Published on Monday, July 25, 2011 by Kathy McCabe You practically can't get more different experiences than a small city famous for its almond candies and a town famous for its snakes. Where to find these experiences? In the region of Abruzzo... Ever wonder where those colorful sugar-covered almonds called confetti come from? Sulmona is their birthplace and you can’t walk the city’s main street, Corso Ovidio, ...

Published on Friday, July 15, 2011 by Kathy McCabe So you think you've eaten well in Italy? Suspend all judgment until you've visited the region of  Puglia, where the Mediterranean sun waves its magic wand to produce a true bounty of magnificent, flavorful gifts. Here are some examples of the fresh ingredients Puglia produces and how they combine in simple, yet mouth-watering ways: Olive oil: The ancient  olive t...

Published on Wednesday, July 6, 2011 by Kathy McCabe When Eataly, the giant Italian food and wine emporium and experience, opened in New York last year it got tons of buzz. But for the true and bigger Eataly experience, I recommend you visit the very first Eataly which opend in Turin in 2007. Located in the former Carpano Vermouth production plant, Eataly was founded by Oscar Farinetti in alliance with Slow Food, the...

Published on Sunday, June 5, 2011 by Kathy McCabe Italy and opera are so intertwined, one would almost think that the form was born in Italy. If you're a music buff and traveling to Italy, especially during the summer, don't miss the chance to see a live performance in the country that has given so much to the art form. Opera began in Italy around 1600 and the Italian language came to be so perfect for singing that m...

Published on Wednesday, May 11, 2011 by Kathy McCabe If you’re traveling between Italy's cities, you should consider going by train. Enjoy the ride, look out at the lovely countryside and even take a nap while you’re whisked from one city to another. If you’re traveling between Italian cities, the train is definitely the way to go. For major city routes, hop on the Eurostar train, which will get you where you’re...

Published on Tuesday, May 10, 2011 by Kathy McCabe Did you know that Italians absolutely adore children? Maybe it has to do with their family-oriented culture as well as the fact that the country of Italy has a fairly low birth rate so there just aren't as many little ones around. This means Italy is the perfect place for a family vacation! And within Italy, absolutely consider taking the kids to Rome — with all of ...

Published on Tuesday, May 10, 2011 by Kathy McCabe Anytime is a great time to go to Italy. There is no right or wrong month to visit the Italian boot. Italy is filled with tourists between June and September. So if you’re traveling during this period, expect to have plenty of company. You want to make sure that you’re either on an organized Italy tour or that you have booked all of your Italy travel arrangements a...

Published on Tuesday, May 3, 2011 by Kathy McCabe Don’t let the fact that you don’t speak Italian intimidate you. Most of the Italians you will meet, especially in the cities, will speak at least a few words of English and many speak the language fairly fluently. Those working in tourism depend on English-speaking visitors for their livelihoods and thus try to speak English. It’s a good idea to try to learn ...

Published on Monday, May 2, 2011 by Kathy McCabe If it is your first time to Italy and you’re concentrating on visiting Italy's big cities, you’re not going to need to rent a car, in fact, it would be more hassle than anything. Parking (not to mention actually driving in city traffic) in Italian cities is extraordinarily challenging and chances are you will need to park in your hotel garage which would likely ch...