Susan Van Allen (Page 2)

To discover Matera is delving deep into Italy’s rich history. Deep, as in going back to the Paleolithic Age, when cave settlements began in Matera’s hillside rocks. What’s amazing is the area, in southern Basilicata, has been continuously inhabited since then–through classical Greek and Roman, medieval, baroque, and modern times, Matera’s Sassi=communities of dwellings built into the stones, grew and continue to change styles and shapes. In 1993 UNESCO recognized these Sassi as a World Heritage Site. And Matera has been named a European Capital of Culture for 2019. It’s a stunning place to experience a Golden Day. Mine began with meeting a native guide,Read More →

  Valerie Fortney-Schneider is a freelance writer with years of experience in the travel industry, and a history degree, who returned to her roots and created the company, My Bella Basilicata.  She guides travelers through the region and is also the woman to go to for genealogy research. Guests rave about the memorable vacations she creates for them, where they can go beyond finding birth or death records, to the villages where their ancestors were from, walk the streets and talk to the natives, sometimes find the houses where their grandparents lived and even distant relatives. Her writing showcases her passion for Basilicata, in various publicationsRead More →

I’m grateful to have found a Sardinia Travel Company, called Gaveena, Your Mate in Sardinia. On the island of Sardinia, Gaveena is the most typical female name, and since I’m drawn to all the ways the feminine is celebrated in Italy, I’m drawn to this company. They offer a great range of tours in Sardinia, from excursions on the seasides to culinary and archaeological packages, and trips that bring visitors to the interior wilderness areas. Manuel Cazzaniga is a travel specialist who founded Gaveena. He moved to Sardinia, from Monza, in the Lombardy region, about two years ago, and this company was inspired by, in his words,Read More →

A few year’s back, I had the pleasure of meeting Pietro Navarra in Los Angeles. He’d been in a bookstore, found 100 Places in Italy Every Woman Should Go, and liked it so much (I love that Men enjoy it too!), that he wrote to me and said we should meet so I could sign his copy. A delicious dinner at Terroni followed, where I found out about Pietro’s Italy — his wonderful Italian travel company that combines his passions for Italy and the USA. Having grown up in Bologna and traveled in Italy extensively, Pietro creates customized itineraries for travelers, bringing to each one his uniqueRead More →

Susan Van Allen, Auto Europe

View from our window in San Quirico d’Orcia… OUR meaning me and my two sisters. We’d not traveled together since our days as Jersey Girls when Daddy would be at the wheel of the Country Squire Station Wagon and we’d go from West Long Branch, New Jersey to the beach at Cape May where the sand was LIKE AN ASHTRAY! MANY years later, we rendezvoused at the Rome airport and picked up the keys to a gem-of-a- White Volkswagen from Auto Europe. What I love about this company is that they are partnered with the best car rental places all over Italy, so you get aRead More →

Many years ago, when I was writing the Active Adventures chapter in 100 Places in Italy Every Woman Should Go, I had the great fortune to meet the fabulous, fun-loving Barbara Kossy, a California based Italofile who designs and organizes kayaking tours in Elba, Sicily and Sardinia. She describes them as “Soft adventures. We sleep in a hotel every night and can wash the salt out of our hair before dinner. ” They give travelers a great social experience, meeting kayakers from all over the world, and combine explorations by kayak around the destinations with hiking and great food. Barbara is also inspired by Italian style, and has recently startedRead More →

We’re grateful to have Alexandra Redmond join us to give her expert advice about Ogliastra in eastern Sardinia.  Alexandra is a lover of nature, a vegan, and a yoga  teacher, who moved to the paradise of Sardinia from Brighton, UK. In 2009 she blended her love for the island with her longtime practice of yoga and meditation, and created Yoga in Sardinia, a non-profit organization that offers travelers Yoga and Mediation classes and retreats in Sardinia and an online Stress Management Course for those that can’t attend in person. We’re grateful she’s joining in with us to share her advice for a Golden Day in Ogliastra: Here are a fewRead More →

We are joined next by Silvia Cabras, who is from Iglesias, in southwestern Sardinia. She is now living in Cleveland, attending Case Western Reserve University as a research scholar in Biomedical Engineering, where she met our Golden Days Intern, Whitney Hickey. We’re grateful Silvia has come along to share advice for a Golden Day on the Masua Beach, a ten minute drive from her hometown of Iglesias… Here I post some beautiful pictures of the sea near to my city. The name of this beach is Masua which is a beautiful beach with sand and gravel. You can enjoy various activities at the beach such as enjoying a café andRead More →

It’s wonderful to have Maria Paola Loi of Sardinia Tours and co-author of the app Sardinia Inside Out, (who joined Martha Bakerjian to give us advice about a Golden Day in Alghero),  come back to give her advice for A Golden Day in Cagliari. Maria and our other Cagliari friend and expert, Lexa Dudley, from Golden Day 120, agree on some of the same places in Sardinia’s capital city–so with two thumbs up, take their advice when traveling there. Here’s Maria: In Cagliari, the Capital City of Sardinia, it is worth seeing the old Medieval  part of town —Castello. Take a lovely stroll along the narrow, and admire manyRead More →

Ladies! 2015 is Your Year to Experience La Dolce Vita with author Susan Van Allen! Custom designed and led by Susan, for women to enjoy the pleasures of the Bel Paese to the max! * Small Groups Maximum 14–Great for friends to share a special time together and solo travelers to meet and share the wonderful experience with fascinating women * Luxury Hotels Only unpack once, be taken care of by an expert staff in lovely surroundings * Exquisite Itineraries [col1][/col1] [col2][/col2] [col3] [/col3] [col1][/col1] [col2][/col2] [col3] [/col3] Blending art, culture, delicious food and wine, fabulous shopping, a cooking class, and a relaxing spa dayRead More →