Published on Saturday, September 3, 2016 by Kathy McCabe Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832), a prolific and celebrated German writer and philosopher whose works include novels, poetry, memoirs, an autobiography, scientific writings, and drawings, also had ties to Italy. From 1786 to 1788, he embarked on a tour of Italy that greatly influenced his writings and philosophy. He published his first major scientific work,T...

Published on Saturday, August 13, 2016 by Kathy McCabe Italian cuisine is among the best in the world, and its delectable, gourmet dishes embody the passion of a country devoted to cooking as craft. Italian-American food is also delicious, ranking high on the list of staple comfort foods that are easy to prepare. To the surprise of many Americans who visit Italy, though, there’s not always overlap between the two. The ...

Published on Friday, January 15, 2016 by Kathy McCabe Italian Cultural Minister Dario Franceschini announced that more than 200 historical sites across Italy will receive public funding toward much-needed restorations, saying “culture has returned to the center of national politics.” A total of 300 million euros will be split among 241 historical sites over the next three years The restorations will include the me...

Published on Saturday, June 20, 2015 by Kathy McCabe I’m Steve Perillo of Perillo Tours. I have a video series called Steve's Travel Tips to share all the insider Italy travel tips I have learned over a lifetime of travel to Italy. In this video, I'm giving you advice on how to use cell phones in Italy. Everyone wants to keep in touch when they're in Italy, mostly to tell all the folks at home what a great time the...

Published on Monday, June 1, 2015 by Kathy McCabe I’m Steve Perillo of Perillo Tours. I have a video series called Steve's Travel Tips to share all the insider Italy travel tips I have learned over a lifetime of travel to Italy. In this video, I'm talking about a hot topic that travelers are always asking me about!  How to pack for Italy.  Learn the ins and outs of packing for a trip to Italy by watching my l...

Published on Monday, April 6, 2015 by Steve I’m Steve Perillo of Perillo Tours. I have a video series called Steve's Travel Tips to share all the insider Italy travel tips I have learned over a lifetime of travel to Italy. In this video, I'm talking about the  hottest event in Italy this year-  the Milan Expo - the new version of the World's Fair. Learn about about it by watching my latest Italy Travel ...

Published on Friday, January 23, 2015 by Steve I’m Steve Perillo of Perillo Tours. I have a video series called Steve's Travel Tips to share all the insider Italy travel tips I have learned over a lifetime of travel to Italy. In this video, I'm talking about enjoying cooking classes in Italy. Is there any better place in the world to learn to cook than Italy? I don't think so. I share my tips for picking the ...

Published on Thursday, January 8, 2015 by Kathy McCabe Landing in Rome and traveling directly to Florence and Venice, just got a whole lot easier with trains running a new route from Rome’s Fiumicino airport to Venice. Two trains a day – at 11:08 a.m. and 3:08 p.m. from Rome, and 5:40 a.m. and 9:25 a.m. from Venice – travel along the route, which ends in Venice and stops in Florence, Bologna, Padua and central Rome�...

Published on Saturday, December 27, 2014 by Kathy McCabe The goal of the Italy Travel Blog is to give you lots of great ideas on what to do in Italy but every so often, it is helpful to give you some ideas on what not to do in Italy: 1.  Ask for parmesan cheese on your seafood. Or a cappuccino after lunch. Of course, if you insist on a sprinkle of formaggio, or make a plea for butter with your bread, a good Italian wait...

Published on Wednesday, November 19, 2014 by Steve What’s the most expensive thing you can buy in Italy? Sure, a Maserati or Ferrari is a good guess. But by weight it might be the white truffles of Alba which can go for as much as $10,000 per pound! These tantalizing tubers grow near the roots of oak trees and have a special concentration near the town of Alba, in the northern Italian region of Piedmont. They are i...