In 2024, I moved from Italy to France. What's Next?
News and heads-up on what's coming in 2025.
“You can’t fake what you are,”
wisely told me on Christmas. “You’re this now, and you live in France. You need to show what you are.”It’s simple, really. But it’s all there is to it.
In 2024 I moved to Southwest France, in the heart of Occitania. And, even though I come from a place that’s already full of magic in its own right, the move felt like finally getting out of a rut. I fell in love - with places and with people - when I was starting to doubt I was even capable of it.
I could say ‘oh, these things aren’t that romantic, considering the difficulties’, but the thing is: it was. It completely was. I got transported here as if spirited away, kind of by chance (and people who love me back) and every thing I experience here feels like magic.
I think this is, very simply, the power of being in the right place for you. I found my people, my apartment, my aesthetic joy, and my vibe. After years of struggle, things finally feel (as I wrote on my Instagram post) as if the puzzle is falling into place.
Here’s a short reel I made! There’s many things I talked about! There’s villages around where I live - Cordes Sur Ciel, Bruniquel…there’s Kate and her beautiful Relais de Camont (living here also has the perk of being an hour from her), there’s Cyrille with his accordeon, there’s Toulouse, Reve Aveyron…all things I love.
I don’t know if you’re interested in the process - mental and practical - of how I got here. It’s not like I moved from the US - my process was very smooth. Maybe I’ll talk about it one day.
In the meantime, with all the renewed energy of finally feeling rooted somewhere, here are a few things that will be coming in the new year:
Workshops and Retreats.
2025 will finally have its well-curated parenthesis of workshops. Starting with a Finding Your Light food photography workshop at
’s at her Relais de camont.I have been practicing and teaching food photography for well over 10 years now. I have photographed several cookbooks, am currently photographing another, published my own, was a teacher at University Lorenzo de’ Medici in Florence for years. I have seen the industry change and evolve. This year, I decided to develop a fully up-to-date course in beautiful locations in Occitania and Italy, starting at Kate’s. Check it out at this link - more info coming soon.
Other things are still in the works, including both Italian cooking workshops and Food Photography. Make sure to subscribe to stay up to date with workshop news!
My dream would be to take you on a retreat to the Lot/Quercy region (see below)…
More France Content.
I live next to one of the most stunning places I’ve ever seen, the Quercy region, and I’m planning to show it to you until you want to come visit. I love it more than Provence. I love it more than the area where I currently live, which they call La Toscane Occitane and is absolutely stunning in itself. Quercy / the Lot department host many of the most beautiful villages in France, like Saint-Cirq-Lapopie and Rocamadour.
For example:
Italian recipes will not stop.
I’m still Italian and always will be. And, like many Italians who moved to France (do you know Giuseppina?) I can piggyback ride on the love all my French friends have for Italy and re-discover all the recipes I grew up with. I also have some trips back home planned, so Italian content will not stop.
For example:
Exploring French Ingredients.
I love the Occitania region to bits, and I love its food and markets too. I would love to talk about its foods - its historical recipes, so similar to recipes from my own region in Italy. The cheeses. The Quercy saffron. The famous fruit and Armagnac of Gascogne…maybe even using these local wonders for some Italian recipes. This is what excites me right now, and I can’t wait to discover all this along with you.
I am also a sucker for vintage French cookbooks, recipes and local wisdom from older people, so these topics might make their appearance too.
Thanks to Kate for teaching me to add used vanilla beans to a bottle of Armagnac and using it in baking. Read about it here:
As usual, some of this content will be free and some paid. Posts are usually free for a period of time and then they archive as paid. I would love to produce some pdfs for subscribers in the spring / summer season…what would your preference be?
If you want, let me know what you think. Feedback always helps. Do you already know these villages? Have you been?
I have lots of real-life work, but I love it here and I’d love to stick around in 2025, too.
Thanks for sticking around. See you in the new year!
Beautiful life ❤️