My recommendations for the best of this secluded and spiritual area The Casentino, to the east of Florence, is an often-overlooked area of Tuscany. If you’ve already visited the well-known, well-trodden parts of Tuscany and if secluded and spiritual appeals, you’ll want to see what I have to say about the Casentino. To view this article please go to my Substack
Read Moreoff the beaten path Italy
Fall Festivals in Tuscany
Fantastic Fall Festivals in Tuscany Tuscany brims with abundance in Autumn, with the grape harvest in the early part of the season and the new olive oil pressed in the later part of the season. For the updated version of this post go to my Substack.
Read MoreA Special Monastery in Tuscany
La Verna: a contemplative Tuscan sanctuary For the updated version of this post, go to my Substack
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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