All cities have been described, at one point, as “full of surprises.” After all, cities are inherently guaranteed to be diverse, made of different neighborhoods, hidden streets, and pockets of culture. But not many cities hide unexpected surprises with the same pedigree as Milan. Continue reading “A hidden surprise to visit in Milan”
I recently reviewed a great Piedmont book on Wine Pass: Piedmont – The Dream, the House, the Life, by Jesper Remo and Erik Bjorn. Continue reading “Wine Pass | Book review. So you want to move to Italy?”
My reading repertoire includes 80% fantasy and 19% nonfiction, to temper all that epic storytelling (and 1% other: I do enjoy other genres…yet inevitably feel like they’re lacking in something. Castles, or magic).
I recently finished The Culture Code by Clotaire Rapaille. And it got me thinking about the culture code for Italy. Continue reading “Italy’s Culture Code”
On October 1, it was the world’s second annual International Coffee Day. I’ve written about coffee previously on my blog (The differences between American coffee & Italian caffè, and the fun Blogger Exchange), but those don’t get into the intricacies of ordering a caffè at the bar, or the etiquette and “rules” of paying for one. And when you come to Italy, a caffè should be the first … Continue reading The Grand Wine Tour | Cheat sheet to Italian coffee culture
I have this thing for bitterness. I love bitter foods, I take my coffee black and my caffé without sugar (macchiato, please), and Italian after-dinner spirits, amari (bitters), are my thing. So it’s no surprise I love the Italians’ “national” soda, chinotto. Continue reading “The Grand Wine Tour | The cult of Chinotto, Italy’s national soda”
I’m often asked, “I’m coming into Turin for a day, what can I do when I’m there?” When I can’t convince them they should spend more time here, I hand over a list of sites they should see and where they should get gelato. I finally organized my top suggestions into a day guide for Turin, published on The Grand Wine Tour. It’s a pretty packed day, … Continue reading The Grand Wine Tour | Insider’s guide to a day in Turin
The Salone del Gusto / Terra Madre 2016 is fast approaching. This year for the first time, the international Slow Food event is going to be held in the city center of Turin. Continue reading “Girl’s Gotta Drink | Five things to do for free in Turin”
For a time, I had some doubts that I would write this post. Notwithstanding the fact that I’ve driven since 16 (15, with a permit), never been in an accident or gotten a ticket, I momentarily doubted my capabilities of getting a driver’s license in Italy. Continue reading “How to get a driver’s license in Italy: Part 2”
Piedmont has some of the best and most beautiful places for hiking that I’ve ever had the fortune to trek. Continue reading “Where to hike in Italy: the mountains of Piedmont”
When Rachel Rushing of Full of Italy proposed a blogger exchange, I was immediately game. Continue reading “Blogger exchange: Grosmi caffè for Maratelli rice”
Filo Rosso 