Search results for: Golden Day Ten (Page 2)

It wasn’t my idea to design and host For Women Only Tours to Italy. Yes, I loved traveling there for decades, writing about Italy, going to Italy with family and girlfriends, arranging everything so we’d certainly have the most marvelous time. And I always loved meeting female travelers along the way, who, like me, were swept up in that fabulous magic Italy gives us women.All those women travelers and my own experiences inspired my first book, 100 Places in Italy Every Woman Should Go. Then came The Surprise. During my book tour, after my presentations,  hands would fly up, and woman would ask: “Can we go withRead More →

PREMIUM GOLDEN WEEK IN THE ITALIAN RIVIERA AND FLORENCE: For Women Only FALL 2025 led by Author Susan Van Allen Susan Van Allen infuses her tours with enthusiasm, engagement and enchantment! She is exceptional in her knowledge of the area we visited and ensured we felt both part of a group yet individually independent. We had the trip of a lifetime… -Christina, Massachusetts Join Susan Van Allen, author of 100 Places in Italy Every Woman Should Go, for an inspiring Premium Golden Week in two extraordinary locations, the Italian Riviera and Florence. You’ll have an insider’s experience of these beauties — meeting my friends–from ourRead More →

GOLDEN WEEK IN THE ITALIAN LAKES: For Women Only SPRING 2025 led by Author Susan Van Allen Susan exceeded my expectations! Would love to tour with her (and the ladies) again! -Tina, Colorado Join Susan Van Allen, author of 100 Places in Italy Every Woman Should Go, for an inspiring springtime adventure in Italy’s beautiful Lake region. We’ll immerse ourselves in this wonderland that’s inspired poets and painters, fully experiencing three diverse lakes: Maggiore, Como, and Orta. Surrounded by breathtaking landscapes of snow covered alps, sparkling waters, and vibrant gardens bursting into bloom, we’ll discover gorgeous palazzos, quaint villages, and meet wonderful locals. Highlights includeRead More →

A Conversation with Kathy McCabe, Host of PBS Dream of Italy Travel Show series… Dear Friends, My apologies for Thursday night tech probs, mucking up the Women Who Love Italy conversation on Facebook Live that I had perfectly planned (so I thought), with my dear friend Kathy McCabe. Grazie mille to you who did bear with us and joined in. Your hearts and thumbs up and comments mean so much to us. It’s ALWAYS GOLDEN to share time with friends, however it can happen. I became a fan of Kathy’s when I first came across the Dream of Italy newsletter, and our friendship began whenRead More →

GOLDEN WEEK IN SICILY For Women Only MAY 4-13, 2024SOLD OUTStay Tuned for FALL 2025 Dates! led by Author Susan Van Allen Susan Van Allen infuses her tours with enthusiasm, engagement and enchantment!… –Christina, Massachusetts Attention All You Wonderful Women! It’s Time to Treat Yourselves To The Pleasures of Sicily Delicious Tastes of Palermo / Dazzling Monreale /Valley of the Temples at Sunset / Mount Etna Wine Tasting / Ceramic Artisans in Caltagirone / Bella Taormina/ Awesome Siracusa4 and 5 Star Hotels  Full Itinerary Today you will transfer on your own to the airport, to catch the overnight flight to Palermo, full of joyful anticipation… Benvenuta! You’ll be met by our driver at the Palermo airport or train station,Read More →

Covid-19 Cleaning, Italian Travel

Ciao Amici, I send you and yours my good thoughts as we go through these days together…Springtime Covid-19 Cleaning brought on some discoveries and inspired these thoughts… In the springtime of uncertainty, there was certainly time to clean out closets. Strangely, burrowing in dark corners brought comfort. Outside were so many questions: When will it end? Will my loved ones suffer and die? Will I get it?   The answer was always: I don’t know. But inside my closet were things I knew everything about. That Twiggy doll was a Christmas gift from Aunt Tuddy, there were faux pearl rosary beads I held tightly at my First Holy Communion.Read More →

GOLDEN DAY TOURS Join in on these exclusive private tours with extraordinary guides, to have an insider’s experience… They’re available all year long, even when I am not there to join you, and will be a stellar addition to your time in Rome or Florence, whether you’re traveling on your own, with friends, or family. ROME GUIDED BY ELEONORA BALDWIN: GRANDDAUGHTER OF AWARD-WINNING FILMMMAKER VITTORIO DE SICA Extraordinary guide Eleonora Baldwin takes you on an exciting walk around the living, moving, film set that is Rome. Eleonora, granddaughter of Academy Award winning filmmaker Vittorio De Sica, will lead you to discover beautiful spots of theRead More →

Of all the beautiful spots in the beautiful Cinque Terre, Vernazza is certainly the most beloved by photographers and painters…and book cover designers… It’s a dream to arrive to this village on the path from Corniglia… The view is crowned by the Belforte tower and Doria Castle, named after the powerful Doria family from Genoa. (BTW, as I’m always highlighting HERstory, the name Doria actually came from a 12th century Genoese noblewoman, Auria, who married a noble pilgrim who went off to fight the first crusades in Jerusalem. The name was originally, in Latin, de filius Auirae=Sons of Auria). If you arrive to Vernazza byRead More →

Florence = Heaven for so many reasons. There’s the masterpieces of architecture and art, amazing food and wine, welcoming natives, AND wonderful shopping. During our Golden Weeks, I’ve loved seeing the great joy women experience over filling their suitcases with gifts to bring home, and to keep for themselves for lasting memories… It’s so easy to come by fun leather finds in the market stalls of San Lorenzo, around Santa Croce, and the Mercato Nuovo (aka Straw Market, Mercato del Porcellino)… And lovely to stroll along Via Tornabuoni for designer brands in shops that were once Renaissance palaces… What’s marvelous is how history and traditionRead More →

Happy International Women’s Day! All over Italy on March 8, this holiday is celebrated with mimosa flowers, given by men to the women in their life, or by women to their friends… It’s a global day to celebrate all female achievements–past, present, and future. Courageous women began it in the early 1900s, holding demonstrations for the right to vote and for equal pay and working conditions.  Credits: PagineCorsare The Union of Italian Women officially declared March 8 Women’s Day in 1945. The scent of mimosas is everywhere, reminding us that spring is near… At night, girlfriends get together and have fun…and maybe get a little wild… Mimosa cocktails are enjoyed… ,AND Mimosa cake…Read More →