Transcript with Show Notes Embedded: If you want to read more about Brad’s life in Italy and business, get the October/November 2023 issue of Dream of Italy where Brad is featured! Brad Allan: What I am really surprised at is the incredible difference in the cost of living here vs. the US. If you think that house prices here are …
Under the Tuscan Sun: Will the Real Bramasole Please Stand Up?
Surely, you’ve heard or read about what might be the most famous villa in Italy: Bramasole. The one that Frances Mayes wrote about in her memoir, Under the Tuscan Sun. With husband Ed, Frances transformed a forgotten ruin into a thrilling second act in life. “The house protects the dreamer, the houses that are important to us are the ones …
Enjoy The Movie Magic of Under the Tuscan Sun at Villa Laura in Cortona
This article originally appeared in the February/March 2023 issue of Dream of Italy. If you have read Frances Mayes’ bestselling memoir or watched the movie Under the Tuscan Sun like me, you’ve probably dreamed of visiting the magical town of Cortona and wondered about that villa called Bramasole, which means “to yearn for the sun,” that plays center stage. [You can …
Editor’s Note: February/March 2023 Dream of Italy Issue
This Editor’s Note originally appeared in the February/March 2023 Issue of Dream of Italy. Members receive access to more than 190 back issues—if you’re not a member, join here. I was very randomly led to re-visit Lago di Garda just a few weeks ago and I couldn’t be more grateful. In this issue, you will read my review of Lefay …
Podcast Episode #13: Fractional Ownership in Florence with Italy Perfect
Transcript with Show Notes Embedded: Lisa Byrne: The idea of fractional ownership is that you own a share in a property. Now, it’s not a timeshare, but you actually have deeded ownership in a property where you can stay for a month a year and enjoy feeling like a local. Kathy McCabe: This is Kathy McCabe. Welcome to the …
Nominate Your Favorite Italian Vacation Rentals
When my friend Madonna Finney (yes, that’s her name, combining my two favorite things – including the name of my dog Finney) and her husband shared a link to the Airbnb in Florence where they stayed this fall, I thought to myself, my gosh there are so many great vacation rentals in Italy that I don’t know about!! So now I am on a quest, …
New Companion Book to PBS Special Gives Actionable Advice to Make Your Dream of Italy Come True
I came up with the concept for the PBS special Dream of Italy: Travel, Transform and Thrive in 2019 before a pandemic was anywhere on the horizon. The TV special of course premiered this year and though I had no idea what would hit the world in between, I think the topic was right on time. I am more convinced than ever …
Vacation Rental Website Cross-Pollinate For Sale
After 17 years, Steve Brenner and Linda Martinez are selling their vacation rental website, Cross-Pollinate. The couple started Cross-Pollinate in 2000 as a way to manage the requests from guests they couldn’t accommodate in their hostel, The Beehive, in Rome. Over the years, Brenner and Martinez grew the business to include 500 private apartments, B&Bs and guesthouses in eight European …
5 Quick Tips for Renting a Villa in Italy
If you’re thinking of renting an apartment or villa in Italy, if you’ve already started looking for a villa rental, you know all of the choices can be daunting. Here are five quick tips for renting an Italian villa: 1. Make sure there’s someone available nearby 24/7 in case something goes wrong. I learned the importance of this first-hand when …
Golf, Hogs and Family at a Tuscan Estate
A charming villa rental in Tuscany provides the base for a week of Tuscan adventures, from teeing up on a Tuscany golf course to meeting Cinta Senese pigs to making ravioli.