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….
Read more →
One day in Livorno
April 12, 2010Most of the inquiries I get about Livorno are from travelers arriving by cruise ship who want help planning one day in the area. I wouldn’t consider Livorno to be one of Italy’s top destinations, but that can be…
Read more →
What to see in Assisi
March 29, 2010The first time I went to Assisi was on a high school trip as an international exchange student. My principal knew I was having tough time acclimating to my new home, so invited me on all the class trips…
Read more →
What to do in Volterra, Tuscany
March 01, 2010There’s off the beaten track and then there’s way off the beaten track. Volterra, Tuscany has both. Spend half a day in this tiny medieval Tuscan hilltown (pop: 12,000) without the tourist crowds of say, nearby San Gimignano. Here are…
Read more →
What to see in Orvieto, Umbria
February 01, 2010If you’re wondering what to see in Orvieto, I will challenge you: just try to drive by it. You won’t be able to. My first visit to Orvieto happened when I was driving through Umbria on my way to somewhere…
Read more →
Off the Beaten Track in Tuscany: the Abbey of San Galgano
January 18, 2010The atmospheric Abbey of San Galgano is about half an hour from Siena and a little over an hour from Florence, but if you’re looking for a Tuscan stop with very few foreign tourists, this is it. Take a photo of…
Read more →
Bagno Vignoni, Tuscany
December 07, 2009Known for its thermal waters and underwater piazza (seen in the photo below), the Tuscan town of Bagno Vignoni was the departure point for the 8-day Tuscany cycling trips I used to guide. We’d arrive by coach from Florence, and 25…
Read more →
Pienza Tuscany : 5 Reasons to visit
November 30, 2009There are more than five reasons to visit Pienza Tuscany but these are my favorites. The area is full of surprises: have you ever been moving along absorbed in your own thoughts, and seen something so gorgeous that it stopped…
Read more →
Cycling in Tuscany
November 20, 2009When I worked guiding cycling tours in Italy, the first question I got in the mornings over breakfast was Where are the hills on today’s route? People had booked their trips having understood the level of difficulty of the trip,…
Read more →
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.
