065: Paul Cappelli
Living Villa Cappelli
So, full warning, this is not a happy podcast. But I just wanted to say a little about Paul and thank you all for your support. For those of you that don’t know, Paul Cappelli passed away this year after a short battle with cancer. From all of us at the Cappelli family — Steven, Connie, Nikki, Casey, and Logan — we want to thank you all of you so, so much for all your support. His creative, amazing, loving, and bigger-than-life spirit and love for all things Italian will live on in everything we do at Villa Cappelli. Forever. Thank you.
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064: Translating Pasta
Living Villa Cappelli
We take a lot of pasta names for granted. Sure, we all enjoy “spaghetti,” but do you know what it means? How about “penne” or “fusilli”? In this podcast, we talk about the names of various pastas. And in many cases how the name describes the shape. If you want to see actual pictures of the various pastas, check out all the pics in the show notes. Also, at the end the podcast, we give you a few cooking tips on pasta.
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063: Caremongering, the virus, and gardening — oh my!
Living Villa Cappelli
The title pretty much says it all. We talk a little more about the coronavirus in Puglia and how Italians are dealing with things. Luckily the medical system here is very good. We talk Caremongering. A wonderful movement started in Canada. Essentially, it is a movement encouraging acts of kindness or assistance, especially to help vulnerable people, during tough times, like the COVID-19 pandemic. And while it’s not an Italian expression, the sentiment is totally Italian. Typically Caremongering revolves about starting your own local Facebook group. The...
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062: Our experience with the coronavirus in Italy.
Living Villa Cappelli
Not much in the way of show notes for this episode guys. And this might be a trend as we focus more on putting out good audio, and not so much on the show notes, so we can do more podcasts. This episode, we catch you up with what life has been like with the coronavirus here in Italy, and more specifically, Puglia. It is definitely a strange time, but very manageable and fine from our perspective. Do you have a question you'd like answered? Anything we didn't cover? Let us know in the comments. And we'll give you updates very soon in the next podcast. Stay safe everyone! Wash and...
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061: Day in the life of running an Italian Villa
Living Villa Cappelli
In this episode, we try to give you a bit of behind the scenes look at what it’s like to run a villa, especially from the tour and vacation rental aspect. We cover all sorts of topics, including: • Breakfasts, as far as what we serve and why a simple breakfast is never a simple breakfast • Laundry. Again, while for most a load of laundry here and there during their week is a normal chore. There’s nothing normal about it when you have 10 bedrooms of sheets and towels to wash each week. Plus, you have to head down to hang them up to dry, which is another...
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060: Italian Villa Projects
Living Villa Cappelli
In this podcast, we catch you up on the projects we’ve been doing at the villa during our “off time” without guests. From major new interviews to unexpected construction, we’ve had a lot going on.
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The Top 10 reasons to book an Italian villa for your next celebration
Living Villa Cappelli
Have a big milestone birthday coming up? Or perhaps an anniversary? Perhaps you’re just looking to travel with a large group of family and friends. Then booking a villa in Italy might is the perfect way to celebrate with family and friends. Here are just a few of the reasons you should book an Italian villa now! 1. It’s more affordable than you think When you stay in a villa in Italy, it will feel like you’re living in luxury, but it’s very affordable. Definitely more affordable than a hotel or resort. According to Lonely Planet travel site, even a...
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058: Real News, Fake Food
Living Villa Cappelli
In this podcast, we take a dive into the culinary world and explore where there is a lot of “fake food” out there. From doctored extra virgin olive oils and grated cheese to wine and balsamic vinegar, we give you the real news on fake food. Topics we cover: • How we’ve had a few podcast fans visit this year, including Kendra and her new business: • How often we don’t realize the wool is being pulled over our eyes in regards to food. Here’s a list. Do you have others? Let us know in the comments. Extra Virgin Olive Oil • The corrupt...
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057: It's Not Only Rock 'n' Roll
Living Villa Cappelli
We move outdoors to sit among the olive trees for our second part of our interview with rock ’n’ roll royalty Jenny Boyd. We talk music, creativity, and her book . Topics we cover: • We talk about Jenny’s second husband • The British invasion • How Brits saw America a land of opportunity • What musicians drive was during the creative process, what they experience when writing a son • What part drugs and alcohol played in the creative process • If they believed everyone has the potential to be creative and how to express yourself...
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056: Jenny Boyd "Rock 'n' Roll Nobility"
Living Villa Cappelli
We are finally back after a very very very busy summer. But we couldn't resist making some time to sit down with one of our guests, Jenny Boyd, and talk to her about creative and music and her book . Topics we cover: • We introduce Jenny Boyd, a recent guest at Villa Cappelli • She wrote the book It’s Not Only Rock and Roll . • How Paul grew up with the music Jenny had a first-hand account of this music • How Jenny is a part of rock and roll nobility if you will • How music today doesn’t have the same social relevance as it did in the 60s...
info_outlineIn this episode, we catch up with some renovations happening at the villa and Paul’s adventure in local small town Italian politics.
Topics we cover:
• How we added three new bathrooms upstairs
• How we saved a lot of time and money by using existing sewer pipes instead of adding in new ones and new construction to our first floor
• How Paul loves using Farrow & Ball paints
• Paul’s explanation between dyes and pigments
• Impressionist paintings
• One villa guest who stayed with us, Natvar Bhavsar who used pigments in his painting
• Paul’s adventure in politics
• Three strange rules (strange to us) that exist in Italian elections
• First off there were 290 candidates for 17 city council seats
• One reason is each of the parties, of which there are many, they have to nominate a certain number of people in order to be considered a “list” or a “party”
• All these parties then form coalitions, there were three this election nominating three men for mayor
• The next rule that was strange was the fact that you have two votes for city council, and if you want to use both votes, one has to be for a man and one for a woman
• While understanding the thinking behind this, it seems like a strange law
• In a national election, you are voting for a party, not for a person
• In Italy, people always lament about how people here get jobs not so much based on merit, but on who they know, etc.
• However, when it comes to politics, most people don’t seem to be voting based on merits, but on the fact they are voting for their cousin, or their brother-in-law, or their neighbor, etc.
• The election outcome
• Why the one left wing coalition is not throwing his support behind the other left-wing coalition
• What it will take for Paul’s party to win in the runoff election
• Paul’s speech during the election
• Steven’s surprise in the passion and dedication people showed for a small town election, holding debates and getting very fired up
• How some of the people during the debates were spitting on the other candidates
• How the whole town almost shuts down a few days before the election
• There is a 48 media blackout before the election
• What the incumbents did to win the election
• The results of the election for Paul
• How because there are so many candidates running, a guy who got 2% of the vote got elected to city council
• Why this seems so confusing for us coming from a two party system
• NOTE/UPDATE: Paul’s party did not win in the runoff election
• Why Paul decided to run
• How Paul uses Facebook to influence the government here
Some more about Italian politics
• Italy is run through a Parliamentary Republic with a multi-party system.
• Italy has been a Parliamentary Republic since June 2, 1946 when the monarchy was abolished
• Executive power is held by the Council of Ministers which is led by a Prime Minister
• Legislative power is held by two house of parliament primarily, and secondarily by the Council of Ministers which can introduce bills and holds the majority of the parliament
• The judiciary is independent of the executive and legislative and headed by the High Council of the Judiciary
Paul's Speech: