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Hidden Gems in Sicily It’s easy to feel spoiled in Sicily. In the largest island of the Mediterranean you’re warmly welcomed with extensive

If you’re planning a summer vacation under the warm Tuscan sun and want to experience a piece of authentic Italian culture, look no further!

There’s a common misconception that Tuscany, Italy has been overrun by tourists and there are no hidden gems left to be found! For certain areas of Tuscany there may be some truth to this. But the majority of the region still holds many secrets waiting to charm its more adventurous visitors. Mugello, for example, is an area north of Florence that goes virtually untouched by tourists. Today we’ll dive into some of the fascinating history that makes this secret place a special

From my very first trip abroad, I was never really interested in seeing famous tourist sites. I just wanted to connect with the culture and get outside the cities to experience the natural landscape and meet local people. I remember being in Spain and asking a local friend if she’d hike the mountain behind the town with me. She looked at me so strangely and explained that people don’t really hike there. At the risk of getting funny looks, I always try to squeeze in a hike on

You’re at a caffè in Italy ordering a steaming cappuccino. The barista has so much personality and you just wish you knew how to ask what his name is! You’re sitting in a piazza quietly watching the people come and go. An older gentleman with so much character in his face sits next to you on the bench. You can tell he is full of stories and knowledge but you’re just too shy to pipe up and start a conversation… I know how it feels! I get butterflies each time I say something t

My favorite area to wander and live in Florence is Oltrarno, the area just across the river from the main tourist center where you can quickly sink into local life centered around Piazza Santo Spirito. One of the many things I love about Oltrarno is that it is still full of hidden artisan studios where, with the right insider know-how, you can discover ancient techniques still in use today to create timeless masterpieces. I recently met with one of those master artisans, humb

On the coast of Gargano, the “spur” of Italy’s boot, there’s a well-known restaurant built on a wooden pier jutting out into the sea. It’s actually an ancient fishing machine called a trabucco, and visitors flock there to sit at rustic wooden tables with a glass of prosecco in hand as the sun goes down. Naturally, I loved the idea of combining food, local tradition, and nature, so I had to check it out for myself. It was…okay. The food was too fancy for its own good and the p

As a nature lover and artist, one thing I love about travel is experiencing different types of landscapes. I notice how the straight pine trees of the southern US become wild and craggy in southern Europe. I notice how the color palette of a place gets dustier, more saturated, or expands into a range of colorful minerals new to my painting vocabulary. And I notice the way tall mountains energize the “adventuress” in me, while flatlands gently sloping into the sea make me want

There are so many unique activities and experiences to be had in southern Italy! If you’re stuck on Tuscany, I don’t blame you… but I have t

Written by Elisabetta Verdone What I am going to tell you about my dear region is something that I like to whisper with a low voice and there is a reason why. Italy, outside of the stereotypical postcards of beautiful cities and historical monuments, is a colorful, patchwork blanket of 20 various and differing regions. Every region is a specific world, with different traditions, landscapes, colors, weather, food and even different dialects! Besides many well known, famous and

Before I teach you how to use buses and trains in Italy, let me give you some background info so you can understand just what a feat this was for me. Picture an innocent country girl, who grew up in the mountains of North Georgia, and never saw so much as a city bus until she was in college. That girl is me. When I was a kid, cars or tractors were the only methods of transportation, except maybe the big yellow school bus that picked me up at 5:50AM or horses, if you had any.

Creative travelers need a way to capture their experiences! Up until my first trip to Europe, art was my greatest love and passion. Then Travel charmed its way into my life and so ensued a jealous battle between the two. Luckily I’ve learned that beautiful things happen when I combine them both. Sparks fly when I’m sitting on an ancient stone doorstep sketching the cobblestone street. Whether you call yourself an “artist” or not, getting creative during your travels will help