A Personal Guide to Travel and Life in Italy

This personal guide to travel and life in Italy is culled from over 20 years of experience living and working in Italy.  Get the inside scoop on what it’s really like to live in Italy, my favorite places to go in Italy, my recommended hotels and restaurants in Italy and even the darker side of life in Italy and how to cope with its mind-numbing bureaucracy. I’ll cover lots of different topics from luxury to adventure travel in Italy, Italian politics, culinary travel in Italy, Italian language, customs and traditions, as well as how I personally became an expert on Italian furnace parts.

Pear Ricotta Crostata – Tart Recipe from Pleasures of Puglia Tour

Ricotta and cinnamon for Pear ricotta tart recipe

One of the great pleasures of Puglia is eating, and we found a place where even breakfast is a feast.

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Pesca Tabacchiera – Snuffbox Peach from Mt Etna

pesca tabacchiera

An early summer fruit in Sicily is the pesca tabacchiera or snuffbox peach that thrives on the slopes of Mt. Etna.

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Ciliegia Ferrovia – Railway Cherry of Puglia

ciliegia ferrovia

June is the season for one of the pleasures of Puglia, the railway cherry or “ciliegia ferrovia”

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Cheese Tour & Tasting in Ragusa Sicily

Sicilian cheese

Cheese tasting and a tour of the cheesemaking facilites at Corfilac in Ragusa are on the menu March 24 & 25, 2012

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Limoncello Recipe – Make Homemade Limoncello

lemon zest

Ever wondered how to make limoncello? Try your hand at homemade limoncello, with this easy limoncello recipe.

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Lemon Cake Recipe from Sicily

Sicilian lemon tree

When lemons are in profusion in Sicily, this easy Sicilian lemon cake recipe is a must. Find lots of other uses for lemons, too.

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Arance Rosse – Blood Oranges from Sicily

arance rosse di sicilia

Winter is the season for arance rosse, the blood oranges of Sicily, with the tarocco orange being the most highly prized. Find out why.

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Cheese Art 2012 – Traditional Cheese Tasting Workshop

Artisan cheese in Sicily

Taste traditional cheeses from around the world during two days of tasting workshops at Cheese Art 2012 in Ragusa Sicily, when cheese is elevated to the status of art.

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Ossobuco for International Day of Italian Cuisines

ossobuco

The 2012 International Day of Italian Cuisines (IDIC) is on January 17, when cooks all over the world are invited to join in the celebrations by preparing ossobuco, a traditional dish from Milan. Try our ossobuco recipe.

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Bastardoni-Big Bastards: Prickly Pears of Sicily

bastardoni in Sicily

When you hear vendors hollering “bastardoni” in Sicily, it’s the season for the prickly pears known as “big bastards.” Legend has it that this traditional food found in markets in Italy is the result of a feud.

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Italy Travel Guide
Italy Travel Guide