Published on Tuesday, October 21, 2014 by Steve It is no secret that my favorite city in the world is bella Roma - the Eternal City! You would think, given how often I visit that I would get a little tired of it but quite the contrary, I find there's always something new to see and do...and well, FUN to be had! FUN was the name of the game for my latest trip, especially since I was there for my birthday! We mixe...

Published on Tuesday, October 14, 2014 by Kathy McCabe The small silver plaques posted on the sides of buildings in Florence are inconspicuous, but their significance isn’t lost on Florentines. These rectangular flood markers all around the city, dating from medieval times, have inscriptions with the date of each flood and a line indicating how high the water rose that year. Florence is prone to flooding due to t...

Published on Friday, October 10, 2014 by Kathy McCabe You’re a seasoned Italophile--but you’ve never been to Milan. You think the northern metropolis offers little besides gray stone, industrial parks and rainy days. Wrong! This keystone city may not have the immediate charms of Rome or Florence, but its quieter attractions mean that you can take your time and soak up the rhythms of everyday Italian life. Plus you wi...

Published on Tuesday, October 7, 2014 by Kathy McCabe Intrepid divers, swimmers and spectators can all the world’s deepest swimming pool, which opened in June at a thermal spa in the Veneto. The pool, which holds which holds 1,135,939 gallons of thermal spa water, is named named Y-40 Deep Joy after its 40-meter depth. Designed by architect Emanuele Boaretto for scuba diving and underwater photo shoots, the rectang...

Published on Sunday, October 5, 2014 by Kathy McCabe The Italy Mix is a weekly post about the most interesting Italy and Italy travel news and human interest stories around the Web.  Here are our top picks for this week: Rowing in Venice: “There is no better way to connect with Venice than with an oar and discovering the original way of life that so few sustain,” says Nan McElroy.  (The New York Times) Rom...

Published on Monday, September 29, 2014 by Kathy McCabe To commemorate 2,000 years since the death of Rome’s first emperor, Augustus, in 14 AD, the ancient Baths of Diocletian reopened to the public last week in Rome. Visitors can view the natation (outdoor swimming pool) and the small cloister of the Basilica di Santa Maria degli Angeli, which was built in the 16th century on the ruins of the baths. Marble sculptures...

Published on Sunday, September 21, 2014 by Kathy McCabe Ah, Italy, the country of romance. Here's a truly unique romantic experience in Italy - have an entire restaurant to yourself! Solo per Due (Just for Two) is the world’s smallest restaurant, with just one table for two. Guests arrive at the restaurant along a candlelit pathway and are personally greeted by the chef, and unsurprisingly, the restaurant is often the ...

Published on Monday, September 15, 2014 by Kathy McCabe Pantelleria. You will be forgiven if you've never heard of it. It is about as far away from mainland Italy as you can get and still be considered Italy. It can be found between Sicily and Tunisia. Whether or not you've heard of Pantelleria, you may not know these five fun facts about the island: 1. The island’s dammusi date back to the 10th century. Dammusi, t...

Published on Friday, September 12, 2014 by Kathy McCabe Summer storms have dampened Italian wine grape production, putting this year’s harvest on track to be the most meager since 1950. If Italy produces an estimated 900 million gallons of wine in 2014 – 15% less than in 2013 – it will cede its position as the world’s most prolific wine producer to France. The 2014 grape harvest will also begin later than in previo...

Published on Saturday, September 6, 2014 by Kathy McCabe Thanks to a change in Roman law, luxury hotels in Rome just got pricier. Italian lawmakers recently approved a new lodging tax, hiking fees for five-star and four-star hotels from 3 to 7 € and 6€, respectively (approximately $4 to $9 and $8), per person per night. Previously, guests staying at one-, two-, or three-star hotels incurred a €2 € tax; now, ...