Get the FREE Guide: How to Connect with Locals in Italy - Click Here!

This authentic limoncello recipe comes directly from a local friend in Southern Italy. Limoncello is the perfect drink to prepare at the end

Ever heard of an e spressino? Didn’t think so. Puglia has a coffee culture all its own and it’s worth learning about- then experiencing yourself. It’s no secret that coffee and Italy go together- like really, r eally well. From a foamy cappuccino in the morning to a double shot of espresso (c affe doppio) in the afternoon, caffeine seems to be pulsing through the veins of this expressive and lively society. What you might not realize is that caffeine flows in a variety of

by Frances Reid I’m willing to bet that any mention of Italy immediately conjures images of Tuscany’s rolling green hills, dotted with wineries. Am I right?  If you stop there though, you’re missing out on one of southern Italy’s best-kept secrets: Puglia Yes, it takes a bit more effort to get there (Puglia is tucked into Italy’s boot heel), but where’s the fun in taking the path others have traveled? No. You, my friend, need an authentic encounter with another of Italy’s da

Believe it or not, I discovered the restaurant I’m going to tell you about today on a 9-hour flight from Italy to New York. I was stuck in the middle seat, feeling chatty (since there was no way I was going to sleep) so the lucky co-passenger to my left named Luca got to hear me gush over how much I love Italy and all the places I’d been. When I got around to Matera, he perked up and said “Oh! You must go back and meet my brother! He has a restaurant in the historic center, i

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

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.

The history of Puglia is multilayered and complex. The region has been tossed about from one invader to the next, from about 270 BC until the unification of Italy in the late 1800s. Most articles you find on the topic are frankly boring to read and heavy with names of random invaders you’ve never heard of, making it difficult to grasp the overall concept of where Puglia’s been and how it relates to the culture you’ll experience there today. Below, I attempt to break things do

Guest post by Mehek Punatar So you’re traveling to Italy and you want the most authentic experience. But you’re also vegetarian! Italian cuisine is extremely vegetarian-friendly (probably the most vegetarian-friendly of all European cuisines). You’ve got pizzas, pastas, paninis, gelato and coffee. Some spots even have vegan options! But you have to look in the right places if you want the authentic stuff. Here are some pro tips and recommendations for exploring the best of ve

Where do Italians go for great food? Straight to Puglia, where the cucina povera tradition celebrates the profound flavors of fresh, local produce. What’s amazing about the food in Puglia is that it boasts great flavor with minimal ingredients- only about 3-5 per dish. On your way to a restaurant, you might pass fields of artichokes, fava beans, and of course, olives- all of which you’ll find featured on your plate in a variety of creative and tasty ways. However, Puglia is

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 hel

One of my favorite favorite favorite  things to do is meet Italian people. I am always amazed by their genuine warmth and passion for helping me learn about their culture. Often times I end up learning about a quirky tradition I didn’t know about or a hidden village I’d never heard of. Sometimes I end up at their dinner table, pouring through old family albums after a meal. But every single time, no matter what, I walk away with a new friend. And just as mi casa es tu casa

What if there were a secret weapon that gave you the courage and drive to face your fears and turn your weaknesses into skills— just like that? It wasn’t what I intended when I started down this path, but the truth is that being an entrepreneur has become the ultimate secret machete that has cut right through my fears. It isn’t so much being an entrepreneur as it is the core behind it- having a deep passion and an enormous belief in your offering to this world will lead you

In Italy, every holiday comes with a hundred variations of ways to celebrate, traditional foods to eat, and stories of how it all came about. Easter is no different, and in the southern region of Apulia, la scarcella is not to be forgotten! La scarcella is a simple cookie or cake formed into various shapes like an easter basket, bird, or bunny. The twist? They put a boiled egg on the cookie itself. Yeah, I know, hard to picture… Luckily, one of our Pugliese friends took som

I still remember the first thing I ordered in complete Italian ( cioccolata calda , anyone?). The feeling of those beautiful sounds rolling off my tongue, and further, being comprehended by the Italian barista, was addictive. Before departing for my study abroad program in 2011, I studied Italian on my own between my classes because I knew I wanted to be able to communicate with the locals. I was surprised by how far my lessons took me and how much deeper my experience was be

Let’s jump right into it- packing for a trip to Italy can be a daunting task! You may be wondering if there are cultural norms you need to follow, if the weather will be similar to what you have at home, or if you’ll really have the courage to wear those heels on cobblestone! I have taken long trips to Italy numerous times and I’m only now getting really good at packing. I’ve noticed that I tend to get anxious about the trip and the only way I feel like I’m “preparing” is to

To live infamously or die unknown, that is the question. I recently read an interesting article about Homer’s Iliad which you probably have memories of being assigned to read in high school but very few memories of actually reading it, so I’ll catch you up: The hero of the story, Achilles, is fighting alongside the Greeks in the Trojan War. It’s been prophesized that Achilles will die if he goes to fight, but his name will be immortal. If he chooses instead to return home, h

by Lauren Chiarello, Guest Writer I adore traveling + exploring! As a fit, active person, I tend to gear my trips to outdoor adventures. There are a lot of ways to move + groove while you travel – you can weave movement into exploring or even carve out 10 minutes to find your core. Here are my favorite ways to get exercise while traveling. 1.  Be a local! Download the YELP app + try using a few of the following search words: Fitness Classes, Gyms, Yoga, Pilates, etc. You can

Hi my fellow travelers drooling over endless wanderlust instagram profiles and dreamy Pinterest pins… Welcome to the club! I started off just like you, with an innate desire to explore far-flung places where I could experience the authentic culture. Then I took that big leap to finally journey abroad and saw all my fantasies come wildly true beyond belief. I never let go of that passion and when the time was right, I let it carry me forward to start Creative Edge Travel where

by Paola Bassanese, Guest Writer Do you dream in Italian? If you do, you have made it! If you are not quite there yet, here are a few pointers to help you think like a local. I moved from Italy to England more than 20 years ago, and it took me about a year to think like an English person (and start dreaming in English!). I believe that my biggest breakthrough was when I started learning English colloquialisms: all of a sudden, I became “one of us” instead of “one of them”. I