Italy’s geography is something special. A long peninsula, it has miles and miles of coastline and just happens to be crowned by the Alps. The Apennine Mountains run its length like a spine and in-between you have centuries of ruling city-states that have created totally unique cities. I always preach that there’s something for everyone… Read more »

Good news, travelers: no more worrying about rain in paradise! This year the hotels on Elba Island, the largest island of the Tuscan Archipelago, have teamed up to guarantee tourists refunds for rainy days on their May or September and October trips. Based on the new Elba No Rain initiative, if it rains for more than two… Read more »

There are a few universal things that belong on any trip list to Italy, no matter what your Italian destination!  1) Eat gelato twice or three times in one day Gelato once a day is normal, but the real treat is to indulge more than once in one day! We’ve all done it on a trip… Read more »

Maybe you’ve been to Florence four times and want to branch out. Or you fell in love with the mosaics of St. Mark’s Basilica and want to explore more. Whether it’s your first trip or your 18th, there’s always a new place to see in Italy, always a place beyond your original itinerary, always a… Read more »

Recently family travel blogger BigBraveNomad posted a story on Instagram highlighting the throngs of crowds filling the piazza along the Trevi Fountain. “Fact: this is what Rome is really like. Everywhere. It’s INSANELY packed,” it said, and then “Again: flooded with people. Ps. I am not complaining. Everyone deserves to visit all of these famous spots…. Read more »

After I had gone to the courthouse to get married. After the signed documents and a visit to the US embassy. After I had gone to dozens of public offices and was finally a legal resident of Italy, there was still a very important document I needed to obtain. ASAP, they told me. I needed my Tessera… Read more »

Lombardy is completely surrounded by the stars of wine production — Veneto, Piedmont and Tuscany – so you’d be forgiven for overlooking the regional wines, but Lombardy’s wines can still hold their own. Most famous for its sparkling whites and deep Valtellina reds, Lombardy also has a range of lightly sparkling reds that are surprisingly versatile.  As a… Read more »

For the last five and a half years I’ve written a blog post every Monday with very very few exceptions. Sometimes I’m really proud of a post, others I know its not my best. Sometimes I’m on top of things and have everything done ahead of time, others I don’t even get it published until… Read more »

The long, winding country roads, fields and fields of grapes separated only by cypresses and the nearly deserted hill towns in Tuscany lend themselves perfectly to a classic road trip. But it’s not the only way to see the Tuscan hills. Though the smallest towns are difficult to reach by public transportation, some of Tuscany’s most famous… Read more »

If being pregnant in Italy raised me from a frivolous ragazza to a praised signora, having a baby added a crown to my regal head. I felt admired and coddled as a pregnant woman. I was still seen as my own entity, just a more important one. Being pregnant in Italy was a breeze. Then… Read more »