An Ancient Italian City of Well-Being

Traveling in Italy over the last several years, I've visited my share of Roman ruins but perhaps one of the most interesting and remote sites are the Roman ruins in Veleia (Veleja Romana) not far from the town of Castell'Arquato near Parma. Described as a landscape out of time, Veleia is considered to be one of …

Caring for the Chianina

The white cattle (Vacca Chianina -kya-NEE-na) of the Val di Chiana may be one of the oldest breeds of cattle. They were used as models for Roman sculptures. I have  seen them grazing in pastures outside the town of Citta' di Castello in Umbria and the hillsides of Tuscany near Abazzia San'Antimo. They are very …

Crema Paradiso

8 km from the marble quarries of Carrara is the town of Colonnata, situated among the Apuane Alps of Northern Tuscany. For thousands of years quarrymen have eaten seasoned lard (lardo) aged in marble tubs (conca) excavated from the work site. The work was hard and the Lardo di Colonnata would provide them with the calories needed to carve and …

The Bridge at Bassano

After we left Padua my cousin Lidia and her husband Roberto wanted to drive to the town of Bassano del Grappa at the foot of the Italian Alps. Bassano del Grappa is 27 miles north of Padua, north of Vicenza. Described as an "authentic Italian river town", Bassano del Grappa has a spirit and history …

A Few of Our Favorite “faster slow food” Stops in Italy

I hesitate to use the phrase "fast food" and Italy in the same sentence. To do so would border on the sacrilegious. Although there are American fast food restaurants in Italy  (most notably McDonalds and Burger King) Italians are not a Fast Food Nation. Even Italian restaurants that promote so called "fast food" are still making traditional …

Salame, Salumi, Salsiccia . . . Oh My!

Traveling down the road in Italy tasting the varieties of sausages and salami is a little like following the yellow brick road to the Oz. Like the Italian version of Dorothy you will be tempted to try just about everything and end up saying . . .oh my! Every region of Italy has its own distinctive types of …

Traveler vs. Tourist

"a tourist arrives confused and leaves confused" The age of the tourist is over. Anthony Bourdain's now infamous challenge to"be a traveler not a tourist" resonates with a new generation of travelers who want to remove the word "vacant" from vacation. Time and money well spent on a trip requires it to be more than a "show and …

The Larger Than Life Personality of Florence

If the pater noster of Italy is Rome, than Florence in Tuscany is assuredly its beautiful and famous daughter. Listed by Travel and Leisure Magazine as one of the Best Cities in the World for the collective experience of travelers, Florence is definitely on the A-list of desirable world travel destinations. The paparazzi have been following Rome’s famous …