The Ponte Vecchio The Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge) is found in Florence, Italy, and spans over the narrowest point of the Arno River. The bridge is made of wood and stone and dates back to the Roman era. It is …
Churches in Italy | How They Compare to the USA
Churches in Italy In preparing for our first trip to Italy back in 2010, Ilene and I looked at what towns we were going to visit and what we hoped to see in each of them. We watched Rick Steve’s …
Giuseppe Verdi’s Great Masterpiece: Rigoletto
Rigoletto was amazingly popular from its premiere in 1851, reaching London by 1853 and New York by 1855. Not much has changed over 150 years – this was the 9th most performed opera in the world from 2007/08 to 2011/12. Probably Verdi’s …
12 Things Italians Never Do
What do Italians Never do? Ahh, mamma mia… Italians never do certain things – some of it is because of tradition, while other things have to do with superstitions. This post will take a humorous look at things Italian never …
Visit Monopoli: Beautiful Coastal Town
Monopoli the Town – Not the Game Gary and I had the pleasure of a day visit to Monopoli during our 2019 adventure. Our “home base” was Conversano and Monopoli was just a little further south on the train route. …
Gelato | Warning: Not All Are The Same
Gelato | Warning: Not All Are The Same There are hundreds of places for gelato in Italy. Literally, hundreds. But are all places the same for that yummy cold stuff? Gelato is an English term for ice cream made in …
Quick Guide to Milan, Italy
Discover Milan Milan is a major metropolis in northern Italy’s Lombardy region. It is well-known as the global capital of design, fashion and for its high-end restaurants and shops. It is the financial “hub” of the country, has the most …
Nice to See You in the Piazza: April 26th
April 26th 2021 We were in the piazza on April 26th for a day of celebration in Italy. No… April 26th wasn’t a national holiday but it was an important day for us here in Italy. To citizens everywhere in …
Italian Olive Oil – What You Should Know
Italian Olive Oil Today’s post is all about Italian olive oil. In thinking about posts you might like, I have written about kinds of pasta, sauces, and wines, and for some reason – olive oil popped into my head. I …
Exclusive: Lucca 2021 | We’re Here!
It’s Here – Lucca 2021! We have begun our Lucca 2021 adventure because, as many of you know, we are dual citizens of Italy. Also, many of you know that our travel plans last year were squashed like everyone else’s. …
Amazing Piazza della Signoria | The History
Piazza della Signoria The Piazza della Signoria is an L-shaped square located in front of the Palazzo Vecchio and was named after the Palazzo della Signoria, also called Palazzo Vecchio. The building is beautiful and amazing. Look at the different …
Guest, Marilyn Ricci- My Path to Life in Italy
Through social media, Gary and I have met and befriended (I hope she thinks so too), ex-pat Marilyn Ricci. Consequently – we’d like you to meet her too. We almost had the chance to personally meet when we were in …