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Category Archives: Italy
Flavours of Friuli Venezia Giulia | #FVGFlavour
Located in the far northeast corner of Italy, Friuli Venezia Giulia borders Austria to its north, Slovenia to its east and the Italian autonomous region of Veneto to the west. It has a long stretch of Adriatic shoreline, is home to the mighty Dolomite Mountains, and boasts a fascinating and culturally complex history. Continue reading
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Posted in Drink, Flavours of Friuli Venezia Giulia, Food, Italy, Travel, Wine
Tagged #FVGFlavour, Drink, Flavours of Friuli Venezia Giulia, Food, Friuli Venezia Giulia, FVG, Italy, Travel, wine
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Pra’ delle Torri Holiday Centre Near Venice | #pradelletorri
On the lookout for an ideal Italian holiday for your family? Consider Pra’ delle Torri Holiday Centre near Venice for its lively line up of fun things to do like lounging on the beach, splashing around at the centre’s own waterpark, golfing, biking, and lots, lots more. Continue reading
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Posted in Hotels, Italy, Travel
Tagged Caorle, Centro Vacanze Pra' delle Torri, family travel, hotels, Italy, Pra’ delle Torri, Pra’ delle Torri Holiday Centre, Travel, venice
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Best Hotels of 2015
My list of favourite hotels veers toward the luxury end of the spectrum. But there are some budget friendly considerations included. In large part, hospitality and appreciation won out over bling or lavish excess. Continue reading
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Posted in Barcelona, Best of 2015, Best of the Best, Food, Hotels, Italy, Luxury, North Carolina, Restaurants, Sicily, South Africa, Spain, Travel, USA
Tagged Albergo Ristorante Pizzeria Del Viale, barcelona, Best Hotels of 2015, Best of 2015, Best of the Best, Carolina Inn, Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill North Carolina, Earth Lodge, Earth Lodge Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve, Food, Generator Barcelona, Generator Hostels, hostels, Hotel Arts, Hotel Arts Barcelona, Hotel Del Viale, Hotel Majestic, hotels, Italy, kruger national park, Lodges, luxury, North Carolina, Palazzo Adri, pizza, restaurants, Sabi Sabi, safari, sicily, south africa, spain, Travel, UNC, University of North Carolina, USA
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Best Bars of 2015 (Excluding London)
Hey globetrotters, who’s up for a drink? If you ever happen to find yourself thirsty in Barcelona, Rome, Atlanta, Bath or even tiny Hillsborough, North Carolina here’s where to go for the best flow of drinks mixed with camaraderie. Continue reading
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Posted in Barcelona, Bars, Beer, Best of 2015, Best of the Best, Drink, Food, Hotels, Italy, Luxury, Pubs, Rome, Travel, USA, Wine
Tagged atlanta, barcelona, bath, Beehive Inn, beer, Best Bars of 2015, Best of 2015, Best of the Best, cocktails, Cumbria, Drink, Eamont Bridge, Food, georgia, Gracia Barcelona, Hillsborough, Hillsborough North Carolina, hotels, Italy, Joystick, Jumeirah, Jumeirah Grand Hotel Via Veneto, La Gilda, La Pepita, lake district, luxury, Mystery Brewing, Mystery Brewing Public House, North Carolina, Penrith, pubs, roma, rome, somerset, tapas, Time Restaurant & Wine Bar, Travel, USA, Via Vittorio Veneto, west country, wine, wine bars
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Best Restaurants of 2015 (Excluding London)
The tikichris of 2015 series continues with a look at some of the most amazing restaurants I visited this year. Continue reading
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Posted in Best of 2015, Best of the Best, Drink, Food, Hotels, Italy
Tagged Abbaye de Montheron, american food, Antico Forno Roscioli, BBQ, Best of 2015, Best of the Best, Best Restaurants of 2015, BISTRO, brockenhurst, Caltagirone, Carolina Inn, Cerniat, Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill North Carolina, Crossroads Chapel Hill, Dallas, england, Fearing’s Restaurant, france, french food, Gruyere, Gruyeres, hampshire, Hotel Relais Saint Germain, hotels, Il Locandiere, italian food, Italy, La Pinte des Mossettes, Le Comptoir du Relais, Le Zie Trattoria di Perrone Anna Carmla, Lecce, luxury, Montheron, new forest, North Carolina, O Zé Da Quitéria, paris, pizza, portugal, PORTUGUESE FOOD, Pronto A Comer Zé Da Quitéria - Jose Cardoso, puglia, restaurants, Ristorante Il Locandiere, Ritz-Carlton, Ritz-Carlton Dallas, rome, Saint Germain de Prés, seafood, Setúbal, sicily, SO42 7QL, Swiss food, switzerland, Tejo, texas, The Pig, The Pig Hotel, Travel, UK, UNC, University of North Carolina, USA, Vaud
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Top Recipe Ideas and More from Great Italian Chefs
From the same folks behind Great British Chefs comes the newly launched Great Italian Chefs – and just in time for a most delectable buon Natale! Continue reading
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Posted in Food, Great British Chefs, Great Italian Chefs, Italy, Recipes, Travel
Tagged Food, GREAT BRITISH CHEFS, Great Italian Chefs, italian food, Italy, recipes, Travel
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Time Restaurant & Wine Bar | Jumeirah Grand Hotel Via Veneto | Rome
Craving to unwind, be pampered and have a taste of La Dolce Vita in grand style? When in Rome you can do so at the Jumeirah Grand Hotel Via Veneto’s superb Time Restaurant & Wine Bar. Continue reading
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Posted in Drink, Food, Hotels, Italy, Luxury, Restaurants, Rome, Travel
Tagged BARS, Chef Franco Madama, cocktails, Domenico Maura, Drink, Food, Franco Madam, hotels, Jumeirah Grand Hotel Via Veneto, Lazio, luxury, Magnolia Restaurant, Mirto, Morto di Lusso, reviews, roma, rome, Time Restaurant & Wine Bar, Travel, Via Vittorio Veneto
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The Best of Sicilian Cuisine for Christmas
Come Christmas time, Sicilians get busy planning the feast they will be preparing and sharing with families and friends. They love their food and they are proud of their culinary culture. During the holidays is one of the best times to visit the place because the atmosphere is cheerful and you will find the aromas of food waffling through the air in every corner you go. Continue reading
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Posted in Christmas, Food, Italy, Sicily
Tagged christmas, italian food, Italy, sicily, SPONSORED POST
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Having a Rewarding Experience in Rome with IHG’s Spire Elite
Taking advantage of my chance to try out IHG Rewards Club’s new top membership level, Spire Elite, I had a fantastic time last month exploring one of my favourite cities: Rome. Continue reading
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Roam Around Rome: The City’s Best Street Food (Great Italian Chefs)
As is the case throughout Italy, I’m sure that Rome has an excellent restaurant and fine dining scene. However, despite having travelled there a number of times, I can’t seem to get past the phenomenal pizza and street food. For budget bites while seeing sights, there’s possibly no better destination in Europe than the Eternal City Continue reading
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Posted in Drink, Food, Great Italian Chefs, Italy, Pizza, Restaurants, Rome, Travel
Tagged Great Italian Chefs, Italy, pasta, pizza, restaurants, roma, rome, street food, Travel
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Inspired and Aspiring Travel with IHG’s Spire Elite
Over the summer, IHG unveiled its Rewards Club’s new top membership level: Spire Elite. When asked to give it a test run with a jaunt over to the Continent, I did not hesitate to take IHG up on the offer. … Continue reading
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6 Great Reasons to Visit Italy This Summer (OneTravel)
As if you needed yet another reason to visit one of Europe’s most beautiful, history and delicious countries, here’s a roundup of six exciting things happening or just opening this summer to make that trip of a lifetime even more … Continue reading
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A Taste of Puglia: Craving for More
Did you have fun reading my series of posts about the great time I had visiting the boot heel of Italy? I certainly got a kick out of my trip! But such a short jaunt of Puglia only proved to be a tease, and now I’m craving to discover more about this sunny region. Continue reading
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Posted in A Taste of Puglia, Food, Italy, Puglia
Tagged A Taste of Puglia, Food, Italy, puglia, Travel
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Recipe: Squid and Chickpea Barley
Sometime during my recent visits to Sicily, Barcelona and Puglia the elements of this recipe starting fomenting in my ravenous mind. Once home with enough time to play around with my ideas, I was keen to create what’s turned out to be a really scrumptious dish: squid and chickpea barley. Continue reading
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Posted in A Taste of Puglia, Food, Italy, Puglia, Recipes, Shopping
Tagged A Taste of Puglia, barley, CALAMARI, chickpeas, Food, I Murgini, Italy, pearl barley, puglia, recipes, seafood, Shopping, squid, squid and chickpea barley, tikichris recipes
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A Taste of Puglia: Drinking
The last post in my Taste of Puglia series was about the best bites from the region. But what drinks pair well with all that excellent southern Italian food … wine … coffee? Sure! Puglia can be proud of its contributions to these two most significant liquid elements of Italian culture. Continue reading
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Posted in A Taste of Puglia, Coffee, Drink, Food, Italy, Puglia, Shopping, Travel, Wine
Tagged A Taste of Puglia, Caffe Tito Schipa, Cantina Coppola, coffee, D'Alfonso del Sordo, Drink, Food, Gallipoli, italian wine, Italy, L’Antica Cantina, Lecce, puglia, Quarta Caffe, Quarta Coffee, San Severo, Travel, wine
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A Taste of Puglia: Eating
If a dietician were to design a food pyramid based solely on my most preferred eats, it would have giant tentacles extending from its based and wrapped around it to the top. Squid … octopus … cuttlefish: I had so much of it – along with all sorts of other bounty of the sea dishes – always sumptuously presented but with minimal fanfare while visiting Puglia … and at such low prices (from my gouged Londoner perspective anyway). Continue reading
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Posted in A Taste of Puglia, Food, Italy, Puglia, Restaurants, Shopping, Travel
Tagged A Taste of Puglia, Food, Gallipoli, Gareth Jones, I Murgini, Italy, La Rusticana, Le Saittole, le zie, Le Zie Trattoria di Perrone Anna Carmela, Lecce, Marechiaro, pasticciotto, polpo in pignata, puglia, restaurants, rustica, seafood, Shopping, trattoria
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A Taste of Puglia: Sightseeing in the Salento
So as I alluded in the intro to this series about my time in Puglia, my aim is to share the best bits of my time there as well as highlight some Pugliese treats I’ve come across here in London. But where to start? I suppose at the source is as good a place as any, especially when it’s as beautiful as the Salento, the very bottom of the country’s so called boot heel. Continue reading
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Posted in A Taste of Puglia, Apps, Italy, Puglia, Travel
Tagged A Taste of Puglia, addison lee, apps, baroque, Gallipoli, Italy, Lecce, puglia, Salento, Travel
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A Taste of Puglia: Alluring and Suggestive
When travelling in Italy, my experience has been that the deeper south I go, the more beguiling the country becomes. This observation held true in mid May when I ventured to Puglia – the heel of Italian boot – for a whistle stop press trip and my first time in this sunny and rustic region. During my few nights visit, things often occurred in manners and for reasons beyond my comprehension. For sure, some of that could be chalked up simply to me being a dumbass. Still, a lot of it – much of it – had way more to do with the place, the people, and the culture. Continue reading
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Posted in A Taste of Puglia, Italy, Puglia, Travel
Tagged A Taste of Puglia, Italy, puglia, Travel
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The Nutty Way to Have Coffee in Lecce, Italy (espressoCrazy)
One of the perks of getting to travel as much as I do is the opportunity to have a peek at (and of course a taste of) local coffee customs. Recently, I was found myself in the Southern Italian city … Continue reading
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Posted in Coffee, Drink, espressoCrazy, Food, Italy, Puglia, Travel
Tagged almond milk, apuglia, coffee, Drink, espresso, espressoCrazy, espressocrazy.com, Food, ghiaccio con latte di mandorla, iced coffee, iced coffee with almond milk, Italy, puglia, Salento, Travel
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3 Supremely Sunshiny Reasons to Visit Southern Italy’s Salento (OneTravel)
Just back from a too short, but super sunny and fun-filled visit to Salento, I’m eager to rave about how wonderful this part of southern Italy is. Located in the region of Puglia, Salento is at the very bottom of … Continue reading
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Find Sicily’s Tastiest Spots with the Free Agromobile App (OneTravel)
A recent and delicious visit to Sicily was made all the more juicy, fruitful and scenic with the Agromobile app. Agromobile is a website and a free to download app sharing food and wine related itineraries in Sicily. Interested “land … Continue reading
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Le Vie della Zagara: Zestful and Juicy Sicily
I hope you’ve enjoyed this online tour of Sicily’s via Le Vie della Zagara. I certainly had a wonderful time discovering this distinctive destination for myself and sharing the most zestful bits of that journey with you. Continue reading
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Posted in Food, Italy, Le Vie della Zagara, Sicily, Travel
Tagged addison lee, Citrus, Citrus District of Sicily, Distretto Agrumi di Sicilia, ficuzza, Food, Gusto di Campagna, Italy, kolymbetra, Le Vie della Zagara, palazzo reale ficuzza, Sicilia, sicilian, sicily, Travel, valley of the temples, Vie della Zagara
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Le Vie della Zagara: Ceramic Dynamic Caltagirone
Caltagirone was one of those places where soon into my time there I started wondered about the price of local property. Could I afford to chuck it all in and relocate? How could I make such a transition work – and what kind of work would I even be able to do if I actually did settle there? Such a feeling of immediate attraction to a place often used to overwhelm me when travelling in my 20s and early 30s. It’s a less frequent – but much deeper and more exacting – experience when it hits me these days. No, I don’t think I’ll actually up and move to Caltagirone (and I very much love my life here in London), but that possibility lingers still in my thoughts as I remember it. And I sorely hope I’m don’t have to wait too long to return there for further exploration. Continue reading
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Posted in Art, Drink, Food, Italy, Le Vie della Zagara, Museums, Restaurants, Shopping, Sicily, Travel, Wine
Tagged Art, Caltagirone, ceramics, contemporary art, Drink, Feudo di Santa Tresa Wine, Food, Il Locandiere, italian food, Italy, Le Vie della Zagara, Museo d'Arte Contemporanea Caltagirone, museums, Ospedale delle Donne, restaurants, Ristorante Il Locandiere, Sammartino e Delfino, Santa Tresa, Scala Santa Maria del Monte, seafood, Shopping, Sicilia, sicilian, sicily, Travel, wine
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Le Vie della Zagara: Palazzo Adriano
Okay. I’ve covered the citrus side of my Sicilian excursion – with bits about Ciaculli mandarins, Ribera oranges, blood oranges, Interdonato lemons and Syracuse lemons – and now I want to talk about some of the other equally fruitful aspects of my trip. So in the next few posts of my Le Vie della Zagara series I’m going to highlight a handful of the more remarkable sights encountered while touring Sicily. First up is the quaint and scenic mountain village of Palazzo Adriano. Continue reading
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Posted in Food, Hotels, Italy, Le Vie della Zagara, Movies, Pizza, Restaurants, Sicily, Travel, Video
Tagged Albergo, Albergo Del Viale, Albergo Ristorante Pizzeria Del Viale, Cinema Paradiso, Del Viale, hotels, Italy, Le Vie della Zagara, Movies, Palazzo Adriano, pizza, Sicilia, sicilian, sicily, Video
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Le Vie della Zagara: Limone di Siracusa
A fertile coastal plain stretching between the mountains and the sea with plenty of sea air and consistent year-round sunlight make conditions right for growing Limone di Siracusa, aka Syracuse lemons – some of the juiciest and zestiest on the market. Such conditions add up to a gorgeous place to visit too. The last of the low hanging PGI fruits picked along my journey across Sicily, here’s why I’m a sucker for the aroma and flavour of this mighty if diminutive squirt! Continue reading
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Posted in Drink, Food, Hotels, Italy, Le Vie della Zagara, Shopping, Sicily, Travel
Tagged agriturismo, Agriturismo Pozzo di Mazza, Citrus, Drink, Food, IGP, Italy, Le Vie della Zagara, Lemons, limone di Siracusa, PGI, Pozzo di Mazza, Shopping, Sicilia, sicilian, sicily, Siracusa, Syracuse lemons, Travel, Vie della Zagara
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Le Vie della Zagara: When Life Hands You Lemons Make Granita!
One of the zestier episodes during my zip across Sicily’s Le Vie della Zagara was a visit to the seaside town of Alì Terme in the province of Messina. Here and along the Valle del Nisi, aside perhaps from the tourist trade, the locally grown Limone Interdonato is the main draw – whether on its own with a skin so sweet you can eat it raw or transformed into one of many refreshing delicacies at the local bar/pasticceria/gelateria/bomboniere. Continue reading
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Posted in Drink, Food, Italy, Le Vie della Zagara, Restaurants, Sicily, Travel
Tagged Citrus, Drink, Food, IGP, Italy, Le Vie della Zagara, Lemons, Limone Interdonato, Pasticceria Bar Todaro Carmelo, PGI, Shopping, Sicilia, sicilian, sicily, Travel, Vie della Zagara
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Le Vie della Zagara: Sicily’s Beautiful Blood Oranges
The three varietals of Sicilian blood oranges include the deeply crimson Moro, the Tarocco (a great all rounder and Italy’s most popular orange), and the sweet and succulent Sanguinello. During my time travelling Le Vie della Zagara, I got a taste of all three blood oranges (and more – keep reading!) while visiting two places involved in the production of aranchia rossa: the lavish San Giorgio Estate with its upscale luxury Aranjaya villa and the more pragmatic but nonetheless impressive processing facilities of Pannitteri & C. Both are located in the eastern area of Sicily within the province of Catania and bestowed with jaw-dropper views of smoking and snow-capped Mount Etna. Continue reading
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Posted in Drink, Food, Hotels, Italy, Le Vie della Zagara, Luxury, Shopping, Sicily, Travel
Tagged aranca rossa, Aranjaya, blood oranges, Citrus, DOP, Drink, Food, hotels, IGP, Italy, Le Vie della Zagara, luxury, oranges, Pannitteri & C, PGI, Ribera, Ribera Oranges, Rosaria, San Giorgio Estate, Shopping, Sicilia, sicilian, sicily, Travel, Vie della Zagara
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Le Vie della Zagara: Balanced and Scenic Ribera
The world’s only orange with PDO certification (protected designation of origin, DOP in Italian) grows in Ribera, Sicily. Belonging to the family of yellow navel oranges, it’s not all that different in appearance to any run of the mill orange you’re apt to come across at any supermarket anywhere in the world. But bite into a Ribera or drink some of its juice and what sets it apart becomes clear. It’s a juicy fruit with a balanced ratio of sugars and acids – not too sweet or tart – with a firm and smooth flesh and no seeds. Continue reading
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Posted in Drink, Food, Italy, Le Vie della Zagara, Shopping, Sicily, Travel
Tagged Citrus, DOP, Drink, Food, Italy, Le Vie della Zagara, oranges, Ribera, Ribera Oranges, Sicilia, sicilian, sicily, Travel, Vie della Zagara
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Le Vie della Zagara: Ciaculli and its Anti-Mafia Mandarins
First stop on Le Vie della Zagara was the Palermo suburb of Ciaculli, home of the juicy Mandarino Tardivo di Ciacualli, where land once owned by the Mafia has been confiscated and converted into citrus groves by the locally run Consorzio il Tardivo di Ciaculli. Continue reading
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Posted in Drink, Food, Italy, Le Vie della Zagara, Shopping, Sicily, Travel
Tagged addiopizzo, Ciacualli, Citrus, Consorzio il Tardivo di Ciaculli, Drink, Food, Italy, Le Vie della Zagara, mafia, MandarInArte, mandarinello, Mandarino Tardivo di Ciacualli, Mandarins, palermo, Sicilia, sicilian, sicily, Slow Food, Travel, Vie della Zagara
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Le Vie della Zagara: Experiencing Sicily with Gusto!
Le Vie della Zagara is a new initiative encouraging visitors to Sicily to take at least a little time of their beach bound holiday to explore the island’s surprisingly diverse landscape and enjoy its equally varied bounty of citrus and many more treats along the way. Continue reading
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Posted in Apps, Food, Italy, Le Vie della Zagara, Sicily, Travel
Tagged addison lee, Agromobile, apps, Citrus, Citrus District of Sicily, Distretto Agrumi di Sicilia, Easyjet, Food, Gaia Barcellona, Gusto di Campagna, Italy, Le Vie della Zagara, Ryanair Business Plus, Sicilia, sicilian, sicily, Travel, Valentina Guerrera, Vie della Zagara
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Top Winter Sport Destinations in Italy (OneTravel)
For a vacation mixed with plenty of activity on and off the slopes, in the chalet or out on the town, Northern Italy is a haven for fans of winter sports that’s hard to beat. Here’s a list of some … Continue reading
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Sponsored Video: Win a Ski Holiday to South Tyrol, Italy + £1000 of Salomon Gear!
So about this time last year I was actually in the Italian Alps where I was having a blast and left with but one regret: I didn’t actually make it to South Tyrol. Based on my experience, I can say … Continue reading
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Posted in Competition, Food, Italy, Travel
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The World’s Most Christmassy Destinations (OneTravel)
Tis the season to see the world! Here are five destinations where it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Each would make an excellent place to find yourself during the holiday season and would yield so many rich experiences … Continue reading
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Posted in Christmas, Germany, Israel, Italy, Jerusalem, London, New York, OneTravel, Travel
Tagged 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS, Bavaria, christmas, Finland, germany, Israel, Italy, Jerusalem, Lapland, London, naples, napoli, new york, new york city, Nuremberg, NYC, OneTravel, Travel, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦
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Venice Salute Festival (OneTravel)
For Venetians, the 21st of November is an important date. It’s the day the city celebrates the Madonna della Salute festival, which commemorates the founding in 1630 of the church of Santa Maria della Salute (“Madonna of Health”). The church … Continue reading
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Posted in Italy, OneTravel, Travel
Tagged Italy, Madonna della Salute festival, OneTravel, Salute, Travel, venice
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Expo Milano 2015: Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life (OneTravel)
Expo Milano 2015 will be the largest worldwide event ever to focus on the topic of food. Themed “Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life,” this major non-commercial international exposition will present a unique opportunity to discover “all the facets of … Continue reading
