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As amazing as it is to see the side of Matera that has been continuously inhabited and is being revitalized…on the other side of the ravine is the chance to see the Prehistoric Caves of Matera… Especially with Michelantelo Camardo, who lives in the Sassi and is passionate about the exploration of this natural treasure… Along with us was Antonella and expert guide Cesare, who opened the door to this church built into the rock, Cristo La Selva..where musical concerts are held during the summer season… And further along was this fantastic grotto…and place for a picnic… AND if you’re looking for a great B&BRead More →

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 →

We’ll continue our Golden Days in the southern region of Basilicata. My first visit to this beautiful under-touristed region was random. I had plans to visit my friend Tania of In Italy Tours in Calabria, and found I had a few days gap in my traveling schedule. Sitting with my laptop in Rome, musing over the train route,  inspiration came: Go To Your Pappa Land! My grandfather was born in Basilicata, on a farm in Vaglio, near Potenza, then worked in a pasticceria in Naples before boarding a ship for the American Dream. I have letters he wrote when he’d go back to visit, and a necklaceRead More →

Buona Befana! Tonight’s the night this dear signora rides through the night sky, sweeping away last year’s troubles with her broom, bringing in a Bright Happy New Year to All! Here’s an excerpt from my book, Letters from Italy, that tells my story of celebrating the holiday in Rome… Postcard from Rome: The Legend of La Befana* “There is no Santa Claus in Italy,” my Nana told me when I was a kid. I had nightmares of how awful Christmas must be over there. Nana said she had to wait until January 6, The Feast of the Epiphany, to get gifts. The presents came fromRead 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 →

Memories of a Golden Day at Gennargentu Park, Sardinia…The park is on the eastern edge of the island, home to the region’s largest mountain range, that stretches out in breath-taking silence. Our gang got escorted up in jeeps on a rocky path above a gorge to reach a shepherd’s hut. There, shepherd Giovanni, who’s been tending his flocks for 50 of his 67 years, roasted meats, spooned fresh ricotta out of a big metal pot onto thin, crisp Sardinian bread (Carasau), and topped it off with a drizzle of honey from hives kept near the spring below. I could have stayed there just eating that ricotta forRead 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 →