May 28, 2017
Laura Biagiotti, an Italian fashion designer whose popular flowing women’s clothes and luxurious knits that won her the nickname “Queen of Cashmere,” died on Friday following a heart attack. She was 73. Her daughter, Lavinia Biagiotti Cigna, announced her mother’s death on Twitter, conveying the news with a Biblical passage:…
April 25, 2017
Sassi-town. Cave-town. City of stones. I was astounded by the interest in Italy’s sexy “new” cave-city, Matera, at the huge travel trade show “BIT” a couple of weeks ago in Milan. I kept coming back to the Basilicata stand, inexorably drawn to a region that a few short years ago…
March 16, 2017
Meet Samuele, a 12-year-old boy who lives simply, climbing rocks by his island’s shore and playing with his slingshot. Although he has his own burdens — homework, anxiety attacks, and a lazy eye – they pale in comparison to those nearby. Only a stone’s throw away from Samuele, we bear…
February 12, 2017
We’re wrapping up our series on Afar Magazine’s “Where to Go in 2017”. This week, the special is Rome. No surprise here — Rome has been a cultural destination for millenia. Afar’s spotlight is on Hotel Eden – a stunning 128-year-old hotel made of marble and gold. After being remodeled,…
January 27, 2017
So here is part 2 of our series inspired by Afar Magazine’s Where to Go in 2017. This week: Lake Como. What attracted the attention of Afar? Check out Il Sereno Lago di Como, the lake’s newest luxury property. And if you have nearly $1000/night to spend on your vacation,…
January 2, 2017
I absolutely love Afar Magazine. I look forward to that every-other-month issue of gorgeous photography and truly cutting-edge travel suggestions. Their latest issue is all about The Afar 100 – Where to Go in 2017. Three places in Italy made the list, so this week I’ll begin a mini-series highlighting…
December 15, 2016
On Monday December 5, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi announced to the public that he would resign from his position after suffering a clear defeat in the constitutional reform referendum held the day before. This leaves Italy, Europe’s fourth largest economy, in a bit of a political limbo. Not that…
November 25, 2016
Many different countries have celebrated some sort of harvest feast- Native Americans celebrate with a corn dance, while Jewish people honor the end of the agricultural season with Sukkot. The Romans honored the God Ceres with a celebration called Cerelia, where they celebrated the first fruits of the season by…
November 9, 2016
On June 24, Florence celebrates the feast day for its patron saint, St. John the Baptist, considered the “symbol of moral rectitude and political correctness.” Medieval Florence aspired to build its economic fortune and good government of the Republic based (at least in part) upon these values. All well and…
October 29, 2016
Travelling over rolling hills through northwestern Sicily, you may find yourself in the countryside of Corleone. The unassuming town is set in a dramatic valley of stunning beauty 70 km south of Sicily’s capital, Palermo. Corleone is synonymous with the gory, dark history of the Mafia. Once the stronghold of…
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