Long contested in ferocious battles by Arezzo, Siena, Perugia and Florence for domination of the fertile Valdichiana below, the sleepy labyrinthine backstreets of the fortified medieval hilltop village of Lucignano belie its…
Almost always, any Italian “foodie” experience is also a “people” experience. The two are quite simply, inseparable. Take that “quick stop” at the Caffe’ Mi Piace in Florence, for example. It turned…
Pici all’aglione (thick spaghetti in a garlicky tomato sauce) with arugula is one of our favorite dishes at Ristorante Da Forcillo in Sinalunga, just over the border in southern Tuscany – and…
It’s not the first time we’ve savored the abruzzese goodness at the family-run Agristoro San Gregorio, just outside L’Aquila. And it won’t be the last time. A couple years ago, we stayed…
Years ago, Pino and I spent a memorable week-end with friends, Silvana and Mauro, exploring Abruzzo abandoned hill towns. Rocca di Calascio was a highlight. A curvy mountain road winds up to…
Pino often asks, “Quando andiamo di nuovo a Tagliacozzo?” (“When are we going again to Tagliacozzo?”) Tagliacozzo (population about 6000) seems to hang on to the limestone cliffs backdropping it and the…
Abruzzo: forte e gentile (“strong and gentle”) is the description of an old traveler’s guide. This region has captivated us and we’re spending a lot of time there now: Pino’s restoration team…
We first headed to Sirolo, Marches region seaside gem, in the early 1980’s with our sons, toddlers then (Giulia not yet born). And we’ve been back uncountable times since then. For us,…
I asked Lorenzo, owner (with all his family) of Hotel Il Parco in Sirolo about how business was this past rainy summer (the coldest, wettest in 240 years, they say) and he…
From early April to late October, sagras – outdoor village food festivals – animate the evenings all over central Italy. They all have common threads: ten-day festivals highlighted by outdoor dinners at…