Viva Domenica

Sandy and I taped an interview last night about Fantasy in Florence for Viva Domenica, a lifestyle variety show that will air on Thanksgiving Sunday, October 7 at 6 p.m. Eastern on TLN, the Italian language channel. (Check your local listings. In Toronto, Rogers carries TLN on channel 35.)

I’ve been in a lot of green rooms – as they call the waiting room in TV – but never with a more diverse group. Other guests who gathered to tape their segments included Father John Borean who helps run an orphanage in El Salvador, Mike Marcantonio on home-made wine, Lee Prioriello who was accompanied by some of his 350 challenged young people who participate in Youth Bocce, and soprano Hallie Fishel and lutenist John Edwards who play music from sixteenth century Italy.

Nor have I ever seen more food in any previous green room. In addition to the pizza and soft drinks supplied by the show, there was also a bag of the best McIntosh apples I’ve ever tasted from among the 5,000 u-pick trees owned by Anna and Peter Damato of Country Apple Orchard Farm in King City who were also guests.

To top off an evening of firsts, Daniela Botto is the most delightful television host I’ve ever encountered in my twenty-five years of doing book tours. On the Richter scale of female TV personalities, there are the ice queens on the one end, and the bubbly girl next door on the other. Daniela is in a class by herself: smart, witty, and beautiful, just as you might expect of someone born in Crema, west of Milan.

On the website, the description how we pulled up stakes and moved to Florence says, “To follow your dreams? What courage. Be forewarned that if you watch this interview on Sunday evening, you’ll put your house up for sale on Monday morning.” We had fun and so will you. See you Sunday!