Tag

Italy

Hipmunk CityLove, Travel, Travel Tips

Hipmunk City Love – 48 Hours in Florence, Italy

Italy is blessed with a rich art and religious history that tourists of all faiths and nationalities flock to see. While Rome is the center of the religious story, Florence is the center for art as the birthplace of the Renaissance. It’s most likely a stop on your city hopping tour of Italy. Below are some of the must-see attractions to enjoy the best of your 48 hours in Florence. The Cathedral of…

Read more
Europe, Hipmunk CityLove, Travel

Hipmunk City Love: Choosing a Hotel in Venice, Italy

From history to romance to art, Venice has a ton to offer which is why it’s a must stop on your Europe itinerary. Hotels and business owners have caught on to Venice’s rising popularity and have likewise adjusted their prices. Choosing the proper hotel can be crucial to your budget and overall enjoyment of Venice. Whether you’re looking for convenience to tourist attractions or the train station, or a quiet hotel in…

Read more
Europe, Travel

Our Last Day in Rome

I was exhausted by our last day in Rome.  Two weeks of sightseeing, over eating and drinking, and sleeping in strange beds had caught up with me.  The last thing I wanted to do was hit another popular tourist attraction and fight crowds.  I had enough of that already.     We woke up late and lingered over breakfast in our hotel room near Trevi Fountain, fingering through Frommer’s Rome Day by Day for a…

Read more
Craft Beer Travel, Destination Beer Travel Guides, Europe, Travel

A Guide to Rome Beer

Exploring the Rome Beer Scene After almost two weeks in Italy, it pains me to say that I was wined out.  And no, my liver wasn’t exhausted after twice (and sometimes thrice) daily intakes of wine – lunch, dinner, and the occasional mid-morning Prosecco – as it earned a degree in party from Ohio University.  Instead, my taste buds were screaming for hops.  As we wrapped up our Italian odyssey in the Eternal…

Read more
Europe, Travel

A Day Visiting Ancient Rome

Visiting Ancient Rome truly deserves an entire day on your itinerary.  Some tourists may try to squeeze it into a few hours, but they’re not doing themselves justice.  Sure, they may capture a photo to share on Facebook, but is that why we travel?  To just brag about it online?  Hardly.  Ancient Rome is about the experience.  It’s about touring buildings that are thousands of years old, walking in the footsteps of…

Read more
Europe, Travel

Visiting Central Rome and the Best Meal We Ate in Italy

If you have just one night in Rome, visiting Central Rome is essential. This post picks up from my last post on Rome where we spent the greater part of the day exploring the Vatican.  After lingering over wood fired pizza and a half carafe of wine, we explored Central Rome on a self-guided walking tour took us past the ancient of Castel Sant’Angelo and through the trendy of the Triangle of…

Read more
Europe, Travel

Rome – Visiting the Vatican

I’m not Catholic and figured visiting the Vatican would be a waste of my time.  The saints, popes, and gaudy paintings of Jesus suffering would be lost to me.  I grew up Protestant and our Jesus has risen.  Besides, there’d be a lot of people there and I don’t do crowds.  I’d read of lines winding throughout and around Saint Peter’s Square to catch a glimpse of the holy grounds now that a…

Read more
Europe, Travel

Arriving in Rome

We arrived at Stazione Termine via train after being rejuvenated in Tuscany.  I was on high alert as we entered the hoard of people shoving this way and that in Rome’s main train station, keeping close watch on all of my belonging as the station is a prime area for pickpockets.  We emerged unscathed but a little bewildered as we approached the taxi stand.  There were just so many people!  It was…

Read more
Europe, Food, Travel

Eating Tuscany: A Tuscany Food and Wine Tour

“Such a beautiful young lady!” exclaimed Mara as she greeted my wife and I. “Where’s my husband, Terenzio? He’s my translator. My English is not so good.” I looked around the Tuscan kitchen with its brick archways, stone counters, and copper pots and thought, “This is what I came for.” Many of the other culinary programs we researched taught in restaurant kitchens. So much of my life is spent eating rushed meals…

Read more
Pairing Challenge

Winner Winner Pesto Pasta Dinner + Recipe

The Gourmand household has been hashtag trending on eating seasonal.  Sure that’s easy to say in the middle of the summer when the tomatoes are plump, the peppers are ripe, and the peaches are juicy.  But with the recent addition of the Weeknight Fresh and Fast cookbook (you gotta buy this) to our library, we plan to keep the trend going year round.  You’d be surprised what the Farmers Market offers beyond…

Read more