Maarten van Eerd (1967) has been visiting Italy every year since he was born. He emigrated to Italy with his wife Dominique Stol in 2019 and now lives in the Apennines between Bologna and Florence. After an adventure as B&B owners, they now focus on their passions, writing and counselling. Maarten published his first novel 'Virus' under the pseudonym Martin Deer in 2021. In addition, he offers writers shelter and advice in The Writer's Tower. He shares his passion for Italy, the people, the culture, the cuisine and life as an immigrant through blogging and writing articles.
During the last 2 weeks of October, Italy is very busy in places that are otherwise usually dead quiet. Companies and officials from the municipal green services are going out everywhere, armed with forest edge mowers, mowing machines and leaf blowers. Their target is the many large and small cemeteries throughout the country. Borders are cleaned up, lawns raked, […] More
'No, we really don't want to see another building.' Marco, the real estate agent, looks at us with deep disappointment while he scrapes his espresso cup empty with his spoon. We are still looking for a new home, but the B&B has now been sold. So it's all a bit more urgent now. Until today we have already […] More
The road through Parco Montesole leads past fairytale hamlets through forests with centuries-old oak trees. I drive over a crushed stone road to the driveway of Eveline Maat's podere, the farm. The view, which opens up as I pass a field of rye, extends breathtakingly over the entire valley. Two happily barking […] More
"We'll be thirty years married tomorrow and it's the first time we're celebrating in Italy." Monique winks at Silvester as she uncorks a bottle. "She even remembers the day we first met," Silvester adds. They both grew up near Roermond and the […] More
The first heat wave of this year rolls over Italy, but at an altitude of 950 meters the temperature is still bearable. When I enter the yard of azienda agricola La Fonte, there is not a goat to be seen. 'They are 3 kilometers away,' explains Berbera, 'this is where we make the cheese and keep our organic chickens.' Berbera […] More
