Looking forward to seeing some of these chimneys next week.
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Milan: It’s not that bad really!
Great write up on a city that people overlook…and shouldn’t!
Milan doesn’t usually feature too highly on people’s ‘must visit’ lists. It’s an okay city, a financial powerhouse, but let’s face it, it’s no Florence or Rome. But, that doesn’t mean it’s completely without charm. Circumstances have lead to us taking shelter here for a few months now and I’ve been desperately hunting for things I like about the city the whole time. Finally, I think I may have found just about enough… So, here are my top five things to see and do in Milan.
The Duomo – I admit that this is no insiders tip, everyone knows about the Duomo. But, it is a genuinely breathtaking building. And what’s more, you can go up it. You squeeze into the world’s tiniest payment booth, hand over seven euros and then climb a staircase that’s so narrow it makes the payment booth look like the inside of, well, the Duomo…
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Gallery: The Churches of Ravenna, Italy
Ravenna–a jewel of the Veneto often overlooked. Worth seeing!
Ravenna, Italy sits at the literal crossroads between the old world and the new, between Western Culture and Eastern, between Europe and Asia Minor — it is a city that has seen much change in the past several thousand years, and this change is cataloged in its many churches and epochal architecture. While the City of Ravenna has much more to offer travelers than just its holy sanctuaries, today we will be giving our readers an insight into these buildings that — regardless of your faith or denomination — are beautiful living pages out of history.
Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna, Italy
Basilica of San Vitale
This Byzantine-era church is fairly simple in its architecture, but marks the beginning of Byzantine expansion into Europe around 526 AD. The church was originally begun by Bishop Ecclesius at a time of much change for Greece, Italy, and especially Ravenna which was…
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Yes, Virginia, There *Is* Good Food In Venice
Always breaks my heart when I read bloggers saying the food’s not good in Venice; invariably it’s someone not very experienced there staying a day or two and being disappointed the places with “menu turistico” posted in the window and offering pizza are less than inspired. This article from Italian Talks is a great counterpoint to those posts from folks disappointed about the Venetian culinary experience; as they note, take a walk around the way, maybe even get lost on a side street, and stumble upon a place where the locals eat, and you’ll be far happier.
I don’t write to scold those folks who, for lack of guidance or tight schedules, fail to discover the genius of Venetian dining, but merely to forewarn others that this let-down is entirely avoidable.
(Free hint: look for a place with a menu that looks more like this; note the absence of the phrase “menu turistico”.)
One of the biggest perks you’ll enjoy traveling with us: you won’t need to guess about finding the *real* Veneto cuisine and hope to find a delicious, authentic meal at a non-tourist trap. Why? Because after 30 years of guiding people through Venice, rest assured Doug Sassi isn’t going to lead you astray.
There IS great food in Venice, but it’s found around the corner and off the beaten path, and it requires a little digging, a little patience, a little guidance, and a little sense of adventure. But it’s there, and we’ll guarantee you’ll agree.
Il Menù di Fine Febbraio & Inizio Marzo
Where to eat in Pisa!
Tiefenbrunner Winery
Discovered this label at La Scala in Baltimore (if you’re in need of a good meal with a gregarious host and you’re in Charm City, that’s where I’d send you) about a decade or so ago. Forza Sudtirol!
Founded in 1848, the Tiefenbrunner Castel Turmhof Winery owes its name to the ancient castle known today as the home of the Tiefenbrunner family. The winery is in the hamlet Entiklar, in the town of Kurtatsch, which is in the South Tyrolean province of Bozen amid the awe-inspiring Italian Alps. Tiefenbrunner produces over 20 types of quality wines, and each bottle receives the attentive care of expert winemakers and owners, Herbert Tiefenbrunner and his son, Christof. Many international awards testify to the quality that results from their generations of experience, with the flagship of Tiefenbrunner being the Müller-Thurgau “Feldmarschall.”
One specially produced wine is the Müller-Thurgau “Feldmarschall von Fenner,” which has been cultivated since 1972 at the Hofstatt vineyard, 1000 meters above sea level. This wine is named for Franz Philipp Freiherr von Fenner zu Fennberg, for whom the estate once served as a summer residence. Viticulture at this…
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SICILIAN TOMATO SALAD
Can’t wait for summer tomatoes from the back yard!
Hotel Raya
Haven’t stayed here yet…but after seeing these pictures, I will soon. Panarea is a small island in the Mediterranean, small and isolated and accessed via hydrofoil. Certainly quite far from the beaten path, which is what so many more of us need to go find.
Who’s with me?
Italian Dinner Family
Want to taste honest-to-goodness cucina italiana at its most authentic? A real experiential take on what Italian cuisine is really all about? This looks like a great way to go about it. One of the perks of working with us for your Italy experience: we’re not going to try to ram you into a series of tourist trap restaurants from whom we’re getting kickbacks. We’ll instead arrange this kind of meal for you so you can taste the real Italy and enjoy the best meals you’ll ever have in the company of friends.
If This Doesn’t Make You Want To Travel Now…
….nothing will! Take two minutes out of your day to just enjoy this, you won’t regret it.
La Dolce Vita! Doing things the artisan’s way and savoring them.
Edit: the wife pointed out the embed wasn’t working properly, so retrying.
Sassi Italy Tours 