Rome in winter is absolutely magical. So magical in fact, that despite the fact that I'm no fan of the cold, my favourite time to visit is in the quieter, chillier months of the year. The atmosphere is captivating, the temperature is rather on the icy side, and the city feels like a living working… Continue reading Rome in Winter : 10 Things You Need to Know
Hopping on a vaporetto from Venice to Burano island makes for an idyllic way to spend the day. The Venetian island is home to fishermen and lace-makers, and is famous for its brightly painted houses arranged along narrow canals. Although it's equally as picturesque- and basically a photographers' dream- Burano seems a world away from… Continue reading From Venice to Burano. Exploring the colourful island in the Venetian lagoon.
Did you ever hear of the pasta grandmas of Bari Vecchia? Eating in Italy is always a magical and scrumptious experience, but the Bari food experience is without a doubt the best one I've had yet. Here's why the little port city of Bari is well worth a visit. *This site uses affiliate links, where… Continue reading The Bari Food Scene: It’s full of grandmas and that’s why I love it.
It was early December and myself and three fellow singers from the ship had been asked to make the trip to the Vatican to make a film to be shown to the passengers in the build-up to Christmas. Glory, glory, Hallelujah! A trip to the Vatican!! At Christmas!! I'd been before, a couple of times,… Continue reading A Christmas Story: That Time I Got Kicked Out of the Vatican City
The port of Civitavecchia is often sold as 'The Gateway to Rome', which is a little misleading considering Rome is over an hour away by road. However while many people skip Civitavecchia completely in favour of the Colosseum and other Roman treats, this little port city is worth a look in too. This place has… Continue reading Things to do in Civitavecchia, Italy
I totes get it. People visit Pisa for the Leaning Tower; it seems to be defying gravity, Elphaba style. And it's one of the most popular landmarks in the whole of Italy, so it goes without saying that you should definitely check it out if you're in the vicinity. But there is so much more… Continue reading Things to do in Pisa other than the Tower
Florence at any time of year is exquisitely beautiful. Its streets are filled with elegant architectural masterpieces holding artistic treasures galore. But Florence in winter, even in the freezing cold bleak midwinter, has a special kind of magic about it. I was rather on the sad side when I realised that that day when we… Continue reading Florence in Winter • A day trip from Livorno
When I declared to anyone on the ship who would listen that I was 'soooo excited' that we were docking for one day in Naples, I mostly heard back replies along the lines of 'I hate Naples, it's a dangerous place,' 'I won't bother getting off the ship that day,' and 'Naples is dirty.' In… Continue reading A Winter Day in Naples
Part two of my adventures teaching English in Italy: San Lorenzo in Le Marche. If you need to catch up on part one, here it is in all its bloggy glory. I may have been the one doing all the teaching, but here are all the lessons I learnt along the way. 1. What it… Continue reading Teaching English in Italy • San Lorenzo, Le Marche
Somehow, with no interview or even a whiff of a TEFL qualification on my CV, I had been offered a job teaching English IN ITALY. TO ACTUAL ITALIAN CHILDREN. I booked myself onto a flight to Bologna and only the night before leaving did I begin to panic that this whole thing was an extremely… Continue reading Teaching English in Italy • Week One, Mondavio
