(A Life I Didn’t Plan, But Am Grateful to Live) PETROGNANO, TUSCANY— Two full days off. That’s a rarity over here, and I don’t take it lightly. I spent those two days doing the kind of work I love—getting several long-simmering projects moving forward back home, catching up on Zoom calls with the restaurant teamsContinue reading “The Gift of Work, the Blessing of People”
Author Archives: paul
Friendship
PETROGNANO, Italy — Something unexpected happened over the course of the last 13 years. A quiet village in the Tuscan hills—Barberino-Tavarnelle—became a part of my story. Since 2011, spread across weeks and months at a time, more than two and a half years of my life have unfolded here. That was never the intention. ButContinue reading “Friendship”
Rolling Fork is Truly Rising
PETROGNANO, TUSCANY— Since 2017, over 1,350 people have traveled with me on more than 55 trips to seven European countries and 40 European cities. What started as a single, one-off trip hosting a few people interested in the people and places I had discovered in Tuscany has turned into a second business that occupies almostContinue reading “Rolling Fork is Truly Rising”
Onward
PETROGNANO, TUSCANY—I wear a cap most days with a single word stitched across the front. “Onward.” A guest of mine here in Tuscany asked me what that meant. Was it a company name or a clothing brand? I told him it was just a word that’s meant something to me for a long time. MoreContinue reading “Onward”
No Sign, No Menu, Just Home
No one signs up for a European tour expecting to have lunch in a stranger’s home in a village so small, it doesn’t show up on most maps. But that’s exactly where my guests found themselves—deep in the Andalusian hills, breaking bread in the homes of Spanish women who didn’t speak our language but knewContinue reading “No Sign, No Menu, Just Home”
The Romance of a Pig Farm
SEVILLE— No one expects to use the word romantic when talking about a pig farm. But standing in the soft morning light, in the rolling hills of southern Spain, watching Iberian pigs roam free under a canopy of ancient cork and oak, that’s the only word that kept coming to mind. Romantic. When my RSJContinue reading “The Romance of a Pig Farm”
A Father’s Reflection on a Wedding Weekend
There are only a few moments in life when time slows down enough to let you take it all in.For me, this past weekend was one of those moments. My daughter, Holleman, got married. If you’ve been following along these past few weeks, you’ve read some of my reflections leading up to this day. AndContinue reading “A Father’s Reflection on a Wedding Weekend”
The Weight of a Wedding
Life tends to deliver milestones in clusters, never spreading them out at a leisurely pace, but stacking them up all at once. This week is no exception. On Saturday, my daughter is getting married—a once-in-a-lifetime event. Then, two days later, I board a plane to spend the next eight weeks working overseas. It’s not idealContinue reading “The Weight of a Wedding”
End of an Era: The Last Chapter of Coney Island Café
Some people judge towns by their population. Others point to school systems, parks, water and air quality, or thriving local businesses. But to me, the character of a town is best measured by its small, independent restaurants and cafes—the places that stand the test of time. They’re more than just places to grab a meal—they’reContinue reading “End of an Era: The Last Chapter of Coney Island Café”