I spent five nights based in Como, on the shores of the iconic Lake Como in northern Italy. One of the day trips we did was to drive up into southern Switzerland, the Italian-Swiss border being just minutes away from…
View Post
With Portofino in the rear view mirror, we drove north along the coast to Genoa. The sun shone down as we drove the winding coastal road, pretty pastel towns intermixed with the tunnels through the mountains. Genoa proved to be…
View Post
Oh Portofino, the place where that song famously croons you can find love. Once a little fishing village tucked down the far end of the Ligurian coast, Portofino is now considered one of the most bougie places to vacation in…
View Post
Cinque Terre, the five towns with the colourful pillbox houses built into the coastline of western Italy, is probably one of the most famous destinations in the country. The Ligurian coastline is seriously idyllic. After having been Instagram friends since…
View Post
I think the images of the five colourful little towns of Cinque Terre are some of the most well-known in all of Italy. The pillbox houses built into the cliffs along the Liguria coastline evoke daydreams of idyllic small town…
View Post
You'd be hard pressed to come across someone who hasn't heard of the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa. This funny little monument is known around the world for being, quite literally, a leaning tower, with currently nearly four degrees of…
View Post
Florence is widely regarded as the Italian city of art. And truthfully, the art is spectacular. However, I must be honest about how I felt about the city as a whole. And while I know my opinion is not a…
View Post
Bologna isn't on many people's radars when it comes to booking their Italian trips - it doesn't always fall into company with the likes of Rome, Florence and Venice - but I'm here to tell you that is absolutely should…
View Post
Oh Venezia. I adored this city. I actually cried a bit as we drove away, the island city built in the water fading into the rearview mirror. I truly loved my five days in Venice and I hope I can…
View Post
While visiting Venice, one of the most magical cities I've ever had the joy of exploring, one of the best highlights was our morning spent visiting Doge's Palace / Palazzo Ducale. I adored Venice. Made up of more than 100…
View Post
Welcome to Padua Botanical Garden - or Orto Botanico di Padova - nestled in the centre of Padua, a university town just half an hour from Venice. This is the world's oldest botanical garden, founded in 1545 and still retaining…
View Post
After a few days exploring the world's oldest republic, the microstate of San Marino, near Rimini in eastern Italy, it was time to head further north and explore more cities in Italy. → Check out all my guides about Italy!…
View Post
Welcome to San Marino, the world's oldest republic and the fifth-smallest country in the world. This little microstate is surrounded entirely by Italy, located near the east coast, about half an hour's drive from nearby Rimini on the Italian coast.…
View Post
Umbria is often called the heart of Italy. Situated, quite literally, in the middle of the country, this beautiful region is packed full of rolling hills, quaint towns, a slower pace of life than many of the other big Italian…
View Post
