A decade ago, John Moretti left his job as a small-town reporter in Vermont in search of fame and fortune in Italy. For four years he worked in Milan as an editor at a national English-language newspaper, a joint venture between Corriere della Sera and the International Herald Tribune.

Later, as a correspondent in Southern Europe, John covered everything from Lance Armstrong’s string of historic Tour de France victories for the New York Sun to the plight of African prostitutes in Turin for the London-based Independent. His brief television career included an interview with Giorgio Armani for A&E’s Biography and a documentary on Italian soccer for Australian television.

Over the years, John has become a self-described expert on Italian society. He has accumulated a multitude of priceless experiences in Italy to date: racing across the Bay of Naples at about 30 knots in Giovanni Soldini's trimaran, sledding with huskies by the Slovenian border, skiing the summit of Mount Etna hours before it erupted, celebrating Easter with friends in the Maremma… and enjoying long lunches alfresco.