Forget everything you have heard about Palermo. Erase the memory of every mafia movie you grew up on. Just as we don’t define people by their affliction don’t judge Palermo by its parasitic disease. The vast majority of Sicilians are not Mafiosi and dislike the mafia even more than you. There is a small but defiant group…
The best edible gifts are here
It may be a bit strange but the first time I had these traditional Italian chocolate dipped dried oranges and figs was in Sydney, Australia. I probably passed over these several times before in Italy without realizing it, as I am a bit of a purist when it comes to chocolate. I like pure dark…
And we win the award for…..
My husband and I were discussing hypothetically spending a year living in different parts of Italy. The natural question was, which regions were best at which points of the year? The early summer we decided was best for the beaches of the Amalfi coast in Campagna, Sardegna and Sicily. The late summer we would prefer to avoid…
Fruit of the dead?
Halloween is approaching. Most people outside of America know about Halloween from the movies but the idea is starting to catch on with varying degrees of success. Last year during Halloween, we were in a small town in Sicily. A small group of young boys were trying to go trick or treating (“dolcetto o scherzetto“)…
Top tips for visiting Italy
I put together this page on resources to use when travelling or living in Italy so you can easily access the content needed in one place. Use this page to help you discover the best places to visit in Italy, how to find good accommodation, the best places to eat, how to order food and…
The fairy tale origin of Pastiera: the quintessential Italian Easter tart
Pastiera is a traditional Easter dish and is one of the most famous dishes in Naples. The story of its origin begins with a fairy tale, that the Neapolitans made offerings to mermaid named Partenope to thank her for her beautiful voice. They offered flour and orange blossom water to both symbolise the wealth of…
Where do Venetians holiday?
Moneyed Venetians have been holidaying in the Colli Asolani (the hills of Asolo) since the time of the Venetian Republic as evidenced by the many Palladian villas, which were country estates built in the 16th century and designed by Andrea Palladio. A mere half hour drive to the west of Venezia brings you first to Padova…
What do Homer Simpson and Joseph (as in Joseph and Mary) have in common?
The 19th of March is the Festa di San Giuseppe in Italy in honour of Joseph, Jesus Christ’s step-father. It is celebrated as Father’s Day and a type of doughnut, Bignè di San Giuseppe is served. The idea of celebrating Father’s Day with doughnuts reminds me of Homer Simpson rather than of Joseph and Christ….
Planning to visit Italy? How to avoid the tourist trap restaurant and find authentic Italian food
The holy grail of travel in Italy is the small , family-run trattoria with nonna (grandma) in the kitchen rolling out the pasta and the children picking the produce from the garden in the back for her to make into a nice lunch. Instead what many travellers are confronted with is the classic “national menu”,…
Why is this week full of love, gossip and lies?
I remember this same week in 1995. I decided to go to the seaside town of Viareggio in Toscana with a friend. As we were young students at the time, we went expecting a bit of a parade with prospects of a street party. I was walking down the street, watching enormous comical floats go past when an elderly…