Even though I haven't left Lewes, Delaware, physically this summer, Italy has been an important part of my summer. I love traveling virtually with Google Earth. I was able to use this free download to zoom in on Milan, Italy. My friend Diane went there for two weeks this summer as part of an Italian teacher exchange program. She kept all her friends up to date on her learning adventure through this blog located at http://delawareitalyblog.edublogs.org/ . I really enjoyed reading her description of her opera experience. I was able to follow her adventures and see what Milan looks like by using Google Earth.
In June I started to correspond with an online store called Expresso Italiano which is located at http://www.etsy.com/shop/ExpressoItaliano. I had some custom polymer clay beads made by one of the owners of the shop. I sent a photo of a bead that I was interested in his making and I expressed interest in buying some beads that first brought my attention to this shop. He made the beads exactly the way I wanted and I used them in my children's line of jewelry that is for sale in the Postcards from Delaware Shop in the new I95 travel center. Before doing business with him, I had never heard of his town Crotone. It is an ancient city and I was amazed when I looked at it on Google Earth. The houses are adorable and much closer together than I imagined. I learned that it isn't any more expensive to have his beads sent to me from Italy that it is to have beads shipped from the west coast. I also discovered that the Italians have a very prompt postal system.
Sicily entered my life when I was on the Internet looking for a lasagna recipe. I read a recipe in our local newspaper the Cape Gazette that used zucchini in a lasagna recipe. I then went on the Internet to look at recipes and found a wonderful food blog with the perfect recipe. The author of the blog included a photo of her mother who is the author of the recipe. She mentioned that her mother learned this recipe while growing up in Sicily, Italy. I had the opportunity to travel there virtually on Google Earth. I have bookmarked the blog which is located at http://theitaliandishblog.com/imported-20090913150324/2009/2/11/my-moms-zucchini-lasagna.html. If you like Italian food you will want to follow this cooking blog.
As you can see I had a great tour of some interesting spots in Italy. This also helps explain how I can spend several hours a day on my computer almost every day. It is a wonder I have any time to actually bead.
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