Giuseppe Verdi once said, “You may have the universe if I may have Italy.” I feel that way about Florence; which might explain why I have visited this arresting Italian city so many times I’m losing count. And, with that, what I’m equally losing count of is the number of times I’ve scribbled out an … Read more
It was quite by accident that I found myself searching for a Prosecco tour in Italy. I planned to visit Venice, but I hadn’t really made the connection that this northern part of Italy is where Prosecco is from. Duh! It was just a few weeks before I flew to Venice when an email fell into my inbox … Read more
I hated Venice the first time I visited. I felt cheated, hustled and robbed (some of Venice’s prices should be criminal). Venice wasn’t the Italy I loved. It was an anomaly to write off as a bad experience. Yet, every city deserves a second chance, so I tried again, again and again. In those repeat … Read more
If you’re searching for information about Puglia food, you’re already steps ahead of most of the millions of foreign visitors who arrive in Italy each year. Just recently, strolling down a side-street in Florence I had a waiter holler at me across the street: “pizza, pasta, spaghetti”. It was as though he were enlightening me … Read more
Venice is sinking, there is little doubt about it. Which is why it was higher up my travel list than the likes of Naples or Florence when I visited Italy. But even without the clock potentially ticking on the future of the city, Venice has long been one of the country’s top tourist attractions. Appropriately named the … Read more
We’ve all heard the saying, “When in Rome do as the Romans do.” But considering the amazing Italian cuisine available there, it could be said that, “When in Rome, gain 10 pounds.” I did a touristy trip to Rome back in 2010 as part of my round-the-world adventure (if you want to travel back into … Read more
My trip to Florence was fundamentally flawed. It was July and on a whim I’d decided to re-route my ticket from Asia to spend a month in Italy. And, as habit would have it, I didn’t have a single plan to my name. For a style of travel that is theoretically carefree, it can come … Read more
“How do you get to Urbino?” It was a good question that came from a good friend when I declared I was off to explore a new part of Italy (new to me, I’m pretty sure Urbino has been on the Italian map for quite some time). I can plan a trip to Rome with my … Read more
I love eating. On a good day, I can manage six meals – and I’m not talking about six small meals, either. In fact, if I could drop everything and eat professionally, I happily would…I’d perhaps need to work on my cutlery ability because, despite more than 30 years of practice with knives, forks and … Read more
Italy is one of those countries that keeps pulling me back. So much so that I’m starting to lose track of the number of times I’ve visited. Until now most of my time in Italy has comprised a tick-list of the most visited spots in Italy, sharing elbow room with hundreds of other visitors who … Read more