This article appeared in the September 2016 issue of Dream of Italy. Updated 2018. Calabria, the toe of Italy’s boot, is one of the country’s lesser traveled regions, but it offers something for everyone—500 miles of gorgeous coastline along the Ionian and Tyrrhenian Seas; three national parks situated in the region’s major mountain ranges (Pollino, Sila and Aspromonte); hundreds of cobblestone-paved …
Don’t Be Bitter – Just Have an Amaro in Calabria
This article appeared in the September 2016 issue of Dream of Italy. Updated 2018. As you may have read or experienced elsewhere, Italians have a special place in their hearts for the topic of digestion. It is openly discussed even among strangers — think sharing tales of one’s bathroom habits at full voice in a doctor’s waiting room. Awkward for some …
Where to Stay the Night Before Your Flight Home
This article appeared in the September 2016 issue of Dream of Italy. Updated 2018. The night before the plane trip home from Italy is often a downer. Almost all flights from Italy to the U.S. leave early in the morning or around noon, which often means a stay in an undistinguished airport hotel and a mediocre dinner in a touristy restaurant. …
Why I Come Back to Sorrento
This article appeared in the August 2016 issue of Dream of Italy. Updated 2019. I skirted around Sorrento for decades — avoiding what I’d written off as a tourist resort, and visiting the wonders of Naples, Pompeii and Amalfi Coast towns instead. Then my friend Gioia, a well-travelled Roman native, confessed: “You know where I’ve always wanted to go? Sorrento!” Her …
Insiders Reveal the Best of the Amalfi Coast
This article appeared in the August 2016 issue of Dream of Italy. Updated 2019. The Amalfi Coast has been welcoming visitors since Roman times and remains a must on any Italy travel bucket list. Many of you also return again and again as the charming towns and alluring islands of the Costiera Amalfitana hold more treasures than one can possibly explore in even a …
Best Views on the Amalfi Coast
This article appeared in the August 2016 issue of Dream of Italy. Updated 2018. Below is just one category of many than appear in Insiders Reveal the Best of the Amalfi Coast. Guido Fiorentino, Owner, Grand Hotel Excelsior Vittoria: From the San Costanzo mountain, above a path that leads to Punta Campanella –Part of the ancient Roman Via Minerva, this trail winds through vast olive …
Best Meals on the Amalfi Coast
This article appeared in the August 2016 issue of Dream of Italy. Updated 2018. Below is just one category of many than appear in Insiders Reveal the Best of the Amalfi Coast. Fiorentino: Nerano-style spaghetti with eggplant –Note that three Amalfi insiders chose the hamlet of Nerano’s signature spaghetti con zucchine OR con melanzane (eggplant), a treat that’s rich and creamy without eggs or …
Best Hikes on the Amalfi Coast
This article appeared in the August 2016 issue of Dream of Italy. Updated 2018. Below is just one category of many than appear in Insiders Reveal the Best of the Amalfi Coast. Fiorentino: Jeranto Bay –A gorgeous nature preserve maintained by the Fondo Ambiente Italiano (Italian Environmental Fund) that includes a protected marine reserve. (https://www.fondoambiente.it/baia-di-ieranto-eng/) Sersale: Path of the Gods –Another triple threat from …
Best Tour Guides on the Amalfi Coast
This article appeared in the August 2016 issue of Dream of Italy. Updated 2o18. Below is just one category of many than appear in Insiders Reveal the Best of the Amalfi Coast. Fiorentino: Mr. Mastogiacomo from the Guide Centre –Sorrento’s Guide Centre offers excursions everywhere from Pompeii to Procida. (www.guidecentre.com) Sersale: Cristian Fusco. Visit a winery with him! –Positano-born-and-raised, Fusco started his career at …
Best Hidden Treasures on the Amalfi Coast
This article appeared in the August 2016 issue of Dream of Italy. Updated 2018. Below is just one category of many than appear in Insiders Reveal the Best of the Amalfi Coast. Fiorentino: The gardens of Antica Tenuta Il Pizzo –39 acres of historic plants—on a cliff hanging over the sea near Sorrento in Piano di Sorrento. (www.bit.ly/2av0TQB) Sersale: Steps to Nocelle –You might …