Has your social media feed been bombarded by people adding the word ‘maxxing’ to otherwise innocuous things? Facemaxxing. Proteinmaxxing. Looksmaxxing. Laundrymaxxing. (I made this last one up, but sounds about right.)
If you, like me, feel a bit left out of all this maxxing, which seems to mean taking something to the point of absurdity, I’m here to tell you that I’ve discovered the perfect maxxing to fit my lifestyle. In fact, I think I’ve been living it for most of my life without even realizing it.
Nonnamaxxing.
The thing that cracks me up is that all this nonnamaxxing is being promoted by girls in their twenties. And I’m like, “Hey Missy! You have to earn your badge!” You can’t just talk the talk, you have to walk the walk. Preferably in a pair of shoes you picked up at the local market 15 years ago that still work quite well, thank you very much.
I’ve been practicing nonnamaxxing for most of my life without ever putting a label on it. In fact, I’ve been championing house dresses long before Prada put them on the runway.
According to my highly scientific research, the main requirements are:
Cooking homemade meals, especially traditional comfort food (I literally made a career of this)
Baking bread, cookies, or pastries (I am the crostata queen)
Gardening or tending plants (Currently freezing string beans and pickling anything that will fit in a jar at an industrial level)
Wearing comfy, old-school clothes (house dress collection anyone?)
Creating a warm, welcoming home (Cozy is my middle name)
So the way I see it, I basically invented nonnamaxxing. And not only have I done a pretty good job of it, I think it must be genetic, because it seems to have been passed on to the next generation.
Sophie was born a nonna. My life is complete.
This is the time of year when Sophie and I try to combine our own vacation time with doing a bit of research for upcoming trips. Yes. Our vacation time is almost always a write off. Visiting a small town in the hills of Umbria for lunch? Definitely work related. Going to Puglia to spend time at the beach? That stop by a cheese maker makes the entire thing a work trip.
That said, July is definitely when things begin to slow down for us. Our week-long Via Rosa tours are on pause until September. It’s time to breath, catch up on work we’ve been putting off, plan new projects and - most importantly - take some time off too. Sophie is headed to Greece and I am planning on long hours by the pool reading and/or napping.
One of the main reasons we don’t host tours in the summer is simple: the heat and the crowds. July and August are wonderful months if your goal is spending long afternoons by the water or lingering over dinner after sunset. They are much less wonderful if you’re trying to spend full days walking through cities or exploring markets. Which is why we LOVE March and November. ;)
I know many of you are tied to school schedules and can only travel during the summer. If that’s the case, my advice is to embrace the season rather than fight it. Slow down. Start early (like 6:00am early!), take a long afternoon break, and don’t try to cram too much into each day. Nap time is golden.
One date to keep in mind is August 15, Ferragosto, Italy’s biggest summer holiday. Many restaurants, shops, museums, and family-run businesses close, and the entire country seems to exhale for a few days. It’s one of my favorite times to be here, but only if you know what to expect.
It’s much better to travel in the cooler months, which is why all of our tours are off season. As many of you know, our tours tend to sell out well in advance, especially since paid subscribers receive early access before they’re announced publicly. In fact all of our tours for the rest of 2026 are sold out, but we do have a few spots still available for 2027.
March 7-13, 2027: Parma with Erin O’Brien
May 2-8, 2027: Puglia with Laura Vitale
May 9-15, 2027: Western Sicily with Jenny Rosenstrach
Next month we start rolling out our schedule for Fall 2027, which will include trips to Puglia, Sicily, Piedmont, Umbria, Florence and Sardinia. To be the first to know about tours with Sophie and me, make sure you are signed up to the paying version of this newsletter.
At the suggestion of my sister Robin I’m reading (and loving) What We Can Know by Ian McEwan. It takes place in two time periods - the present and 100 years in the future. It’s about a dinner party, poetry and seemingly the end of the world. Can’t put it down.
In this heat I thought I wanted to read a novel set on a remote Scottish island, but I guess it’s just too dismal. Just could not make it through John of John. Has anyone else given it a go? Maybe it was just too much male energy for me.
As it turns out, Americans are doing saunas all wrong. (why am I not surprised?)
You know my fondness for potato chips. Turns out there is a very good reason for that. Michael Pollan tells us why.
Even the Uffizi gets a refresh now and then. But maybe they should work on their AC instead of re-hanging paintings?
I love it when I discover there is a whole variety of cheese that I know nothing about.
Sophie chatted about Sardinia and Rome with Food & Wine last month, sharing some of her tips.
In case you haven’t heard, we’ve been experiencing a bit of a heat wave here in Italy. I’ve been hiding out up in Umbria, where at least there is usually a breeze. I only venture out for a swim and a cocktail once the sun sets. But if you find yourself in Rome and looking for a cool escape, may I suggest you take a day trip to a lake? Here are some of our favorites:
💦 Lake Bolsena
📍Distance from Rome: About 2 hours by car
Bolsena is actually the largest volcanic lake in Europe, and is one of Sophie’s favorite lake getaways from Rome. The water is amazingly clean and there are several small beaches for swimming. She usually heads to Capodimonte, where you can rent a pedal boat, swim, or just settle in for a long lunch overlooking the lake. If you have time (or energy), wander through the medieval town of Bolsena before heading home.
🚗 Getting there:
By car: About 2 hours via the A1 motorway.
By public transport: Take a train from Rome to Orvieto, then a local Cotral bus to Bolsena. It’s doable, but a car makes for a much easier day trip.
💦 Lake Bracciano
📍Distance from Rome: 45 to 60 minutes
This one is my personal favorite. 1If you’re looking for the easiest lake escape from Rome, this is it. I love this volcanic lake for its clean water, and the pretty lakeside restaurants. It is perfect for a leisurely day of swimming, strolling, and lingering over lunch. You can also visit the hilltop town of Bracciano and its impressive castle if you’d like to combine nature with a bit of sightseeing, but I usually never leave the water.
🚂 Getting there:
By car: About 45 minutes from central Rome.
By public transport: Direct regional trains run regularly from Rome to Anguillara Sabazia in about an hour, making this one of the easiest day trips without a car.
💦 Lake Vico
📍Distance from Rome: About 1½ hours by car
Surrounded by forests and hazelnut groves, Lake Vico feels incredibly wild compared to some of Lazio’s better-known lakes. It’s a great choice if you’re looking for a quieter day, whether that means swimming, hiking, or simply enjoying the scenery. And if you go to the Bau Beach, you can also bring along your dog (Which my friends Betta and Ruth are known to do). A caldara lake, it’s actually one of the highest major Italian lakes, so there always seems to be a fresh breeze. Nearby Ronciglione, one of the prettiest small towns in northern Lazio, makes an excellent stop for lunch or an afternoon stroll.
🚗 Getting there:
By car: About 90 minutes from Rome.
By public transport: You can take a train to Capranica-Sutri followed by a taxi, or a Cotral bus from Rome to Ronciglione, but public transportation is limited. A car is strongly recommended.
After 5 full months of having no kitchen the first meal that I cooked on my brand new induction cooktop was of course pasta. It wasn’t anything new or fancy, but was based what we had in the garden, and the huge box of pasta that Faella had sent me a few months ago. And I did not use the microwave even a little!!
Zucchini carbonara is much different from normal carbonara. In my opinion it’s the best option in the summer, when you don’t want or need the heaviness the guanciale adds. The trick is cutting the zucchini in different widths so that you get all different textures and levels of browning. I also made this version with three different types of summer squash: Romanesco green zucchini, yellow squash and very young trombettone, a type of Sicilian summer squash. I especially loved how some of the zucchini kind of melted into the pasta, creating a creaminess along with the egg and cheese, while others stayed firmer.
I have a kitchen!! I can’t believe we did it!! It’s gorgeous and perfect and better than I ever imagined! Here is a quick photograph for now, but I’ll be doing a full post with all the details and resources this month for paying subscribers.
I hope you are enjoying your summer and it’s not too hot where you are. My diet these days pretty much consists of iced coffee and gin & tonics. The plumber is due to arrive this afternoon to set up the new ice maker. Then it will truly be the kitchen of my dreams.
x,Elizabeth
PS: In the meantime you’ll find me here
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