When it comes to food, Bologna has looots of things to say to the foodie. But if so happens that you only have one day to spend on roaming the city streets, there are two food hubs that you need to pin on google map: Via delle Pescherie Vecchie – right in the city center near Piazza Maggiore, and Via Pratello, near San Francesco Church, known almost exclusively to locals.
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VERONA #SINEQUANON: THE THINGS YOU CANNOT LEAVE OUT
The city of Romeo and Juliet can become a love story, and not necessarily a tragic one. Of all the things to love here, the house of Giulietta and the famed balcony are the least lovable – in fact the tons of heart and Cupid and flashy red souvenirs are maybe the only real tragedy that happened to this place. So forget about that story, and bear in mind that Shakespeare wrote two more Verona-related plays: Two Gentlemen of Verona and the wonderful Taming of the Shrew. I very much wanted to see the house where Katherina was tamed, but no reference to that, I’m afraid. There is still the…
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Best Open air Opera for the happy few
If you’re a classical music enthusiast or an opera lover, you must have been to the Covent Garden or Scala once or twice. But I discovered something that beats even the gilded interiors of Opera Garnier: the exterior. Dream big: ancient theatre with view of the volcano, a huge lake stage or a musical terrace where you can see the sun rising 315 m over the sea. Set in breathtaking outdoor locations, here are my favorite concert halls: Teatro Greco di Taormina Classical music but also rock concerts are taking place in the ancient theatre of Taormina, Sicily. A large crack in the original arena wall offers a magnificent view…
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Cafune
‘Tenderly running your fingers through your lover’s hair’. Brasilian Portuguese #word To be entirely truthful, the word is very old and initially had a much more prosaic meaning, but let’s not dwell on that.
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Koi No Yokan
“The sense one can have upon first meeting a person that the two of you are going to fall in love. Differs from love at first sight as it does not imply that the feeling of love exists, only the knowledge that a future love is inevitable.” Japanese word
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POSTCARDS: Barcelona is Gaudi’s playground
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A story of tides: the secrets of Mont Saint Michel, revealed
Is it a castle or an island? Is that the desert or the sea? Is it Bretagne or Normandie? Each day, this castle becomes an island, then the sea withdraws to leave treacherous sands behind. Meanwhile, a whimsical little river draws the border between the two realms, making Mont St. Michel part of Normandy. The mountain has always been a place of awe; beautiful and inaccessible, it caused many to perish at the mercy of tides. And as it happens with so many places of awe and beauty, it has always been a site of worship. In the early days of Christianity, monks were using Mount Tomb – that was…
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POSTCARDS: Seville is the filming location for Dorne
At least once a year, thehappyfew escape into their favorite fantasies. After Meereen, we follow the #GoTlocations and travel to Dorne. The luxurious and vicious High Gardens are filmed in Seville’s incredible Alcazar.
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FLORENCE #SINEQUANON: THE THINGS YOU CANNOT LEAVE OUT
There are only 9 absolute musts, but thousands of other reasons to Florence ONE: The view from San Miniato al Monte Let everybody else stop at Piazzale Michelangelo for the view over the city. While a very good spot for the pics, it is basically an over-crowded parking. Go uphill, Via delle Porte Sante, to San Miniato al Monte. This is the church with the most beautiful view in the world. TWO: THE ROOFTOPS OF FLORENCE Flirence has a magical skyline to dream on to. The miraculous dome of the Duomo, the unmistakable tower of the Signoria, the tiled rooftops, the marbled facades and the Rennaissance palazzi create an immersive…
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A ROADTRIP THROUGH CHIANTI CLASSICO
Follow La Strada del Chianti and stop along the way to your heart’s desire. Etruscans were first here, then Romans drove their carts on these roads. A land of tremendous beauty and forever radiating serenity, the wine road witnessed the obsessive conflicts between Florence and Siena, undisturbed by battles and time. Looking at the map, the villages, vineyards and castles of Chianti Classico can be found around the SR222. One itinerary we love is this. We started from our beloved Monteriggioni and went up through Castellina in Chianti to Panzano and Greve in Chianti. Another one is right from Castellina towards Radda and Volpaia, then round direction Gaiole towards San…
