Yours truly was interviewed on the syndicated radio program The Travel Show with Arthur Frommer today. The radio program is a family endeavor by the first family of travel – the Frommers – and I talked to Arthur’s daughter, Pauline Frommer. Pauline released her own series of travel guidebooks about a year ago and I quizzed her on her own …
Thousands of Brightly Colored Balls Bounce Down Spanish Steps
The same man who dyed the waters of the Trevi Fountain red released hundreds of thousands of brightly colored balls went cascading down Rome’s Spanish Steps on Wednesday, according to the Associated Press. TV cameras caught organizer Graziano Cecchini and several others emptying bags full of red, green, yellow and blue balls down the 18th-century steps. The Italian news agency …
Buy a Share of Tuscany Through Fractional Ownership
With the lira-euro conversion several years ago and the weakened dollar, the price of Italian real estate for foreigners has skyrocketed. Many of us just assumed that owning a piece of la dolce vita, especially in Tuscany, was out of reach. Maybe not, according to Vera Marie Badertscher, who introduces our readers to the concept of fractional ownership — starting …
Alitalia Extends Business Class Sale But…
My friend Joe alerts me that Alitalia has extended its business class fare sale (Magnifica Class) through the holidays. This offer is valid for travel from December 23, 2007. Travel must be complete by January 9, 2008. You can fly business class to Italy for as little as $ 1,389 round-trip! But as many of you who know about …
Christmas and New Year’s at a New Tuscany Hideaway
I was at the post office today (yes, my local branch is open on Sunday!) mailing a bunch of our gift subscriptions and had a chance during the long wait, to receive some of the things that were in Dream of Italy’s P.O. Box. A new property in Tuscany caught my eye, especially since it is open for Christmas and …
Italy/Travel Gift Guide: Romantic Travel Gifts
Italy is one of the world’s most romantic destinations. Evoke memories of a wonderful trip of the past or hopes for a trip of the future with this romantic travel gifts. Know a couple celebrating a honeymoon or anniversary in Italy in 2008? These are also perfect presents for them: Romantic Italy Travel Gift Basket Subscription to the Award-Winning Travel …
Apparently It Is Tough to Be Italian
The New York Times reports today that the entire country of Italy is in a funk. A recent poll reports that they are the least happy people in Western Europe. So what’s the deal? Was Under The Tuscan Sun selling us a song-and-dance? Much of it can be summed up by “it’s the economy, stupid.” As Ian Fisher reports, Pensions, …
Italy/Travel Gift Guide: Gifts for Movie Lovers
There are so many great Italian films but one that truly stands out is the lovely Cinema Paradiso – the story of a young boy in post-War Sicily and his special relationship with a grandfatherly film projectionist. The movie is featured in all three of the following gifts: Italian Movie Night Gift Basket Subscription to the Award-Winning Travel Newsletter Dream …
Italians Say: “Protect the Panettone!”
Holy cow! Did you know that Italian bakers produce 117 million panettone and pandoro cakes every Christmas? The population of Italy is only 50-something million. Obviously many of those cakes are being exported. Who knew the Italian Christmas cake industry was worth 579 million euros per year? That’s why, according to Reuters, manufacturers are calling for strict rules governing the …
What’s Hillary Clinton Doing in Naples?
She’s in a nativity scene of course…Okay, back up. Naples is known for its artisans who excel in creating handmade presepi (nativity scenes) – there’s a whole street of shops selling presepi the city’s Spanish Quarter. Each year the offerings get more creative and this year, Gennaro di Virgilio made figurines of American presidential candidates Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, John …