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
Read Morenot-to-be-missed locations to visit in Italy.
Exploring Italy
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
Read MoreWhere 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
Read MoreItaly 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
Read MoreThey 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
Read MoreMemoirs 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" furniture
Read MoreTropea: 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
Read MoreWhere 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
Read MoreCalabria 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 fantastic. One
Read MoreThe Santa Fe of Italy–Don’t Miss This Artistic Tuscan Town
Pietrasanta may be called The Little Athens of Italy but I would call it The Santa Fe of Italy. When I lived in Santa Fe I loved the Canyon Road Art Walk that happens every fourth Friday evening. Santa Fe's historic Canyon Road goes back to the mid-eighteenth century is lined with about 130 galleries, in colorful adobe buildings. Rising beyond the road's end are the Sangre
Read MoreWhat you need to know about hiking the Apuan Alps
Disclaimer: This is not a review of Apuan Alps. This is simply my experience summiting one of them. The story represented is personal and is not intended to malign the location where the story takes place. The mountain near Lucca called Pania della Croce is the fourth highest peak of the Apuan Alps, and is referred to as "The Apuan Queen." It has hefty rounded sides that
Read MoreSpecial Places on the Via Francigena
The Via Francigena (fran-CHEE-jee-nah) is a pilgrimage route from the Middle Ages that starts in England and crosses France and Switzerland before entering Italy at the Gran San Bernardo Pass. Less known than the Spanish pilgrimage route, the Via Francigena was revived in the 1990s and is becoming more traversed each year. In the first week of my trek on the Via
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