Collecapretta, Spoleto

Collecapretta, Spoleto

Vinnie and I were driving down the motorway listening to one of the myriad of FM music stations with which Italian airwaves are awash. The Italians are a very musical people and I was musing about what would have happened if rock ‘n roll had been born in Italy rather...
A Fine Fiano

A Fine Fiano

Because there is so much to see in Italy, from the dazzling Byzantine mosaics of Ravenna to the Renaissance glories of Florence, it can be quite overwhelming. It is also only too easy to miss some of the less obvious but often fascinating aspects of this historic...
A Lush Lacrima

A Lush Lacrima

The Adriatic coast is where many Italians choose to spend their holidays and the beaches around Senigallia in the Marche are always particularly popular. Thirteen kilometres of beaches, the famous Spiaggia di Velluto or Velvet Beach, so called because of the fine...
Cacciatore di Cònero

Cacciatore di Cònero

Vinnie and I were driving in the Marche and heading towards Monte Cònero. This high peak, behind the regional capital, Ancona, has for thousands of years served as a navigational landmark for ancient sailors. “So what is the national tree of Italy?” I asked my ancient...
A Very Particular Pergola

A Very Particular Pergola

Vinnie and I were heading for the small town of Pergola in the Marche, a region to the east of the Apennine Mountains. As always, we were on the hunt for artisan wines but we wanted to know what else there was to see in the town. In fact, there is something very rare...