Umbria, the green heart of Italy, with undulating hills, vineyards, and fertile landscapes, interspersed with picturesque hill towns and villages, is a wonderful region to explore. Add in some of Italy’s finest wines and delicious foods, and you’ll understand...
Spello is a stunningly picturesque Umbrian town located at the foot of Mount Subasio in the Valle Umbra, less than ten minutes by train from the more well-known town of Assisi. The town is small and can easily be seen in a day, but it’s a lovely place to linger for a...
The lovely town of Cefalù on Sicily’s northern coast is an easy day trip from Palermo – only forty-five minutes away by train. But if you have time, it is really worth spending a night or two there. It’s a beautiful place to relax, to explore the old town...
When the lovely folks at Viking invited me on a Viking ocean cruise from Barcelona to Rome, of course, I said yes. Then the panic set in. I hate being on water, I can’t swim, and I’ve seen the movie Titanic too many times. I know what could happen. A...
A few years ago, Jonathan and I took a two-week river cruise with Viking from Budapest to Amsterdam, and we loved it. So, when Viking very kindly invited me on an ocean cruise onboard the Viking Sky from Barcelona to Rome – well, I wasn’t going to say no,...
One Day In Bologna Bologna, located in northern Italy, is the capital of the Emilia-Romagna region. It’s located less than an hour inland from Italy’s east coast and roughly halfway between Milan and Florence. An old university city, Bologna,...
Milan in northern Italy is one of Europe’s most underrated cities. Many visitors arriving at Milan Airport are just passing through, on their way to the Italian lakes, mountains, or prettier cities like Verona or Venice. Known for finance, fashion and industry, when I...
After a fabulous few days hiking in the Italian Dolomites, it was time to head to the lakes. Varenna, located on Lake Como’s eastern shore, was to be my base for the next three nights – a gorgeous, picturesque village with cobbled streets,...
