Palermo has long had a bad reputation. Ground zero for the mafia, they say. Dirty. A port city only good to take you elsewhere. Gone are those days. Now Palermo is a favorite for hipsters throughout Italy. Curious Italians are giving it a second chance and international travelers choose it as an introduction to Southern Italy – the… Read more »
Sure, I’ve made some travel mistakes. Besides wishing I had done more research or missing out on a major site, I’ve missed trains, lost tickets and gone the wrong way for hours. It seems that a large part of travel is dealing with the unexpected, even if sometimes it’s your own fault. It can be… Read more »
I’ve traveled quite a bit in Italy, but I haven’t always done it well. Maybe there was no time to do proper research. Maybe we got there at the wrong time or the wrong day. Maybe we missed the best thing there was to see. Because even though I harp on and on about being… Read more »
Perugia is small, so you can easily tour it like any small town: Start in the main piazza, see the duomo, take a walk and eat some food. But this time, you’d be missing out. It seems like all roads lead to Piazza IV Novembre and from there you can see most of Perugia by walking down its… Read more »
Italy has everything. It has the sea and the mountains, the hills and the plain. It has lakes and rivers and forests and national parks. It has incredible ancient borghi and larger cities that have managed to enter the modern age with a firm hold on their ancient pasts. It has Medieval castles, Renaissance art and even contemporary… Read more »
There are hundreds of coffee guides, pages of general rules and traveler manifestos, lists of places to see and cultural guides for Italy. Even at this blog! But there’s one piece of advice that I never see, though I’ve experienced it time and time again: Make restaurant reservations ahead of time In big cities like… Read more »
Lately my travels in Italy have been small. I mean really small. Not only are the trips brief, maybe a day, at most a weekend, but we tend to hit villages, towns, at most a very compact city. Marco and I have seen most of the big sights in central and northern Italy. What really charms… Read more »
If you’re going to come to Italy in the winter, I strongly suggest making it at Christmastime. Read: Why December is a Great Time to Visit Italy But it’s certainly not the only time. January and February isn’t as carefree as a gorgeous spring vacay, but let’s remember: Any time you can come to Italy… Read more »
Italy’s culture of artisanal, quality craftsmanship is unlike any in the world. One of the best things you can do while in Italy is buy local, handmade items. Not only do they support the local economy, but they’re sure to be higher quality than the knick-knacks and souvenirs from who-knows-where. Whether leather or mosaics, glass… Read more »
The San Lorenzo Market is in a massive, covered building in the heart of the San Lorenzo neighborhood. It’s big. It’s bustling. And yet, I wasn’t able to immediately find it the first time I went looking for it. Actually, the San Lorenzo Market is comprised of two markets: an outdoor one selling goods and… Read more »
