The first time I stepped onto Sardinian soil, I knew I was somewhere different. It wasn’t just the clarity of the water or the rugged beauty of the landscape—though both are jaw-dropping. It was something in the air. A sense that this island, a world away from mainland Italy, follows its own rhythm, its own … Read more
While some people love Tuscany for the countryside, my favorite thing in Tuscany is the towns and cute little villages. And Volterra is one such place. Perched dramatically on a ridge of high sandstone cliffs, this ancient town commands sweeping views over the Sienese hills and the Val di Cecina. While its more famous neighbors … Read more
Pienza is often called the “touchstone of Renaissance urbanism,” and for good reason. In 1459, Pope Pius II, born Enea Silvio Piccolomini, decided to transform his birthplace, the village of Corsignano, into a showpiece of Renaissance ideals. He entrusted the project to the architect Bernardo Rossellino, who worked under the influence of the great Leon … Read more
Somewhere out in the Venetian lagoon, there’s an island that looks like a box of crayons melted into a fishing village. And about twenty minutes before that, there’s an island where men have been turning molten sand into art for over seven hundred years. Together, Murano and Burano offer something Venice proper cannot: breathing room, … Read more
There’s a reason Sorrento has captured the hearts of travelers for centuries. Perched high on tuff cliffs overlooking the impossibly blue Bay of Naples, this sun-drenched town offers more than just limoncello and sweeping views. It sits at the very crossroads of some of Italy’s most spectacular destinations. From the moment you step onto your … Read more
Portofino is this tiny little fishing village on Italy’s Ligurian coast. It’s ridiculously pretty—colorful houses, blue water, fancy boats bobbing around. You can walk the whole place in like ten minutes, but honestly, that’s all you need. It’s just one of those places where you sit, eat some great seafood, and enjoy the view. What … Read more
Capri is one of those places that just hits different. Sure, it’s gorgeous—everyone knows that. But it’s not just about the photos. There’s something about the way the light hits the cliffs, or how the sea looks so blue it almost doesn’t seem real. People have been coming here for thousands of years—emperors, writers, rich … Read more
For some, it represents everything wrong with modern tourism—crowded, expensive, and reduced to a single photo opportunity where thousands of people daily strike the same pose, pretending to hold up a building that has been tilting for centuries. For others, Pisa is a charming Tuscan city with a rich history, a vibrant student population, and … Read more
You are walking in Alberobello, Puglia. You round the corner into Rione Monti and stop walking. Hundreds of whitewashed cone-roofed houses tumble down the hillside before you, gray stone domes clustered together like a forest of mushrooms. It looks like something from a storybook, a village where hobbits might live or where witches might brew … Read more
You are walking in Rome, and just after you cross the Ponte Sisto, the noise of central Rome begins to fade. The grand monuments, the roaring traffic, the crowds of selfie sticks, they all recede. What replaces them is something entirely different. Narrow cobblestone lanes. Ivy creeping up faded terracotta walls. The sound of laughter … Read more