Beekeeping in a Tuscan retreat

Amy McPherson takes a tour of the apiary of Borgo Pignano and finds a heaven not only for the guests enjoying the luxury surrounds of this Tuscan retreat, but also a sustainable paradise for the estate’s bees as well Francesca Orlandini carefully picks up a struggling bee from the ground, then deposits it in the […]

Engel Ayurpura: experience peak relaxation in this Ayurvedic hotel in the Dolomites

Looking for a relaxing break with a difference? – say hello to Engel Ayurpura, the only dedicated Ayurvedic hotel in the Italian Dolomites Featured photo © Tiberio Sorvillo Words by Amanda Robinson I hadn’t been to Italy for a while which made this trip all the more precious, and there’s certainly something uplifting about putting […]

Wine, women & song

Mary Novakovich and friends enjoy a long-awaited reunion – and where better to do it than Tuscany? Better late than never. Covid had put the kibosh on so many celebrations during lockdown, but there was no way my friend Tracey wasn’t going to make a big splash for her 50th birthday – even if it […]

Travels with my teen

After two years of pandemic-imposed travel restrictions, Lorenza Bacino enjoys an extended trip to Lake Como, the Cinque Terre and Sardinia with her teenage daughter… It was with some trepidation that I embarked upon a month-long trip with my 16-year-old daughter as a post-exam treat. She’d been involved in the decision-making from the start, using […]

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” All images © Val Nicastro 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 […]