Italy Often

04/22/2019

Almost every year I go to Italy in early Spring. While mud season is drying up here, the wisteria over there is intoxicating, the markets are filled with artichokes and asparagus and baby strawberries and so much green.

This year I'm off to Detroit. Cautiously optimistic about being enchanted. In a pinch there's always Canada across the river for an evening with international flair?
(open to Detroit must-sees in the downtown area) :)

11/24/2018

Visiting Italy with kids? Don't miss the Leonardo da Vinci museum of science and technology in Milan - fabulous!!

11/23/2018

Black Friday Shopping? Just saw some gorgeous fares from Boston to northern Europe with extended layovers (if desired) in Iceland. (get to Frankfurt round trip for $390) Just throwing that out there :) [from there hop a scenic train or quick flight down to Italy]

10/30/2018

Be flexible. When you're planning your travel, keep your options open. Sure, record-high acqua alta in Venice might be a novelty to experience, for an hour or two,... but I wouldn't want to be stuck there for a week. Frugal travel planning means you can - hehe - change your horse in the middle of the stream, and not break the bank.

10/28/2018

Travel tip: Check the local calendars! Before you visit, see what's happening....many local markets have special days (ie - first Sunday of the month, etc), or perhaps you've dreamed of catching an opera in Italy. Just found out there's a big wool market a few blocks from our apartment when we arrive in Florence (Christmas shopping!?)...and also that U2 is in town when we have a layover in Dubliln. (Which would have been ultra-cool if I tried to score tickets long ago, but now just means there won't be a hotel room anywhere near the center.)

10/27/2018

The day job has kept me too busy for Italophile posts, although in my mind I'm always there :) Looking forward to a research trip next week to dig a little deeper into Florence. Ahhhh.....

07/16/2018

Gorgeous rainbow kale coming out of the garden right now :)

02/14/2018

When do we leave?

01/30/2018

dreaming of springtime!

01/22/2018

Looking forward to meeting Giulia of www.julskitchen.com for a market visit and cooking class in March. She's one of my favorite bloggers - her words and pictures are simply magical. Who do you like to follow in the food and travel world?

If you like traditional, seasonal food, the Tuscan countryside and a genuine approach to life, this is the right place!

01/16/2018

A lot of people ask what I like most about Italy - is it the food, the wine, the art, the scenery....well for me, it's the table. And the hours spent around the table....whether it's a tiny cafe table pushed up against a building on a bustling street with scooters zipping by, or a grand tavola, like this one at Casa Vecchie in the Tasca vineyards in Sicily...where everyone gathered together for hours. Ahh...

01/04/2018

It's days like this....when New England is experiencing some kind of bombocyclone weather extravaganza (read: complete whiteout) that have me longing for the warm breezes, turquoise water and ginormous lemons of the Amalfi coast....

12/27/2017

Ciao Amici - Welcome to my official travel page. Feel free to 'like' the page for travel updates - particularly Italian experiences, and generally frugal....because I really feel that 'once in a lifetime' is definitely not enough!

12/27/2017

We've always traveled with a bit of a Rick Steves' 'through the back door living like a local' philosophy. For anyone traveling to Europe, I highly recommend his guides....and this article.

Let's officially rename these crazy things "narcissi-sticks."