If you’ve ever driven the A4 motorway between Venice and Verona, the sight of a castle dominating the view with its’ Medieval walls cascading down the hillside and enveloping the village below beckons you to stop for a visit. After passing by for the umpteenth time, we finally decided to discover what the little town […]
I Learned to Row a Venetian Gondola…And You Can Too!
Ah, the romantic visions of Venetian gondoliers in black and white stripes rowing couples snuggled up together beneath the bridges of Venice. That vision is probably the most iconic image of the city built on water. But have you ever wondered what it is like to actually stand up on the back of gondola and […]
Carpigiani Gelato University: An Education in the Art of Gelato
Forget Underwater Basket-weaving 101. There’s a new fun class in town and you even get to eat your homework! The Carpigiani Gelato University is an entire school dedicated to the art and traditional production of gelato. And I’m now a proud graduate! No, I’m not giving up traveling the world to open up my own […]
Camping Under the Perseid Meteor Shower at Tramonti di Sopra
When our friend Melissa, who also told us about the Nowhere Beach, invited us to go camping at Tramonti di Sopra on the same night the Perseid meteor shower was supposed to be the strongest, we couldn’t resist. I even had to convince Tim we should camp out, which meant we should have not only […]
A Foodie’s Dream: The Italian Sagra
One of my favorite festivals, which I have written about before, is the Fiera dell’Aglio in Voghiera. This sagra of all things garlic showcases one of the most renowned varieties of garlic, a gastronomic treasure that even has the status PDO (Protected Denomination of Origin). So what is a sagra anyway? If you’ve driven around […]
The Deserted Island in the Venetian Lagoon
A string of islands waits to be discovered by the intrepid traveler, just a boat ride away from the hustle and bustle of Venice. Having been to only a handful of the islands in the Venetian lagoon, I was excited to join Urban Adventure Tours on a Lagoon Discovery Tour. As our guide pulled up […]
Emma’s Favorite Dog Friendly Beaches
When I lived in Phoenix, AZ, I didn’t have to worry about dog friendly beaches. I had my very own swimming pool right in my backyard. From the day my mom and dad declared the new pool officially open, I loved to swim. Ask me if I wanted to go for a W-A-L-K or a […]
Strolling Through Hemingway’s Stresa
In 1918, a then 19-year old Ernest Hemingway was volunteering with the Red Cross in Italy. After being injured and hospitalized in Milan, he visited Stresa on Lago Maggiore. Hemingway stayed in room 106 of the Hotel des Iles Borromees, where he was known to drink martinis while overlooking the beautiful islands beyond. It was […]
The Borromean Islands: Where Nature and Art Meet
The Borromean islands are the jewels of Lago Maggiore and the perfect way to spend a day relaxing and strolling amongst their famed sights, which the Princess of Wales herself, Caroline of Brunswick, fell in love with. It is said Caroline did her best to convince the Borromeo family to sell her Isola Madre; her […]
Giro d’ombra: Venice Carnival Pub Crawl
The Carnival of Venice is known for the elaborate costumes and the even more lavish masquerade balls. Those balls can cost hundreds of dollars per person to attend, and honestly just weren’t ever any interest to us. We much preferred to enjoy the free Carnevale events during the day, and to wrap up one of […]
