A Weekend in Tuscany {La Bandita Townhouse + Piscine del Sole + Bagno Vignoni}

After an extraordinary visit to a fantastical castle in Tuscany a few weeks ago we decided since we had driven all the way to Tuscany we should probably just make a weekend of it.

While we spend a lot of time in the countryside, it is usually at a friends house where we sleep late, cook and read by the pool or fire depending on the season. There is sometimes a little bit of exploring, maybe even a visit to a pretty hill town. That means while we have visited lots of places we almost never stay for more than a few hours in those pretty hill towns. In the spirit of doing something different, I sent an email to an Instagram pal who just happens to own the very chic hotel La Bandita Townhouse in the town of Pienza smack in the middle of one of the most picture perfect parts of Tuscany and very near one of our favorite hot springs.

What to do in Rome on a Rainy Day {Catacombs Tour + The Roman Guy}

Statistics show that Rome has a yearly average of 2273 hours of sunshine. But as we all know, not every day can be filled with blue skies. On a recent drizzly morning I was invited by The Roman Guy to head underground, safe and dry from the chaos that reigns (see what I did there?)when they skies unleash in the eternal city.

How to Visit Sammezzano Castle + Tuscany

I am not one to try my luck. I don't buy scratch cards, or enter contests and almost never gamble. Though maybe I should. The one time I played a slot machine it was with a quarter I found on a Las Vegas casino floor. I popped it into the the first slot machine I saw and hit a $200 jackpot! I didn't press my luck though. I walked right off the casino floor and bought a cashmere shawl that I still wear today. Improbably, I recently hit a different kind of jackpot. This particular win was more cultural than monetary, but I will take my luck in whatever it's form. Even better when that form is a rare visit to an abandoned castle in the Tuscan countryside.

Museums in Rome { Musei Nazionale Romana }

Walks of Italy and CoopCulture gave me a gift for my birthday. They didn't know it was my birthday, but I celebrated the recent October day (and the day before and the day after; birthdays should be indulgent right? ) with a walk around Rome with some of my favorite pals and by visiting the four museums of the Musei Nazionale Romana. 

Where to Eat, Drink and Shop in Amsterdam

Earlier this week I told you all about what to do in Amsterdam. Today I will share where to eat, drink and shop.

What to do in Amsterdam {Eating Amsterdam Food Tours + Where to Find The Fault in Our Stars Bench}

As a final hurrah to end a fabulous summer I recently zipped off to Amsterdam with an adventurous pal where we walked, ate, drank, shopped and talked our way through the streets of this charming and efficient city. 

Here are my tips for the best things to do in Amsterdam. 

Eating in Rome {Healthy Choices in Monti}

I love food. I love to shop for food, read about food, think about food and obviously eat delicious food. Rome is a wonderful place for a food lover to live with the endless plates of pastas with bold hearty sauces, thin crusted pizzas, creamy gelato, craft beer, decadent pastries. I love it all.

But, as with all good things, there needs to be a balance. After a very indulgent summer of lots of travel and even more eating (and yes cocktails too) I am back on my yoga mat and craving plates piled high with fresh vegetables and spicy vitamin packed juices. Luckily I live in Monti, one of Rome's best neighborhoods where on the via Urbana there are three terrific options for when you are in need of a break from the Italian carb-a-thon.

Where to Stay on the Rimini Riveria {Hotel Eliseo + Bellaria Igea Marina}

A wise friend of mine once said to me, “I think that Americans misunderstand Italians”

She went on to explain that Americans see Italians as passionate but she insists that that is not really the case. “Italians, she explains, are sentimental”

After a stay at charming Hotel Eliseo in Bellaria Igea Marina near Rimini I think I finally understand what she was saying.

Where to Eat in Ponza

The island of Ponza is an extraordinary place. It has a wild, rugged charm with it's limpid blue water, fiery sunsets and rocky paths to empty beaches. By comparison, the food in Ponza is creative, refined and incredibly fresh. Read on for my list of where to eat in Ponza. 

How to Visit the Temples of Paestum

Posedonia. I love the sound of the ancient word for this ancient place, evoking gods and the sea. In the spirit of adventure instead of heading to Capri after a languorous week in Positano as is our habit we turned the other direction towards what in modern day Italy is known as Paestum. This stretch of land just past the vertiginous Amalfi Coast is home to wide sandy beaches, some of the best mozzarella in Italy and the breathtakingly intact ancient temples. 

These are my tips for how to visit the temples of Paestum.