks that have captured something beautiful in Italy. Music Composed by Richard Johnston, © 2021 Please find Show Notes at: Five years ago Michelle Johnston traveled to Italy to create space for herself and her writing. Michelle traveled solo giving herself time to recalibrate after many years of parenting and life in general. Leaving her husband to take care of the family she reconnected with her writing, her art and her love of travel. The adventure turned into the book and travel memoir............... In the Shadow of a Cypress: An Italian Adventure | |||
| Amalfi, Campania Continued.....Walking adventures in Positano, Minori and Real Life | 09 Dec 2019 | 00:34:13 | |
Welcome to Episode #10 Amalfi, Campania and the joys and discoveries up in the terraced hillside of Pogerola, Italy. Certainly this recent podcast had me juggling the creative life and the realities of living in Australia at the end of 2019. However, I was more than happy to share the days in Amalfi and pages from my book ‘In the Shadow of a Cypress’ in podcast land..... Music Composed by Richard Johnston, © 2021 Instagram: @awriterinitaly and @theyellowhouse__
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| Amalfi, Campania.... “There’s nothing like a fountain and a magnum of French champagne to put you right again” - Under the Tuscan sun (film) | 20 Nov 2019 | 00:40:59 | |
Welcome to Episode #9 Amalfi, Campania...... Travel Writer and Author Freya Stark once said, “To awaken quite alone in a strange town is one of the pleasantest sensations in the world. You are surrounded by adventure. You have no idea of what is in store for you, but you will, if you are wise and know the art of travel, let yourself go on the stream of the unknown and accept whatever comes in the spirit in which the gods may offer it. For this reason your customary thoughts, all except the rarest of your friends, even most of your luggage - everything, in fact, which belongs to your everyday life, is merely a hindrance. The tourist travels in his own atmosphere like a snail in his shell and stands, as it were, on his own perambulating doorstep to look at the continents of the world. But if you discard all this, and sally forth with a leisurely and blank mind, there is no knowing what may not happen to you.” About A Writer in Italy Podcast: | |||
| Siena, Tuscany and the Adventure Continues..... “The Bees, you don’t bother them, they won’t bother you” (Stealing Beauty) | 31 Oct 2019 | 00:57:57 | |
Welcome to Episode #8 Siena, Tuscany Returning to Siena after many years it was wonderful to be sitting and sipping a cappuccino staring at the beauty of the Palazzo Pubblico on my first morning in the Centro Storico of this Unesco World Heritage medieval city. Siena is an obvious choice if visiting Florence. An hour and a half away on the train or by car through majestic countryside and you find yourself in a city like no other. Once upon a time it was a stop on the pilgrimage route as the pilgrims came from the south to Rome along the Via Francigena. With its fan shaped piazza, Gothic Duomo, wonderfully dark secretive streets, the non stop celebrations of the Palio Race and the many Renaissance treasures there is much to discover and enjoy inside and outside of the medieval walls. Music Composed by Richard Johnston, © 2021 Instagram: @awriterinitaly and @theyellowhouse__ About A Writer in Italy Podcast: | |||
| A Conversation with Food Writer, Cookbook Author and Photographer Emiko Davies about Italy, Books and Family. | 08 Oct 2019 | 01:02:47 | |
Welcome to Episode #7: A Conversation with Cookbook Author, Food Writer and Photographer Emiko Davies about Italy, Books and Family....... I had a lovely time over coffee at Tilley’s Lyneham on a chilly winters morning in Canberra chatting and getting to know Emiko and all of the wonderful details about her three cookbooks and how she started as a Food Blogger in Florence, Italy. I very much enjoyed this conversation forgetting that I am on the recording too, hence all of my oohs and ahhs while listening in rapture to the wonderful details of Emiko’s life. Studying art restoration and etching, living in Florence, starting a Tuscan food blog to cure her creative energy and fuel her days, getting the call to write a book, navigating motherhood and Florence, moving to the Maremma in the middle of writing and completing ‘Florentine’, observing and eating seasonally..........All of it a fabulous journey to partake in and share. I love book publishing stories so had to get to the bottom of how and when this all happened and Emiko is a wonderful story teller so I am grateful she had the time to chat in the lively ambience of Tilley’s on a bustling Monday morning, jazz tunes and all. Visit Emiko at www.emikodavies.com Music Composed by Richard Johnston, © 2021
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| Florence, Tuscany: "I have drunk deep the wine of Firenze: I've warmed both hands before the fires of Botticelli and Michelangelo", Tea With Mussolini......and the Italophile as a way of life. | 17 Sep 2019 | 00:55:30 | |
Welcome to Episode 6: Florence and Fiesole...... Music Composed by Richard Johnston, © 2021 Instagram: @awriterinitaly and @theyellowhouse__ | |||
| A Florentine Cafe & Musings on Women and Art in Italy | 28 Jun 2025 | 00:45:38 | |
"Solitude is a place I like to go" - Tracey Emin Welcome to Episode #113: Today I share some beautiful moments in Bologna and Florence while sitting at a cafe close to Mercato Centrale in the centro storico of Firenze. Exploring art and culture was at the forefront of my experience in Italy on this recent travel adventure and there is no doubt there are many moving parts on this journey of mine. I discover much more than I expect seeing Tracey Emin at the Palazzo Strozzi and the restored artwork of Plautilla Nelli - The Last Supper c.1560 at the Santa Maria Novella. I mention the Strozzi Gallery and seeing Tracey Emin Sex and Solitude and The Time for Women exhibition that are currently showing in Florence, yet would also like to add while in Milan I went to I am Leonor Fini at the Palazzo Reale and loved her work and the beauty of her rich artist life in Italy and France. It came as quite a surprise to see such a femme de force of art after perusing the NovoCento in Milan, a wonderful museum of 20th and 21st Century modern art, yet certainly I noticed that 99 percent of the work was the art of men, a legacy that obviously reflects something more pertinent to art history and Italian culture. These observations left me pondering the times and the culture of art in Italy and perhaps my own experience as a woman forging ahead in difficult times in the 21st Century. Enjoy x Find all Shownotes at michellejohnston.life | |||
| Assisi: The Spiritual Heart of Italy | 17 Aug 2019 | 00:30:45 | |
Welcome to Episode 5: Assisi, Umbria Music Composed by Richard Johnston, © 2021
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| Episode 4: Cortona, Tuscany........."Terrible Ideas hmmm, don't you just love those?"....Under The Tuscan Sun (Film) and the Creative Life | 28 Jul 2019 | 00:44:51 | |
Welcome to Episode 4: Cortona, Italy Music Composed by Richard Johnston, © 2021 Instagram: @awriterinitaly and @theyellowhouse__ | |||
| Umbria, Orvieto "I have a great talent for perseverance" and Happy Messy Life. | 15 Jul 2019 | 00:40:31 | |
Welcome to Episode 3: Orvieto, Umbria Music Composed by Richard Johnston, © 2021 Instagram: @awriterinitaly and @theyellowhouse__ | |||
| Chapter 2: Rome: Take the Gun, Leave the Cannoli or Buy a Ticket to Italy, Take a Risk | 02 Jul 2019 | 00:21:38 | |
Book Share: In the Shadow of a Cypress: An Italian Adventure Music Composed by Richard Johnston, © 2021 | |||
| Chapter 1: "Take the Gun, Leave the Cannoli or Buy a Ticket to Italy - Take a Risk" | 18 May 2019 | 00:38:50 | |
Five years ago Michelle Johnston traveled to Italy to create space for herself and her writing. Michelle traveled solo giving herself time to recalibrate after many years of parenting and life in general. Leaving her husband to take care of the family she reconnected with her writing, her art and love of travel. Music Composed by Richard Johnston, © 2021 | |||
| In Venice - Somewhere between a Macchiato and a Grignolino | 28 Jun 2025 | 00:40:25 | |
"Sometimes you just have to move forward and lead the way" - Michelle Johnston Welcome to Episode #112, From the Campo Sofia between the gondole and the Strada Nova while sipping a macchiato I share some travel stories and adventures of my days in Italy, it’s full vibrant cafe life and feeling that Venetian light soaking into my skin while musing over events, places, journeys. Enjoy x Find all Shownotes at michellejohnston.life | |||
| In Italy…. Reflections from Lake Garda | 28 Jun 2025 | 00:59:13 | |
"Now & again I am able to live expansively, to feel expansive, with nothing & no one to do it for. Then I am happy, or happier than otherwise" April 18, 1951 Patricia Highsmith, Her Diaries and Notebooks Welcome to Episode #111: This episode comes after a week of travelling solo in Italy reflecting on events and pivotal moments that led me to taking time in Italy to restore balance and beauty in life, to let Italy and Paris work its magic. It’s not exactly a perfect introduction, there is grief and emotional baggage but life and blessed time in Italy is a guaranteed source to move me forward into writing and reading. The simple pleasures of time alone and enjoying cafe life in Paris and Italy do work their magic. The gifts of travel, to old and new places help integrate and challenge me to move forward, to honour myself and make peace with a challenging time in life. Find all Shownotes at michellejohnston.life My book: In the Shadow of a Cypress - An Italian Adventure | |||
| In Tuscany with Nadia Fragnito | 13 Jun 2025 | 01:06:15 | |
"We travel not to escape life, but for life to not escape us" Welcome to Episode #110: Italy beckons... Today Nadia and I talk travel moments and her soulful Tuscany Cooking Retreat in Tuscany this year, see links below to book yourself something special in Italy this coming November-December…. Tuscan Escape with Nadia Fragnito | |||
| Bringing Italy Home | 21 Apr 2025 | 00:31:10 | |
"Does the ever- evolving desire for beauty at home derive from a super sense of conviviality?" - Frances Mayes, A Place in the World Welcome to Episode #109: Some of the most delicious parts of this journey over the many years of loving Italy is the way it slowly became a part of my every day life. At home I see the art, the ceramics, the candle holders, the table ware, the cookbooks, the coffee table and Italian design books and my favourite coffee mugs that I enjoy using daily (let’s not forget the true force in my life - the 10 cup Bialetti Moka Pot) and everything else I have collected along the way have played a beautiful role on this Italian journey. There is magic in the every day domestic and mundane details of our lives and the joy we feel when we see these beautiful momentos from the travels and the inspiration we have felt to acquire such an object. Today’s share is a revel in how Italy has been just as important at home for me as it is as a place in the world. Enjoy listening, Michelle x Find all Shownotes at michellejohnston.life Buy my new book: In the Shadow of a Cypress - An Italian Adventure | |||
| Piemonte - The Secret that Needs to be Told, with Bailey Alexander | 10 Apr 2025 | 01:11:33 | |
"It's about the treasure beneath our feet, it's about the land..." - Bailey Alexander Welcome to Episode #108: Bailey Alexander lived in the region of Piemonte Italy in the small village of Loazzolo for seven years with her husband Francis. Over time the place, the land, the people, the traditions, the lifestyle, and the wonderful campilismo began to shape her life in new and creative ways. After many years circumnavigating the globe, this time living in Piemonte searching for the “authentic life” ignited a curiosity that led Bailey to go on a journey of sorts, a personal pilgrimage to understand more. Bailey had so many questions and soon this curiosity became a collection of stories that evolved into her second book - ‘Personal Legends of Piemonte’. Bailey and I discuss the many life lessons and the beautiful meandering journey of this time in her life to later come out the other side with a book that shares these intimate and magical stories of twelve Piemontese. This is a grand conversation and one that illuminates the many cycles in life, the power of change and the resiliency we discover when we follow the call to live authentically and with grace. Personal Legends of Piemonte by Bailey Alexander Instagram: Bailey Alexander Find all Shownotes at michellejohnston.life Buy my new book: In the Shadow of a Cypress - An Italian Adventure | |||
| Tabula Rasa - Tips & Tricks to Start Writing that Book (or keep going)! | 28 Feb 2025 | 00:35:10 | |
"The only joy in the world is to begin" - Cesare Pavese, This Business of Living Welcome to Episode #107: The writing life is full of possibilities and paradoxes, yet some times you need some tips and tricks on how to move forward, how to make time, how to get past the resistance and the limitations, and just write. Living a creative life takes a little audacity, a dose of commitment and a tonne of self care, it’s about nurturing your creativity and your projects until they are ready to bloom. Today I share some of the tools, the tricks, some tips and the books on writing and creativity that have helped me complete my books, or more so, just get started. It is all about beginners mind and the art of small compounding victories that lead you to build momentum and structure over time. Anyway, this is what I have discovered over thirty years of being curious and absolutely determined to keep creating and making things along the way! Find all Shownotes at michellejohnston.life Music Available on Spotify & Apple Music, today I featured Richard's 'The Ghan' on the Show!! Enjoy xo | |||
| An Italian Farmhouse in Piemonte and a Book - 'Pinch Me' with Barbara Boyle | 21 Feb 2025 | 00:39:30 | |
"It was always in my heart" - Pinch Me, Waking up in a 300-Year-Old Italian Farmhouse by Barbara Boyle Welcome to Episode #106, Barbara shares her book ‘Pinch Me - Waking up in a 300-Year-Old Italian Farmhouse’ and the tale of traveling from France to Piemonte to discover the region of the Langhe, the place she would fall in love with, buy an old farmhouse and begin a grand restoration process. Barbara and her husband Kim made a life in Italy, following the pull, the irrational desire to create something special for them to enjoy in their retirement and live for an extended time in Italy. I love these stories about people making the leap into new territory, buying a home, learning the language, living another kind of life. It is very possible to do that and it speaks to living the Italian dream and giving it a go. Pinch Me - Waking up in a 300-Year-Old Italian Farmhouse by Barbara Boyle Visit Barbara’s Substack - Letters from a 300 year old farmhouse Barbara’s Website for More! Barbara’s Instagram Find all Shownotes at michellejohnston.life | |||
| A Story about Family & Pizza with Erica D’Arcangelo | 19 Oct 2025 | 00:30:56 | |
"There's just something about sitting at a cafe, and the food, and the culture that just, it's not like anything else in the world" - Erica D'Arcangelo Welcome to Episode #123, Today I share an enriching and beautiful conversation with Erica D’Arcangelo, host of Pizza Story Podcast. So this is a tale about pizza, family, heritage and Italy. Erica’s first book was written in honour of her Grandfathers journey as an Italian immigrant from Abruzzo Italy to America - A Story about Pizza. She is also an author of a series of children’s books about her favourite subject Pizza. We talk about many things, family, traditions, values, creativity, Italy, Italian culture in America, Pizza and Erica’s favourite places to visit in Italy, and her favourite Pizzeria in Liguria. Listen to our recent conversation Episode #34 on Pizza Story Podcast! Website: A Story About Pizza https://www.instagram.com/astoryaboutpizza/ Shownotes at MichelleJohnston.life © 2025 A Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and life Today's end music - 'Chances' Richard's Music is available on Spotify and Apple Music - Album 4240 | |||
| The Art of Creative Living & Life Lessons | 14 Feb 2025 | 00:46:47 | |
"You actually have permission to orient your life according to your nature rather than according to your culture and what you were taught was expected of you" - Elizabeth Gilbert, Living an Imperfectly Perfect Life - In Conversation with Sarah Grynberg Welcome to Episode #105: After three days in Sydney pondering a workshop with Elizabeth Gilbert I come away with this share. It was a gift to myself to just get away for a few days, number one there was that. Number two, I could have just gone there to see the tsunami of women of all ages ready, pens and journals in hand waiting. There were people of all ages, including some men, one beside me scrawling notes, trying to catch what poet she quoted, all listening, waiting, watching, talking and mostly just feeling her words ricocheting off the podium where she stood. In such an experience there is before, there is then and then there is after. …. it’s the holy trinity… And so it has been many years of knowing her work from afar, reading her books, loving her books and Liz sharing the art of creative living. For most of us it did start with the iconic ‘Eat Pray Love’ - for some it was the love story, for some the epic travel journey, for some the long pasta lunches in Italy, for some it was the spiritual seeking and the searching for herself. For me, it was everything. Livy was in my belly when I first read ‘Eat Pray Love’, and she is now sixteen years old. I have had three kids, and managed to live a creative life and stay married, in my mind it is quite the endurance test. It is lovely to see her and listen to her to talk, but it is bigger than that, Liz Gilbert does the work. She questions and she calls it out, and she is willing to ride the wave and get dumped a few times. And if you see her live, you are with her walking into the fire, you are warmed and you are transformed, rising from the flames, anew and alive to whatever you are calling in next! This share I go all the way in the deep end of living my own personal journey and feeling the rumble of change and growth and my own potential hovering in the wings as I share this podcast. It is creative living and I wouldn’t change any of it - it’s a grand adventure and a joy to share along the way….. Find all Shownotes at michellejohnston.life | |||
| Appetito: The life, Soul and Tastes of Italian Home Cooking with Cookbook Author Alison Ranwell | 31 Jan 2025 | 00:43:56 | |
"There's an immense amount of love in Italian food, and I believe this is the key ingredient that makes it stand out from the rest: a love of good food, love for those at your table, and a love for your territory and its produce. In Italy, food is never just food. Nowadays in particular, it's so important to know what we eat and where it comes from. I found this communal passion in Italy" - Alison Ranwell, Appetito: The life, Soul and Tastes of Italian Home Cooking Today I have Cookbook Author Alison Ranwell sharing her Italian journey, from moving from London to Italy on a whim, to making a life in the Veneto with her family, and discovering the essence and art of the Italian cuisine and culture. Alison shares her story of discovering the diverse regional heritage of Italian food, sharing her explorations and the wonderful stories behind the recipes in her new book Appetito: The Life, Soul and Tastes of Italian Home Cooking. These days Alison has one foot in Italy and one foot in the United Kingdom. You can her visit her website for travel advice, fabulous food adventures and her beautiful evocative cookbook that you must see if you love the visual beauty of Italy, the sublime ingredients and the magic of the Italian table. Book Share: Appetito: The Life, Soul and Tastes of Italian Home Cooking by Alison Ranwell On Instagram: Mangia Mangia & Alison Ranwell Visit Alison: Blog - Mangia Mangia Find all Shownotes at michellejohnston.life | |||
| In Bocca al Lupo - Celebrating over 100 Episodes | 28 Dec 2024 | 00:30:50 | |
"My motive was simple and hedonistic: I was looking for beauty" - Alain de Botton, The Art of Travel Thank you for joining me and making this journey what it is for without the beautiful listeners and you whom I have connected with along the way in conversation and in spirit, it has made it just so much fun!! Michelle xo "In bocca al lupo (pronounced [im ˈbokka al ˈlupo]; lit. "into the wolf's mouth") is an Italian Idiom originally used in opera and theatre to wish a performer good luck prior to a performance. The standard response is crepi il lupo! - "may the wolf die" or, more commonly, simply crepi! ("may it die"). Equivalent to the English actor's idiom "break a leg", the expression reflects a theatrical superstition in which wishing a person "good luck" is considered bad luck. The expression is commonly used in Italy off stage, as superstitions and customs travel through other professions and then into common use, and it can sometimes be heard outside of Italy". (Wikipedia 2024) | |||
| Mamma Will Travel - Reflections on Solo Travel, Motherhood, Self Trust & the Creative Process | 07 Dec 2024 | 00:49:14 | |
"Solitude, I reflected, is the one deep necessity of the human spirit to which adequate recognition is never given in our codes. It is looked upon as a discipline or penance, but hardly ever as indispensable, pleasant ingredient it is to ordinary life, and from this want of recognition come half of our domestic troubles" - Freya Stark, The Valleys of the Assassins and Other Persian Travels Today I share the story and personal journey behind my solo travel adventures, how I navigated my writing, creativity and family life to create the time and space to go on the adventure - to really listen to my heart, to trust the whispers, and to just do it anyway. This share is an honest account of my journey as a woman navigating relationship and family life and my dream to travel and explore Italy. Ernest Hemingway once said “All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence that you know”, here today on the podcast I let that sentiment run through my words and my voice, and this account of this stage of my life. The decision to travel solo made an immense ripple effect in my life (at the time I didn’t know that) in my writing, in my creativity and in my choice to later create a podcast on Italy because I loved Italy…. It has been an incredible experience, a work in progress and a lot of fun connecting with every one along the way. Enjoy xx | |||
| Only in Naples, Adventures in Italy - Part 3 | 01 Dec 2024 | 00:43:13 | |
"The city is beautiful at night. There's a danger but also a freedom" - Erri de Luca, The Day Before Happiness Today I go on another travel adventure and share some of the story of my Naples travel experience…. To say the least Italy is always an adventure, as it turns out so is my life. I reflect on our time in Naples and the magic of travel, friendship and serendipity, the Patron Saint of Naples - San Gennaro, and the books that call you without knowing why. Enjoy and visit the Shownotes for lots of beautiful images of this trip in Campania, Italy. Enjoy x | |||
| Paradise Found, Ischia - Adventures in Italy, Part 2 | 02 Nov 2024 | 00:48:03 | |
"Perhaps in Italy, surrounded by beauty and history, we shed the layers of who we think we're supposed to be and rediscover the essence of who we truly are" - Erica Simone Today on the podcast we go on a personal journey, the story of what took me to Ischia recently and what exactly I discovered there. From the Gulf of Naples we ferried over to the green island of Ischia in the Tyrrhenian Sea to discover the volcanic and mineral rich thermal spas, the natural beauty of Negombo, the magic of the Castello Aragonese, a journey to nearby Procida and the picturesque island life that is Ischia. There were beautiful days traveling and exploring and wandering the streets of the island Ischia in Campania, sampling the local specialities and basking in the charm of Southern Italy. | |||
| Roman Holiday - Italy Adventures.... Part 1 | 31 Oct 2024 | 01:25:55 | |
"I adore the spirit of Rome" - In the Shadow of a Cypress - An Italian Adventure Today we go on an adventure in Rome… I share some travel adventures and a few details on staying in Monti, Roma. I take a few beautiful tangents telling you all about my recent time in Italy with my family, some discoveries, some funny moments, some tricky train delays and most importantly some glorious days in the Eternal City - Rome… | |||
| My Book Journey, Primavera and Stories to Tell…. | 27 Sep 2024 | 00:41:17 | |
"The travel journey is always an interesting paradox. To spend time navigating, being, seeing, collecting and contemplating. And haphazardly wondering about the next step. Yet, to not get carried away, or in front of yourself that you miss the opportunity that is right under your nose. I like sitting here observing the morning pursuits, the cars zooming in and out of the piazza, the deliveries being made. The locals in animated conversation, the tourist stalls being uncovered. It is good sitting with the hum of the place, no need to race anywhere. The breeze blows through the open door and I write a few more thoughts in my journal. I pack up my books and my water bottle and wander out to the street. A perfect morning in Siena, like no other" Welcome to Episode #98: | |||
| The Next Chapter - Book Dates, Italy Adventures, An Extract of my Book “Cortona”… | 11 Aug 2024 | 00:41:51 | |
"So this is it. I am thirty nine years old. I am sitting at a table in a medieval piazza with a black moleskine journal. I am sipping a glass of Chianti Classico. I stare at the menu with none other than Luca Signorelli on the cover. I like the words Gran Caffe Signorelli. Luca Signorelli was born in Cortona in 1441. He is still revered. Signorelli’s art is in many of the museums and churches in Cortona and well, all around the world. I salute the artist, and the joy of making it this far, on this grand tour of mine. Alone and happy with a pen and journal, to just muse, people watch and write notes" - Michelle Johnston, In the Shadow of a Cypress Welcome to Episode #97: | |||
| Children of the Volcano with Travel Writer and Author Ros Belford | 20 Jun 2024 | 00:51:59 | |
"Time in Italy seemed less linear than it was at home, more of a space waiting to be filled with whatever delights the day might bring – exquisite miniature pastries behind the etched glass of an art nouveau window, a sliver of cantaloupe on a market-stall holder’s knife, amber and pink spritzes on a waiter’s tray, a flirty glance, a raised eyebrow, a tanned ankle in a tasselled loafer" - Ros Belford, Children of the Volcano Get ready for a wonderful adventure today with Ros Belford - Travel Writer, Journalist and Author of Children of the Volcano: Finding Freedom and Making a Home for Three in Sicily. Enjoy this conversation and read her book - it’s a wonderful account of making a life in Italy and following the call. *Arriving on the island of Salina 16:29 Children of the Volcano: Finding Freedom and Making a Home for Three in Sicily by Ros Belford Children of the Volcano tells the story of motherhood and childhood on the Sicilian island of Salina. Izzy and Juno grow up playing on the beach, learning to swim over volcanic bubbles, hearing tales of Aeolian witches, fighting battles armed with jellyfish and watching Stromboli erupt on the horizon. But nowhere is paradise. The school is atrocious, the teachers scary, and there are power cuts, storms and an earthquake. However, an eclectic community of islanders take them to their hearts, friendships are forged and Salina becomes home. Full of humanity, vitality, honesty and optimism, Children of the Volcano is for anyone unwilling to give up dreams of adventure and excitement simply because of parenthood, lack of money and not getting things right the first time. On Instagram: Ros Belford | |||
| Immersive Travel Experiences with Katerina Ferrara | 28 Sep 2025 | 00:34:31 | |
"One summer morning, my husband, son, and I arrived by car from Sirmione and spent the day wandering through the city’s walkable center. Verona revealed itself slowly, with Roman ruins beside medieval churches, Renaissance palaces glowing in the sun, and piazzas alive with the laughter of locals. The soft pink of its buildings shimmered in the warmth, giving the city a dreamy, romantic air" - Katerina Ferrara, Venice and the Veneto Ultimate Festival & Travel Guide Welcome to Episode #122: Today is a fun conversation with Katerina Ferrara about her connection to Italy and how she immersed herself in traveling and exploring the many places you can go in Italy on a unique travel adventure. We talk about Katerina’s journey falling in love with Italy, learning the language and discovering the magic of the festival days while on holiday in Italy. There is much to enjoy and celebrate. Soon after Katerina researched the many traditions, the food and wine festivals, the holy days and the saints days for her Travel Guides on Italy. Katerina loves to immerse herself in a place and discover the heart of the location. Katerina has captured the magic of the festival days and the time to celebrate with the locals while in Sicily, Puglia or Venice. Katerina is great traveler and seeker of Italy and shares her experiences and discoveries on the Immersion Travel Podcast and on there is so much more on her information packed website. Enjoy this Conversation and do check the Shownotes below for all of the special details and places that were mentioned in today’s show. Shownotes at MichelleJohnston.life Visit - Katerina Ferrara Instagram - Katerina Ferrara Get your hand on Katerina’s Travel Guides for Immersive Travel and Festivals in Italy Immersion Travel Podcast on You Tube Immersion Travel Podcast on Apple Podcasts Immersion Travel Podcast on Spotify Shownotes at MichelleJohnston.life © 2025 A Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and life Today's end music - 'Chances' Richard's Music is available on Spotify and Apple Music - Album 4240 | |||
| Strange Fruit, Italian Lessons, Dreaming of Sicily | 19 May 2024 | 00:25:41 | |
"Perfection is static, and I am in full progress" - Anais Nin Today I go on a whimsical journey through my process! Reading and working on my book. The book is done! Yet, I am most keen to record an audiobook first - so here I go. It’s a journey of ruminating over recent books I have read and what is happening IRL and certainly what is on my mind! There are quotes and beautiful moments to capture along the way, nothing is lost and life is good. Enjoy xo | |||