Come Back to Pontelandolfo

by midgeguerrera, posted in Any Day in Pontelandolfo, Finding My Family - Genealogy

Some days, disappointment and bewilderment emanate from the cars circling our iconic fountain and exiting town. It happens every year. Visitors to Pontelandolfo wanting to learn more about their ancestors hop back into cars having not seen, not heard or learned anything. COME BACK! DON’T GIVE UP!

As often happens, looking for help and information about his family, a Pontelandolfese from Connecticut texted me via Facebook. He said that the folks at Bar Elimar suggested he contact me. Sadly, I don’t have – nor will I ever – have notifications set up for Facebook Messenger. I saw the text later in the day. He was already gone. I hope he comes back.

I asked Giuditta and Marilina at Elimar Food about the researcher. They went off on a rant about people being screwed by false or terrible Pontelandolfo websites, our towns lack of tourism information and how sad it is that folks come for a few hours expecting to learn something and leave feeling it had been a waste of time. Apparently, this fellow came via a tour operator who didn’t do their research.

False websites? Did I hear that right? Could that be true? Cripes – artificial intelligence ain’t so intelligent.

I typed visit pontelandolfo in my Safari search bar and AI promptly spit out a blurb that makes our magical village sound – gulp- magical. Too bad it doesn’t tell you all you need to know. Though I must admit, I felt super proud to see this blog posted on the sidebar!

One can always explore the medieval center – that’s true and I think the tag line is one of mine. That means walk and look because there is nothing there to visit. The view over the valley, however, is spectacular. The historic tower is privately owned and not open to day-trippers. The beautiful Chiesa di San Salvatore is only open for mass on Sunday. You can always visit the small – not listed – historic chapel, San Rocco. Further down, AI lists dining at Landulphi – we loved this pub – loved being the appropriate word. It has been closed for years. The owner now has an upscale sushi restaurant on the piazza – that we adore – Tawā. I can’t complain about the urban trekking line. Quest for the Crests is my work and available. My point is, a point we all know – you can’t believe everything you read! You have to dig a little deeper.

Unearthed were other websites alleging they were Visit Pontelandolfo and steered readers to hotels, restaurants and events in other bigger towns. Has AI made it more difficult to unearth the truth????

Even the Rick Steves Community Forum offered misinformation about visiting Pontelandolfo. The Sorrento Review was better but hadn’t researched whether or not places were still or had ever been opened.

During an earlier administration, Visit Pontelandolfo was set up in two languages. It even had shared local recipes. A quick hop there showed it isn’t updated often. The FaceBook page is a wee bit better. (That reminds me I need to update the page Nonna’s Mulberry Tree has on visiting the village. I promise links are to real businesses.)

The town’s official website doesn’t really provide great information for visitors and it isn’t available in multiple languages. I typed “turismo” in the search bar and got bupkiss. Vivere Il Comune prompt yielded the monuments, the closed tower and churches. Wait – there is a way to get it in English. I tried the website again from google and the google translator asked if I wanted it in English.

That said, the official website is not all a waste of time. If you are searching your roots, YOU SHOULD USE THE WEBSITE AND MAKE AN APPOINTMENT! Start with “contatta il comune – prenota appuntamento.” Make an appointment with the Ufficio Anagrafe e Stato Civile.

The ancient books uncover family secrets.

Dearest Pontelandolfese of the world, please plan on spending more than an afternoon in ancestors village. Spend three or four days. Stay at an agriturismo, like Borgo Cerquelle, and get a sense of the food, history and culture of our community. Go to mass at San Salvatore. I spent some time searching for the parish website – even asking folks. All I found was a facebook link, which does have a phone number. Use WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger and call. The next day, meet with the Ufficio Anagrafe or the church archivist and search the ancient records for your past.

Learn more about Pontelandolfo by checking out the Pontelandolfo News. It offers a wealth of background and history of the paese. Gulp, I can’t believe I am saying this but put Pontelandolfo in the YouTube search line and tons of stuff comes up. Enjoy watching a game of Ruzzola – cheese rolling.

Pontelandolfese are a friendly bunch, if you discover something interesting don’t be afraid to e-mail the place or person. There are so many translator apps it is easy peasy to write something and get it translated. Take the time before you buy the plane ticket and you will enjoy our village even more.

The best advice I ever heard was from genealogist Rich Venezia of Rich Roots Genealogy. If you want to know about your ancestral home, search the attic, talk to your aunts and uncles. Before you drive into Pizza Roma, talk to the elders in your family and find out all you can about those adventurers who left Pontelandolfo looking for a different life. Then, if you have someone in your family who has an Ancestry DNA subscription, ask them to send you the links to those cousins 4X removed no one ever contacts. Contact them. Gather more data. Check out the free Family Search and come to Pontelandolfo with as much background on your family as you can. Trust me. It is worth it.

Fifty-six years ago, I visited Pontelandolfo for the first time. Stared at shuttered buildings. Walked around for an hour. Got back in the car with my cousins and left town disappointed. Thirty one years ago, I found family in Pontelandolfo that no one on our side of the Atlantic knew existed. It started with the basest of family trees scratched in a notebook. We too entered Piazza Roma not knowing what to do, where to look or really who we were. With feeble Italian, talking to older folks in bars. Reading the funeral announcements posted on walls. Discovering where the Comune was. Boldly entering the building. Having an amazing visit to the Ufficio Anagrafe with time spent pouring over the ancient books. That activity started the Pontelandolfo phone chain and brought us incredible assistance. We found my father’s first cousins. That long tale is for another day.

Come prepared, make an appointment, spend some time here and buy me un caffè in the piazza. You won’t be disappointed.

Ci vediamo,

Midge Guerrera

This September 19 – 26th we have two spots open for Cooking in the Kitchens of Pontelandolfo! This is a great way to learn, experience and be part of village life.

Surcharges – ERRRRRRRRR

by midgeguerrera, posted in Any Day in Pontelandolfo

When we return to the USA, Jack and I obviously go through a bit of culinary culture shock. Well Jack really doesn’t, he is the zen dude, but I get INSANE. Since I am a lazy working woman, I cook only when it is necessary. In Pontelandolfo we can enjoy a wonderful lunch for €14. That is fourteen euros for two people! Imagine lunch that is home cooked in New Jersey for less than twenty dollars for two. I can’t. If you know of a place message me.

Cooking in the Kitchens of Pontelandolfo participants enjoying adult beverages and charcuterie for about €10 a person. What does an Aperol Spritz cost at your local bar?

Forget going out to dinner near our condo in Ewing, NJ and having a drink – boom there goes a quick $150. How much for a glass of wine? WHAT, I screech at the $15 to $20 charge. In Southern italy where the wine is incredible we pay less than $5 a glass. Dinner for two in our favorite restaurant – which has linens on the tables, great food and exceptional service – with a bottle of wine may cost us about €60.

One of the reasons we spend half a year in Southern Italy is so that we can save up enough to spend half a year in New Jersey. I’m not kidding. Everything is less. Again, we live in a little hill town not a bustling tourist infested city. I complain about the cost of living in New Jersey – well not a lot because you could have a brain explosion if you thought about it and complained about it too much.

BUT WHAT REALLY PISSES ME OFF…..

Every year I take my Goddaughter to tea for her birthday. This year was no different. Since we are adults who not only know how to raise our pinkies when drinking tea but how to delicately hold a champagne flute, I made reservations at an incredible place for tea with sparkling wine. Everything was perfect. The service, the setting, the food was incredible. They even made accommodations for my inability to climb stairs and had a handicap bathroom. I have been happily raving about the place since we went. Ok, ok, I’ve been raving – so why am I talking about it in this blog/rant?

Like I learned from my Dad, the bill comes and you plop a credit card down. They take it, bring it back, you add a tip and sign. I did. We got in the car going on and on about how wonderful the place was. When I got home, Jack wanted to hear all about it. To jog my memory, I got out the receipts. Looking at the receipt I let out one of my usual FFFFFF bombs. I spent close to $300 and they charged me a $7 + service charge for using a credit card. Unacceptable. Every time we eat out in New Jersey, I complain about the credit card surcharge. I called this fabulous restaurant, told them how much I enjoyed the tea, service and ambiance and asked why they cheap out and add the surcharge. “Corporate policy.” Everyone does it. In my snootiest voice I replied, I live in Europe and there no one does it..

Hey New Jersey restaurants, I do not want to hear everyone does it!!!

California: Prohibits surcharges on credit card transactions.

New York: Bans businesses from imposing credit card surcharges.

Texas: Does not allow credit card surcharges under state law.

Illinois: Prohibits credit card surcharges in retail transactions.

Massachusetts: Bars businesses from adding surcharges for credit card payments.

Surcharges are banned in the entire European Union!

Card surcharges are not allowed!
You’re not allowed to charge your customers extra for using a credit or debit card. This applies to all card purchases (in shops and online) made throughout the EU.

europa.eu

Here is what we have in New Jersey. In 2023, Governor Murphy signed P.L. 2023, c.146 (N.J.S.A. 56:8-156.1 and -156.2) into law, which, among other things, prohibits sellers from imposing a credit card surcharge
that is greater than the actual cost to the seller to process the credit card payment.

Big freaking deal. I voted for Governor Murphy and this piece of legislation – which includes the fact that businesses have to post a sign alerting customers to the surcharge – is a big piece of bullshit. Why not have the balls to tell VISA and the other credit card folks that they shouldn’t be putting surcharges on the businesses that accept their cards. Or make the charge nominal. I mean just how many FU&^%ING billions of dollars do you need to make? The Bs bellow stand for billions!!!!!

Visa Reports Fiscal Second Quarter 2026 Results
San Francisco, CA, April 28, 2026 – Visa (NYSE: V)

  • GAAP net income of $6.0B or $3.14 per share and non-GAAP net income of $6.3B or $3.31 per share
  • Net revenue of $11.2B, an increase of 17%, or 16% on a constant-dollar basis
  • Growth in payments volume, cross-border volume and processed transactions was strong

Thank you for listening. If the surcharge pisses you off too, send an email to your state legislature. It may do nothing, but you might feel better. I know I will.

Ci vediamo!

Midge

TAWÃ Sushi and Reality TV!

by midgeguerrera, posted in Any Day in Pontelandolfo, Food - Eating In and Out!, Local Businesses

Who could even imagine that a big television streaming network would shoot a Reality TV segment in our little village? Or that the series would not be about Italian cuisine but sushi. You read that right – sushi. Sitting there on Piazza Roma in Pontelandolfo, may be the best sushi restaurant we’ve ever eaten at. TAWĀ is owned by one of the most entrepreneurial young men I know, Giuseppe Sforza. When Giuseppe whispered, “the Discovery Channel – Food Network was starting a new reality show about sushi.” I was even more impressed. This go getter of a restaurateur, somehow got TAWĀ to be one of the first sushi restaurants the network visited. The new show – PAZZI DI SUSHI! Hmm, is that a riff on Food Network’s Pazzi di Pizza?

Screenshot from FoodNetwork.it

Giussepe asked us if Jack and I could come and be background for the shoot. Well, he didn’t exactly say “background” but I knew what he meant. We would be pretend customers in a restaurant that we absolutely adore. The concept of the show seemed clear. Pazzi di Sushi is a reality contest that will be held in every province in Italy. A province is like a New Jersey county – so that can be a lot of territory to cover. The production team picked the 3 restaurants from each province to compete. I don’t know how they found the three or if the guys who own them found out about the show and pitched them.

The host, Rosy Chin, who is a famous sushi restaurateur, with a production crew would visit the three sushi restaurants in one day. Accompanied by one “advisor” from each place, Rosy and her three advisor/judges taste the fare presented, talk about the food and then decide who is the best restaurant of that segment. The TAWĀ representative was the handsome sushi aficionado Antonio Del Ciampo. (When I saw the show, Antonio had more air time and sounded soooo much better than the other advisors. )

A night of filming would be fun. So, on dark and dreary Monday in October we headed to the Piazza. TAWĀ was the last restaurant the production team was visiting that day. Yup, Rosy and the crew started with early morning sushi – yum.

Looking like the happy sushi eaters we are, Jack and I arrived at TAWĀ at about 6:00 PM. That was the alleged time the shoot would start. There were four other well dressed folks there already. A mom, daughter, dad and pal. They were dress extras who dressed a hell of a lot better than Jack and I did. Both men were in suits. Jack was in a fleece sweatshirt. I wore a black Mexican style low neck off the shoulder dress with an enormous red necklace. No camera was going to ignore this red necklace. My Ecuadorian embroidered shawl complemented the look. I wonder if they saw my red shoes?

Giuseppe was incredibly gracious. He popped open a bottle and poured a Prosecco for all. It really was a cold and stormy October night and I was freaking freezing. I looked at our host with baby blues and got a Scotch to sip. We enjoyed chatting with the other extras and realized that suddenly it was 7:00 PM and no cast or crew in sight. The ever organized Giuseppe made calls to discover that they were behind and might be there at 8:00 PM. Now I’ve done enough television to know that they’re going to have a ton of high end equipment. It has to be set up, taken down, packed up and shoved in vans. That means 8:00 PM is a fantasy.

Each and every one of us our starving. We are waiting in this fabulous Japanese restaurant watching the chefs make this beautiful food for Rosy and the featured guests. The Scotch in my stomach was screaming for company. Yeah! At 10:00 PM the crew shows up and they’re like any crew I’ve ever worked with my entire life. Well not really, they are all so young I feel like Auntie Dinosaur. They quickly unload three vans. I start counting five cameras. Five cameras to put in this little restaurant. The lighting equipment kit fits in a pocket and morphs into these giant lights. They set up the sound board and monitors outside. Everything was set up by 11:00 PM.  Giuseppe kept in touch with Antonio to see where they were. What a long day for the crew and Rosy Chin. What a long day for aged sushi gourmands.

THE REALITY OF REALITY TV – OOPs – am I allowed to talk about this? When they finally got to TAWĀ the production team had us sign a talent/photo release. The young producer who was in charge made it such a big deal.

“Where’s your ID?” She asked.

I barely had a purse, I was just coming to pose. First thing I found was my New Jersey drivers license. Not good enough. We need to be Italian. Luckily, I dug around and found my Italian ID. Then she decides we are American and she will fill out the form for us. WHAT? When she completed the form, I asked her for a copy. She looked at me like I had three heads and asked why. Because I didn’t even know the name of the production company. We knew it was a Discovery Channel. We knew it was a new show. We didn’t know who or what was producing. Of course, I snagged a photo. (Really look at the release – use on Discovery, Prime, Netflix, and more. Damn this is more than the Food Network – which is owned by Warner Brothers Discovery.) Hmm, unlike my unreal reality experience on Cash Cab, we didn’t sign an NDA. So I’m allowed to share all the inside action with you.

I think they started filming at midnight. Yes, midnight and we hadn’t eaten a bloody thing. Jack, poor Jack, kept asking me if we could just sneak back to the counter and order something.

Stop, I whispered. We are actors on a job. Look happy.

Happy, Jack whined, I even look famished. It is midnight! When he started to put his head down on the table, I sighed. Actors….

Suddenly, things started to happen. They started to dress the set. Water and wine was whisked to our tables. Six pieces of sushi are suddenly in front of us. YUMMMMM. I smack Jack with a chopstick – we have to wait until the camera is on. Look for a red light! Then my “I’ll never be a background actor again,” husband starts drinking his wine.

A red light! I see a red light! Rosy and the advisors are making their entrance.

CUT!

Take 2! Take 3! Take 4! Eight takes later their entrance and greeting by Giuseppe was spot on. Actually Giuseppe was spot on every take.

Next the personalities were graciously seated in the center of the room, well lit and WHAT! Giuseppe serves them a sashimi that was so huge, beautiful and amazing that if I didn’t know better I’d think a Hollywood food stylist created it. Rosy talks about the history of sashimi and our eyes glaze over as we watch Rosy and the advisors tstart eating this sashimi. Remember, they have been eating sushi since early this morning. Each personality put the fewest slices of fish on their little plates as possible. Smiles. A taste and suddenly – CUT! We watched the magnificent tray of fresh fish as it moved back to the crew. Sigh…

While they’re setting up the next shot, Rosy turned to me – wait – somehow she knows I’m an American. Did the giant red necklace give me away or my poking Jack with chopsticks? Rosy asks me in English – English like some one who went to Smith or Vassar – why are you here?

I look and gulp, the red light is on. My phony TV voice and face race to answer. (Jack told me I turned on my phony face and voice.) I do an amazing TAWĀ pitch – at least I thought it was amazing.

I’m here because the sushi at TAWĀ is the absolute best in the world. We’ve eaten sushi all over the world – in Los Angeles -where my niece is a casting director, in Paris, in New York, Philadelphia. Blah Blah Blah

Don’t hold your breath – they didn’t use it. Guess my phony face should stay in my purse.

The personalities were served more and more glorious platters of food. The Director yelled CUT! The food disappeared. We got home at 2:00 in the morning, raided the refrigerator and ate everything we could find. Even hungry and lusting for sushi, I must say it was an exciting adventure. I also must say – WE LOVE GIUSEPPE AND TAWÃ!

Want to see who won? Wondering how our hometown place did? If you have a VPN you can set to Italy, you can watch the show – Benevento segment – Pazzi di Sushi. Check out how they voted – chopsticks tossed in a glass. Listen to each “advisors” criticism of the others. Guess who then gets the final vote?

SPOILER ALERT

Ci Vediamo!

Midge

For those of you who have been wondering where I’ve been, we came to New Jersey for the holidays and health issues turned me into a drooling marshmallow for about three months. I am now on the mend, my brain is functioning and you will be hearing more tales in the future. Thank you for your patience.

Pens, Pads and Pontelandolfo

by midgeguerrera, posted in Any Day in Pontelandolfo

2026 Writers’ Refuge in the Sannio Hills

Have you wondered where I’ve been? I’ve wondered too. But I’ve been thinking of you, the Sannio Hills and our sweet village, Pontelandolfo. My silence has been time for percolating and looked what popped out of the pot – a writer’s retreat. Read on. Grab your passport and join us.

June 1 to June 11, 2026. 

Limited to 8 writers 

Writers’ Refuge in the Sannio Hills takes its name from the rifugi, mountain huts that provided a haven for shepherds in Italy. Like those rifugi, the Writers’ Refugeoffers a sanctuary where writers of all genres can shepherd in your latest creative writing project. Whether you are a first-time writer or have had many publications, the 10 days you’ll spend amidst the gorgeous Sannio Hills in the lovely Italian village of Pontelandolfo will surely inspire and nurture your creative output.
Here, your time is your own. Write all day everyday if you like, read all those books you’ve wanted to read, spend time sharing your work with the other writers, or wander through town enjoying the new view. While all these nurtures your work, we also offer one-on-one creativity coaching sessions, daily writing prompts, nightly salons, and other creativity boosting activities brought to you by award-winning poet and small press editor Maria Williams 

Together with playwright and event facilitator, Midge Guerrera, the time together is sure to be fun and inspirational   

$2200 All Inclusive Fee Includes:

  • Participants will share large, double rooms with ensuite bathrooms in La Locanda della Presuntuosa, a unique villa built into a mountain on acres of land. The villa includes a swimming pool, tennis court, washing machine, and park-like grounds that are minutes from Pontelandolfo village life. (A price for a single room at a local apartment will be available upon request.)
  • Three meals a day cooked by an Italian chef using local ingredients. Vegetarians and those with allergies can be accommodated
  • Roundtrip Transportation from the Benevento Train Station
  • Welcoming “Bar Crawl”–drinks and local snacks included–where you can discover off-site places to write while absorbing local Italian culture.
  • Daily shuttles will bring you (and your computer) to the village center – Piazza Roma.
  • All workshops, one-on-one sessions, and salons
  • A morning of writing in neighboring Morcone’s Storico Bar and lunch at Biancamela
  • An unforgettable locally sourced Italian lunch at Agriturismo Borgo Cerquelle
  • Opportunity to meet and talk to Italian authors
  • Wine and artesian food tasting at a local vintner
  • Writing excursion to the Altilia Saepinum archeological site
  • Excursion to Traditions of Historical Pontelandolfo – Dance, Cheese Rolling, Crests
  • English-speaking translator for all Italian-centered events.

Add-ons

  • Optional sharing a meal with a local family in their home. (Additional fee of €30). 
  • Optional Excursion to Reggia di Caserta tickets are currently €15

Application fee is $150 to secure your spot. Deadline: April 5, 2026

As part of your registration please send no more than 10 pages of your work plus a paragraph or two describing your goals for the 10 days.

Your hosts
Maria Williams, is the author of White Doe, winner of the Verse Daily Prize (2023), and the chapbook A Love Letter To Say There Is No Love (FutureCycle Press, 2011). She is a Pushcart Prize nominee and has been awarded residencies and fellowships from Jentel, PEN America, the Vermont Studio Center, A Room of Ones Own, and the Summer Literary Seminars, among others. Her poems have been published in numerous journals, including Bellevue Literary Review, Pank,Quarterly West, Allium, and Bateau. Maria has provided consultation to writers of all genres for over ten years. Visit her website.

So, my creative friends, what do you think? Are you staring at your keyboard and thinking – hmmm, it is portable. Pack that bag and join us in Pontelandolfo.

For more information and registration materials contact info@midgeguerrera.com

District 3

by midgeguerrera, posted in Any Day in Pontelandolfo

Monday was a normal day in Pontelandolfo. The school lobby was open so we could vote in the Regional Election. With “what party” and “who” I was to vote for jotted on a note in my pocket, I raced around the rain drops. It was teeming and in 15 minutes the polls would close.

(For those of you who wondered why I had the “what” and “who” jotted on a note, there were six candidates representing six parties. All wanted to be Regional President. I can barely remember my own long Italian name. You had to know the name of the candidate so you could print it nicely on the paper ballot.)

Cursing the rain and hobbling up slick steps without a guardrail leading into the school, I looked up and raised a fist at my dad.

JFG started us getting out the vote before we could drive.

He had ingrained in me the absolute need to vote in any and all elections. Deluge be dammed. I stopped in the foyer, shook the water out of my hat and opened my tessera votare to see where I had to go. District 3.

District 3. How is it possible that the district I lived in so many years ago. The district filled with ardent supporters that made sure my dad would be successful in Flagtown, Hillsborough and the County was the same district I’d vote in here?

Ciao Midgeee! Salve Midgeee! And as it had happened years ago in a different District 3, the home town chattering began.

I voted and dashed out.

Barely making it to the car, I was convulsing with sobs. Tears ran down my face. Jack, who didn’t go inside to vote kept touching me and asking what was wrong.

Angie Dorsa. Mc Cray, Mc Hugh, Doyle, Johnny G – my dad. My bigger than life dad who was an iconic election figure. That’s what was wrong. After hearing the first poll worker bellow “Midgeee,” all those old Democrats came to life for me. I could see them, feel them, hear them in the District 3 of yore.

Click and feel the moment. Midge “raw”coming to you from her Fiat.

Ci vediamo prossima volta! 😘

Midge

Find out more about Flagtown, NJ. Grab a copy of Disco Fries & Scenic Drives and read my short story “Postmarked Flagtown, NJ 08821.

One copy has made it all the way to The Netherlands! Thank you George!

Disco Fries and Scenic Drives!

by midgeguerrera, posted in Finding My Family - Genealogy, Travel Comments 
What? Has she gone mad? Disco Fries in Italy? Where? When?
A MYSTERIOUS BOX ARRIVED IN EWING, NJ

What: A book – a box of books with my name in the table of contents. Where: Disco Fries can be found in Italy or England or Flagtown, NJ or Wherever Books are Sold. When: the anthology of New Jersey based stories, essays, comics, poetry and photographs was launched on October 21st.

I know, I know this blog is all about my escapades in Italy. What do “escapades in Italy” have to do with a book all about New Jersey, USA called Disco Fries & Scenic Drives: Life in the Garden State?

A lot! Those of you who followed our crossing the Atlantic to get to Italy this year know I used the Queen Mary 2 as my personal writer’s retreat. Since I had been comparing our transatlantic adventure with my families journey to America in steerage, the muses compelled me to write about my Aunt Catherine’s journey from Italy to becoming a female postmaster. You know where this is going don’t you? When I got to Italy, I tweaked my tale and sent Postmarked Flagtown NJ 08821 off to independent publisher, Read Furiously.

On August 1, 2025 I got an email from Sam and Adam, the brilliant creative team behind Read Furiously. As I read the email, shrieks bellowed across the Sannio Hills and my neighbors ran over to see what happened.

What happened, I gulped between shouts, What happened? My story about my Aunt Cat was accepted by Read Furiously and would be included in the last book ” of the Life in the Garden State trilogy” about ” the wonderful and interesting moments that make up the New Jersey mythos.”

Then, I told Jack to put his shoes on and off we raced to celebrate in a very unique Italian way – sipping a basil martini at Morcone’s Riohana. A really cool bar with views of the mountain.

Do we look drunk? I think I got drunk – drunk with joy!

As an author, I join twenty-one other contributors to the anthology. Many of the other authors I recognized as folks whose books I’ve read and who also have had works previously published by Read Furiously. We all created tales about different aspects, places and people that make the Garden State a rollicking place to visit and live in.

It is the perfect gift for anyone who lives in New Jersey, is from New Jersey or is an armchair traveler who enjoys experiencing other places while sipping an adult beverage. Each work is a gem unto itself. Being a Jersey Girl, I appreciated each creator’s take on a specific location and point in time. Since the book is a series of shorter works, it is a great book to pop in a purse or briefcase – does any one still have a briefcase – to pick up while waiting for that car, doctor, or meeting.

Jersey maps are embedded in the book as a reference point and the title page for each story. Flagtown was my home town. Seeing that point on the map made my participation in this collection even more special. (Gulp, when I saw the map, I actually got a bit teary eyed and felt my heart chakra blossom.)

Sam and Adam, I hope it was OK for me to snap a photo of this page. Sorry.

Pick up a copy of Disco Fries & Scenic Drives: Life in the Garden State. It is available wherever books are sold – Barnes and Noble, Amazon and of course directly from the publisher Read Furiously! If you purchase a copy from the link to Read Furiously, I got super brownie points from the company. One never knows when they could come in handy.

Speaking of blatant promotion, while you are on the Read Furiously website or visiting your favorite book vender, why not pick up a copy or three of Cars, Castles, Cows and Chaos. My fun filled travel memoir of life in Southern Italy. A cool stocking stuffer for any arm chair traveller.

Have a great week, wherever you are! Happy reading.

Ci Vediamo

Midge

Zucca Rocks Borgo Cerquelle

by midgeguerrera, posted in Food - Eating In and Out!, Local Businesses
Photo Courtesy of Borgo Cerquelle

Borgo Cerquelle is celebrating fall harvests in a joyfully orangey way – pumpkins have crept into every aspect of the bioagriturismo’s autumn offerings. We were lucky to have taste tested their light as a cloud pumpkin gnocchi. Sorry, we scarfed them down too fast to take a picture.

Before I start slurping the pot of pumpkin soup I just made from one of Borgo Cerquelle’s organic pumpkins, I need to explain how visiting this hilltop bioagriturismo is a leap back into the history of Pontelandolfo. Borgo Cerquelle is an ancient – well borgo – hamlet – that in the end of the 1600s housed contadini – peasant farmers. Built entirely of stone, the borgo has been repurposed into an incredible spot for locals and tourists. It is just a few minutes up the mountain from Pontelandolfo’s historic center. Those of you who know me, know that gulp, twisty mountain roads are not my favorite route to anywhere. Jack loves them! That said, Borgo Cerquelle, located about 600 m – 1970 feet – above sea level and surrounded by streams, woods, meadows and olive groves is worth the driving angst. The view of Pontelandolfo from there makes me want to sing Finian’s Rainbow “How are things in Glocca Morra.” Some days I do!

Some members of the original families have returned to visit and marvel at how Borgo Cerquelle was rehabbed, preserved intact and is alive again. Guests stay in the rustically furnished, heated rooms with an independent entrance and bathroom. I must admit, the original inhabitants did not have indoor plumbing. Thank goodness for that upgrade.

Our Cooking in the Kitchens of Pontelandolfo participants stay here and have nothing but joyful comments about the place, the family who runs it and of course – the food.

 

Celebrating fall and the fabulous harvest found on this organic farm also means fall foliage. Borgo Cerquelle is in an area abundant with oak trees. I learned that “Cerquelle” is based on the ancient dialect name for oaks -“cerque.”

The family that has created this unusual place to eat and stay is headed by Alverio and Marianna. Alverio insists Marianna is the boss. They are more than ably assisted by their son Antonino and daughter Serena. Antonino wears the administrative hat now and his sister Serena takes care of the kitchen following the traditional recipes of his mother and grandmother. Serena is a talented potter and her creativity can be seen on every table. Antonino’s photos grace their website.

Sniff, sniff, my zuppa di zucca is percolating on the stove. Yummy. After a day at Borgo Cerquelle eating farm to table fare that featured pumpkins, I knew I had to bring a pumpkin home. You need to know that lunch at this bioagriturismo takes a minimum of three hours. There is no menu choice. What is fresh today is what is cooked. We have never had anything but an exceptional locally sourced feast.

Yeah, I have a pazillion pounds of pumpkin! Jack, borrowing a samurai sword, hacked it into manageable pieces. I had been gifted an old rooster that had outlived his cock-a-doodle and made a rich chicken – or is it rooster -stock. Now, how to put both these quite local food groups together? Simple. 1. Roast the pumpkin which makes it easier to cut up. 2. Take a scant head of garlic, dice it, toss it in the broth and let it simmer. (Garlic wards off fall flu.) 3. Toss in some old cheese rinds, tyme, rosemary, salt and pepper. 4. Let the roasted pumpkin cool. Ok, Jack made me let it cool. I am famous for burning my hands in the kitchen. 5. Cut up the pumpkin, toss it in the pot and let everything simmer to meld. 6. Take out the immersion blender, zzzzzzzzzzz, errrrrrrrrrr, it to a creamy texture. 7. EAT with hearty bread from Diglio Forno drizzled with Borgo Cerquelle savory pumpkin marmalade.

This fall, Borgo Cerquelle has offered a plethora of activities from harvesting, trips to the river, classes in cooking, ceramics, art therapy and my favorite APERITIVO! With a reservation, as the sun sets, we can zip up the mountain and enjoy a cocktail and incredible snacks. As the laughter of guests fills the fall air, an outdoor bar decorated for fall is the anchor.

When I asked Alverio why they do what they do. He explained that they want to revive the activities and traditions of the ancient inhabitants of the village. That means cultivating the land and raising animals organically, providing an oasis away from the stress of the city and offering an experience that is perfect for individuals and families. I have to say that every time I bring children there for lunch they race off to see the animals, climb the rope course and just plain old play.

HEY JACK WHEN YOU READ THIS BLOG POST – AND YOU BETTER BE READING MY BLOG POSTS – WE HAVE TO GO TO THIS AT BORGO CERQUELLE – werwolves and witches – huzzah!

The people, the place and the friendly wolf/dogs Vilcas e Tempesta make Borgo Cerquelle a great place to eat, relax, play and breath. I hope to run into you there.

A group of Cooking in the kitchens of Pontelandolfo cooks pose with Marianna, Antonino and Alverio.

Ci vediamo prossima volta,

Midge

Sannio Hills Welcome En Plein Air Artists

by midgeguerrera, posted in Nonna's Trips & Events

Next fall, easels, pochade boxes and artists focusing on la bella vista will be popping up in the hills and historic centers of Morcone, Casalduni and Pontelandolfo. An En Plein Air workshop, organized by artist Steve Duprey and Midge Guerrera (that’s me) of Literally Italy LLC, is scheduled for September 2026. (And you thought Cooking in the Kitchens of Pontelandolfo was all I was up to.) Steve’s enthusiasm for the Sannio Hills and his expertise as an artist was all it took for this new cultural initiative to percolate here.

By Steve Duprey

Eight artists will have the opportunity to leave the four walls of their studios behind and paint the landscape, streetscapes and people of small southern Italian villages. On this blog, you’ve seen photos of our little piece of Italy and can imagine the paintings that this group will create. Some of the sites to be visited include Roman ruins, vineyard, olive groves, farms and medieval village centers. Steve particularly wanted us to take painters to Morcone’s hill top historic center. The group will be shuttled in Api Cars converted to navette – mini shuttle buses -to the tippy top of historic Morcone. That in itself is a cultural experience. The vista of the valley is amazing.

According to our delightful local organizer, Annarita, Pontelandolfo’s traditional folk dance troupe will have members in historic costumes living life in the village’s historic center. If an artist falls in love with the setting and wanted to place a person in the painting, they have models available.

A flock of sheep crossing a rural road in the hills of southern Italy, reflecting the spontaneous moments that artists will capture during the workshop.

Participants will share large double rooms in La Locanda della Presuntuosa. I love this villa. Last October our playwright’s retreat used the space and participants really enjoyed it.

Happy writers and one writer/painter. Can you find Steve?

Located in Pontelandolfo, the property is in a wonderful park filled with olive groves, orchard, pond, swimming pool, tennis court and woodland trails.

Writer/Artist Steve Duprey on a terrace of La Locanda della Presuntuosa.

Here is the basic Retreat information: (Check out Seve’s Overview )

September 4 – 13, 2026 Limited to 8 Participants

  • Transportation from the Benevento Train Station to Pontelandolfo
  • 10 nights in villa La Locanda della Presuntuosa near the historic center of Pontelandolfo.
  • Most meals are included, either out or cooked by our host/cook. Vegetarians can
    be accommodated.
  • Arrival Day Bar Crawl will help you know the town and give the locals the chance
    to meet you.
  • Locally Sourced Food Lunch at Agriturismo Borgo Cerquelle
  • English Speaking Translator for all Italian centered events.
  • Wine and artesian food tasting at a local vintner.
  • Optional: Sharing a meal with a local family in their home. (Additional fee of €30)
  • Excursion to Altilia Roman Ruins http://www.sepino-altilia.it/
  • Expedition to interesting visual sites. (Steve posted tons of photos that will give you and idea of what you will see.)
  • Outing to Benevento – museums of your choice, Arco di Triano, Hortus Conclusus
  • Transportation to all painting sites and events.
  • Outing to Benevento – museums of your choice, Arco di Triano, Hortus Conclusus 
  • Optional Excursion to Reggio Caserta tickets are currently €15
  • An exhibition of work created with local buyers in attendance.
  • Occasional evening critique sessions with your fellow artists

WANT TO RESERVE A PLACE? HAVE QUESTIONS? CONTACT STEVE DUPREY AT dupreyart123@gmail.com.

I am so excited about this project! Hope to see you paint brush in hand.

We want to share the Sannio Hills with you.
Have an idea for a retreat or workshop?
Let me know.
We can put our creative hats on and work with you.

Knitting? Writing? Weaving? Music? Dance? Folk Arts?

Ci vediamo prossima volta!

Midge