If you’re visiting Rome, it’s 100% inevitable that you’re going to be eating a lot of pasta. To be in the birthplace of some of the most iconic pasta dishes on the planet and not eat pasta at least once a day might actually be a crime. And even if you don’t eat any of…
When my step-sister and I planned out our five months of international travels, we knew we would need a relaxation break at some point. We were staying in a new city every month, traveling from country to country, sightseeing as much as possible in limited amounts of time. We wanted to experience as much as…
If you’re visiting Sicily, one of the absolute best things to do (besides eating your body weight in pasta, pizza, and cannoli) is taking a tour of Mt. Etna! It’s one of the world’s most active volcanos, and while you can see it from afar in tons of towns in the area, nothing compares to…
I’m gonna be extremely honest with you all for this blog post: Sicily was a very slow month for us in terms of dining out. We spent most of our time relaxing at our oceanside Airbnb (can you blame us?), and it was the middle of October on the Italian coast, so all the beachside…
“I’m as obsessed with Italian food as the next person, but even though I was absolutely ecstatic to actually be traveling to Italy and eating authentic cuisine straight from the source, I was still pretty nervous about their dining culture–what if I couldn’t read the menu? Do people actually not tip, or will I look like a jerk if I don’t?”
“Dining in a foreign country can be intimidating when you’re a newcomer in a place that’s totally different than where you’re used to living. The culture is different, the foods are different, and the menus can be confusing, regardless of where you are in the world.”
Walking through winding city streets, crossing bridges and busy streets, we were eager to make our way to the famous Villa Borghese Gardens for a bit of natural scenery–what we weren’t expecting was to find an incredible oasis in the middle of the biggest city in Italy. It was as if the surrounding noise of…
“Being the capital of Tuscany, the cuisine in Florence is rooted in traditional Tuscan dishes and ingredients, like Bistecca alla Fiorentina (Florentine steak), crostini Toscani, trippa (cow stomach), wild boar, and truffles (my absolute favorite).”
The end-of-summer sun beat down on my bare arms as I leaned my back against the bridge, just as brutal in September as it was in July. My hair was hot to the touch as I brushed a few strands away from my face, content with my chosen resting spot overlooking the Arno River. Unwrapping…
As we pulled our suitcases down the steep cobblestone hill for the last time, passing by the weathered pastel buildings home to wine shops, produce markets, and souvenirs galore, I reveled in the fact that there was no one around yet. No tourists arriving for their vacations, no vans honking at pedestrians to give way…
I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face if I tried to that day. My jacket and shirt were soaked through, and my hair had probably never looked worse, but I sat in a restaurant full of chattering Italians listening to a new friend order food and wine for the table as if we’d known…