Within the first century BCE, the Romans properly re-named this former Etruscan town Florentia, or determined to flower. With this particular blessing, Florence (Firenze) continued to be faithful to the namesake being the unrivaled authority of Renaissance art, literature and culture. The romantic narrow passages from the city’s core hold timeless treasures that beautifully dissolve […]

The first time I arrived in Italy by train it felt  completely different to anywhere I’d travelled already. It was the summer of 2000 and I had been travelling for a nearly 2 weeks. I was more than relieved when the train pulled out of Nice on that bright August morning, what a misnomer, Nice […]

Let’s start with wine bars and cafes! In Italy bars are literally on every corner. Do not confuse them with the classic American bars. Italian bars ( or caffè)  serve café, cappuccinos, hot chocolates, tea, light snacks and aperitifs. We recommend in particular 2 historic places. The Gilli which is a wine bar and restaurant […]