Below you'll find a list of all posts from July, 2012
Prepping for a trip to Italia? Here’s what’s hip, happening and noteworthy in Italy this summer and fall. 1. New Vaporetto Service in Venice: Ever seen those red hop-on, hop-off double decker tourists buses in major cities around the world? Venice now has its own version of a hop-on, hop-off tourist boat called Vaporetto dell’Arte. The seats all have multi-lingual …
Here are the Italy travel news, culture and food stories that got our attention this week… Is Rome’s new Eataly all it is cracked up to be? Katie Parla writes in The New York Times,”The lack of consistency is perhaps mitigated by the sheer convenience of it all. Thousands of nicely packaged products are artfully displayed in a large, air-conditioned …
The video for Madonna’s new song “Turn Up the Radio” was filmed in Florence and Mugello, in the Tuscan hills above the city. She shot the video just a few weeks ago while staying at the St. Regis Hotel in Florence. BFF Debi Mazar and her Tuscan husband Gabriele Corcos may have helped inspire the film locale; they have a house nearby. The megastar stopped …
Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg reportedly has bought an Italian castle in the region of Piedmont. If he indeed purchased Lavezzole Castle on the Alfieri hillside between Asti and Alba, then I think he’s neighboring one of my favorite wineries in Italy, Marchesi Alfieri. Sisters Emanuela, Antonella and Giovanna San Martino di San Germano are the proud proprietors of Marchesi Alfieri, a wine estate, …
In honor of Dream of Italy’s new issue on Puglia, I’ve put together a few reasons why the region of Puglia rocks. There could be thousands of reason but here are seven to start… 1. The Trees: Each of Puglia’s millions of gigantic, ancient olive trees seems to be as unique as a thumbnail, growing and contoring each in its own shape. …
Want to experience the REAL Italy? It is alive and well in the southern Italian region of Puglia. With a stunning coastline, uncrowded roads, ancient ruins, the freshest food (and olive oil!) imaginable and some Italy’s best wines, Puglia enchants all of the senses. We review six historic, authentic, lovely places to stay. Plus introduce you to locals who can show you their Puglia. Plus tips on where to eat everything from fresh burrata to fresh octopus. (8 pages)
A longtime subscriber had been urging me to meet this local guide and tour, saying this warm and passionate Lecce native had a particular knack helping others experience undiscovered Puglia. She was right.
The fornello began as many great Italian traditions do, with great ingredients and a simple gesture of kindness. The livestock in the Murgia feed off beautiful grass, wild herbs, ancient bitter greens, and almost all of it just there for the eating. This lifestyle for the animal creates flavorful cuts of beef and lamb that are very lean and quite expensive.
The charming seaside village of Savelletri di Fasano in Puglia is home to some luxurious hotels - this one is one of the best and a dream for golfers.
Visiting this Puglia masseria truly feels a soulful journey back in time. It is the landscape (ducks and chickens in a coop; an ancient olive mill wheel in the center of the courtyard) and the people here (the warm and welcoming Mamma Giulia who is a fixture in the kitchen) that make it special.
