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Retracing my Family Roots in Campo di Giove
With each trip to Italy, I meet family members I never knew existed. Then, I meet family of those family members and family of the families of my family. In truth, I have never been good at keeping track of how each person is related to me. There are simply far too many people to keep track of and it is at times overwhelming to interact with everyone I am expected to know. After one particularly large family gathering with my mom’s side of the family, Dan turned to me…
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Visiting the Reggia di Caserta in Italy
I assume that most people have heard of Versailles. The monumental 17th century palace is among the most renowned royal residences in the world. It draws upwards of 15 million annual visitors and is a mainstay of Paris itineraries. But even if you’re a well-traveled history buff, chances are that one of Europe’s other royal gems—the Caserta Palace—isn’t on your radar. In fact, had you not stumbled upon this blog post precisely because you were looking for information on the massive estate, I might even assume you’d never heard of…
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Two Day Amalfi Coast and Capri Itinerary
The string of fabled towns that line Italy’s Amalfi Coast offer some of the most incredible coastal scenery in Europe. Connected by a winding ribbon of road, the villages cling to emerald mountains and overlook the sapphire sea. Here, precipitous mountains plunge into the sea, picturesque villages maintain the charm of a bygone era and miles of hiking trails offer travelers the opportunity to explore the area on foot. Simply put, the Amalfi Coast is one of the most beautiful places in Italy. VISITING THE AMALFI AND CAPRI IN…
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Visiting Pompeii: A City Preserved Under Ash
Pompeii has long been lauded as one of the top places to visit in Italy. In a country famed for its ancient relics and well-preserved ruins, the archeological site in Mount Vesuvius’ shadow may just be the cream of the crop. Visiting Pompeii is a poignant reminder of the incredible power and breadth of the Roman empire. I have now seen Roman ruins from Morocco to the United Kingdom and from Tunisia to rose-colored ruins of Palmyra, Syria. And yet, the ruins extend even beyond what I have seen. The Roman…
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Southern Italy Road Trip: Exploring the Puglia Region
Italy is like my second home. As the daughter of an Italian mother and an Italo-American father, I spent many of my childhood summers visiting family in the Marche region of Central Italy. When I was old enough to appreciate traveling, my parents began taking me on road trips through Tuscany, Umbria and Abruzzo. By the time I graduated high school, I’d already been to Italy nearly a dozen times and seen the country from top to bottom. But—save for a short road trip when I was six years old—I’d…
