Autumn in Italy 2022

Posted on October 30, 2022

I knew I had mostly been keeping up with my newsletter to my clients, but I had not realized just how long it has been since posting to this blog. I apologize. It always surprises me that I get monthly requests for information about availability of Mauro Berardi’s World Famous Spices when I so rarely post here. Mauro’s notoriety is well deserved. And, for those of you worrying, he has weathered the shut down, the horrible weather of last year and is still daily in Campo dei Fiori with his fabulous mixes. My recent trip in early October was getting back to a more normal traveling, thank goodness.

Every trip seems to bring it’s own challenges, adventures and joy with lots of exertion. My flight to Rome did not seem to bode well for my time in Italy. They revised my seat at check in from a window seat to an aisle in the middle of a row. The rest of the row was occupied by a mother with an 8 month old baby, and her three other children with one more in the row behind. For some reason they had changed her husband’s seat to the side aisle on the row behind. When I expressed concern about my seat change we discovered that the husband and I could exchange seats so their family could be together and I was away from them. Nice family and an 8 month old who never cried or slept for the 12 hour flight. Maybe it really did bode well for my trip.

Arriving in Rome, I discovered that the olives were not yet ready for harvest. Fortunately, they would be ready to process shortly before I was to return home. My supplier of Sardinian honey who is based in Milan was very kind and shipped me the honey and soap that is so popular with clients so I did not make the trip to Milan.

It gave me time to visit the Van Gogh exhibition at the Palazzo Bonaparte. The Palazzo, considered one of the most beautiful buildings in Rome in 1677 when it was finished, was bought in 1818 by Napoleon’s mother and she lived there till the end of her life over looking Piazza Venezia, It is an exquisite building now used for temporary exhibitions. Their presentations are exceptional and the Van Gogh exhibit in coordination with the Kröller-Müller Museum of Amsterdam is definitely first rate. If you have the opportunity to visit before February of 2023, it is quite a different look at Van Gogh and definitely worth your time.

Seeing Mauro Berardi in Campo dei Fiori is always an important stop in my travels. He is always happy to be sure I am supplied with his spice mixes. He and Fabrizio make sure I get all those popular mixes in the quantities I need. They also always make sure I am aware of any different or new items they have. I get only the best available with their supervision.. Mauro’s son Marco still has the bancarella next to Mauro’s. With covid, the weather and time of year, he’s specializing in truffles, flavored oils and balsamic vinegars.