We’d chosen Venice as Chris’ flying in point for two weekends in a row so we could access Trieste and Rovinj. Both places were not the easiest to get to and Venice was a good transport hub, servicing both his BA flights from the UK. Of course Venice is a[…]
Day 1 I catch a train from Venice to Treviso for a 3 night stay at Al Parco Storga. I’ve decided to stay in Treviso because it’s the place I missed out on visiting when I was housesitting in Vicenza. It’s also to avoid the criminally high hotel prices in Venice which is[…]
In Rome on a budget or have limited time to explore the Eternal City? Here’s a quick overview of some of the free things to do in Rome and they don’t cost a bean (or require much queuing depending on the time of the day). Many of these attractions are[…]
From 22 January – 14 February I was lucky enough to secure a housesit looking after a poodle for an ex-pat American girl in Vicenza. Initially the housesit was for two weeks, but it extended to three weeks due to her conference dates being moved. This was my first housesit[…]
I can’t fault Residenza d’Epoca San Cassiano for its location. Perched right on the Grand Canal facing Ca’ d’Oro, a seven minute walk to Rialto Bridge and 15 minute walk to Piazza San Marco. It was only two stops on the Number 1 ferry also, though for a one way[…]
If you want to see people riding around on bikes in fur coats, then visit Ferrara in winter. Everyone from young to old, rides bikes in this city. Known as ‘la città delle biciclette’, Ferrara has a well established network of cycle paths and the traffic is quite forgiving, as[…]
It’s the small things in life that make you happy. Like all the little extras you get when you stay in a good 4 star hotel in Italy. The dish of sweets, the complimentary toiletries, the bathrobe, the slippers, the well-stocked minibar. With Hotel Corona D’Oro in Bologna, not only[…]
Some Italian cities have nicknames that honour their historical past or simply describe them perfectly: Rome, “la Città Eterna” (the Eternal City); Florence, “la Bella” (the Beautiful); Venice, “la Serenissima” (the Serene). Bologna proudly holds three sobriquets: “la Dotta, la Grassa and la Rossa”. Bologna la Dotta (the Learned) has[…]
Sicily is a palimpsest of overlapping cultures and conquests – an ebbing and flowing of civilisation that has left its mark on this mystical volcanic island. Visit Sicily’s southwest coast, often noted for its 100+ kilometres of sandy beaches, for a besotting mix of history, ancient architecture and wonderful natural landscapes.[…]
To many, Liguria is seen as a region to rush through en route to the rolling hills of Tuscany from the glitzy French Riviera, or vice versa. A place where the highlights are strictly coastal, from the port city of Genoa to the picture perfect villages of Cinque Terre and[…]