The Museum of Every Object you can Probably Think Of

Hop over to Italy with me for a minute will you? In the countryside province of Parma (yeah, that place where the ham comes from), an unusual and one-of-a-kind museum awaits … We’re at the Ettore Guatelli Museum, an archive of more than 60,000 artifacts that bear witness to the lives and work of men and…

This Italian Prison has its own Designer Restaurant

When you are looking for somewhere to go out for dinner a prison probably isn’t the first place you would think of. However, this unique restaurant may change your mind… Located inside the largest prison in Piedmont, Italy, Casa Circondariale Lorusso e Cutugno, with over 1300 inmates, ‘Liberamensa’, which literally translates to “free canteen,” offers…

Italian Summer Nostalgia with the Original Talented Mr. Ripley

If you didn’t grow up with French films, there are some real gems to be discovered from the ‘Nouvelle Vague’ golden age of French cinema. One of my most recent ‘how-have-I-never-seen-this’ moments came while watching Plein Soleil (a.k.a. Purple Noon), the original film adaption of Talented Mr. Ripley, starring French sixties heartthrob, Alain Delon in his first major role.…

The Italian Hotel built inside Abandoned Medieval Grottos

Okay come with me, we’re going to explore every inch of this hotel built inside the deserted grottos of an Italian mountain village from the Middle Ages. The cliffs of the Gravina River Valley in Matera Italy are believed to be the site of the first human settlements in the country. So let’s begin our…

The Neglected Ghost Town of Italy’s Dolce Vita Drinking Water

San Pellegrino is an icon of the Italian lifestyle, the most stylish brand of sparkling water you can order anywhere in the world, synonymous with luxury, fine dining, jet set summers in Europe and “la Dolce Vita”. One of its first admirers was allegedly Leonardo da Vinci, who visited the source in Lombardy to sample the…

The Most Beautiful Car Race that Ever Was

It was the kind of race where if a car broke down, the driver would have been invited inside by locals for spaghetti. The track, littered with horseshoe nails, meandered through the tiny twisting streets of quaint Sicilian mountain towns while villagers watched Ferraris speed by at 100 miles an hour, perilously close to their doorsteps. The Targo Florio…

Inside Sophia Loren’s Roman Villa, 1964

I don’t think Sophia Loren gets enough credit as a 20th century screen icon. Her curves and beauty could certainly rival that of Marilyn Monroe and Brigitte Bardot, not to mention her career and lifestyle choices. While Monroe’s and Bardot’s talents were questionable outside of their looks, Sophia won 50 awards during her career including an…

Dolce Vita Villas For Sale on the Forgotten Italian Riviera

Sprawling over several small bays with clear blue waters peppered with fishing boats, is a dormant paradise of the dolce vita years. A forgotten “St. Tropez”, where movie stars, artists and writers once flocked to the scenic beaches of Tuscany during summer. Whereas most of us think of Tuscany for its rolling hills, scenic countryside and…

Oh nothing, Just Sleeping Under the Stars in a Hotel Room with a Removable Roof

Some people might have mountains they want to climb on their bucket list, or elephants they want to ride. Me? I’m adding this hotel room onto my bucket list. At a very fancy hotel in the Italian hills of Lombardy, described as an enchanting place off the beaten track for those “seeking the pleasure of some…

The Other “Little” Venice built by Leonardo DaVinci

It’s both little and little-known compared to Venice and it’s Grand Canal but it has a very big name attached to it. The Port-Canal in Cesenatico has stayed off the tourist radar for many years, despite its similarities to Venice. The charming port on coast of the Adriatic Sea was drawn and designed by the renaissance…