Airline Travel Airline travel used to be easier. Let’s just face the facts. It has been almost three years since we celebrated Thanksgiving or Christmas with our family in America, so we decided to spend forty-five days spanning the holidays …
Cultural Heritage: Why It’s Important to Preserve
Cultural Heritage Cultural heritage… it’s something we don’t think much about. Our families gather around the dinner table for perhaps a celebration or at holiday time. Perhaps it’s a summer BBQ when we gather with family and don’t even discuss …
Skiplagging Exposed: Chasing Cheaper Flights is Controversial and Risky
Skiplagging… up until a few weeks ago, I had never even heard of the term. I actually had to look it up when I saw a post from Samanta Brown about it. It’s been happening for years – has my …
Brussels at Christmastime: Exciting and Enchanting
Visiting Brussels… wow… it’s been almost a year since Gary and I were there for a little winter excursion. When we returned from this trip and I had a moment to write a post, it didn’t seem like the proper …
Piedmont Guide Including Two Special Must See Destinations
Where exactly is Piedmont in Italy? Piedmont is at the foot of the Swiss Alps – where Italy meets France and Switzerland. Ancient volcanic activity has left its mark on the landscape, with over two million hectares of vineyards covering …
Rental Ban Changes the Florence Historic Center
Florence has announced a rental ban on new short-term rentals such as Airbnb’s in the Renaissance historic center. Were you aware? This crackdown is an attempt to make more homes available for locals. Rental Ban in Florence As one of …
Exclusive Guest: Introducing Life in Lucca with Andrea
Life in Lucca with Andrea Today’s exclusive guest is Andrea from Life in Lucca with Andrea. Not only is she a lovely person, but we thought her story interesting and thought you might think so too. It’s a little funny …
Guide to the Italian Restaurant Menu: How to Read and Understand
Ahhh, the Italian restaurant menu – first of all – it can be very confusing. Typically, a traditional Italian meal generally has three courses—antipasti, primi, and secondi with the option for dolce, or dessert – of course! Antipasti The word …
Cinque Terre: What Makes The Five Unique Towns Special
The Cinque Terre (pronounced: chin-kwe ter-re) is the most iconic highlight of the Italian Riviera. The five beautiful and colorful coastal towns are a must-see on any trip to northwest Italy. They lie west of La Spezia’s Province and comprise the villages: …
Aosta Valley Travel Guide: Don’t Miss These Two Places
Aosta is the capital of the Valle d’Aosta region, in northwestern Italy. It is also the gateway to the Via Francigena in Italy. The Romans founded the town in 25 BC at a crucial point where the main roads heading …
Passing Italian Citizenship by Descent: A Gift for Our Children
Italian citizenship by descent or dual citizenship, is a gift to pass along to further generations. In 2015 I applied for citizenship with Italy through the process called Jus Sanguinis (through blood) and Ilene through Jus Matrimonii (through marriage). This …
A Tragic Story About Thrombosis – Are You Aware?
I had no idea what thrombosis was until I met Ken. Now that I think of it, I’m not sure how I first connected with him but… that’s insignificant now. Today, Gary and I consider Ken and his daughters, Victoria, …