Italian Travel (Page 4)

BUON NATALE! Celebrate Italian Style… with Sweets… and Angels and Music…On this Holy Night! (Click for Pavarotti & Domingo’s marvelous version) Auguri to You and Yours!Read More →

  50 Places inRome, Florence, and VeniceEvery Woman Should Go   Discover the Best Places in Italy’s Big Three for Women… Art that glorifies feminine curves in Florence… Cooking Class with a Roman Mamma… Artisan lacemaking in Venice… And so many more beautiful and delicious pleasures! Savvy traveler girlfriend Susan Van Allen gives you everything you need to make your Italian vacation dreams come true! A Perfect Holiday Gift! Click here to read more. Available at your local bookstore, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.Read More →

How lucky we are to have two savvy traveling women here to give their advice for a Golden Day in Alghero, on the island of Sardinia… Maria Paola Loi is a Sardinia native and licensed English-speaking tour guide who gives tours on all parts of the island. She co­authored the app, Sardinia Inside Out , where you’ll find lots of good information about where to go and tips for visiting the island. Martha Bakerjian writes the Italy Travel site on About.com. Her first experiences in Italy were on the island of Sardinia, where she spent 5 summers doing the shopping and cooking for a groupRead More →

 We are moving on to the magical island of Sardinia. On my first visit there, I stayed in Cagliari, just in time for their amazing celebration that begins every May–the Feast of Sant’ Efisio. It’s one of the grandest and most colorful religious celebrations in the world–There was a 3 hour parade… gorgeous Sardinians in traditional costumes accented with gold jewelry, riding in carriages bedecked with flowers, pulled by bulls, accompanied by soulful music… a breathtaking experience. I’m grateful to have connected with Lexa Dudley, an author who has a great passion for Sardinia, and has written a romance, “The Whispering Wind” that’s set on the island…Read More →

It has been great to connect with Monia Magalotti, whose passion for her hometown of Rimini is infectious. Monia is a Rimini tour guide who loves showing travelers all the pleasures of this place. I’ve been intrigued by Rimini ever since I saw the Federico Fellini Oscar Award Winning Masterpiece, Amarcord, which was inspired by his childhood here. The town has named their airport in his honor! I’m so grateful Monia has joined in to share with us her advice for a Golden Day in Rimini: .  Rimini is known worldwide as a seaside resort and as the hometown of the movie director Federico Fellini, but it is also aRead More →

 Coming in October…A New Book!   Following the critically acclaimed 100 Places in Italy Every Woman Should Go, Susan Van Allen adds new gems to her selection of the best spots for female travelers in Italy’s most popular cities, (Rome, Florence, and Venice), along with enticing Golden Day itineraries to make vacation dreams come true. Like a savvy traveler girlfriend whispering in your ear, she guides readers to masterpieces where women are glorified — from Rome’s Pieta to Florence’s Birth of Venus, best spots for wine tasting, chocolate, and gelato, artisan shopping experiences to meet leather craftsmen or glass blowers, and places for adventures — fromRead More →

BUON FERRAGOSTO! August 15 is a Big Beautiful Holiday in Italy, that will be celebrated a bit more low-key this year. The tradition goes way back to the days of the Roman Empire, when it was the Festival Holidays of the Emperor Augustus. The Goddess Diana was at the center of the revels, symbolizing the cycle of fertility, and all were grateful for the summerdays of sunshine and ripening…Here’s Diana in a Villa D’Este fountain. What looks like breasts actually represent bull’s testicles, as bulls were sacrificed at the Temple of Mother Goddess Diana in Ancient Times. Along came Catholocism, and the holiday switched to centerRead More →

  I discovered the Superstar Ceramicist  Laura Silvagni while reading Laura Morelli’s  wonderful book, Made in Italy, a MUST READ for anyone interested in the backstage story of Italian artisans. One of the many artisans Made in Italy features is Laura Silvagni, who is from the town of Faenza in Emilia-Romagna, a place that has been renowned for ceramics since the Renaissance. Of  the many patterns Faenza is famous for, I love the Garofano (carnation style), that was inspired by French and Asian ceramics and became popular here in the 18th century. Laura Silvagni brings a new interpretation of traditional Faenza designs to her work, that’s been praised internationally. Her hand paintedRead More →

I’m so grateful Pierpaolo Zoffoli of the DiRavenna project  is back to give us more of his advice for exploring the Ravenna coast. Here’s his insider’s tips for a Golden Day on the Seaside of Ravenna…         Start out with an adventure! Take a boat trip to Spinaroni Island. This is an amazing tour in the Pialassa, the lagoon outside Ravenna, including a World War II itinerary, where you’ll learn about Partisan Brigades, those brave ones who formed an underground Italian resistance group, fighting Nazis and fascists. Click here for more info. (2 hour trip, 15 euros). Or, if you’d prefer to bike in theRead More →

It was a delight to discover the DiRavenna project, created by a group of passionate bloggers, photographers, and videographers who tell stories about the amazing Emilia Romgna town that they live in. Ravenna is a stunning spot, that was capital of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century, and then a center of the Byzantine Empire in Italy from the 6th to the 8th centuries. What remains from that glorious time are beautiful mosaics, in 8 buildings that have been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Ravenna historic center is largely pedestrian only, and a wonder to explore. The DiRavenna project shows off the manyRead More →