Category: Italy
Vacation Rentals in Sicily and Beyond
The popularity of vacation rentals in Sicily has sky-rocketed in the last few years as travelers look for destinations within Italy that are authentic and off-the-beaten-path. Who wouldn’t want to rent a villa or an apartment on this island – maybe with a pool and an ocean view – and have space to spread out […]
We Loved the Palio in Siena, Italy
This trip report was contributed by Debbie Tucker of Del Mar, California. On Friday afternoon, August 16, 2013, my husband and I were on a private balcony above the Piazza del Campo in Siena, Italy, sipping Prosecco as a crowd of 32,000 filled the square. We were part of a small group of Americans who […]
We Have a Winner
AND THE WINNER IS… The randomly selected winner of our Food and Wine Adventure in Tuscany is Andrea Cafarelle. Congratulations Andrea! I will contact you through the email address you provided when you subscribed to Authentic Luxury Travel. I hope you enjoy your week at Il Campo Cucina with Marlane Miriello and her team of Tuscan […]
Florence – 6 Insider Tips
This guest post was written by Marlane Miriello, owner of Il Campo Cucina – a unique cooking school in Radicondoli – 30 minutes south of Florence. You can Win a Food and Wine Adventure in Tuscany at Il Campo Cucina if you enter the contest before midnight PST on Sunday, August 4, 2013. Visiting Florence, one of the […]
YOGA, Food and Wine in Tuscany
I’ve just heard the details for the Il Campo Cucina Yoga Retreat in Tuscany, September 21-28,2013 and it sounds like the perfect dream week. If you’ve already entered to Win A Food And Wine Adventure in Tuscany, remember that you can use the prize for the yoga+cooking week, as well as others that are on the […]
Win a Food and Wine Adventure in Tuscany
Learn about Tuscany’s farm-to-table cuisine at Il Campo Cucina – a unique cooking school located in a picturesque hill town near Siena. Meet the “teachers” – local women who hold classes in their homes, on their farms, and in other historic buildings. Discover the secret to making perfect lasagna, gnocchi, tiramisu and other traditional Italian […]
Tuscan Cooking School
It was a stroke of good luck that I met Marlane Miriello and heard about her Tuscan cooking school. The Italian-American was visiting with friends in San Diego who thought I might find her story interesting. Of course, I was – not just interested, but really interested. Marlane and I are both of Italian descent, and […]
Le Marche, Italy
Vera Marie Badertscher contributed this guest post. The first time I went to Italy, I wanted to see the popular cities, but I also wanted to settle in to one of the country’s lesser known places. One by one, I looked at various areas. The fact that I couldn’t find much information online about Le Marche, […]
Farmers Markets for Authentic Travelers
Farmers markets are great places to connect with the local lifestyle of a place you’re visiting. Luscious red tomatoes, carrots with frilly green tops…and what’s that spikey thing? It’s fun to see what’s grown nearby and get inside information – and maybe samples – from the vendors. Suddenly, dining out is more fun, as you order dishes […]
Italy – Discovering Authentic Tuscan Villages
One of the many joys of writing “Authentic Luxury Travel” is meeting people who share my love of real experiences and wandering off the beaten path. Case in point: Dear Elizabeth, I was just wondering if you could be interested in maybe suggesting some of your “followers” a trip to Italy – Tuscany, but a […]
A Villa In Sicily For the Holidays
I know you’re already thinking about the winter holidays. Americans will celebrate Thanksgiving on November 27, and many travelers around the world will observe Hanukkah, Christmas, and the New Year. Have you ever considered renting a villa in Sicily for the holidays? I’ve already written about vacation rentals in Maui , Tuscany and Florence – […]
Tuscany – Rome Luxury Hotel Package
The Hotel Majestic in Rome is one of my favorite places, so the press release about this Tuscany – Rome luxury hotel package caught my attention when it appeared in my email inbox. Here’s the deal: two nights at the Hotel Majestic and two nights at the Terme di Saturnia Spa & Golf Resort in […]
Saying Good-bye to Luciano Pavarotti
Luciano Pavarotti was a member of our family. Well, not really, but it seemed that way because my mother loved his music, and his voice was ever-present in our house. Normally a no-nonsense, hard-working homemaker, a faraway look would appear on her face when Pavarotti sang O Sole Mio, and I knew she was thinking […]
Insider Tips – Exploring Northern Tuscany, Italy
Forte dei Marmi, Northern Tuscany, Italy When travelers think of Tuscany, it’s usually the splendid cities – Florence, Siena, Lucca, and Pisa – and the Chianti region that come to mind. However,things to do and sights to see are also located in the Versilia area of Northern Tuscany – a coastal section stretching from south […]
