In the Company of Peaks There’s a reason the Dolomites continue to capture hearts year after year. This dramatic stretch of the northern Italian Alps is made up of towering limestone peaks that seem to glow differently with every hour, sometimes blushing pink, other times cast in quiet silver. The landscapes here are bold, but …
Continue reading Hiking the Dolomites: A DoloMIGHTY Adventure
The Allure of the Dolomites The Dolomites are, quite simply, a marvel. Rising from the northern Italian Alps in a dramatic collage of vertical limestone walls, jagged cliffs, and deep-cut valleys, this UNESCO World Heritage site is home to eighteen towering peaks, many cresting above 9,000 feet. Spring is especially beguiling. The upper slopes remain …
Continue reading Dolomites in Bloom: Spring Skiing and Alpine Indulgence
Just an hour outside Milan, where the gentle hills of the Alps begin to rise, lies Franciacorta - an enchanting, yet curiously under-the-radar wine region. It’s here, in Lombardy, that some of Italy’s most elegant bubbles are crafted, often compared to Champagne, but with a distinctly Italian soul and a fraction of the global spotlight. And …
Italy's largest island, Sicily, offers exceptional beaches, charming villages and towns, and an abundance of ancient ruins and archeological sites across the warm waters of the Mediterranean. Historically, Sicily has been at the crossroads of cultures, landscapes, and cuisine. Our best itineraries are those that include stays on the East Coast visiting Taormina, Catania, Mt Etna, Siracusa, …
Tuscany is one of the most sought after holiday destinations in Europe and a place that I and many of my clients eagerly return to time and again. From world heritage hill towns such as Pienza and San Gimignano, to highly regarded wine-estates like Chianti to Montalcino to Montepulciano, to seaside villages from Grosetto to …
The Dolomites - These UNESCO World Heritage mountains may be the most beautiful in Europe! Located in Northeastern Italy at the Austrian border where "guten morgen" works as well as "buongiorno," the gorgeous limestone peaks of the Dolomites wind through four ski resorts, seven centuries-old villages, and four mountain passes! As is typical with European skiing, …
Continue reading The Italian Dolomites: Hut-to-Hut Ski Safari
Living la Vita Local in Italy with Relais & Chateaux
No matter how many times you go to Rome, nothing ever quite prepares you for the history! Ok, never mind that as my taxi driver drove by the Collesseum and his response to my, "Bellisima" was "I have been driving by the Collesseum for 45 fricking years" (picture thumb, index and middle finger joined together …
I had the distinct pleasure of escorting 18 couples on a trip we lovingly called "Tuscany by Ferrari." We started at the boutique and swank, JK Place hotel in Florence located overlooking Santa Maria Novella - the piazza and the church. Service is here is so personalized and spot on, it will be hard to …
In the travel business, the old saying goes that if you have not been in 10 years, then you have not been! With so many gorgeous and classic properties, both old and new, I recently spent several days touring the Amalfi coast checking out very special properties in Sorrento, Ravello, Amalfi, Praiano, and Positano. Here …