Sicilian food is completely different from your usual Italian cuisine. If you’re going to be spending time in Sicily, don’t expect to grab a Roman carbonara or a Florentine steak. Instead, imagine a cuisine filled with fresh vegetables, lots of seafood, and the smallest amount of meat. Imagine eggplants and pine nuts and swordfish, wild […]
Sicilian Food: 30 Iconic Dishes + What to Eat in Sicily Read More »
Visiting Sicily in winter looks like a win at an easy glance. Why not head to one of the warmest places in Europe, where snow only falls on the highest of volcanoes, escape your chilly hometown, and enjoy all the delicious food and wine? I’ve traveled to Sicily several times and recently took an extended
The Truth about Visiting Sicily in Winter (Good And Bad) Read More »
Staying at an agriturismo is something that I prioritize on almost every trip I take to Italy. There’s nothing like relaxing in the Italian countryside, dining on outstandingly fresh produce, and living la dolce vita — far from the cities. Agriturismi (the plural of agriturismo) are Italian farms that double as bed and breakfasts. They
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There are so many cool things to do in Palermo Italy! Palermo is the largest city in the autonomous region of Sicily, with a population of about 650,000. It sits in the sunshine, surrounded by beaches and nestled in by tall cliffs. And what a city it is. Palermo is filled with loud and passionate
23 Fabulous Things to Do in Palermo, Italy, Sicily’s Sizzling Capital Read More »
When it comes to the best Italy landmarks to see before you die, the list is daunting. Are you really going to be able to make it to Lake Como and the Vatican, Pompeii and the Ponte Vecchio, Cinque Terre and the Canals of Venice? It’s impossible to see all of Italy in a single
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Tropea Italy is one of the most spectacular seaside towns in the Mediterranean — yet it’s almost undiscovered by tourists outside Europe. Italian tourists, however, have been in the loop for quite some time. I recently visited Tropea for the first time, on a long weekend trip exploring the region of Calabria. People say that
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Driving in Italy was a huge fear of mine for far too long. Despite traveling in Italy several times a year, having lived in Italy, and having traveled to most of Italy’s regions, I had done all of my exploring by train because driving seemed too hard. A few years ago, I was hired for
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Have you heard of the Aeolian Islands in Sicily? I’ve been dreaming about traveling to the Aeolian Islands (Isole Eolie) since my semester in Florence in 2004. I huddled over my Let’s Go: Italy guidebook, reading about a Sicilian archipelago with lava-spewing volcanoes and black sand beaches. Finally, I got my chance 17 years later.
Aeolian Islands, Sicily: A Detailed Travel Guide Read More »
Italy is a dream destination — and one of the countries that I know best. It is a country that I have lived in, visited dozens of times, and am actually in right now as I write this. (Well, when I started it, at least. Started in Ferrara, finishing up in Prague.) And I’ve eaten
What NOT to Do in Italy Read More »
Sicily travel kicked my ass and nearly destroyed me. I did not expect that. Italy is my zone. I go to Italy once or twice a year. I’ve visited 17 of Italy’s 20 regions. I lived in Florence for four months. I speak Italian (not as well as I used to, yet more than enough to get
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