Venice for Kids

Liz Harper takes her eight-year-old daughter to Venice for her first experience of the Serenissima and finds plenty for kids to enjoy in the city… “Wow mum, look at that!” my daughter giggled, pointing at a large wooden boat that had arrived alongside our kayak on the Grand Canal. A well-dressed couple, sipping espressos, were […]

Amaretto Semifreddo

Semifreddo al amaretto ➤ Serves 4 ➤ Preparation 15 minutes plus 4 hours freezing ➤ Cooking 5 minutes This delicious iced dessert, which is almost an ice cream but not quite (semifreddo literally translates as ‘almost cold’), is very easy to make and truly wonderful, combining both amaretti biscuits and the liqueur to make a very grown-up dolce. The cream […]

Val Gardena

Hugo and Diana Seno, Melbourne, Victoria “The last rays of sunshine beam over the Dolomite mountains while driving through Val Gardena in the Veneto region.”

48 Hours in Mantua

Follow Marina Spironetti as she unveils the treasures of the cobbled city of Mantua, one of the most atmospheric places to visit in northern Italy… A year ago yet another earthquake shook most of northern Italy, causing considerable damage. When I went back to Mantua a couple of months ago, I did not know what to […]

Il Castello Sul Mare

The Castello sul Mare was built in 1551 as a defensive fort against pirates who had conducted raids, including the kidnappings of local civilians, in 1549… Standing by the water at Rapallo, on the Ligurian coast, the Castello sul Mare – also known as the Castello di Rapallo – connects by a small bridge to […]

Luna Hotel

For the ultimate in style and indulgence in Venice, you can’t do much better than the Luna Hotel Baglioni. Sally FitzGerald enjoys a weekend at La Serenissima’s oldest hotel… Leaning out over the padded velvet balcony, watching the sun set over the still waters of the lagoon, I think I may be as close to […]

Montepulciano D’Abruzzo Red Wine

Montepulciano D’Abruzzo: Reliable, mass produced and very drinkable, Hannah Bellis says there is life beyond house red for this southern grape… Anyone who has had more than a few glasses of red in their lifetime will have drunk Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. It is a famous name in that it is so widely available – it is […]

Gourmet Guide to Terra dei Messapi

This lesser-know region in idyllic central Puglia is fast becoming a foodie paradise, as Rachel Beckwith discovers as she visits the producers… Just a light lunch, they said. The heaving table in front of me suggests otherwise – it gives an audible creak every time our hostess balances yet another plate of food at the […]