Portoferraio Travel Guide

Your guide to travelling in Portoferraio, Elba… What to see and do ACQUA DELL’ELBA Acqua dell’Elba, the island’s perfumer, creates fragrances based on Elba’s scents and colours, from deep blue to turquoise. The business does a lot to sponsor the arts and the environment in Elba. ELBA WINE ROAD The Costa degli Etruschi wine and […]

48 hours in Portoferraio

Spending a weekend in Elba’s capital Portoferraio is the best introduction to the island, says Jane Gifford Mythology has it that Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of beauty and love, was visiting one of her many lovers on the Italian mainland when she accidentally broke her string of pearls, and in doing so formed the Tuscan […]

48 Hours in Varese

Val Nicastro visits the “Garden City” north of Milan that is, among other things, home to a palace that one Italian poet described as “Little Versailles” With an enchanting old town, unmatched natural beauty and plenty to explore, Varese and its surroundings are one of Lombardy’s best-kept secrets. Only one hour’s drive from Milan and […]

Creamy Courgette and Ricotta Pasta

Pasta con crema di zucchine e ricotta This creamy courgette and ricotta pasta is full of fresh Italian flavour with a vibrant green courgette sauce and plenty of ricotta, of course! Courgettes are a wonderfully versatile vegetable. They’re also very forgiving for the novice gardener and require minimal attention. Pick them small and they can […]

Lecce: Puglia’s Baroque Lady

Amy McPherson takes a tour around the baroque city of Lecce in Puglia and discovers that there is a lot more to the ‘Florence of the South’ than meets the eye. It seems that I am eating all the time in Lecce, which I find makes it appropriate to use this simile: Lecce is like […]

Wellness in the mountains

Amy McPherson discovers the healing power of nature in the mountains and ancient forests of Trentino Images by Amy McPherson unless otherwise stated It has just rained. Soft, dense and moist autumn leaves cushion our steps, and I have the urge to pounce beneath the leafy heaps like a cat, to dig my paws into […]

Finders, Keepers

Discover how the finest treasures of Pompeii found their way to Naples with Joe Gartman Images by Patricia Gartman Let’s say you’re a well-connected citizen of Pompeii back in about 80 BC (don’t worry, it’s another century-and-a-half before Vesuvius is set to blow) and you’re invited to dinner at the most luxurious house in town. […]

Majella travel guide

Find some of the best places to stay, visit or eat while staying around Majella with Val Nicastro’s guide to the highlights of the area… What to see and do Hike the spiritual trail The Majella National Park offers visitors a vast network of fantastic hiking routes, including the fascinating Spiritual Trail, which runs for […]

Discover the city of Verona

Shakespeare may have put Verona on the map, but it’s the city’s rich history that makes it unforgettable ‘Fair Verona, where we lay our scene’ introduces William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, yet the world famous 16th-century play and its fabled locations are mere dots on the historic timeline of this impressive city nestled at the […]

Top 10 guide to Liguria

Rachael Martin is spoilt for choice as she picks out ten good reasons why Liguria is a favourite destination for all the family Images by Foto Archivio Agenzia In Liguria unless otherwise stated Home to the ancient Liguri and later the maritime Republic of Genoa, Liguria’s spectacular coastline, pastel-coloured villages, well-equipped beaches and mild climate […]