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Grazie to my dear Roman friend Gioia, who introduced me to Raffaele Ripoli, an architect from Scigliano, Calabria. Although Raffaele has also lived in Cosenza, Florence, Amsterdam, and near Rome and Milan–it’s Scigliano, in the region of Cosenza, set perfectly in the hills, between the sea and the Sila National Park, that is closest to his heart. His grandmother ran a bakery here, in a building from the 1800s, that sold bread to the whole village. Raffaele has now converted that building into Bed and Breakfast Calabria that’s beloved by travelers, where each room features an elegant, lovely design. Travelers come here to experience the soul of CalabriaRead More →

Happy International Women’s Day! (2016 update)   All over Italy 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.  Credits: PagineCorsare 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… At night, girlfriends get together and have fun…and maybe get a little wild… Every State-OwnedRead More →

Travel Journal Writing Workshop with author Susan Van Allen Monday, March 10 7 PM to 9 PM Distant Lands 20 S. Raymond Ave Pasadena, CA 91105 $39.00 To reserve write to: 100placesinitaly@gmail.com Limited to 12, so register early! A blank travel journal can become the most treasured souvenir of your trip. You can fill it with emotional snapshots–from expectations, to first impressions, to surprising discoveries. When you pick it up years later, this journal transports you back years and across miles. It reveals the truth of your experience, with all its twists, turns, and intimate details. This fun, interactive, workshop includes: *Guidance to create a journal that suitsRead More →

Through the miracles of the blogosphere, I have found a true adventurer: Susanne Crosetto. She is German born and married to an Italian, who is from Pizzo, Calabria. They lived in Beijing and now reside in Bangkok, but spend spring and summer in Pizzo. Susanne’s passions are writing, painting, and photography–she has beautiful photographs of Pizzo on her entertaining blog,  that documents the renovation she and her husband did of a 200 year old palazzo,transforming it into Palazzo Pizzo Residence. The residence is a gem of an accommodation, a one bedroom, beautifully designed, set on the edge of a cliff, with spectacular sunset views fromRead More →

I am grateful to have Whitney Hickey join the Golden Days in Italy team, as an excellent intern with a passion. Whitney fell madly in love with Italy in 2012 when she went to the Culturforum Italian Language School in Cefalu, on Sicily’s northern coast. She didn’t want to leave after the course ended, and happily accepted a job as a nanny with a Sicilian family for the summer. The experience completely immersed Whitney in Italian culture, including joining in with a family tradition: taking a vacation for the entire month of August, to enjoy the pleasures of Calabria. Here, Whitney shares her advice, that’s particularlyRead More →

Imitation is the highest form of flattery. And so we shall be flattered that Italians have adapted the American tradition of celebrating Valentine’s Day. They call it the Festa degli Innamorati, a holiday for lovers and sweethearts. Verona, the city of Romeo and Juliet, is celebrating big time: Amore is abundant in Italy, in many forms. For example, there’s the Art of Italian Flirtations–one of the country’s many pleasures, celebrated in an excerpt from my book, “Letters from Italy: Confessions, Adventures, and Advice”. THAT’S AMORE “I know a shrink in New York who sends women who are suffering from low self-esteem to Italy for aRead More →

I became a fan of Cherrye Moore’s My Bella Vita blog when she began it in 2006. The story of this adorable Texas native who fell in love with a southern Italian and left everything behind to begin a life with him (IN CALABRIA!) fascinated me. From the start Cherrye’s passion for her new home was clear, and her enthusiasm for learning new recipes, customs, and exploring new places was absolutely enchanting. It’s been gratifying to watch Cherrye’s business grow into My Bella Vita Travel, the premier genealogical travel company in southern Italy, specializing in ancestry tours to Calabria and custom vacations throughout Southern Italy. Her services, and theRead More →

Let’s move on to the region of Calabria, and make our first stop a town at the bottom of Italy’s boot: Tropea. Tropea is dramatically set above the sparkling sea,  an evocative mix of crumbling baroque buildings, Piazzas that look like opera sets, and views out to the volcanic island of Stromboli, that continuously bursts forth with glowing fireworks.  I visited Tropea a few springs ago, as a guest of In Italy Tours  The company was created by Tania Pascuzzi, a charming Australian-Italian whose parents were born in Calabria, and then emigrated to Melbourne. Tania grew up around delicious Calabrian food, moved on to work for manyRead More →

I’m happy to have connected with Cinzia Rascazzo, a native of Lecce, who with her sister Marika founded the Stile Mediterraneo Cooking School. The school celebrates southern Italian cuisine, that’s been handed down in their family from mother to daughter for generations (As Cinzia says: “No Italian men were ever admitted into the home kitchen!”). Cinzia has a beautiful blog, with great travel advice for the area and also recipes, for such classics as Orecchiette with Cime di Rapa , that was featured in La Cucina Italia magazine. And check out the ebook they wrote: The Cuisine of Southern Italian Women: Mediterranean Secrets for aRead More →

JULY 30, 2014: THIS TRIP IS SOLD OUT! Sign on to the mailing list on Susan Van Allen’s website to get news about Golden Weeks in Italy in 2015!   How about joining author Susan Van Allen for a Beautiful Italian Adventure this fall? 2014 will be her Third Annual Golden Week in Italy… Raves are in for the last two: “A wonderful Italian experience of a lifetime for all of us!!”–Gayle, from Chandler, Arizona, Golden Week guest 2013 This year we’ll discover Southern Italy, aka The Mezzogiorno… “Susan’s humor, knowledge, and surprises really made this vacation one of my very favorites!”–Lynda, Boston It will beRead More →