What to do in Padua
October 19, 2009Here’s what I do in Padua – known as Padova in Italian – I wander, I eat, and I admire the city’s beauty. Just 20 minutes by train from Venice, the city of Padua is one of northern Italy’s best-kept secrets….
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Why are there holes in Italian buildings and towers?
October 16, 2009When I worked as a tour guide in Italy, I got this question pretty frequently from travelers who paid attention to architecture. Why are there holes in Italian buildings and towers? The photo below is of the clock tower in…
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5 Reasons to visit the town of Monza
October 12, 2009Only 10 minutes by train from Milan, and on the way to Lake Como, the bustling small town of Monza is a great escape from the big city. I lived in Monza as an exchange student in high school and…
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Doing business in Italy: 5 Tips for Foreigners
October 08, 2009When I moved to Italy for the third time, it was for an expatriate assignment at a company I’d been at for 4 years. It’s not an overstatement to say that the first few months were traumatic: finalizing my work…
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Unfinished Churches in Italy: Lessons in Project Management
October 05, 2009Imagine leading a project involving hundreds of workers, no email, lots of big egos, and with a timeline of several hundred years. And yet many such art & architecture projects have been very (!) successfully completed in Italy over the…
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The Best Things About Autumn Travel to Italy
October 02, 2009It’s October, and so I’m working on autumn departures. If autumn travel to Italy is possible for you, do it! Travelers get warm temperatures, fewer crowds, and it’s a fantastic time to go if you’re a foodie. On the other…
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Rome’s Coppede’ district: Fairies, Frogs and Spiders
September 21, 2009If you’d like to get off the beaten path while in Rome, head to the Coppede district in Rome. Walk through the arched entrance (photo below) to the Coppedè district of Rome into a world of architectural whimsy. Named after…
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The Sounds of Italy: Tapparelle
September 16, 2009There are certain sounds I associate with Italy: cicadas, from my summer in Brisighella; church bells, because I miss them every time I leave; the cacophony of a market; and – believe it or not – the sound of tapparelle…
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L’Aquila Italy: the Fountain of the 99 Spouts
September 14, 2009Fountains in Italy are a destination unto themselves. Perfect for a city scavenger hunt for the kids (or the kid in in anyone); a free, always-open and in situ work of art; and ideal for splashing yourself (not necessarily…
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