Mapping SIENA

Five years ago I interviewed American Newsweek journalist and NYT bestselling author  Nina Burleigh about her work after her talk at the Siena Art Institute. Little did I know then that I'd write a book myself one day (and that Nina Burleigh would endorse it with the kindest and most thoughtful words). I'm looking forward to discuss 'Across the Big Blue Sea' and migration (my own and the one of the people I worked with at our Tuscan refugee home) at the beautiful headquarters of the Siena Art Institute (which is based in the Tartuca neighbourhood, one of my favorite contrade in Siena). ACROSS THE BIG BLUE SEA book presentation  Siena Art Institue - May 8, 2018, 6 pm via T. Pendola 37

Have you ever joined a guided visit for children in a museum? Or at least eavesdropped on one? It's in those situations that I realize why kids have the time of their life, whilst the adult visitor is yawning his way through yet another painting. Clever information is presented to the little ones in a playful way and complicated concepts are explained for everybody to understand.  In this sense guided tours are similar to guidebooks. The hard facts are served appetizingly to the k ids, whilst adul ts churn their way through lists of historic data prone to be forgotten immediately. As if academic and entertaining couldn't go together! No surprise then that my favorite Siena guide has been written with, exactly - kids in mind. My kids' (and their cat's) favorite reading material Explore and Discover Siena and Italy's Gazzetta dello Sport