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Ciao Amici! Happy to tell you that the 6th year of the Discover Italy panel at the New York Times Travel Show was a huge success. We: me, Kathy McCabe of Dream of Italy, Beth Rubin of Select Italy, Brandon Shaw (The Roman Guy), and Kenny Dunn (Eating Europe Tours)–loved sharing our experience and travel advice with the packed house of Italy enthusiasts…. It was such a fun, informative session, full of laughs, and great questions from the audience, that ended with us sharing some tips on how to save money. We’re all ears when it comes to that! *Book your train tickets early (for theRead More →

Ciao Amici! I’m so grateful that 2016 included the release of the Third Edition of “100 Places in Italy Every Woman Should Go.” Wonderful surprises have come into my life since this book first hit the stands in 2009. It’s been thrilling to hear from travelers who enjoyed discovering new places and experiences through its pages, and that the book added so much fun to their Italian travels. Here’s a Sneak Preview/Excerpt… It’s the Perfect Gift for the Italophile in your life… AVAILABLE at your Local Bookstore, AMAZON, and BARNES & NOBLE PREFACE I fell in love with Italy at a dining room table in Newark,Read More →

Outside Acerenza’s historic center, grazie to Salverio Cancerllera and Antonella D’Andria, I met some of the village’s finest artisans…In a cave at Le Cantine del Grillo.. There was rich, soulful Aglianico…straight out of the barrel… Next was Il Re dei Panettoni=King of Panettone, Vincenzo Tiri, at his humble, family run bakery… Vincenzo rocked the Panettone World, twice winning the Grand Prize in Milan for this Christmas time sweetbread…a triumph for this young, 35-year old baker in a remote southern region, AND quite a surprise, as Panettone is a specialty of the north… Making Vincenzo’s parents in this family run bakery, (since 1957), very proud… Tiri’s panettone is a taste bud revelation. He’s a genius/master,Read More →

Last May, I had the great pleasure of discovering Acerenza, Basilicata…AND to meet the mayor=Sindaco Fernando Scattone! The hilltop treasure is one of a group of villages designated by I Borghi Piu Belli d’Italia=The Most Beautiful Villages in Italy, which includes small hidden places up and down the boot that have maintained their architectural, cultural, and culinary traditions over the centuries. The Roman lyric poet Horace, born near Acerenza, described this spot as “an eagle’s nest”, perched above fertile plains, olive groves, surrounded by rivers. I can walk from one end of the walled medieval village to another in about ten minutes… But it’s so pleasant toRead More →

As amazing as it is to see the side of Matera that has been continuously inhabited and is being revitalized…on the other side of the ravine is the chance to see the Prehistoric Caves of Matera… Especially with Michelantelo Camardo, who lives in the Sassi and is passionate about the exploration of this natural treasure… Along with us was Antonella and expert guide Cesare, who opened the door to this church built into the rock, Cristo La Selva..where musical concerts are held during the summer season… And further along was this fantastic grotto…and place for a picnic… AND if you’re looking for a great B&BRead More →

To discover Matera is delving deep into Italy’s rich history. Deep, as in going back to the Paleolithic Age, when cave settlements began in Matera’s hillside rocks. What’s amazing is the area, in southern Basilicata, has been continuously inhabited since then–through classical Greek and Roman, medieval, baroque, and modern times, Matera’s Sassi=communities of dwellings built into the stones, grew and continue to change styles and shapes. In 1993 UNESCO recognized these Sassi as a World Heritage Site. And Matera has been named a European Capital of Culture for 2019. It’s a stunning place to experience a Golden Day. Mine began with meeting a native guide,Read More →

  Valerie Fortney-Schneider is a freelance writer with years of experience in the travel industry, and a history degree, who returned to her roots and created the company, My Bella Basilicata.  She guides travelers through the region and is also the woman to go to for genealogy research. Guests rave about the memorable vacations she creates for them, where they can go beyond finding birth or death records, to the villages where their ancestors were from, walk the streets and talk to the natives, sometimes find the houses where their grandparents lived and even distant relatives. Her writing showcases her passion for Basilicata, in various publicationsRead More →

We’ll continue our Golden Days in the southern region of Basilicata. My first visit to this beautiful under-touristed region was random. I had plans to visit my friend Tania of In Italy Tours in Calabria, and found I had a few days gap in my traveling schedule. Sitting with my laptop in Rome, musing over the train route,  inspiration came: Go To Your Pappa Land! My grandfather was born in Basilicata, on a farm in Vaglio, near Potenza, then worked in a pasticceria in Naples before boarding a ship for the American Dream. I have letters he wrote when he’d go back to visit, and a necklaceRead More →

Buona Befana! Tonight’s the night this dear signora rides through the night sky, sweeping away last year’s troubles with her broom, bringing in a Bright Happy New Year to All! Here’s an excerpt from my book, Letters from Italy, that tells my story of celebrating the holiday in Rome… Postcard from Rome: The Legend of La Befana* “There is no Santa Claus in Italy,” my Nana told me when I was a kid. I had nightmares of how awful Christmas must be over there. Nana said she had to wait until January 6, The Feast of the Epiphany, to get gifts. The presents came fromRead More →

I’m grateful to have found a Sardinia Travel Company, called Gaveena, Your Mate in Sardinia. On the island of Sardinia, Gaveena is the most typical female name, and since I’m drawn to all the ways the feminine is celebrated in Italy, I’m drawn to this company. They offer a great range of tours in Sardinia, from excursions on the seasides to culinary and archaeological packages, and trips that bring visitors to the interior wilderness areas. Manuel Cazzaniga is a travel specialist who founded Gaveena. He moved to Sardinia, from Monza, in the Lombardy region, about two years ago, and this company was inspired by, in his words,Read More →