Palazzo Belfiore – Oltrarno At Your Doorstep

I often get emails from people traveling to Italy advising me on where to to stay when discovering Florence. Of course I try and do my best to give suggestions on what I would choose, but as I live here – it can be touch giving recommendations on where to stay. Personally one of my … Continue reading →

The new Mercato centrale: Eat your heart out Florence

If you have visited Florence, likely you have stopped in the mercato centrale, or central market where fresh produce, meats, fish & cheese are in abundance and you can pick up all sorts of seasonal delights you can use to create delicious Italian meals. From farm to kitchen for your pleasure at a place I … Continue reading →

Locals I Love – Diana Simon

Back again with another fun edition of ‘locals I love’ this time speaking to someone I really love to read on the blog-o-sphere (and twitter) who is on top of her game when it comes to sharing tips and news all about Italy (and especially Rome). Diana manages the social media for an Italian tour … Continue reading →

Returning to Bagno Vignoni, serendipity alive

 “Square of sources” – Photo by Gonçalo Figueiredo Ever just visit a place that seemed right out of a fairy tale – one of those charming towns that you really can’t believe withstood the test of time throughout so many centuries? The kind of place that sends shivers down your spine once you take that first … Continue reading →

Where is home, anyway?

I think the question of ‘home’ is one of the hardest concepts for any long-term expat. This is a subject I have talked about before, but since its something that I personally think about a lot, especially when I make my annual visit to the states to visit family & friends, why not talk about … Continue reading →

24 hours in Bilbao

When I first brought up visiting the Spanish city of Bilbao, most people’s reactions were a bit ‘eh’, after all it was unfairly nicknamed ‘el boxto’ the hole. Best known for the Guggenheim museum pictured above, but yet it really shouldn’t be. There is a lot more to this fascinating town from the cool ‘pod-like’ … Continue reading →

Ostriches and Olive-Oil

What you should not do when visiting a farm, try to instagram ostriches If someone would have told me that on a random Wednesday afternoon I would be snacking on delicious extra-virgin olive oil, well that could seem reasonable. On the other hand, if you would have said that I would have been chilling ostriches, baby goats, … Continue reading →

Locals I Love – Valentina Dainelli

This week we are back with yet another local I love [I know a lot of people right? ;-)] and this time we are picking the brain of  ‘TooMuchTuscanys’ Valentina Dainelli. I met Valentina during several blog tours, heck we even shared a room together. It would be hard to meet a nicer, kinder, more open-minded … Continue reading →

A guide to romantic Lisbon, Portugal

Truth be told, I have been obsessed with Lisbon ever since we got back from our #winteroadtrip from the south of France to Portugal this past December. Five days of living it up with my partner in crime and I really think we got the most of our vacation, it was non-stop walking, eating, drinking and experiencing. … Continue reading →

A weekend all about TASTE in Florence

Imagine sipping wine out of a steel cup, watching tempura being made in the back of an old workshop located in the hills above Florence. Or walking up flight and flight of stairs, around corners and hallways until you think someone has played a joke on you and then finally as soon as you almost … Continue reading →

Locals I Love – Costanza Giovannini

This week’s local I love is Costanza, a girl who works too much and shares my love of moscow mules. Witty, almost too organized, she is just one of those people who ‘gets it.’ We met a few times but more recently we embarked on a blog tour adventure together to promote the thermal springs … Continue reading →

Riding in Tuscany – bike tour with ibikeitaly

Jumping for joy for a gorgeous spring day escaping from the city is absolutely something worth getting excited about, even if I really can’t jump. People who are almost 5’10” really shouldn’t if I’m honest – falling means a lot further than that of someone who is 5’5” {that’s what I tell myself..}. Silliness aside, … Continue reading →

How to survive your next permesso di soggiorno renewal in Florence

[Disclaimer- These pigeons did not need a permesso di soggiorno to enjoy this view of Florence] This is you – a dreamer who wanted to leave corporate America, UK, Australia [insert said country here] for a simple life in Italy. A life of picking fresh veggies at the market, leisurely chatting over a cappuccino to … Continue reading →

One night at the Four Seasons

When I started planning our road trip from the south-west of France to Lisbon, Portugal – I really wanted to stay in a variety of places in order to get a well-rounded view about the types of accomodation available in the city. We started at a place in hip area in Bairro Alto for two … Continue reading →

Odd in Florence 2 – embrace the weird

After the success of ‘Odd in Florence’ part one featuring weird things I spotted around town, I knew i had to make this a continuous series. Of course the pretty pictures of panoramas overlooking Florence, foodporn that will make anyone fail their diet and colorful vintage fiats won’t stop anytime soon. But just like a … Continue reading →

Photo diary of Belem & Lisbon from above

[The Tower of Belém – UNESCO World Heritage Site] There’s a lot of things about Lisbon that I wasn’t expecting. The city that happens to be older than Rome {second oldest European capital after Athens} is full of surprises and hidden corners that would delight anyone, especially my curious self. I already explored my first … Continue reading →

Daytrip to Pisa – more than just a tower

[A high Arno river in Pisa – Photo credit: Svebor Karaman] Pisa, oh Pisa why do I not give you enough attention? This city on the sea seems to be most famous to many Florentines as the place where you get your ryanair flights and of course the famous leaning tower of Pisa. That being … Continue reading →

A thermal spa weekend – Play your Tuscany

Photo credit: Saturnia By Roberto Ferrari from Campogalliano (Modena), Italy. Sometimes a girl needs to escape the dog poop on the sidewalks of Florence and head to the countryside for a dip in paradise. In this case, I am referring not to the mediterranean sea or an infinity pool in Chianti, but rather the many … Continue reading →

Undercover Palazzo Pitti – exploring women artists

“‘My Lordship, I’ll show you what a woman can do.’  – artist Artmesia Gentileschi  Throughout the centuries women have had to work tremendously hard to make their voice heard, especially in renaissance Florence where most women’s destinies lied in childbirth and taking care of the home. Their voices rarely heard nor seen which is why … Continue reading →

Where to get a Moscow Mule in Florence

Ask anyone what my favorite cocktail is and in 3…2…1 seconds if that person gets me even a little – they know that I absolutely adore a Moscow Mule. I am much more of a wine drinker in general, the older I get, the less I go for hard alcohol. The headaches you can get … Continue reading →

Eating your way through Lisbon

  “Ask not what you can do for your country. Ask what’s for lunch.” ― Orson Welles I theorize that Mr. Welles was rather onto something. I know I talk a lot about food on this blog but living in Italy has catapulted my respect for the l’arte di mangiar bene [art of eating well … Continue reading →

How I almost lost my native language

Who needs silly words when you have a plethora of gestures to choose from, Reason #24436726762 to love Italy! He’s just being a ‘rompe palle’ (A pain in the ass). You might wonder why I am essentially calling someone a ‘not to so nice name’ but it’s not aimed at anyone in particular, just an … Continue reading →

A photo diary of Notte Bianca 2014

Notte Bianca in Florence, Italy or ‘White Night’ as us English speakers call it. It came, we went, we conquered. Well at least in my own way ;-). We started off my evening getting a drink with a few bloggers up on the beautiful terrace of Grand Hotel Cavour. The view from this place will make … Continue reading →

April events in Florence, Italy

While I may at this exact moment be sitting on my mom’s plush beige couch in San Antonio,Texas, Florence is never far from my mind. Especially this month of April which surely will be an exciting month for us all with Easter and more vacation coming up {because we can never have enough, right?}. The … Continue reading →