Google the Svizzera Pesciatina and not much will show up. These small stone villages are in the hills above Pescia, and I'd not heard of them until I started living in Lucca. My recent visit to them sure felt like Tuscany off the beaten path. Pescia, a simple tow east of Lucca, suffered quite a bit of damage in World War II, and it's not on the tourist track. Above Pescia,
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Exploring Italy
What you don’t know about Italian rental properties
Are you thinking of moving to Italy and renting a house/apartment? Are you wondering if your house in Italy will be just like the peach colored villa under a warm Tuscan sun you saw in a movie? After the popularity of my post on the challenges of buying property in Italy, I decided to write this post about Italian rental properties, aimed at advising people what to expect
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What you don’t know about buying property in Italy
Are you a North American thinking about buying property in Italy? Don't go into it thinking it's similar to the process the in U.S. If you are coming from the US, and used to going around with one realtor of your choice, who spends her time (not yours) finding a slew of properties to show you, who spends her time (not yours) setting up the appointments, and who picks you
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Finding Happiness with a Move to Florence
I am pleased to add this interview to my Taking the Plunge series Sophie Charlotte flourished in ways she never dreamed of after a move to Florence: When did you move to Florence, and what motivated you to make the move? I turned my long distance relationship with Italy into a long-term commitment in 2010, and I chose Florence. Florence has always represented
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A Glamorous Seaside Town and its Christmas Market
Forte dei Marmi is one of Italy's most glamorous seaside towns. It's located on the part of the Tuscan coast called Versilia and around about the 1980s it started becoming a summer destination for the rich and famous. In the town you'll find trendy boutiques, and expensive restaurants frequented by nouveau riche Russians. Locals, in understated elegance often are
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Where to Have The Most Magical Christmas Eve
Christmas in Italy On Christmas Eve in the village of Abbadia San Salvatore I felt like Lucy walking through the wardrobe. It was like I had entered a place of magical forest folk from pre-Christian times, as I walked the ancient twisting pathways of this mountain town during its bonfire festival. (Called Fiaccole della Notte di Natale in Italian.) The night begins at 6:00
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Italy Magazine Awards
Update to post below: I won! A heartfelt mille grazie for your nominations and your votes. What a great way to celebrate the blogs by people who adore bella Italia! Have a look here to see all the winners. Fun News! A post of mine is in the running for Italy Magazine's annual award for Best General Individual Post of the Year. I'm thrilled to be part of this annual event
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They Bought a Villa in Italy Sight Unseen
I am pleased to add this interview to my Taking the Plunge series Here is April M. Lee who took a massive "plunge" buying her villa in Italy, and with her relocation to Italy: Where do you come from and when did you first have a connection with Italy in your life? I am from a small mining town in northern Idaho, USA. I am half-Italian and my Italian grandparents lived next door
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Memoirs about Italy (And the marketing phenomenon of the word Tuscan)
The word Tuscan has became so overly marketed in the US that a friend of mine said, "When I hear the word Tuscan, I think bull shit." Behind every "Tuscan cheese stick" in middle America, is the marketing phenomenon of Frances Mayes' books on Tuscany. After seven years of success with her first books, Drexel Heritage introduced a "Frances Mayes at Home in Tuscany"
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Tropea: Gorgeous Beaches and Much More
Tropea and beyond Before this recent trip to Calabria, I had traveled once to the region, back in the 1980s, but I'd gone only to Lido di Catanzaro where my boyfriend's family had a house, so I didn't see much. On this trip (early September) my cousins and I based ourselves in Tropea: Calabria's loveliest seaside town. I relished Calabria's wild beauty, the
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Where to eat in Lecce
My top three recommendations for restaurants in Lecce This article of mine was originally published by Fathom There's a lot of buzz about the region of Puglia right now. For good reason, from the food and the hotels to the people and the cities. Lecce, called The Florence of the South, is a town carved from limestone so soft, a butter knife could sculpt buildings into
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Calabria and the Bronzes of Riace
Calabria developed a certain reputation in the 1970s when the Calabrian mafia, the ‘Ndrangheta, carried out some high-profile kidnappings. In past decades, this may have influenced tourists not to consider travel in Calabria, but I found it beautiful and relaxed with super welcoming people. My recent vacation on the Calabrian coast with my Colombian cousins was
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