This article originally appeared in the April 2018 issue of Dream of Italy. As of April 2019, no entrance fee has been established at the Pantheon and it is still free to enter. There is a fee for guided tours which are available at the welcome desk by the entrance. Rome’s Pantheon, which was free to enter, has started charging a 2€ entry …
Recipe: Signora Ricci’s Tiramisù (March 2018)
This article originally appeared in the March 2018 issue of Dream of Italy. Read the rest of the Florence restaurants article here. Here’s a very close version of the one served at Osteria dell’Enoteca made by Signora Ricci. It is adapted from Chef Dennis Littley. This adaptation is made with cantuccini and Vinsanto. Lorenzo’s mom makes her own almond cantuccini and …
The Sweet Farming Life (March 2018)
This article originally appeared in the March 2018 issue of Dream of Italy. Agriturismo Casa Vallona is a 30-minute drive from Bologna, yet it feels a world away. It was in risk of crumbling down until 34-year-old Chiara Battistini, a former marketing executive in Milan, returned to her ancestral home and transformed it, aiming to preserve the authenticity, the sobriety, …
Winter Adventures in Trentino’s Val di Non (December 2017/January 2018)
This article originally appeared in the December 2017/January 2018 issue of Dream of Italy. “Are you sure the ice will not break?” I asked, perplexed, as my fellow snowshoers and I followed our guide towards the center of the frozen lake and away from the safety of the shores. “I’m positive!” said the guide cheerfully, Livio Sicher, and, with a …
Ride-sharing Gondolas and Water Taxis (December 2017/January 2018)
This article originally appeared in the December 2017/January 2018 issue of Dream of Italy. The new app KiShare is bringing ride-sharing to Venice’s waterways, allowing users to join other passengers for gondola, water taxi (motoscafi), and road taxi rides. “We decided to start KiShare because we are gondola drivers and many times people ask us if they can share the gondola or a taxi, and also because we …
Get Help From a Local, on Demand (December 2017/January 2018)
This article originally appeared in the December 2017/January 2018 issue of Dream of Italy. Ever wish you had a friend in an Italian city who could advise you on the best way to get around, what to do and where to go? Prontopia aims to change that, and is launching in Venice as a way to connect travelers with local Venetians who can help them at any …
Two Favorite Tour Guides in Bologna and Venice — Venice (February 2018)
This article originally appeared in the February 2018 issue of Dream of Italy. Read the Bologna tour guide article here. Venice: Luisella Romeo “Venice is a city that loves to exist and to resist,” says tour guide Luisella Romeo. “It exists because it has an active community and it resists because, despite the changes brought about by the modern world, it …
Two Favorite Tour Guides in Bologna and Venice — Bologna (February 2018)
This article originally appeared in the February 2018 issue of Dream of Italy. Read the Florence tour guide article here. Bologna: Anna Brini Anna Brini likes to say she’s not merely Bolognese — she’s petroniana, that is, she was born inside the 11th-century walls that surrounded Bologna during the Middle Ages, the area that today is still the heart and soul of …
Behind the Scenes: Season 2 of Dream of Italy on PBS (February 2018)
This article originally appeared in the February 2018 issue of Dream of Italy. A new season of the TV travel series Dream of Italy is now airing on PBS (and available to watch at www.dreamofitaly.com) and this time my Italian adventures are deeply personal. 2017 was an intense year planning, filming and editing the six episodes that will continue to …
New Buzz on the Florence Food Scene (February 2018)
This article originally appeared in the February 2018 issue of Dream of Italy. Florence is a city with a long culinary history. Most restaurants serve classic dishes heavy with meats and fried foods. The locals go out for just that, things that they wouldn’t cook at home. If you are here on vacation, the menus get repetitive quickly and the …