Italy
Walking Holiday in Le Marche. Discover Italy’s hidden gem.
Our first evening briefing in the lounge of Hotel Leone was preceded by wine and nibbles, so naturally, on the pretext of looking to store much needed energy for the next day’s trek, the majority of my nibbles were gratefully received . After all, you don’t go on a walking holiday in Le Marche trekking the mighty Sibillini national park with hunger pains, that would be foolish wouldn’t it?
Read the full story hereHotel Leone. Discover a wonderfull hilltop hotel in magnificent Marche.
The historic hilltop town of Montelparo has witnessed many things during her long lifetime; more than a few wars, an odd feuding baron or two the advent of electricity and of course, stunning views of the Marche landscape. But surely none perhaps more bewildering for the old girl than finding a young couple from England turning up one day as the proud new owners of a ruined palazzo at the top of the town, abandoned for over thirty years. Three years later and after much personal toil and sweat, the old palazzo was alive once again, transformed into the stunning eight bedroom luxury boutique hotel and restaurant that is Hotel Leone.
Read the full story herePuglia. Perhaps Italy’s best kept secret
Not so long ago Puglia, at the tip of Italy’s boot, was down at heel, poor, neglected and far flung. No more. Flanked by two seas the thin peninsula is often described as ‘Italy’s best kept secret’.
Read the full story hereEmilia-Romagna. Discover the beautiful Jewish heart of Italy.
A lone bell tolls from somewhere close by, not an unfamiliar sound when you’re in Italy, but at this moment it’s rather more poignant. I’m inside Ferrara’s ancient synagogue, still going strong in the heart of the former medieval ghetto, nearly 600 years after it was built. Tonight though it’s completely rammed, standing room only for the Friday night service and Rabbi Luciano Caro is beaming from ear to ear. Is Emilia-Romagna Italy’s Jewish heart? This region is a veritable treasure trove of Jewish history, and the cities of Bologna, Cento and Ferrara in particular, owe their very existence to their Jewish communities.
Read the full story hereVia del Babuino is My favourite street in Rome. Discover why I love it.
I think it might have been the way the sunlight reflected off the water under the talking statue, or perhaps the glimpse of the Spanish Steps still visible in the distance, or maybe it was just the time of day and the people around me. But whatever it was, the Via del Babuino is my favourite street in Rome and will always have a place in my hear
Read the full story hereIl Giardino di Ballaro
The weather in Palermo may well have been unseasonably freezing, almost arctic some might have said, but inside Il Giardino di Ballaro the warmth was contagious, from the roaring log fire in the lounge to the hospitality of owner Annalise and her team. Il Giardino di Ballaro is a luxury B&B converted from an ancient bakery and stables right in the heart of Palermo’s old town and just a few steps from Ballaro, the biggest of the city’s four iconic outdoor markets.
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