October 28, 2014
Where else do you see images like this one? Just returned from a week scouting out the best of the best in Sicily. Ragusa Ibla (pictured — the “old town” of this Baroque jewel) was just one of the stops. Our Splendors of Sicily trip in May 2015 includes a…
October 7, 2014
Hard to pick a favorite experience after a fabulous week with a wonderful group of folks. We started with one of my top 10 things to do in Italy: visiting my friends Janet and Stefano in their peaceful abode just south of Florence. This year unfortunately we talked about how…
September 18, 2014
For those not familiar with the nutty, ancient grain farro that I’ll be sampling with my group in Tuscany next month, read this New York Times excerpt: “From a cross-country reading of the culinary winds, it appears that farro, an ancient grain believed to have sustained the Roman legions, has…
September 11, 2014
The Val d’Ambra lies in the center of Tuscany, in a triangle formed by three cities of art: Arezzo, Siena and Florence. Traveling from the Valdarno, it serves as the gateway to its more famous neighbor, Chianti. Yet the Val d’Ambra has many charms all its own: extremely verdant, the…
June 16, 2014
If you’re considering traveling to Tuscany, the following places are fantastic locations to experience the unique culture. Romanesque Parish Church We don’t like to overdo “church visits” when we’re on vacation, but the Gropina church with its strange Etruscan iconography is worth your time! Arezzo Considered to be one of the…
May 16, 2014
The annual White Truffle Festival in Alba (Fiera del Tartufo Bianco d’Alba in Italian) takes place each weekend in October and November and is the highlight of the white truffle season. The Piedmont region, where Alba is located, is said to have the best white truffles (tartufo bianco in Italian)…
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