Ah, Italy, the "land of the endless discoveries"! My favorite spots? Impossible to decide - every one of the 20 regions has its gems. Here are some of my Italy Travel Explorations listed from north to south. Exploration continues!
PIEDMONT
Elegant Turin(1/2008) The oxymoron "simple elegance" keynoted our recent 3-day Turin stay: from our exquisite loft apartment to the elegant caffé interiors to the regal architecture of this royal city destined by the Savoys in the 16th century to represent absolute power.
VENETO
Venice Tour A Jewish history walk through Venice evokes a city that most visitors
never see - one refracted through its many Jewish facets, where the people,
places, and stories of an ancient and still thriving Jewish-Venetian culture
are revealed in magnificent and surprising ways.
LIGURIA
Pasta al Vero Pesto alla Genovese (Pasta with the REAL Genovese Pesto Sauce)
The variety of basil cultivated on the Ligurian coast (and which enriches the Genovese pesto with its rich perfume) is the fundamental base for this traditional dish.
Cinque Terre
I recently spent 3 days hiking all of the Cinque
Terre (5 towns in Liguria, connected to each other only by footpaths skirting
the seacoast).
TUSCANY
Tuscany Byways(11/2007) November entered grandly with a 4-day week-end this year: a national holiday. We did manage to squeeze in just a brief intervallo as Pino packed up his tools late Saturday afternoon and we headed off. Destination: the area of Buonconvento in nearby southern Tuscany.
Walking Tuscany and Umbria in May Walk through the green hills of Tuscany and Umbria with a "simpaticissimo",
knowledgeable guide: my friend Alessandro. Enjoy regional wine and cuisine
in country inns and wine cellars owned by Ale's friends.
ABRUZZO
Abruzzo: Forte e Gentile (1/2006)
Abruzzo is an area not yet jaded by mass tourism. In fact, in three days of exploration, we met only a few... and all Italians.
LATIUM
Roman Tidbits Roman highlights, restaurants, flea markets, information points, etc.
Captivated by Lake Bolsena (10/2006)
For over 25 years, we've escaped summer heat with frequent jaunts to Lake Bolsena, a short distance west of Orvieto and in the region of Latium (which borders Umbria).
CAMPANIA
Ischia, the Island of the "Universal Garden" (6/2006)
In the 16th century, a visitor to Ischia wrote: "you will see with infinite marvel that this island, almost like a small garden, embodies all the elements of the universal garden of the earth."
Naples Tour This tour by my Nucci friends is perfect for the Christmas season
but is available all year round. You will walk the narrow streets of Naples'
historic center to follow the story of the renowned Neapolitan crib (presepe or presepio in Italian).
Forza, Napoli! (Go, Naples!) (11/2004)
"Forza, Napoli" can be translated "Go, Naples!" (as in a soccer rallying cry) - and "forza" can also mean POWER!
PUGLIA
Gargano on Fire- NEW!
The Mediterranean burns as temperatures soar once again to over 100° F. Pino and I witnessed the devastating results of the first of Italy's major fires during our mid-August motorcycle trip around the Gargano peninsula in Puglia, the "spur of the boot"
SICILY
Sicily: Volcanic Adventures I've been celebrating my end-of-August birthdays on volcanoes recently - "explosive" moments! This August, I celebrated my birthday with a trip to Mt. Etna.
Palermo's Welcoming Nobility(10/2005) The weather was unseasonably cool during our annual visit this year to my husband Pino's family in Palermo, Sicily. We combined, therefore, seaside with visits to a few of Palermo's "hidden" artistic treasures: privately-owned noble palazzi.
Tasting Sicilia! (9/2003)
Fast food? Invented by the Palermitani centuries ago! Since the early 19th c, Palermo's streets have teemed with the carts and kiosks of street vendors...
Ustica: Long-Lived Island (9/2007)
For me, Ustica is "the long-lived island" for more than one reason...
