walks Archives - Gazing and Grazing

A Food Tour is an Ideal Way to See Catania

August 19th, 2018

If they say that food is a window to a culture, then a food walking tour in Catania gives us great insight into Sicily. In my view, Catania is an ideal place to do a food tour as I think its fish market is more interesting than Palermo's Vucceria Market and the city is also a bit smaller so the key sites can also be seen along the way. We booked our food tour through Streaty, which I think has put together a nice three hour program in Catania. Highlights included a visit to Catania's Duomo,...

A Soggy Sicilian Ramble on Mt Etna

July 17th, 2018

I had visions of flying my drone to film sweeping panoramas as we hiked along Mt Etna's crater but alas, bad weather meant I settled for some misty photos and a soggy but still enjoyable ramble. Sicily equals sunshine unless you happen to visit during a week long rainstorm, which I'm assured is unusual. So, just our luck but we didn't let it dampen on our day out to Mt Etna too much. What helped was having a very good guide who led us through the forest to lava caves, gave a lesson in...

Four Days in Italy’s Dolomites

June 29th, 2017

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...

Tre Cime in Italy’s Dolomites is a Must-Do Walk

June 17th, 2017

We left the best for last after three days in the Dolomites with a walk at Tre Cime. This walk had the right amount of length for those looking for a bit more exploration while not being at all difficult. The views are as stunning as they were in our previous walks at Cinque Torri and route 20 from Lagazuoi to Scotoni. And it wasn't just because the weather was perfect.

Tre Cime is so called because of its three peaks - rocky towers that rise on a crest that overlooks Lake Misura. In...

Lago di Braies in Italy’s Dolomites

May 28th, 2017

Faced with a cold, wet day in Italy's Dolomites, we opted to visit Lago di Braies and were pleasantly surprised. Our B&B hostess recommended we visit this alpine lake given its easy access and knowing that rain would keep us from doing longer walks. So even though I'm sure the place would be stunning on a clear day, the mist and drizzle didn't make the views any less spectacular.

Also known as the "Pearl of the Dolomites", Lago di Braies is located around a 45 minute drive north of...