Category Archives: Travel outside Rome

Venice for the Biennale

Posted on June 12, 2011 by

Once every two years from June to November, Venice becomes the centre of the contemporary art world, when it is hosting one of the most prestigious international art gathering: the Biennale.  Initially a competition between Nation States, it has developed … Continue reading →

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Italy’s Byzantine treasures

Posted on May 5, 2011 by

Driving from Rome to Ravenna in Emilia-Romagna feels a bit like going to another country. Apart from the language, everything is different: the landscape, the way the city is organised, the architecture, the houses and to some extent the food. … Continue reading →

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Relaxing in a thermal pool

Posted on March 7, 2011 by

Italy is well known for its thermal baths and spa resorts. After all, the tradition started two thousand years ago, when the Romans developed sophisticated water systems and aqueducts. The tradition is very much alive today with many thermal spa … Continue reading →

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Creating heaven on earth

Posted on March 7, 2011 by

The villa d’Este in Tivoli on the outskirts of Rome is famous for its amazing 16th century terraced gardens, which on a steep hill of only about four hectares, include a multitude of fountains, grottos, sculptures, secret paths and secular … Continue reading →

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Florence

Posted on February 14, 2011 by

When the French writer Stendhal did his tour of Italy around the 1820s, it took him five days to travel from Florence to Rome on a horse carriage. Today the same journey takes about three hours by car or half … Continue reading →

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Day trip to Naples

Posted on December 10, 2010 by

I went to Naples especially to see a Bill Viola exhibition, one of my favourite contemporary artists. The show was held at the Capodimonte museum, one of the largest in Naples and in Italy. This prestigious institution is usually closed … Continue reading →

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Milano-Roma

Posted on December 2, 2010 by

I am on the fast Frecciarossa train between Rome and Milan, which is busy as usual and is a fair indicator of the number of people who regularly travel between the two cities. It feels like the heart of Italy … Continue reading →

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Rush for gold in Puglia

Posted on July 19, 2010 by

We’re on holidays in the Salento, a stunning region in the very south of Puglia, where the Ionian Sea meets the Adriatic. We came here two years ago and had such great memories of the place that we went back … Continue reading →

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Escaping to the Abruzzi mountains

Posted on June 22, 2010 by

One of the joys of living in Rome is to be able to get out of the city easily, and be within reach of a great number of amazing places. One of them I recently visited is Santo Stefano di … Continue reading →

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North or South?

Posted on February 8, 2010 by

Salambo escaped to Naples for a two-day breathing break. While on the train, she wondered about the North-South border of Italy. It is well known that Italy as a country is divided into two distinct parts: the working North and … Continue reading →

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