Pavia
September 26, 2008The small university town of Pavia is just a 25-minute train ride south of Milan, and is a great daytrip. Check out these suggestions for more great short trips from Milan. The town itself has a castle, some gorgeous churches,…
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What to do on Ischia island
September 24, 2008The island of Capri is pretty well-known. But less well-known to foreign tourists is the island of Ischia, less than an hour by boat from Naples, and equally worthwhile. Take my recommendations below for what to do on Ischia island. Natural Hot Springs Ischia…
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Aperitivo in Italy
September 18, 2008Aperitivo in Italy is a thing. The word aperitivo means a pre-dinner drink, which Italians have been doing for years, but in the past decade or so the term has broadened to mean a drink that comes with a pretty…
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Isola Maddalena, Sardinia
September 17, 2008Sure, one can go to the Emerald Coast, aka the Costa Smeralda of Sardinia (between Palau and Olbia on the northeast side of the island), vacation with the Who’s Who of Italy, and do some yacht-watching. One could even stay at the famous…
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Gubbio, Umbria
September 15, 2008The Umbrian town of Gubbio is worth a visit and I suppose could be done in a daytrip from southern Tuscany. But personally I'd take 10 days in Umbria and hit Gubbio, Perugia, Assisi, Spoleto, Todi and Orvieto – more or less in…
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What to see in Lake Como
September 12, 2008My recommendations for what to see in Lake Como are written below as a daytrip from Milan, but it’s not possible to do all of this in one day. Take the short train ride from Milan to Como (check timetables at www.trenitalia.it) and…
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What to do on Lake Maggiore
September 10, 2008Usually when people refer to “The Italian Lakes”, they mean Lakes Maggiore, Como and Lugano. Sometimes they also mean Lake Garda but that is several hours to the east. The three most famous lake, along with many other small ones…
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Locanda Dell’Amorosa
September 08, 2008When I travel as a tourist, I usually choose a hotel that is purely functional: comfortable and quiet, so I can get a good night's sleep; and centrally located so I can maximize tourist time. This means that in Italy I…
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Villa del Casale in Piazza Armerina, Sicily
September 05, 2008Mosaics depicting bikini-clad girls exercising? A scantily clad couple very involved in each other? African animals and a boar hunt? A man holding a large bird? Where are the saints, angels and religious motifs? Answer: there aren’t any. If you’ve…
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