All Photos by Chandi Wyant
Read Morenot-to-be-missed locations to visit in Italy.
Exploring Italy
Southern Italy’s mulberries
If you're in southern Italy you will hopefully encounter mulberries, on trees and in granita! The Italian word for mulberry is gelso. One morning in Puglia as I was talking a walk, I came upon a huge White Mulberry tree. I chatted with the local men who were feasting on the fruit. They told me the tree is over a hundred years old. White Mulberries are a super food, so I
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Third Wave Coffee in Florence
What is "Third Wave Coffee"? Third Wave Coffee is a focus on sustainability instead of mass-production. It's about having a consciousness about each step in the production chain: farmer, importer, roaster, barista, and consumer. As part of the third wave philosophy, the owner of the coffee shop visits the coffee farmers in places like South American, and
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What to do in Gallipoli
"Era considerato l'oro verde," (It was considered green gold,) Marco says as we leave the whitewashed light of the via, and take a tunnel-like stairway down to a cave under the street. I'm in Gallipoli, on the Ionian coast of Puglia, with Italian friends. This area was once part of Magna Grecia (greater Greece,) and Gallipoli's Greek name was Kallí Pólis (beautiful
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The Perfect Renaissance Church with Gorgeous Art (That you didn’t know was there)
Wondering where to see fantastic art for free in Florence? The city has so much art in its churches---of such high quality---that you almost don't need to pay for museums. For an updated version of this post go to my Substack
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The Pathway of the Gods–Italy’s Most Stunning Hike
I arrive on the Amalfi Coast by bus from Salerno. It’s early October, and while high season has passed, the bus is over-packed with travelers; some are forced to stand in the aisle. Oh, but I’m lucky. I have a seat on the left side where I can view the dizzying drop straight from the bus window down hundreds of feet of sheer cliff to the sparkling sea. The bus driver,
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Florence’s Most Elegant Street
The Via Tornabuoni This article of mine was published originally by Fathom When I first lived in Florence in the 1980s, I should have photographed the historic 19th-century cafes on Via Tornabuoni. Because when I next made Florence my home two decades later, they were gone. Although I was a backpacking waif in the '80s, totally ignorant of Florentine history, if someone had
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How moving to Calabria changed my life
I am pleased to add this interview to my Expat Stories series Here is Michelle Fabio, who moved to a village in Calabria in 2003 Arrival in Calabria Just a few days into that first visit to Calabria, I knew I had to move there. Although the logic of avoiding motion sickness told me to focus straight ahead, I couldn’t. I was mesmerized by the groves upon groves of
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Dining at Don Alfonso on the Amalfi Coast
Guest Post by Pavia Rosati Don Alfonso: Foodie Heaven on the Amalfi Coast A few years ago, I flew to Italy to have dinner with a man who was trying to impress me. (It made sense at the time.) He was a handsome musician and sommelier from Tuscany, the sort of gourmet who thought nothing of driving five hours for the right glass of Franciacorta. He picked me up at the Rome
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How to Retire in Rome
I am pleased to add John's story to my Taking the Plunge series How to Retire in Rome The most frequently asked question I received wasn’t, Why are you doing it? With a sense of quiet desperation in their voice, they ask, How did you do it? My formula was simple: No wife, no ex-wife, no kids and a real smart broker. However, you don’t need this perfect storm to live la
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