Sampling Italy

Good advice if you are planning a visit to the Colosseum.

Piemonte is a wonderful region to explore.

It is about time to have ramps in place for access.

Bologna shops and public spaces must remove all barriers for disabled people Bologna has become the first major Italian city to require all public premises to be made fully accessible to disabled people, under an ambitious new plan.

Negroni to go and low alcohol as well! Can’t wait to try it!

Mark your calendars! I’m excited to invite you to meet my latest project: Ernesto!

ICYMI: Ernesto is Florence’s 1st bottled low-abv earnest Negroni built with 13.5%. The same strength as a glass of wine and half the alcohol of a typical Negroni.

And in a ready-to-pour bottled format for picnics, travel-friendly nightcaps, thoughtful favors, hangover-free gatherings and more.

This little dream came to fruition thanks to a group of craft distillers in Florence and laser focused artists 🥳

Curious to meet, taste and learn more? Come to Ernesto’s launch aperitivo in Florence, get to know the Negroni’s legacy & my favorite Italian culinary drink ritual which inspired this project ❤️🇮🇹

Details are as follows:
When: Thursday June 4th 2026 from 7pm-9pm
Where: in Piazza degli Strozzi (Florence)
Cost: 18€ including Ernesto and themed-aperitivo bites

RSVP appreciated via DM .drinks on IG or e-mail via bio 🙏
Any other curiosity we left out? Comment below and we’ll do our best to answer. Looking forward to seeing you there!

And the train to Brisighella departs from Faenza so another reason for an extended trip.

If you're in Rome in July, there is something happening this summer that hasn't happened in nearly 50 years. The Orchestra of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia is returning to perform concerts inside the Basilica of Maxentius, in the Roman Forum. They performed there regularly from 1933 to 1979, then stopped because the basilica needed major restoration. That restoration has finally finished, and they're coming back.

Concert dates run July 2 through July 29. Tickets went on sale April 16. Capacity is around 1,500 per concert, and I'd expect these to sell out. If this is the kind of thing you'd want to see, book now.

The Basilica of Maxentius itself is also now open as part of your standard Roman Forum ticket, which is worth knowing even if the concerts aren't your thing.

If you’re looking for serene green spaces outside of Milan’s most popular parks and piazzas, try one of these secluded spots: https://bit.ly/41PsJwU

Some good recommendations including one of my favorite restaurants Ristorante Grassilli.

What to do in Bologna: Restaurants, shops and cultural highlights - Monocle About an hour from Milan by train and bursting with traditional trattorias, historical sites and a rich cultural scene, Bologna...

"If there was ever a week to hold onto that dream, it is this one and honestly I have a good reason to talk about books because this Thursday, April 23rd, marks World Book Day, and here in Florence, we are celebrating with the first edition of “A Firenze fioriscono libri” (Books Bloom in Florence).

Inspired by the charming Catalan tradition of gifting a book and a rose, our city is doing something rather special. If you buy a book from any of our participating local independent shops this Thursday, you’ll be gifted an Iris—the historic symbol of Florence. "

The Best Independent Bookshops in Florence and the Literary Events Worth Your Time Skip the over-hyped wine windows and seek out a wine library instead — along with the independent bookshops that give Florence its soul plus where to find your literary community

Good advice. I went to see Bernini's Ecstasy of Saint Teresa at Santa Maria della Vittoria only to find it closed in the afternoon.