small trips around a big world
Like giant white and grey mushrooms sprouting up from the fields, clusters of pointy stone trulli started to appear along the roadside as we wound through narrow walled streets towards Alberobello, the last stop on our southern Italy tour. Alberobello is a small but fascinating town located in the Puglia region of Italy, just an... Continue Reading →
Once past the treacherous mountain roads, the drive from Vieste to Matera wound peacefully from the Puglia to Basilicata region through fields carpeted in brilliant poppies and wildflowers, an ocassional ancient wooden farmhouse or crumbling stone building dotting the hills. But as we neared Matera, the landscape became more urban, full of worn homes and roadsides... Continue Reading →
Italy is just an hour by car from Geneva. Yet we often overlook it as a weekend destination. So, to kick off a year of concerted efforts to explore our animated, pasta-rich neighbor, we celebrated our third anniversary with a five-day trip to the Apulia region (Puglia), Italy's stiletto heel, known for its whitewashed hill towns,... Continue Reading →
Just days after a rare snowstorm held us hostage in Rome, the same snowstorm shut down Geneva. Determined to meet my brother Nate in Florence for the weekend, I hiked an hour through the snow to the airport, anxiously passing by the crowd of passengers sipping free hot chocolate in the waiting area - an... Continue Reading →
Just hours after leaving the office we found ourselves in the dimly lit L'Arcangelo, enjoying Rome's most beloved Gnocchi alla Matriciana, of pillowy fame in Bon Appétit contributor Katie Parla's best pasta dishes in Rome. After the meal we walked through the narrow streets to our hotel, opening a small door cut into the middle of a huge wooden door... Continue Reading →
Venice is the ultimate romantic dreamland. Built out of nearly 100 natural islands by mainlanders escaping the marauding barbarians after the fall of Rome, for centuries this surreal floating city was nicknamed La Serenissima, "The Most Serenely Beautiful One". A labyrinth of sparkling canals, more than any other European city Venice has an endlessly seductive charm. It is... Continue Reading →
The food-focused 2015 World Expo has catapulted Milan into the spotlight. But Milan takes a while to uncover, its hidden charm slowly revealed on long rambles throughout the city, surprising curious visitors with spectacular interior courtyards and delicious restaurants, tucked away behind giant closed doors. Like most travelers who pass through Milan merely to kick off or wrap up an extended Italy trip, we were... Continue Reading →