Po River Glad to be out of the madness of Genoa, we made the drive North to our next destination, Brusasco. A small town about an hour outside of Torino near the banks of the mighty Po River. Our apartment for the week was actually in a small Borgo sitting at the top of a […]
But Why Here? – one night in Genoa
Genoa Twice in my life, a local has asked me why I would want to visit their hometown. The first time, I was lost in an alley in Hell’s Kitchen, NYC, it was 1986. The second was this summer in Genoa. I thought I was pretty smart, I found a super cheap hotel near the […]
The Best Bakery in Italy – Forno F. Casali
Lucca Lucca is a lovely little-walled city about an hour and a half drive from Florence. We were lucky to have visited frequently last year when we were based only ten minutes away in Massarosa. This trip we were based in Barga for the week, with Lucca just over a half hour away, and even […]
Hiding In Plain Sight – Teatro dei Differenti
Teatro dei Differenti We had seen pictures of the 18th century theatre that sits in the middle of the old town of Barga, but when we got there, the doors were locked. When we asked the tourism office how we might gain access we were told to go to city hall. Figuring there was no […]
Michelangelo’s Marble
Serchio Valley Installed in our artist’s pad, it was time to go enjoy the Serchio Valley and all its little villages, some stuck in the deep dark woods. The first order of business was to drive up to Trassilico, a tiny village perched on a mountain top at about 1700m above sea level. Our Castellina […]
Return To Barga – PORK TENDERLOIN WITH A BALSAMIC SAUCE
Barga We visited Barga last year with only enough time for a couple of hours of exploration but that was enough to ensure our return. There is something about this little walled village sitting on a hill looking out over the Serchio Valley that wants you to slow down, breath and stay a while. The […]
European Markets Part One – CREAMED CHANTERELLES ON TOAST
Eating at restaurants If you’re travelling for any length of time, eating at restaurants gets a little tedious and expensive. If you want to save a few dollars and aren’t interested in eating fast food or street food every day, you can save some cash by renting a room with a kitchenette. You can often […]
Cooking For Italians
Foodie International We headed up to Elyse’s place (from Foodie International) for a welcome glass of wine and to see her recently renovated 200 year old stone house. Perched a couple of hundred feet up from the agriturismo her amazing Italian home has even more stunning views than our sweet accommodations below. A quick tour of […]