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.

Walking in Italy – Tre Cime di Lavaredo, A Spectacular Hike in the Dolomites

My favorite walking route for this spectacular hike in the Dolomites of Italy, and how to avoid most of the crowds on the popular walking trails around the Tre Cime di Lavaredo.

Peaks of Gastronomy – Michelin Chefs Bring Gourmet Cuisine to Rifugi in the Dolomites

Hiking Italian style means gourmet cuisine in the Dolomites, where Michelin-starred chefs have created special dishes served at mountain rifugi during the "Peaks of Gastronomy" initiative.

Involtini – Recipe from a Cooking Class in Sicily

This recipe for involtini, little meat rolls with a citrus flavored stuffing, comes from a casual cooking class in our home kitchen in Sicily.

2010 Taormina Film Fest – Cinema Under the Stars

The 2010 Taormina Film Fest takes place June 12-18 in the magnificent Greek theatre, where you can enjoy cinema under the stars as well as spotting a few stars like Robert deNiro and the perennially tan Valentino.

Idyllic Coastal Walking in Tuscany’s La Maremma Regional Park

Southern Tuscany is home to an area known as La Maremma, and includes wild, untamed countryside and beautiful walking in a protected park on Tuscany’s coast. Anita reports from a walking tour in La Maremma.

Italian Street Games – U Calacipitu Go-kart Culture in Sicily

Called a calcipitu in Sicily, a rudimentary go-kart is a part of the Italian culture of street games, where danger and noise go hand in hand. Join the celebration during a walk through Ragusa Ibla.

Cantine Aperte – Wine Tasting at Wineries & Cellars in Italy

The 2010 Cantine Aperte program opens 1000 wineries in Italy for wine tasting, cellar visits and other special events on May 30.

Italy’s Traditional DOP Cheeses – Provola of the Nebrodi Mountains in Sicily

One of Italy’s historic cheeses is Provola dei Nebrodi, a DOP cheese made in the mountains above Messina, Sicily, and traditionally aged in damp caves.

How to Make Sicilian Ravioli – Recipe & Cooking Lesson in Sicily

I learned the technique of making Sicilian ravioli in a home kitchen during a neighborly cooking lesson in Sicily, and managed to take enough notes to write up a recipe and explain the technique. I also had a great lunch.

Modica Città Rifiorita – Contest for the Most Beautifully Decorated Balcony in Modica Sicily

The city of Modica, Sicily re-blossoms during the first annual contest for the most beautifully decorated balcony in town called Modica Città Ri-fiorita. An initiative not without political contoversy, however.

Italy Travel Guide
Italy Travel Guide