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My sisters and I had an extraordinary time traveling through Sicily with an AutoEurope Car Rental in springtime— on roads bordered by blooming ginestra and poppies. It’s wonderful to discover the island on a road trip, as there are so many beautiful places that can be complicated to reach by train or bus. And who wants complications on an Italian vacation? Auto Europe Car Rental made the adventure EASY – from their simple online reservation system to a clear contract with no hidden costs. I’ve rented with them for decades and they’ve always come through with the best prices and great customer service. Traveling byRead More →

A ferry ride from Naples, across  the sparkling sea, takes you to the wonderful island of Ischia. Ischia gives travelers a fabulous combination of La Dolce Vita glamour, rich history, and a folksy Neapolitan scene in its villages—along with fantastic southern Italian food—pizza, seafood pastas, and the best bruschetta al pomodoro I’ve ever eaten! You may have seen Ischia’s famous castle in the 1999 movie, “The Talented Mr. Ripley” or its beautiful beaches more recently, in episodes of HBO’s “My Brilliant Friend”. I fell in love with Ischia decades ago, when I arrived in Italy after a long trip from the USA. Like many travelers,Read More →

The magic of Venice expands beyond its borders, to the Veneto — a region rich with beauties and deliciousness. I admit it wasn’t easy to pull myself away from Venice and explore its surroundings. But since my first visit to Padua, over 20 years ago, I’ve been enchanted by all I’ve discovered — from breathtaking masterpieces of art and architecture to transformational spa experiences, and elegant towns that aren’t overcrowded with tourists. To add to its appeal, extraordinary tastes, beloved worldwide, originated in the Veneto — including tiramisu and prosecco. Come with me and wonderful women in June, for Extra Golden Days in the Veneto: ForRead More →

December 13 — Feast of Saint Lucy Celebrate the Saint of Light and Sight, Italian Style Today is Saint Lucy’s Feast Day, where Hope comes to dark winter days The festa also brings me back to Siracusa, Sicily, and the island of Ortygia, where she is honored, along with other amazing females… Ortygia’s Duomo is built around the remains of a Greek Temple that honored the Goddess Athena, patron of Wisdom, Craftsmanship and Heroic Endeavors, who became Minerva to the Romans. Sprung from the head of Zeus, Athena was a real career goddess who did such great things as guide Odysseus home, think up theRead More →

Once spring is near, I start dreaming about Rome…and artichoke season. Here’s an excerpt from “Hungry for Italy”: “Order carciofi,” (pronounced car-CHO-fee), is what I tell travelers who ask for advice about Rome. Sure, you can run around oohing and aahing over the Forum, Colosseum, and Sistine Chapel, but for the True Roman Experience, you have to stop and taste the artichokes. From late February to early May, overflowing crates of these green and purple-tinged beauties from surrounding farmlands begin to appear in the Eternal City. Signoras in smocks sit in the open air Campo dei Fiori market, peeling Carciofi Romaneschi with their tiny knives, as if they’re made of butter. InRead More →

Happy International Women’s Day! All over Italy on March 8, this holiday is celebrated with mimosa flowers, given by men to the women in their life, or by women to their friends… It’s a global day to celebrate all female achievements–past, present, and future. Courageous women began it in the early 1900s, holding demonstrations for the right to vote and for equal pay and working conditions.  The Union of Italian Women officially declared March 8 Women’s Day in 1945.The scent of mimosas is everywhere, reminding us that spring is near… Girlfriends get together and have fun…and maybe get a little wild…with Mimosa cocktails… AND Mimosa cake… Every State-Owned Museum in Italy offersRead More →

Where HBO’s “My Brilliant Friend” was filmed… 300 Gradini, means 300 steps, which is how you get from the road, Via Flacca, to this dreamy stretch of beach clubs. It’s part of a beautiful coastline south of Rome, named The Riviera of Ulisse, as it is said that Circe lured Ulysses and his crew here… and they stayed an entire year. I was lured to 300 Gradini, by Eleanore Ferrante’s “Neapolitan Novels” — that led to HBO making an extraordinary series of the first three books — with more to come. In the story, scenes take place at the beach of Cetara in Ischia, but for theRead More →

Happy International Women’s Day! All over Italy on March 8, this holiday is celebrated with mimosa flowers, given by men to the women in their life, or by women to their friends… It’s a global day to celebrate all female achievements–past, present, and future.Courageous women began it in the early 1900s, holding demonstrations for the right to vote and for equal pay and working conditions.  The Union of Italian Women officially declared March 8 Women’s Day in 1945.The scent of mimosas is everywhere, reminding us that spring is near…The flower is all aspects of womanhood — delicate looking, and strong to withstand storms. Girlfriends get together and have fun…and maybe get aRead More →

So much of the fun of Italian travel is Anticipation… In a few days I’ll discover someplace in Italy I’ve never been before…the Franciacorta wine region, north of Milan. Just a few weeks ago, back in Los Angeles, I was dreaming about it with my friend Pam, and wrote this: The cork pops, my heart leaps. My friend Pam and I clink glasses. “Salute” I say, just like my grandparents always toasted at childhood dinners. Of course, these days, toasting “To Health” carries a lot more weight. “Buon Viaggio!” toasts Pam. That lightens things up. This celebration is making it real. I’ve been watching Italy’s caseRead More →

Discovering Pleasures of this City of Towers, Tortellini, and Tette Whenever I’m in Italy I find myself standing next to a stranger, admiring a naked woman. Such as when I stood in Bologna’s Piazza Maggiore with a scholarly-looking signor, gasping over a naked nymph who was spouting water from her breasts. The sculpture, (accompanied by three sister nymphs), forms the base of the Fountain of Neptune. The stranger, Claudio Cento, is a local guide who I’d just met. Claudio is a serious type, but laughed as we circled the nymphs and I asked, “So is this why Bologna is famous for Three “T”s: Torre, Toretellini, and Tette?”. Claudio noddedRead More →