A Tuscan Winery Experience at Sovestro in Poggio There is something life affirming about finding a place where it is apparent that a dream, hard work, perseverance, and commitment to excellence and family values can come together to create a unique place. Even though the future is uncertain (Irpide), and we know we will encounter little troubles (Tzibilotto) along the way, Sovestro in Poggio is a ... Read Full Article
Camino de Santiago: A Journey for the Body, Mind, and Soul
Camino de Santiago: A Journey for the Body, Mind, and Soul “A pilgrimage across northern Spain to the sanctuary at Santiago de Compostela is the finest journey in Spain,” wrote Pulitzer Prize winner, James Michener, in his non-fiction classic Iberia. The Camino de Santiago: At first it was hard to wrap my mind around taking six weeks to walk 500 miles from France through Spain, along a ... Read Full Article
Visiting Cascais: Jewel of the Portuguese Rivera
Visiting Cascais Portugal Cascais - Jewel of the Portuguese Rivera Once the playground of luminaries such as poet Fernando Pessoa and the Portuguese royal family, Cascais (pronounced kush-kaish) is rich in a sense of whimsical charm and character. Replete with winding laneways, contemporary art museums, and a pedestrianized old town with plenty to see and eat, it's no wonder Cascais is now – as ... Read Full Article
Isadora Duncan – Dancing in the Temple of the Arts in Athens
Dancing in the Temple of the Arts in Athens Isadora Duncan On a high hillside in the Athens municipality of Byronos stands a Mycenaean stone building that once was the home of the flamboyant dancer, Isadora Duncan. It’s a steep climb up the hill, but the view from the top is worth the effort, with vistas out over almost the entire city. The house, once known as “The Temple of Dance” was built ... Read Full Article
Hunting Down the Best Tapas Bars in Granada
Hunting Down (a few of) the Best Tapas Bars in Granada Sincere congrats and daggers of jealousy: You’ve landed in Granada, and you’re ready to eat and drink your way through town. You’ve heard that this city – unique to Spain in so many ways – is particularly unique when it comes to gastronomic custom: that is, every bar in town dishes out complimentary tapas with each drink purchased. Pretty ... Read Full Article
Tuscany Foods: Where “Cooked Water” is a Culinary Wonder
Where “cooked water” is a culinary wonder - Tuscany Foods The Maremma, Italy’s version of the Wild West, includes southern Tuscany and part of Lazio. Its famed cowboys, the butteri, herd cattle here, and the land not used for stock animals is dedicated to farmlands and vineyards. Farmers and cowboys alike have big appetites and the cooking that has developed to satisfy them is likewise hearty ... Read Full Article
Enchantments in the “Etruscan triangle” of Southern Tuscany
Southern Tuscany - Enchantments in the “Etruscan Triangle” A triangle of villages in southern Tuscany contain treasures undiscovered by American travelers. Sorano, Sovana, and Pitigliano nestle 50 miles southeast of Grosseto, close to the border with Lazio, and offer much to visitors above and beyond what you expect in southern Tuscany, i.e., good food, great wine, medieval village ... Read Full Article
Tuscany Regions: Exploring Etruscany
Tuscany Regions: Exploring Etruscany For most foreigners, a tour of Tuscany means Florence, Pisa, Siena, San Gimignano, and maybe Lucca. While these well-known cities and towns exemplify the Tuscany region’s medieval treasures, its history encompasses far more than the Medici, Michelangelo, and all that. The enigmatic Etruscans were a major civilization of ancient Italy, and a little-visited ... Read Full Article
Best Pizzerias in Naples – What makes Neapolitan Pizza so special?
Best Pizzerias in Naples - What makes Neapolitan Pizza so special? When is a pizza more than leavened bread with a choice of toppings? When it is cooked by a pizzaiolo (pizza maker) from Naples, for whom it is a memory of childhood, a history of the city, a key to socialization, or a lifeboat of salvation. Pizza in Naples is more than just a culinary experience and here is a list of the best ... Read Full Article
Easter in Spain: Tips for Tourists
Make the most of Easter in Spain Tips for Easter in Spain Easter, or Semana Santa in Spanish, is the most important religious holiday of the country. More important than Christmas and it also lasts a lot longer. Although the word ‘semana’ (week) indicates a week, the entire festivities cover more like two weeks, during which time most of public life grinds to a halt. Everybody is gearing up to ... Read Full Article