“You either love it or you hate it,” said a friend of mine. It was the first thing I ever heard about the Italian city of Naples, and the phrase’s authenticity remains intact after all these years. Naples is unlike any other city in Italy: It is busy, loud, and dirty on one hand (many …
Cantine Aperto Wine Festival On the last Sunday in May, Italy’s wineries fling open their doors and invite visitors to sample their creations. Cantine Aperte, which translates to Open Wineries, is best described as a countrywide wine party: It allows travelers to visit nearly every winery in Italy without making a reservation in advance. The …
Truffle Hunting in Puglia, Italy “Every day is a good day for truffle hunting,” says Giuseppe Lolli, winemaker, restaurant owner, and truffle hunter. Giuseppe hunts for truffles in the Puglia and Basilicata regions of Italy: two regions where few people know truffles exist. Giuseppe aims to change this. He is the lead organizer of the …
Things to Do in Lecce Italy Lecce Italy is a city of 90,000 located about as far south on the Italian boot as you can go. And though it is not well known—or perhaps because of this—it took my breath away when I first stumbled upon it three years ago. Intricate Baroque sculptures pop out of …
Alba Truffle Festival One of the most important festivals in Italy, the Alba Truffle Festival, celebrates one the rarest and most highly prized cooking ingredients in the world: the white truffle. In the fall, the famous Alba, Italy Alba White Truffle Festival fills the town with thousands of gourmets looking to sample and procure the exotic …
Umbria’s Traditional Foods written by Matti Bamman I wanted to learn more about Umbria’s traditional foods, especially that strange Norcian mortadella with the chunk of mystery meat inside. When I found the store, Il Parma Delizie Alimentari, with a large man carving meat behind the counter, I knew I had the right place. Pecorino Cheese …
A Summer Jaunt through Puglia – Another Side of Italy You’ve experienced Rome, the domes of Florence, the beauty of Tuscany, the sea spray of Amalfi – where to next? Italy is home to a wealth of incredible regions and hotspots, some far more touristy than others. For a taste of something a little off …
Need five reasons to drink Turkish wine on your next visit to Turkey? The country’s wines are quickly growing in prominence worldwide, and it’s no wonder why. First, the world’s very first wines were likely made in the region. Second, Turkey ranks sixth in the world in total grape production. Third, the only countries that …
Thanks to free museums and stunning architecture, London is frequently the first stop for many travelers going to Europe. This means that London is also where many travelers face jet lag. Thankfully, this dynamic city offers plenty of fun and surprising activities to keep you awake, from climbing to the top of its O2 Arena …
For years, I flew from point A to point B without even thinking about the cities in which I had layovers. In Europe, I had stopovers in London, Paris, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, and more, and I never really thought about the fact that these cities’ magnificent sights and cultures lay just outside the airport walls. Then …