Category: travel in Italy

Visiting the Vatican on a Trip to Rome

Crack!  went the gavel as the auctioneer announced I had won the five-day trip to Rome for an audience with the pope and a tour of the Vatican — completely by accident. Having always dreamed of a trip to Italy, I’d raised my hand for an opening bid far outside my budget, certain that one…


History Is Deeply Rooted in Cinque Terre Wine Country

Standing with arms outstretched in the sun on his steeply terraced vineyard above the Ligurian Sea, Alessandro Crovara told us proudly, “This is my office.” My husband and I had come to Cinque Terre at our daughters’ recommendation during a longer trip to Italy. We were ready to soak up the five seaside towns and…


Prosecco Tasting on an Escape From Venice

After a whirlwind tour of Italy’s most famous cities and sites, my husband and I were ready to have a quiet day away from the bustle of tourists and crowds. So it was that our first day in Venice was spent driving north out of the city with tour guide Riccardo Rossano toward the Dolomites….