Rachael Martin on what living in Italy has taught her about food: from pasta to risotto and beyond… The first time I made my Italian boyfriend a dish of pasta, he took one mouthful and looked at me. Horrified. Pasta without salt, way up the list of the seven deadly culinary sins as any Italian […]
Last autumn the town of Norcia in Umbria suffered a devastating blow after an earthquake hit. Hannah Frances went back to see how the town fought back. Autumn is a great time to see Norcia, says Hannah Frances. Fractured by last October’s earthquake, the determined and resilient town in the heart of Umbria is coming […]
There are many ways to see Italy, but surely one of the most unique has to be by steam train. Mark Nicholls enjoys a nostalgic steam train tour across the Apennines from Rimini to Florence, then to Siena, Pisa – and Pistoia, the home of Italian steam. The air dances, black smoke drifting on the […]
Traveleyes is a company that offers holidays for visually impaired people. Rachael Martin went with them to join a group of sighted and visually impaired tourists on a trip to Verona and Lake Garda. It’s a Sunday morning in Piazza Bra, in the heart of Verona. The square is full of people taking their morning […]
Dawn from Appassionata talks about the moment they began viewing properties that would lead them to fulfilling their dream…. Our weekend in Florence was over in a flash and we reluctantly flew back to London Stansted airport. Low grey cloud and drizzle welcomed us with open arms. We drove home through the gloom and heavy […]
We talk to David Bickerstaff, filmmaker for Exhibition on Screen about the genius of Michelangelo and the challenges of telling his life story on film. The mission of Exhibition on Screen is to bring exhibition-based art to our cinema screens, working with notable galleries and museums like the National Gallery, the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh […]
Dawn Cavanagh-Hobbs, founder and director of fractional ownership company Appassionata, is in love with interior design. We asked her about Italian home décor trends, and how to get the look in your own home… My husband, Michael, and I first visited the region of Le Marche about thirteen years ago and instantly fell in love […]
Chapter Two – Florence.. I gazed around the Piazza and sipped my cappuccino elegantly, copying the glamorous Italians on the next table. Trying not to get the milky froth all around my mouth. I love to people watch. The tourists racing to keep up with their flag bearing tour guides. The Nonna’s dressed in black, […]
Over the past few years many people have asked me to write a blog, me, I’m not even on Facebook! But, I do like writing and relish the opportunity to share our Italian adventures with you. Was it the classic midlife crisis move, maybe, maybe not, I like to think of it as making the […]
Our editor Amanda Robinson discovers authentic Italian flavours and new friends at a hands-on cookery course in the Veneto hills… Total immersion: it’s the best way to learn, right? Speak a second language like a native, pass your driving test, swim like a fish, become a chef… It’s a tried-and-tested route to success. So, how about […]