January 25, 2016
2015 marked the addition of Arab-Norman Palermo, together with the nearby cathedrals of Cefalú and Monreale, as Italy’s 51st UNESCO World Heritage Site. Italy has more UNESCO sites than any other country in the world. Located on the northern coast of Sicily, Palermo includes a series of nine secular and…
January 14, 2016
I just read an enticing article in the New York Times travel section: 52 Places to Go in 2016 So, the Times backs me in directing some of my custom clients to this exciting destination: Turin, or Italian Torino. This is no longer just the home of the Fiat Factory;…
January 2, 2016
Don’t know about you, but I do NOT want to read another invitation to join my local gym, or details about the latest fad diet. No, the New Year brings with it everything new, and I want to share with you some foods from Emilia Romagna — the “bread basket”…
December 21, 2015
This phenomenal Christmas tree resides in the elegantissimo Hotel Danieli, just off St. Mark’s Square in Venice. I’ll never forget 13 years ago, when I spent a night at this hotel with my 3-month-old daughter and a friend who had come along to nanny while I led a trip. We…
November 18, 2015
Great beauty, paired with great value. Need we say more? Come join us in June, 2016 for immersion into the food, wine and easy-going lifestyle of the heart of Italy. We’ll start our week in the countryside outside Bologna, the quirky left-leaning city where gastronomy rules. Says renowned food writer…
October 26, 2015
On the border between Tuscany and Umbria, flanked by the Apennine Mountains which slope gently along the hills and valleys down to the Adriatic Sea, lies Le Marche. This is a land strongly attached to artisan tradition, where farm to food was the norm long before the phrase was coined….
October 11, 2015
I’ve just finished the 2015 edition of Travel Trade Italia, the number 1 trade show in Italy for catching the latest trends, making new contacts, and checking the quality of current suppliers. TTI flies select buyers from around the world to Rimini, Italy for this event and it is a…
September 19, 2015
This time of year is always hectic for our family. The kids are adjusting to new challenges at school. The volunteering for all kinds of things begins. And I always head to Italy. Next week, in fact. Here are some of the experiences awaiting me during the 15 days I’ll…
August 15, 2015
My birthday is Ferragosto, August 15 — Italy’s biggest summer holiday. The country practically shuts down, and everyone heads to the beach, the mountains, or the countryside. I think of what I might be eating today, were I sitting in the rolling hills of Tuscany, for example. The meal would…
August 7, 2015
“Tourists don’t know where they’ve been; travelers don’t know where they’re going.” Paul Theroux I’m fascinated by Italian towns that are under the radar of most tourists. Mantova (English: Mantua) is one such place. This is “Italy’s Sleeping Beauty City” – in Italian, “la bella addormentata”. Mantova is a city…
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