Italy’s Autogrill cookbooks
June 28, 2010After my interview and the discussion about (among other things) the Autogrill cookbooks on theEye on Italy podcast, I got the books out to check the publisher and locate them online. I didn’t find evidence that they could be purchased…
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The Baptistery doors in Florence: So what?
June 21, 2010Asking yourself “So what?” or “what’s the big deal?” is a great starting point when looking at any famous work of art in Italy. Yes, it’s probably aesthetically impressive, but it may be equally significant because of its historical context….
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Lake Maggiore with kids
June 17, 2010Boats, trains, cable cars, beaches, and castles: I wrote about all this and more, plus restaurant and accommodation suggestions over at ItaliaKids.com, so go read about what to do with kids on Italy’s Lake Maggiore. Photo of Cannero castle by…
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Trompe l’oeil art in Italy: five favorite works
June 07, 2010Trompe l’oeil is a French phrase meaning to trick the eye, so artists have used this technique for centuries to create the illusion of space or depth. I love the fun trompe l’oeil “windows” on the buildings in the seaside town of Camogli,…
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Castles with kids: How to choose a castle and ensure the kids love it
May 24, 2010Most of the trips I plan for families include a castle, because every parent knows that kids love castles! If you’d like to put a castle on your Italy itinerary, here are some tips on finding the perfect castle,…
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Italy off the beaten track: A seven week itinerary
May 19, 2010How would you spend your time if you had seven weeks to travel in Italy? My husband and I had that opportunity before we moved from Milan to the USA, and because I get the “what should I see in Italy”…
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Le Gattare: Caretakers of Italy’s stray cats
May 10, 2010If you’ve been to Rome, you may have noticed the stray cats hanging out in the Colosseum or the Forum. Maybe you even visited the cat sanctuary located in Largo di Torre Argentina (photo above), where cats have called home since…
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Five favorite Italian words
May 03, 2010I was tagged by Melanie at the Italofile blog to write a post about five of my favorite Italian words, which I thought would be a lot of fun. So here they are, plus the reasons I picked them: Via!…
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The Sacra di San Michele: a magical Abbey Outside Turin
April 26, 2010The 11th century Sacra di San Michele (Abbey of St. Michael) sits atop a hill about 30 minutes outside Turin and is the official Symbolic Monument of the Piedmont Region. Adding to the magic of the place are a couple interesting…
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Write a blog post for Italy Beyond the Obvious
Would you like to write a blog post to be published on Italy Beyond the Obvious? Read this first.
