Four Days in Italy’s Dolomites

Tre Cime Dolomites

Four days in Italy's Dolomites is not enough but it's better than none. This area is best known for its skiing in the winter. But it was great visiting in the early fall when you can walk the ski routes, and presumably nice in the summer too. I think I'll aim to come again in either late May or September when I imagine the weather will be close to perfect. The Dolomites are easily accessible from either Verona or Venice. It's a three hour drive from Verona to La Villa, where we stayed, or...

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Cinque Terre – 48 Hours in Italy’s Prettiest Villages

Cinque Terre

Cinque Terre has to be one of the most memorable parts of the world. The pastel buildings of the five fishing villages hugging the steep hills, encroaching into the pristine blue sea as seen in the photo of Manarola at dusk has to be one of the more iconic travel photos ever taken. This is great place for walkers and amateur photographers with the villages linked by a series of hiking paths and amazing scenery at every bend. The five fishing villages (hence Cinque Terre which means five...

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Sicily – Road Trip from Palermo to Catania

View of Mt Etna at sunrise from the roof of the UNA Hotel Palace in Catania

The scenic route between Palermo and Catania this past April, gave us a chance to enjoy more of Sicily's rural scenery. Although taking the SS120 was not wholly our choice but due to a landslide that damaged the A19 expressway linking the two cities, it nonetheless worked out fine for us. We savored the area's famous fungi over lunch at Ristorante Veneziano in Randazzo near Mt. Etna. And once in Catania, we took a morning walk to its main fish market.

So it was much longer ride of...

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Palermo – Squeezing in the City Highlights in a Half Day

Palatine chapel in Palermo

We spent our free morning in Palermo, before going to our Cusamano winery visit, with a walk around the city's old town and a drive to the sea. The highlights for me were a visit to the opera house, the Cappella Palatino and despite the decay, the city's old town store fronts. Palermo is grungy - more third world in feel - but this makes for some interesting photos and if you're a Godfather movie buff, there are a number of familiar spots.

1. Teatro Massimo - Palermo's Opera...

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Southwestern Tuscany – A Day of Wine, Pasta and Wall Views

Magliano sun set

Southwestern Tuscany, namely the province of Grosseto in the Maremma area,  is not as well visited as the rest of the region but I was out here in April to pay a visit to a winery and found some great food and views along the way. This was our fist stop in a wine tour of Italy, and the highlights here include a visit to the Mantellassi winery, the walled cities of Pitigliano and Magliano and the best tortello of our trip.

We stayed at the Borgo Magliano which I imagine would be filled...

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