If you’re heading to Venice and love food even a little, one thing is absolutely clear: you need to explore the city through its cuisine. Venice isn’t just about canals and gondolas—it’s about cicchetti, wine-soaked afternoons in tiny bacari, and family recipes passed down for generations. And the best way to experience it all? A food tour designed...
READ MOREYour dream of traveling to Italy is about to come true, and you know very well that organizing a trip is not just about booking flights or finding hotels or Airbnbs to stay in. It's also about gradually immersing yourself in the deep rhythm of Italian culture. Reading, watching films, listening to podcasts, or documentaries helps build an emotional...
READ MORE"You're fine. Just don't look down." I hold my breath, take the captain's outstretched hand and board the boat. The waves glimmer beneath my feet; the only thing separating me from the sea is a pane of glass. As our tour sets sail, the vast Bay of Cartaromana opens up before us. Jagged cliffs shoot up from the waves; sunbathers sprawl on the inl...
READ MOREEighty-two years ago, the Allied invasion of Italy began in Sicily. The operation preceded landings at Salerno in the Campania region, and with it the push to take Rome. In May, leaders of the Oklahoma National Guard revisited that same terrain along with Oklahoma State University Department of History professor David D’Andrea. Stopping at sites i...
READ MOREOn a brisk spring morning in Rimini, I stood in a hushed cathedral with 11 other hikers, waiting for a bishop’s blessing. Ahead lay days of strenuous trekking through Italy’s mountainous Emilia-Romagna region to the Sanctuary of La Verna, a Franciscan monastery in Tuscany. Together we would climb and descend for 75 miles on paths, some rugged and s...
READ MOREVenosa is a small town in southern Italy that quietly holds an outsized place in the country’s history and cultural heritage. Located in the northern part of the Basilicata region, it sits roughly halfway between Potenza and Foggia, with the latter being the larger and better-connected city. The town is situated at approximately 400 meters above se...
READ MORENestled in the lush hills of the Lazio region, Roccasecca is a beautiful medieval village, one of the most interesting and lesser-known in Central Italy. Far from the crowds of Rome and just two hours away by car, this picturesque town offers a peaceful, authentic Italian experience where history, nature, and culture meet. Located in the wonderful...
READ MOREA shirtless sailor in a roughed up inflatable dinghy approached as we sat in the cockpit at anchor. Along with two friends, my wife Roxy and I had just arrived in Marsala, a working fishing port known for its fortified wine, on the western point of Sicily. “I just came to warn you to be extra careful! Some people tried to steal my dinghy outboard t...
READ MOREItaly has long been a tourist attraction, and with good reason. Its timeless appeal, differing culture, and enticing meals appeal to millions of visitors each year. While major urban areas like Rome, Florence, and Venice have long dictated Italian travel, small, unknown urban areas are increasingly being touted as hidden gems to explore. Among thes...
READ MOREThe phrase “Made in Italy” conjures images of steaming bowls of pasta, enormous wheels of Parmigiano-Reggiano, paper-thin slices of prosciutto and sleek Ferraris. Everyone knows what Italy is famous for, but far fewer realize that many of these icons come from a single region: Emilia-Romagna. Stretching from Piacenza in the west to Rimini on the Ad...
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