I conducted an entirely unscientific survey over the festive fizz period of December – I asked everybody with a glass of Prosecco in their hand if they knew that the Prosecco region was just one hour from Venice in Italy. Results: 100/100 people didn’t know (or some number like that). The ensuing conversations went a … Read more
I’d always thought Sardinia would be a beach-based trip for me – after all, isn’t that why most people fly into what is Italy’s largest island? However, there’s not much you can do to talk me into sitting on a beach in November (even in Italy), so I ended up driving through the island instead. From … Read more
Francesco Cetti once said, “There is not in Italy what there is in Sardinia, nor in Sardinia what there is in Italy.” The 18th century zoologist was probably talking about the wildlife. Probably. But he could equally have been talking about Sardinian food. I’m fast loosing count of the number of times I’ve been to Italy, but … Read more
Even if you’re decked head to toe in Gucci and are sauntering around Venice, Florence or Rome with all the panache of an Italian superstar, there’s still a very simple way to tell whether you’re a local or not: how you order coffee. Believe it or not, there is a huge (and unhelpfully unspoken!) protocol … Read more
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
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 food available there, it could be said that, “When in Rome, gain 10 pounds.” I did a touristy trip to Rome as part of my round-the-world adventure (you can read my guide to the best things to do … 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