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Exploring Italy by train isn’t a hard sell. But moving away from the main intercity routes can make it even more appealing. Some surprisingly niche routes, from busy commuter lines to tourist-geared journeys, allow you to see more of the country by rail than you thought possible. From riding through Alpine valleys to hopping between Azure beaches,...

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“Estate” by Jovanotti was playing on the radio, the thermostat read 38℃, the humidity made the air heavy, and the lines of cars were endless. In the midst of that ruckus of exhaust and heat, we had as our only source of survival half a bottle of Fanta and a ham sandwich. We looked at each other and promised that next summer we would go to Valle D’A...

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The cuisine is one of the main reasons to visit Bologna. Delicious pasta, homemade tortellini, mortadella, and flavourful balsamic vinegar and Parmigiano reggiano. The many traditional foods of Bologna has made it the gastronomic capital of Italy – which says quite a lot. In this post, I’ll be sharing the 10 most traditional foods in Bologna, the b...

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The quaint town of Volterra, in the Pisa province of Tuscany, is known worldwide as the Italian capital of alabaster. The precious, diaphanous stone has been at the heart of the area’s economy and craftsmanship tradition for centuries, since Etruscan times. But there is more to Volterra than its well-deserved fame as a hub of alabaster art because...

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Varigotti is the epitome of the seaside vacation with the flavor of the past: slow rhythms, families of habitual, a sense of relaxation and peace that only places on a human scale can give us back. It is a small village in Liguria perfect for those seeking a simple, relaxing holiday, marked by the rhythms of the sea. Varigotti is in fact a simple a...

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My husband and I arrived for our six month winter stay in Rome on a rainy day in mid-November 2021. We had two large duffels of clothes and one of books, iPads, some kitchen utensils and maps. I had been to Rome countless times over the last 40 years and recently spent two winters in the zone called Testaccio. We loved it so much, we decided to sta...

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Cinque Terre’s fame has brought Italy’s southern Riviera new attention, with travelers seeking out neighboring villages in search of extra helpings of rustic coastal charm. Portovenere, although an outstanding destination in its own right, has sometimes been dubbed the “sixth” of the five famed hamlets because of its proximity to the southernmost C...

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Calabria is one of the last Italian regions not to have been brutalized by mass tourism. It’s the right place to not feel like a tourist, because there is no tourism. Eight hundred kilometers of coasts, mostly populated only by Calabrians on vacation, and mountains, less than an hour away from the sea, that are the envy of the Alps (indeed, they ar...

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Italy has perfected the art of wine. With centuries of wine-making history and an ideal climate to make the most delicious libations, Italy is home to dozens of wine regions that produce more kinds of wines than you could imagine. Italian wine categories can be very regional, so depending on your taste palette, you may prefer some of these regions...

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One thing’s for sure is it’s practically impossible to run out of things to do in Umbria. From exploring walled medieval hamlets to hiking in beautiful nature parks, it’s less about finding things to do than narrowing your list down! So, where do you start in this magnificent Italian region? Don’t worry, I’ll share everything you need to know. In t...

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