Continuity
One of the most compelling reasons to visit Italy is to observe and enjoy the continuity of life. The gladiator at the Colosseum whose profile and […]
A Tourist or a Traveler : Two Ways to Visit the Amalfi Coast
“I would like to stay in Sorrento.” “Positano !” “I want to take a bus trip to Pompeii !” “Rent a car and drive around […]
From the Field, This Morning
8:30 AM. I am phoning my biodynamic, organic farmer who delivers to me once a week his vegetables, grown an hour away from Rome on […]
Listening
In an age of text messages and Twitter, we listen carefully to our clients. In an age of hurried emails and Blackberries , we are […]
Regions to Explore : Le Marche
On 10 Oct 2010, at 23:59, Cindy wrote: Marjorie- Several years ago we took a tour with another family through the Tuscan region of Italy. […]
Indian Summer
Lots of you are buying frequent flier award tickets now — these often go on sale one year before travel date. “Where to go ?” […]
Off the Beaten Path in Lazio
We always urge travelers to visit locations that are not exploited by over tourism, and to focus on lesser commercialized towns that are off the beaten […]
Isabel’s recommendations
My name is Isabel. I was born in Rome on August the 4th and I am six-years old. I live in Italy. I love my […]
First visit to Italy
I am Nathan and this is my children’s blog. I’m seven heading for eight. If an American child arrived in Italy, he wouldn’t know first […]
Filiera Corta
One of the words we hear most often — in reference to Slow Food restaurants and to consumer food shopping habits — is ” filiera […]
Il Fotografo
Stefano Cavalli is not only super simpatico, very warm and quite bilingual, but also an exceptionally gifted photographer of professional breadth and experience. We are familiar […]
Autumn in Italy for Food Lovers
Italy-wide, October and November see a celebration of seasonal delicacies, a plethora of food festivals and the grape and olive harvest — plus the arrival […]
“The American”
“The American”, just out, is the biggest box hit of the moment in North America. Writes the New York Times : “Mr. Clooney… seems to appreciate […]
Happy Labor Day (Buona Festa del Lavoro)
North Americans are not the only travelers enjoying the dolce far niente of Labor Day. Italians are enjoying this weekend too (as are many of our […]
Bon Bon
Another joy in Italy — for those who speak some Italian — is listening to the remarkable variety of dialects. Italy was unified into a […]
Pizza Bianca
Every corner of Italy — including its myriad islands — has a local bread. One of the joys of Italian travel is celebrating the variety. […]
Castelluccio
A lentil’s throw from Rome is the tiny village of Castelluccio di Norcia. Two and one half hours from Rome, on a route that is […]
Acqua !
Italians are the world’s largest consumers of mineral water, with each woman, man and child drinking an annual average of 63 liters of the beverage. […]
Late September Sagrantino in Umbria
Please consider one of the most delicious of all Italian wines, Sagrantino. Sagrantino is an amazing Umbrian wine story with a remarkable number of quality […]
La Transumanza
Some travel experiences exceed one’s expectations. Last weekend’s Transumanza, which began 100 minutes southeast of Rome, was for me such an experience. I was […]
A World Away
Ninety minutes from Rome is a world away. We urge you to visit it. After Rome, perhaps, or on the way to Marche or Puglia. […]
Isabella and Dino
Italian cooking is at its most successful when direct, uncomplicated, free of artifice in taste or appearance. This is why we celebrate Slow Food — […]
World Ocean Day
This is World Ocean Day, officially recognized as June 8 each year. The concept for a “World Ocean Day” was first proposed in 1992 by […]
Etruscan Days
Do you know the Etruscans ? I first learned of them through my father’s novel, ‘The Crime of Giovanni Venturi”, a romp of a […]
A Vacation within a Vacation
The charming manager of one of our single favorite new hotels defines days spent here as a “vacation within a vacation”. Last week we spent […]
E’ Primavera !
At their dining tables, all over Italy, Italians are celebrating the coming of spring. The superb asparagus of Bassano have arrived, and the wild strawberries […]
Roma Bike
“Roma Bike” is part of a general European movement to introduce automated bike sharing programmes in cities to help reduce traffic and pollution. Both we […]
2763 Candles
Rome today celebrates her 2763rd birthday, this counting back from the legendary city founding in 753 BC. The city is in the midst of an […]
Off to Umbria
Again suitcases are packed. Wild flowers plus deep red poppies await us in Italy’s “green heart”. Splendid olive oil and the country’s best legumes and […]
Waiting for Easter
The only day of the year when Italian church bells do not ring is Good Friday, which was yesterday. Cities were quiet yesterday. In Rome […]
“9″
Ongoing research is central to Insider’s Italy. Most of this research is undertaken in the squares, streets, hotels, museums, restaurants, markets, pastry shops and other […]
Rome in Your Plate
After a day of wandering through Rome’s amazing urban squares, ruins, churches, museums and streets, you can partake in the Roman countryside through its products. […]
A Daily Celebration
Every single day we celebrate life in Italy with a cappuccino. You must too. We will tell you all of our favorite bar/cafes in each of […]
The Baths of Caracalla
When we plan our clients’ trips, we always include sights that less typically will appear on a tourist’s itinerary. The Baths of Caracalla are one […]
Bathing Suit Season
Everyone it seems is talking about bathing suit season. We hear it on the bus (“I must lose five kilos before bathing suit season”), at […]
The Perfect Spring Day
Across Italy, the crocus are springing and the swallows and swifts will soon arrive after their long migrations from Africa. At midday, jackets are shed. […]
Euro Down, Dollar Up and Prices Down !
From Venice to Sicily, from the Adriatic coast to the Tyrrhenian, prices Italy-wide are down. Hooray ! Inn and hotel keepers, aware of the continuing […]
”Horrible Cars ! Bad Buses ! We Love Boats !”
Nathan Louis and Isabel, after four days in Venice, were appalled to see cars again as we reentered the real world after our immersion in […]
Off to Venice !
The children have packed and we are ready to depart for tomorrow’s five-day research adventure in Venice. Our 8:50 AM Frecciargento train will have us […]
Arrotino !
This morning I was summoned to my terrace by a call that has been familiar since my childhood : “Arr-o-teeeeeeee-noooooooo !” I looked down to […]
Spring Favorites
The next months are among the nicest times of year for an Insider’s Italy trip. Please let us introduce you to some of our favorite […]
Honeymoons
We’ve custom planned honeymoons for so many clients that honeymoons are both a specialty as well as one of our favorite fields of travel planning. […]
Our Hotels
Every one of our hotels is delightful and special and unique, from our treehouse hotel nearly on the Tuscan border to converted monasteries to Renaissance […]
Andiamo !
Yet one more reason to visit Italy this spring : wonderfully tempting sale fares on most airlines. Delta is just one example, offering $698 from […]
Italy with Kids
Waiters here bend over backwards for children, bringing high chairs before you ask for them, keeping bread baskets consistently filled with bread sticks and focaccia, proposing […]
Buon Anno !
With warmest regards from Rome to all of our Insider’s Italy friends. Happy New Year, and Auguri ! Marjorie
Wanderlust
Is it these short days of late December, or the extra time spent cooped up at home during holiday festivities ? Is it spotting the […]
Celebrate Terra Madre Day 2010 in Italy !
For Terra Madre Day 2010, where in Italy would you like to be ? Terra Madre Day, December 10, is a worldwide occasion that promotes […]
Roman Salad Days
When at this time of year we are in our New York office, we dream of the sorts of salads we have every day in […]
Il Cioccolato da Energie !
Il Cioccolato da Energie ! This morning at our neighborhood cafe I was greeted with pomp and sobriety by an elegant older woman dressed all […]
Insider’s Italy Va in Treno !
We use the Italian State Railway for the majority of our travels and urge our clients to do the same, relying on auto rentals only […]
One more reason to visit the Amalfi Coast
What if one of the world’s most beautiful coastlines were to become largely self-sufficient in fresh fruit and vegetable production ? Our dear friend […]
Happy Thanksgiving !
Thanksgiving in our family is a Slow Food feast, and a coming together of friends – this year from the Amalfi Coast – and family. […]
A Day Trip From Rome in Pursuit of Olive Oil
Today we harvested our olives – our friend Kristina is in the branches of the Canino tree, which is one of the four we have […]
Strawberries in late November ?
Why not strawberries in late November ? So says the personable owner of Caramadre, one of our favorite Rome area organic farms, where we pick […]