Italian cuisine remains one of Italy’s best exports. Known and loved all over the world, its popularity is undoubted, even if sometimes international stereotypes create a limited image of Italian food, much, much poorer than its reality. The cultural aspect of Italian cuisine is as important as the flavors and […]
Venetian Glass: The Delicate Art – Part I A Murano glass creation (Rosanna Galvani/flickr) “The best glass in our time, that of greater beauty, more varied coloring and admirable skill is that made in Murano. It comes in all shades and its clarity and transparency are just like those of true and natural […]
Murano: The Method Behind the Magic Murano glass or vetro di Murano is magic, celebrated and revered all over the world for its beauty, fragility, the skill required in creating it, and last but definitely not the least, its history. Murano glassblowing is almost a religion, and collectors of Murano […]
Murano glass: The Art of Venice The art of making glass has never been quite as entrenched in a place as in Murano, Venice. Murano glass first made its appearance in the 8th century, and despite various ups and downs, has managed to not only endure but also flourish in […]
Italy is considered the home country of wine, one of Italians’ favorite alcoholic beverages. Wine is not simply considered a drink in Italy, but it is part of local habits and culture, especially when sitting around the table. A lot of people in Italy decide to drink a glass […]
Getting robbed is a terrible experience, made even worse if you are in a foreign country. Even if you are not physically threatened the loss of money and documentation can mean huge headaches. Unfortunately theft is a common occurrence in Europe, especially in areas that draw many tourists, where […]
Massa Marittima is a town located in Tuscany, in the province of Grosseto. The history of Massa Marittima goes back to 1000 AD when the seat of the bishop was moved here in the middle ages. The town was under the rule of the Republic of Pisa until it gained […]
Wine tasting doesn’t have to be stuffy. Too many people shy away from tasting and comparing wine because they think they don’t know “how to do it”. Well, what’s to know? Take, for example, an impromptu wine tasting we had with two of our neighbors recently. They had come over […]
The European olive tree (Olea europaea) has come to symbolize, more than any plant, the essence of the Mediterranean region and its gardens. Growing from 8 -12 meters tall in the poorest, rockiest of soils and depending on ferocious Mediterranean sunshine, the olive tree has truly won the battle of […]
The Fall is knocking at our doors, and we start feeling like getting all warm and cozy, even in the kitchen: soups take the place of salads, mature cheeses that of mozzarella and we all feel like eating more… Beans, in all their varieties and associated with a plethora of […]
