Just a few days ago the Ninfa Gardens re-opened for the 2019 season. If you’re looking for a day trip from Rome out of the hustle and bustle of the city this is a wonderful choice! Here’s what you need to know: About the Ninfa Gardens The Ninfa Gardens were nominated as one of the…
Day Trips
Best of Bologna Day Trip
Bologna is the city of porticoes, Europe’s oldest university, amazing towers and culinary delights you can’t even imagine. If you’re hankering for something different and unique to do while visiting Rome then this is the day trip you’ll want to make! You might want to read about amazing Bologna before you visit! Bologna is a…
Subiaco day trip from Rome
If you’re looking for a day trip out of Rome where you can find an oasis of peace immersed in spectacular natural beauty, yet rich with Italian history, art and culture then a Subiaco day trip from Rome is a perfect choice. Subiaco is located about an hour and a half southeast of Rome in…
Day trip to Cortona, in the Tuscan province of Arezzo
The town of Cortona is easily reachable by train from Rome: a pleasant and affordable 2 1/2 hour train ride ((Euro 16 in first class). Once you reach the Camucia / Cortona station you can take a bus (runs about every 40 minutes) or a taxi (Euro 10) up to Cortona centro. The entrance way…
Mozzarella production, a medieval hill town & a winery visit
The morning starts with a visit to one of my favorite of wonderful small artisan mozzarella di bufala and ricotta cheese producers in the area. We’ll observe the mozzarella cheese making process and learn why this cheese is so fabulous and cannot be produced elsewhere – not even in most of Italy! We’ll have lunch…
Tiella, Stuffed Pizza from Gaeta
The view of the hill town of Sperlonga alone makes an excursion here worth it. I never tire of that view. The water is clean and crisp and delightful: Sperlonga prides itself on having the top water cleanliness rating along the coast. It always boils down to the seaside life and the food, and Sperlonga…
Day trip to Ariccia in the Colli Albani southeast of Rome
Day trip to Ariccia in the Colli Albani Hills southeast of Rome Sometimes doing exactly what every tourist does when they visit Rome just isn’t what you have in mind and you’d like to experience something different, and perhaps out of Rome’s city center. As it turns out, it’s easy; there are many day trips…
Pecorino Cheese: what is it anyway?
Pecorino cheese is any hard, semi-hard or fresh cheese that is made using sheep’s milk. Seven pecorino cheeses have protected designation of origin status, or DOP, under the European union law. This means they’ve been aged upwards of 8 months and are a stagionato, pasta dura (hard) cheese. The Italian word for sheep is pecora,…
Fall Saffron Harvest in Città della Pieve, Umbria
Saffron cultivation has survived in a few areas of Italy, notably the Abruzzi and Sardegna, and now people are working to reestablish the saffron crop in Sicily, San Gimignano and Città della Pieve. Città della Pieve is famous for being the birthplace of Perugino, Umbria’s most important 15th century painter who used saffron to create…
Naples in a Day: Fifteen Absolute Musts!
Naples is a must if you’re looking for amazing food and incredible pastries, jaw dropping art that will leave you dazzled, and if you want to experience a culture of passion and music! To enjoy Naples to its fullest you have to take it as it is, jump in and enjoy! There’s nothing like it…
The Tornesi Brunello Winery
About fifteen years ago we first visited the Tornesi winery on a Brunello wine buying trip. Since then we’ve been back every year. The owner, Maurizio Tornesi, has become a friend, and we’ve watched his winery grow and transform…always for the better. On our visit last week we joined the family for lunch in their home….
Eating in Contigliano, northern Lazio
Contigliano is Maurizio’s hometown. He was actually born in nearby Terni but every single relative on his mother’s side was born in Contigliano. And more than that: they were all born in the same family home, in the same iron frame bed, that I have kept and moved to our present home north of Rome….