My happy place with my happy cocktail, an Aperol Spritz, the New York Times may be hating on it but there's nothing more refreshing and Italian than this baby, am I right? Ciao Everyone! If you're following on social media , you know Vivi and I arrived in Italy. We had a great flight over. Vivi is amazingly chill on a plane. As long as I am near, she's just fine. I think that most dachshund owners would agree any anxiety is gone if the owner is nearby. She ceases to need food or water for the entire flight which makes me anxious, but she just sleeps. When we land in Milan, she's cool as a cucumber and relieves herself for about 4 minutes once we are outside the terminal (how does she do that?). She's the best.We arrived and La Fortezza was in tip-top shape thanks to Gian Luca, our master gardener and overall amazing man. Cristina, our house manager, is the best. She caught that there was very little gas in our reserve (thank goodness because there is nothing worse than a cold shower after traveling for 15 hours, am I right?). I am blessed with a great group of people and darling friends in the neighborhood who look out for me (us). It's country living at its best. I spent the first 2 weeks with friends and neighbors stopping by to say ciao and asking if I needed anything. It's one of the many reasons we love it here. fullsizeoutput_653e Panigacci a local specialty, we call them Italian tacos but they are so much more fullsizeoutput_6549 I also spent the first 2 weeks here prepping for upcoming workshops and entertaining visitors. First, our mother of the bride joined me for a quick tour and some wine tasting. Sometimes my job ain't so bad. After the mother of the bride, was Ros Atkinson from Her Dark Materials . She was scouting La Fortezza, checking our gorgeous light, and playing in our studio. We also went prop shopping which was pretty darn dreamy. She's more amazing than I had anticipated which was a lovely treat. We got along like a house on fire as they say. I love her and cannot wait to host her still life photography workshop. If you are at all interested in creating the most incredible images this workshop is for you. She's so friendly, funny, and talented. We have limited spots, so check it out. Still life Caravaggio style, created in the studio at La Fortezza by Ros, she is a master. I just picked up our workshop chef, Philip and we literally stopped at my favorite shop on the way up to La Fortezza. Love this photo of him fresh off the plane stuffing his mouth with cheese and salami. Have you ever seen a happier guy?! He will be teaching everyone how to make pasta, and so much more this year. It is his second season, and now that he knows his way around the local food scene here, this year will be epic. Don't forget to follow my stories and see what we are all up to as we launch the new La Fortezza Creative Workshop season. fullsizeoutput_6572 day_70 Come on summer!xx