Passion For Italy Travel: Recent Episodes
Passion For Italy Travel
David You have been working in Italy for half the year in Italy for a large part of your life. What drew you to Italy in the first place?
You always return to La Serenissima. What is it about Venice that you love the most?
Is Venice your favourite place in Italy to paint and why?
What do you call your style of art?
You also do portraits – Is there certain features of a person or the pose that makes an interesting portrait do you think?
You lead educational tours to Italy and Europe and have been allowed into some magnificent villas and museums. Tell us about the most interesting places or institutions that you have seen in Italy?
You always have an exhibition in Brisbane of your paintings? When is this exhibition normally.
You can contact David here
Home | David Henderson
View video of David’s painting in Venice
David Henderson | visualartist.info
Produced by Gemma Green Close, Passion For Italy Travel. pfitravel.com. info@pfitravel.com
Welcome to the Passion for Italy Podcast. Gemma from Passion for Italy Travel is interviewing Stephen Copeland and Meredith Brice – both amazing Australian artists, who have renovated and restored a beautiful apartment La Bella Casa in Conzano, situated in the wine region of Monferato, in the region Piemonte in Italy. They also off Heritage Collage Workshops and have created a Migration Art Musuem in Conzano. The couple are currently departing for Italy to also renovate an old barn to become more workspace for the project.
- A Creative Residency in Conzano 993 · Passion For Italy Travel
The couple have opened up their lovely apartment to become the Quentin Bryce Creative residency for certain months of the year.
The Creative in-Residence Program is intended to be diverse and be offered to all individuals involved in the arts, literature and all areas that has at its heart - "to make and create more humane society".
Successful applicants can also use the time to write a memory, a heritage story or research their family migratory history, any from of creative research and development is encouraged. Become part of the Migration as Art Museum alumni.
The discussion focuses on the residency program in Conzano, Italy, where participants can engage in research or reflection in a supportive environment. Stephen Copland explained that the program is open to anyone who aligns with the goal of serving others, regardless of their background or field of research, and emphasized that the location offers a traditional and authentic Italian experience.
He describes Conzano's proximity to larger towns, its accessibility by public transport, and the cultural activities available in the area, including music and art events. Gemma inquired about the logistics and amenities, and Stephen provided details about the village's facilities and the program's cost, which covers the expenses of running the apartment for a month.
- Art Workshops for Heritage and Ancestry Stories
International Heritage Book Workshop Piemonte · Passion For Italy Travel
Stephen Copland discussed his Landscape of Heritage Workshop, which grew out of his personal art practice and interest in tracing his grandmother's family history from Cuba to Lebanon. He explaines how he transformed his grandmother's diary and postcard album into visual art, using collage techniques and simple shadow printing methods. The workshop, which includes an educational component, encourages participants to explore their own heritage through visual storytelling, using methods like lifelines and abstraction to create personal visual objects.
Stephen and Meredith describe the art workshops, that help participants explore their family histories and migration stories through visual art, noting that the workshops are particularly powerful for those, who lack family connections. He explains that while the workshops began in Austria and have been adapted for different languages and cultures, the universal language of art allows participants to express complex emotions and stories through visual means.
- Migration Art Museum in Conzano.
https://migrationasartmuseum.au/
Stephen and Meredith discussed the establishment of a migration art museum in Italy, which was supported by the mayor Emmanuel de Maria. The museum, located in a restored apartment, focuses on themes of heritage, migration, and cultural exchange. Copland highlighted the importance of empathy and soft diplomacy through art, referencing works like "The Raft of the Medusa" and a transit show in Dubai. The Museum has attracted interest from a lot of people and the couple are taking over more art work from the workshops to put in their Art Museum
You can see the art works and workshops of Stephen Copeland and Meredith Brice here.
https://migrationasartmuseum.au/
Produced by Gemma Green Close, Passion For Italy Travel. pfitravel.com. info@pfitravel.com
Our podcast is information about Italy based on my experiences on travelling to Italy for over 30 years. I am passionate about Italy and wish to share it with all.
Did you know that this year 2025 is the Jubilee year for the Roman Catholic Church and the Vatican in Rome. I know Rome very well, having visited every year for over 30 years. We only book hotels in the center where you can walk to all the famous sites. My most favourite area is the Spanish Steps.
The Sistine Chapel is the place where all the Cardinals meet to form the conclave to elect a new pope. By the way there is a new movie out The Conclave about this staring Stanley Tucci and Ralphn Fiennes.
I had the privilege of having a private tour at night many years ago, after the museum had closed. and I was the only one there just me and my private guide. I was the only person in the Sistine Chapel. I had Michelangelo all to myself and it was so incredible I wanted to fall on the floor and stay there to spend the night gazing up at that magnificent ceiling. There was no one else and it was one of the highlights of my life indeed.
You can see the beautiful video of the Vatican Museum here.
Vatican Museums – Official Website
If 2025 is the only time you will be in Rome - There are group tours available in the morning and afternoon and private tours of course and a night private tour.
But there is also so many other great things to do and see in Rome. please book early, in fact very early otherwise you will miss out on the incredible Vatican Museum.
Produced by Gemma Green Close, Passion For Italy Travel. pfitravel.com. info@pfitravel.com
The idea for this novel came about when I happened across two papyri found at the end of the Nineteenth century in the Oasis of Fayyum, in Egypt. These were two letters written by a sailor named Apion, who enrolled in the second century AD in the Roman Imperial Fleet stationed at Misenum in Campi Flegrei.
The novel also bring together Apion’s personal story with the wider history of the period and the regions he lived in, namely the rise of Emperor Hadrian, and the so-called Conspiracy of the Four Consuls. One of these was Publilius Celsus, who was really murdered in Baiae.
Produced by Gemma Green Close, Passion For Italy Travel. pfitravel.com. info@pfitravel.com
This is the third part of the recent Joe and Lori trip to Italy.
Naples Train Station
An adventure with a private transfer
An abbreviated Pompeii trip
Positano: Buca di Bacco, L'Incanto, Le Tre Sorrelle, La Pergola, Cafe Positano, the beach, the stairs, plenty of food, wine, shopping, and gelato.
Capri: the day trip there was worth the trip!
The best experience with a private transfer we have ever had...
In this episode of Passion for Italy, Joe and Lori visit beautiful Firenze.
Follow along as we leave Roma and travel via train from Roma Termini Station to Santa Maria Novella station in Firenze.
We walk the streets and visit Accademia and see the statue of David. Joe walks to the top of the Duomo.
In the show we discuss: Palazzo Vecchio and Piazza della Signoria.
Crossing the Ponte Vecchio to see Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens.
We visit Santa Maria Novella, Santa Croce, and San Lorenzo.
Mercato Centrale, Mercato Nuovo.
We loved the food, wine and gelato of this beautiful city.
Try the Gelato at Perche No, Grom, My Sugar and so many more locations.
Trattoria Za Za is fantastic.
This was our slow down time after Rome and before Positano and Capri.
In this episode of the Passion for Italy Travel Podcast, Joe Mulinaro joins the PFIT team to discuss a recent trip to Rome. Joe invited a guest, his wife Lori, to discuss any positives and negatives she had with this trip.
Joe Mulinaro joins the Passion for Italy Travel crew. He will be having a number of guests join him to discuss their trips to Italy.
In this episode of the Podcast, Joe invites his wife, Lori, to discuss her recent trip to Italy where they visited Rome, Florence, Positano, and Capri.
In this first show, they discuss the Rome portion of the vacation. They start with their planning and flight.
The episode continues with five days of filling their agenda with all the major points of Rome.
Monti District, Santa Maria Maggiore, Spanish Steps, Piazza Republica, Altar of the Fatherland
Villa Borghese, Laghetto, Piazza del Popolo, Via Del Corso, Trevi Fountain
Vatican Musuem tour, Castel Sant Angelo, Piazza Navona, Pantheon, Campo di Fiore,
St Agnes Church, Piazza Venezia, St Peter’s Basilica
Colosseum, Roman Forum, Palatine Hill, Teatro Marcello, Jewish Ghetto, Capitoline Museum, Tiber Island
So much, pizza, pasta, wine, gelato and croissants.
The post Passion for Italy Podcast Episode #20 A Conversation About Rome appeared first on Passion For Italy Travel.
Joe Mulinaro joins the Passion for Italy Travel crew. He will be having a number of guests join him to discuss their trips to Italy.
In this episode of the Podcast, Joe invites his wife, Lori, to discuss her recent trip to Italy where they visited Rome, Florence, Positano, and Capri.
In this first show, they discuss the Rome portion of the vacation. They start with their planning and flight.
The episode continues with five days of filling their agenda with all the major points of Rome.
Monti District, Santa Maria Maggiore, Spanish Steps, Piazza Republica, Altar of the Fatherland
Villa Borghese, Laghetto, Piazza del Popolo, Via Del Corso, Trevi Fountain
Vatican Musuem tour, Castel Sant Angelo, Piazza Navona, Pantheon, Campo di Fiore,
St Agnes Church, Piazza Venezia, St Peter's Basilica
Colosseum, Roman Forum, Palatine Hill, Teatro Marcello, Jewish Ghetto, Capitoline Museum, Tiber Island
So much, pizza, pasta, wine, gelato and cornetti.
I read about a young man who had learnt six different languages, so he can easily travel and meet and talk to the locals. He said he has made his life so much more interesting. Travelling really is about the people, the language, the food and yes of course, beautiful places and beautiful scenery.
But what use is this if the people are grumpy there and make you feel bad too. Or if you are grumpy…..! One always remembers a place for the wonderful service, the fantastic food or the endearing things that people do. Maybe it also has something to do with your mood – if you are exhausted, feeling lonely, arguing with your travel companion or missing your children then that place will not be remembered as being good. Living in a place is also so different to visiting for a day of course.
Connect with the locals and no, you don’t have to learn six languages to do this. All you have to do is smile and communicate with your hands and face. Try copying the Italian hand language – this is like sign language and very funny. All of my most memorable experiences in Italy are from doing this and laughing myself sick at both our antics. Humans are the same the world over. We all have the same emotions, fears and insecurities – even the card sharp dealer at the markets.
One cannot control or demand good service – and trying to – will only make things worse. Yelling louder also wont make them understand your English (in fact this will turn them off). It is shocking how many tourists do this when in a foreign language country and this behaviour shows great disrespect and ignorance to the local people!
It is best to go with the flow and if you smile then your hosts will smile back. If you are grumpy then they will be become grumpy too. If you sing, they will sing along too. This is the Italian way. So you feel you need to complain, please do it with humour. To demand better service with humour, is the best idea, if things are not going your way. Travelling is always about the people you meet and how they make you feel and vice versa.
I had a funny thing happen when going to view a new hotel in Napoli. As we walked into the big ancient courtyard (cortile) of this hug, centuries old palazzo, there was one of those old fashioned lifts, typical of Europe with the iron grills and little doors that you have to self close.
I noticed that there was a tourist inside the lift and the lift was not ascending. Nearby was a little old couple about eighty years old sitting there as the porters to the building in a tiny box with “Porter” sign at the top, it was like stepping back in time to the old days – except they were sitting there idle only watching and doing nothing to help the woman. I guess they considered their serving days were over and were only there to chat with the locals coming and going – ha ha.
I was a bit curious as obviously they knew she was in there. As I gazed up I noticed the huge stairway and the giant floors we had to walk up, if we did not wait for the lift and as my companion was six months pregnant, I looked at her and said, “Maybe we should wait for the lift for you”, and she readily agreed.
The traveller was still in the lift and not moving. I knocked on the glass and said “Are you OK – do you need help?” and opened the door. She was standing there with a look of panic on her face, trying to put a 20 cent piece in the money box, which was needed to get the lift moving. The box was made for only a 10 cent piece. Dear me – only in Naples would a lift require money and a ten cent piece! How ridiculous – a left over too, from the ancient past.
But why did she not get out and ask the old couple? No. she was too frightened to connect with the locals who speak in Italian or dialect. She nearly cried when she saw us as she was so upset and pleaded with us to give her 10 cents. Finally she was off and away. All she had to do was ask.
We met the traveller again at the reception of the hotel and she was so grateful for our ten cents. Connect with the people – that is why you are in their city no? I wondered with a chuckle to myself how long the old couple would have let her stay in the lift!
I read about a young man who had learnt six different languages, so he can easily travel and meet and talk to the locals. He said he has made his life so much more interesting. Travelling really is about the people, the language, the food and yes of course, beautiful places and beautiful scenery. But what use is this if the people are grumpy there and make you feel bad too. Or if you are grumpy…..! One always remembers a place for the wonderful service, the fantastic food or the endearing things that people do. Maybe it also has something to do with your mood – if you are exhausted, feeling lonely, arguing with your travel companion or missing your children then that place will not be remembered as being good. Living in a place is also so different to visiting for a day of course. Connect with the locals and no, you don’t have to learn six languages to do this. All you have to do is smile and communicate with your hands and face. Try copying the Italian hand language – this is like sign language and very funny. All of my most memorable experiences in Italy are from doing this and laughing myself sick at both our antics. Humans are the same the world over. We all have the same emotions, fears and insecurities – even the card sharp dealer at the markets. One cannot control or demand good service – and trying to – will only make things worse. Yelling louder also wont make them understand your English (in fact this will turn them off). It is shocking how many tourists do this when in a foreign language country and this behaviour shows great disrespect and ignorance to the local people! It is best to go with the flow and if you smile then your hosts will smile back. If you are grumpy then they will be become grumpy too. If you sing, they will sing along too. This is the Italian way. So you feel you need to complain, please do it with humour. To demand better service with humour, is the best idea, if things are not going your way. Travelling is always about the people you meet and how they make you feel and vice versa. I had a funny thing happen when going to view a new hotel in Napoli. As we walked into the big ancient courtyard (*cortile*) of this hug, centuries old palazzo, there was one of those old fashioned lifts, typical of Europe with the iron grills and little doors that you have to self close. I noticed that there was a tourist inside the lift and the lift was not ascending. Nearby was a little old couple about eighty years old sitting there as the porters to the building in a tiny box with “Porter” sign at the top, it was like stepping back in time to the old days – except they were sitting there idle only watching and doing nothing to help the woman. I guess they considered their serving days were over and were only there to chat with the locals coming and going – ha ha. I was a bit curious as obviously they knew she was in there. As I gazed up I noticed the huge stairway and the giant floors we had to walk up, if we did not wait for the lift and as my companion was six months pregnant, I looked at her and said, “Maybe we should wait for the lift for you”, and she readily agreed. The traveller was still in the lift and not moving. I knocked on the glass and said “Are you OK – do you need help?” and opened the door. She was standing there with a look of panic on her face, trying to put a 20 cent piece in the money box, which was needed to get the lift moving. The box was made for only a 10 cent piece. Dear me – only in Naples would a lift require money and a ten cent piece! How ridiculous – a left over too, from the ancient past. But why did she not get out and ask the old couple? No. she was too frightened to connect with the locals who speak in Italian or dialect. She nearly cried when she saw us as she was so upset and pleaded with us to give her 10 cents. Finally she was off and away. All she had to do was ask. We met the traveller again at the reception of the hotel and she was so grateful for our ten cents. Connect with the people – that is why you are in their city no? I wondered with a chuckle to myself how long the old couple would have let her stay in the lift! The post Passion For Italy Podcast #18 Connect with the Locals appeared first on Passion For Italy Travel.
You wish to travel to Italy? How do you go about it? Where do you start? Well it is easy – all you have to do is have a consultation with Passion for Italy Travel as we specialise in Italy only. An email to Contact Us is all it takes. Our travel agent consultants live in Italy and know the country intimately.
We also speak Italian and as Italy is a foreign language country – if you wish to go then try to start learning the basic words for ordering meals, saying hello and goodbye as sign of courtesy to the Italian people.
I just wish to tell you a few words about travelling in Italy. When I first arrived in Italy over 30 years ago I felt like I had come home. I just love history and old buildings so my Passion for Italy was born the day I arrived. It was so exciting hearing everyone speaking in the Italian language.
Travel has been refined since. Back then it was the time of cashing in traveller’s checks at the bank – waiting for hours in the queue. Once when I had been waiting an hour, when I arrived to the tellor, he put his little window down and was going away for a morning tea. I pleaded with him please just do me before you go, but he just walked off.
Now with all the electronic banking and travel cards, taking out currency is a slip of a card and most shops take credit cards as before it was all cash. It used to be the Lira too not Euro so you have it easy in this regard.
Also 30 years ago it was the time of little Pensione – which were what we call now Bed and Breakfast accommodation and they were so cheap. There was always a little surprise to find in those places but most of them were very good.
Unfortunately now, the time of cheap travel has ended in Italy; unless you wish to sleep in a room with back packers – yeh right. Life is too short for an interrupted sleep especially when you have so much walking to do around the historical centres of all the major towns and museums to see and tours to do.
Please don’t believe what you see on the internet – that lovely little B&B that you view, might be in a horrible location, far away from the centre and you will spend half of your precious day travelling in and out. I know an Italian who booked a seaside apartment on the internet and had to pay for a weeks accommodation up front and when the family arrived – there was no apartment there.
That inexpensive B&B might look close on google but in Italy things are different and the traffic can be bad as there are 60 million people in a very small country. Also the trains stop at 11.30 at night so a late concert could mean a fortune in catching a taxi home.
Italy has become very popular and expensive in the big cities. The secret is to get away into the small unknown towns and we can help you do that, as we know where to go and where the secrets lie – where there are no tourists even. How nice would that be? Everyone is travelling now after the pandemic. We are all wanting to spread our wings and fly.
Do you wish to go to a little village? Contact us here and we can have a little chat.
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Ciao this is Allison Spiegel with Passion For Italy Travel in New York. Happy holiday! As we start to wrap up a year that has seen such significant change and heartbreak, we are reminded of how fortunate we are to be healthy and safe, and we hope all of you are as well. While we […]
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Hi and welcome to the Passion for Italy Travel Podcast. This is Lindsay, from the Tampa, Florida office. Today we discover a super, Tuscan experience. Have you ever noticed the power of flavor and aroma to transport you to places far from home, but close to your heart? One night this week it was storming […]
The post Passion for Italy Podcast Episode 15: Meet the Winemaker – A Super, Tuscan Experience! appeared first on Passion For Italy Travel.
Today we are talking about the Italian language. Its beauty, its history beginning with Dante Alighieri, and how we can use this time when many of us cannot travel to Italy, to be able to assimilate once we land in Il Bel Paese. We all tend to equate Italy with antiquity, and with such vast […]
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Ciao, this is Allison Spiegel at Passion for Italy Travel in New York. Having grown up visiting beaches along the East Coast of the United States, beach culture was not a term we heard often. Summer days at the beach were and continue to be quite simple. You load up the little red wagon with […]
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Ciao, this is Allison Spiegel with Passion for Italy Travel in the New York office. This summer’s unique challenges have prompted a return to the summers of our youth. Simple, lazy days filled with nature, family time and lots of creativity and imagination. And as wonderful as these days may be, many of us are […]
The post Passion For Italy Travel Podcast #12: How to Plan A Memorable and Manageable Trip to Italy With Kids appeared first on Passion For Italy Travel.
Hello and welcome to the Passion for Italy Podcast. This is Lindsay, from the Tampa, Florida office. Come with us this week to Sardinia. It has been a rough few months, has it not? I have to admit, this week I have been struggling. What can we say during these times? Ordinarily we would be […]
The post Passion for Italy Podcast Episode 11: A Sea of Dreams in Sardegna with Lindsay Sinko appeared first on Passion For Italy Travel.
Hi and welcome to the Passion for Italy Podcast. This is Lindsay, from the Tampa, Florida office. Over the past few weeks, you have heard stories from our suppliers about their lives during COVID, how they’ve gotten by and made the most of a difficult time. You have also heard from Gemma and Allison about […]
The post Passion for Italy Podcast Episode 10: Rebirth, A Personal Renaissance with Lindsay Sinko appeared first on Passion For Italy Travel.
Ciao, this is Allison Spiegel with the Passion for Italy Travel New York office. At the time of this recording, Italy has opened its border to tourists from the European Union, but we are still waiting on directions for travelers from the United States. For many of us, virtual travel will be our only way […]
The post Passion for Italy Travel Podcast #9: A Virtual Visit to Ischia By Allison Spiegel appeared first on Passion For Italy Travel.
Hi welcome to Episode 8 of our Passion for Italy podcasts.I am Gemma Green Close, the director and founder of Passion for Italy Travel. I hope you are enjoying our podcasts bought to you by our wonderful PFI consultants that live over three different continents, servicing our clients online all over the world. I am […]
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As summer inches closer many of us have had to cancel travel plans to Italy, myself included to the Amalfi Coast and Positano. As travel designers, we know how much time and care goes into planning every moment of a trip to Italy, so we understand that the disappointment cuts and it cuts deep. I […]
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This week, we’re visiting Rome through the words of Carlotta, founder of our Rome Elegant Residence 217 near the Spanish Steps that all our clients and each of us personally adore.
I love her letter, because her joyful personality and the same friendliness we find in the guesthouse come through in her story.
The rooms themselves are decorated in the family’s own antiques, and art work, and the styles of the antiques meeting a clean, modern design capture the city’s personality.
Over the past few weeks, we have been sharing messages with you from our suppliers in Italy. Today, we’re back to Rome, my favorite city in the world.
Every city has a personality, and to me, it’s hard to find one more vibrant and alive than Rome. The effortless mingling of ancient history and modern life never ceases to amaze me. Every visit leaves me more spellbound than the last.
Today, we meet Marilena, a guide herself, and owner of the incredible tour company we partner with in Rome.
When my husband and I were last in Rome, we planned several tours with them so that I could experience the exact same tours and meet some of the same guides that our clients always rave about once they come home. Our first tour was with Marilena herself. The tour was the Dolce Vita orientation private tour of Rome. It is almost impossible from any description to understand the true value of this tour. The temptation is to think, “Ah, I’ll just wander on my own and see the fountains, piazzas, Colosseum.” And it’s true, you can see them. It’s understanding that makes a guide so worthwhile.
Travel designer Allison Spiegel on how she came to work with Passion For Italy Travel and how to nurture our passion for travel to Italy at a time when no one can travel.
During these difficult days with COVID-19 crippling tourism, we are keeping in touch with our suppliers and introducing them to you one episode at a time. Today we get to know Anna, a sommelier who leads are clients on fabulous wine tours in Tuscany. We will have a few laughs in this episode, and also understand her knowledge and passion. Then, we hear from Anna, what she is doing to survive and what her life looks like in Tuscany during the lock down.
As we begin our new Podcast, the world is facing quite a difficult situation. We want to encourage our clients who have been forced to cancel, and support our suppliers at the same time by introducing you to them one heart-felt letter at a time. Today, meet Roberto, our transfer driver in Rome who is using this time to help his fellow Romans. Music written and played by Matthew Sinko
Do you have a problem organising your trip to Italy? Researching a trip to a foreign country is very time consuming. If you are time poor and your time would be better off making money in your work – then that is why Passion for Italy Travel is here to do this for you.
You do not have to check Italian hotels on tripadvisor!! – as we have spent an enormous amount of time and money researching the best boutique hotels in Italy and travelling to our hotels on www.pfitravel.com to see if they are of a suitable standard for our clients. We only work with fantastic owners who treat our clients with the greatest respect.
There are a lot of things that make a good hotel but sometimes a three star hotel that is very central is better than a five star that is further out with more walking involved to see the sites. It is all these points that make it worth our while to view the property.
A bed and breakfast might look cheap and beautiful in the pictures on the internet only to find it is hidden away in the back blocks of Venice where you have to catch an expensive ferry back and forth and walk kilometres to arrive at St. Marks square. Let Passion for Italy do the booking for you as our clients do not have a whale of a problem – they have a wail of a time in Italy!
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Festival Verdi 2020 Preview Programme Parma and Busseto, Emilia Romagna, Italy 24 September – 18 October 2020
I Lombardi alla prima crociata at Teatro Regio di Parma *Rigoletto at Teatro Verdi in Busseto
Macbeth (French version) at San Francesco del Prato Church
Ernani (concert performance) at Teatro Regio di Parma*
and other important concerts and events
For those who love classical music and especially Verdi! To celebrate its being the Italian Capital of Culture 2020 and to seize the challenge of the slogan “Culture beats the time”, Parma will turn into a great, amusing and innovative art and history laboratory, this way expressing its vocation as a city always in balance between past and inclination for future innovations.
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As we come to the closing of another decade in a world of constant change, where people come in and out of our lives through loss in various forms, there is one thing that stays the same and that is – that love is periennial. It affects all life on this planet. Everything responds to love – humans, animals, flowers and even your house feels welcoming when filled with love for everyone that enters it.
Passion for Italy Travel has welcomed Allison this year, in New York into our team joining Lindsay in Florida and Sabrina in Treviso and myself in Brisbane and Pozzuoli. Living between two countries certainly makes for an interesting life with two opposing cultures and lifestyles. The only thing I find really difficult is that 24 hr flight from Australia to Rome. It is certainly not easy with the jet lag an the older one gets the worse it gets.
However the other thing that has never changed, is my love for Italy, the Italian people, the food, the history, the beautiful architecture and life style and on it goes…. My enthusiasm for Italy and also that of my team – never wavers and only increases as one discovers more fascinating areas and magnificent properties to add to the PFI accommodation portfolio as well as amazing day tours for our clients to enjoy.
2020 is already starting to book up, so start planning your trip to Italy over the holidays. Mark in your dates and contact us in the new year. It is best to book six months ahead to get the hotel of your choice.
We wish you and your families a safe and happy Christmas period.
Gemma Green Close Director, Passion for Italy Travel.
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Memories in Italy are the most valuable souvenirs we can bring home. I had a client return from Italy a few weeks ago. She and her husband had taken a special anniversary trip, and neither of them had ever been before. As we discussed the places they went and the people they met along the way, I heard something new in her voice and recognized it immediately. The joy that fills your heart after experiencing something new with the one you love.
When clients come to us, we spend a good bit of time getting to know each other. My favorite part of what I do is hearing that familiar joy as they tell me what they discovered and experienced along the way. The people they met, the things that made them laugh, their favorite meal, and the memories they’ll always cherish.
October is a hard month for me. I lost my mom four Octobers ago to cancer. As she took her last breath, I stood at her bedside with two of my best friends, who happened to be two of her favorite students as well, reminiscing about our time in Italy together. The few grey hairs we gave her, and the many special times we shared.
Mom had the courage to take a bunch of teenagers and introduce them to a world of wonder. The lives she changed in the process are too many to count. There is something so special about experiencing new things together. It can strengthen the strongest relationships and create lasting bonds in only a few days.
During our first trip to Italy, Mom witnessed me change from a shy, miserable kid to a passionate, determined person. In just a few days I discovered the smell of jasmine, a culture I felt a part of, that art in situ brought tears to my eyes, and that Italy had melted my heart completely, and forever. Less than two weeks in Italy, and I was never the same.
Neither was she. She decided to go back to Italy the year she began her battle with cancer. It was her turn to be insecure as she fought with her wig but refused to let her students see her without it. Then, Capri to the rescue! When she leaned back in the boat to squeeze into the blue grotto, the wig fell in the water. She panicked and then laughed. Her students laughed with her as they helped her fish it out of the brilliant blue sea. It was her first moment of freedom. She never wore it again.
How many times she referenced that moment, and the fact that Capri always made her feel free, and strong. Now in the hardest moments, I look back on those memories and they strengthen me. Memories are the most cherished souvenirs.
When clients ask me about bringing their children to Italy, I catch myself almost jumping out of my chair. Tears well up in my eyes as I tell them, “Yes! Take them! Go!” It was the best gift my parents ever gave me. Not only for the experiences we had then, but for the great gift of being able to go back to those moments in my mind years later.
Last September standing in front of Pietro Bernini’s Fontana della Barcaccia, I had to laugh as I remembered Mom trying to touch the water and almost falling in. It was her favorite place in Rome, and so many years later, I can still feel her presence there next to Keats’ house at the foot of the Spanish Steps.
We tend to think of vacations as fun, and without a doubt, they are. A vacation to Italy, however, is more than fun. You can come home with a million treasures, but the most special cannot be bought: the light in your loved ones’ eyes as they see and experience Italy for the first time.
Your daughter the first time someone calls her beautiful. Your son picturing himself as a gladiator on the Colosseum floor. Your spouse squeezing your hand as a musician on the street happens to play your song.
Italy has an incredible ability to make you feel like moments were created just for you. If you fall in love with Italy, it has a way of assuring you the feeling is mutual.
My husband and I met studying Italian in college. We had both spent quite a bit of time in Italy, but it took us several years to save and plan before we could go together.
He had studied in Milan and never made it to Rome, though its history had fascinated him for years. As our taxi from Termini whirled around the streets, I poked him and pointed out the window as I watched his face. There was the Vittorio Emanuele II monument, regal as ever. His eyes lit up, jaw dropped, and those are the moments I live for.
We dropped our bags and immediately headed to climb the steps of the monument, walk around to the Campidoglio, and catch our first glimpse over the edge. The Forum emerged like a pop-up book and the Colosseum beckoned in the background. Again, that face. The face that says, “I’ve waited my whole life for this. And it’s better than I dreamt.”
What makes Italy so special is that there is constantly something to discover. Always someone wonderful to meet, who takes a moment out of their day to make you feel welcome. A sunrise to take your breath away. A splashing fountain that makes you feel like a child again. The tremolo of a mandolin. A sense of wonder that will captivate you for the rest of your life.
If you are considering a trip to Italy, remember to give yourselves time to make memories. To bask in the sunlight. To sit for hours at a table, talking with each other, with your waiter, with the couple at the next table. Sip a great wine together, eat a delicious meal, and experience every moment. Focus on the ones you’re with, as well as the beauty around you, and you are sure to have an experience you will always treasure.
Contact us to plan your trip
Lindsay Sinko
PFI Travel, Tampa Office, USA
The post Making Memories in Italy; The Moments We Live For appeared first on Passion For Italy Travel.
A Few of my Favourite Things in Italy by Allison Spiegel, PFI New York Office
When people ask me what my favourite thing about Italy is…. the song from The Sound of Music begins to play in my head. It is a nearly impossible question to answer because it is not just one thing or one place or one moment. It is the experience in its entirety that I love and that all-encompassing awakening of the senses that you feel the moment your plane lands on Italian soil.
Italy for me is experiential because my love for the country is made up of all the places I have been, the people I have met, the food I have eaten and the feelings I have when I am living in those moments. While it is hard to put into words, I will try to list my top ten:
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Sinking my teeth into a fresh fig while eating breakfast in the hills of Tuscany and watching the goats being herded into the fields for their morning graze.
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Visiting my favourite sandal maker on the Amalfi Coast who always greets me with a smile.
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The look in my children’s eyes the first time they took a gondola ride or how it felt watching them run through vineyards in Tuscany or hold hands with their tour guide in Pompeii as they listened to his stories.
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The feeling I get when I touch a surface or a building that has been there for a thousand years, and the reminder of how small I am, in the face of history and time, and all those who have come before me.
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The sheer pleasure of a beautiful sunrise welcoming the day over the Bay of Naples, with the mighty Mount Vesuvius looming large in the distance.
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The laughter that envelopes the air when my friend Enzo, the barista, makes me one of his special drinks at my favorite hotel on Ischia.
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My sense of curiosity when I step into a new village wanting to learn all about its history, its place in the world and the people who live there.
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The awe – and maybe a bit of jealousy – I feel when I watch cliff divers in Puglia take a plunge that I would never dream of taking.
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The taste of olive oil on freshly baked bread, of church bells ringing in an early light, the smell of Jasmine in the air.
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The people. I love the people of Italy who are always willing to share with me “their Italy.” From the owners of my beloved beach club on the Amalfi Coast who welcome us with open arms each year; to all of the tour guides who love to tell us everything they know about what we are seeing, and then some; to the leather craftsman in a tiny Tuscan hilltop village who crafted a custom leather belt for my husband right before my eyes… These are the people who give Italy a place in my heart.
And that is just the first ten things that come to mind…. There are most likely a hundred more but as the song goes, …. “These are a few of my favourite things.”
What are your favourite things to do in Italy? CONTACT US to let us know or to plan your Italian experience today.
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Our tips on Visiting the Last Supper in Milan: For art history enthusiasts, Leonardo DaVinci’s Last Supper, Il Cenacolo in Italian, is the one of the most important attractions in the whole of Italy. Seeing it in person is unforgettable. Stendhal’s Syndrome at its finest.
Without a doubt, the best way to ensure you get to see it during your time in Milan is to allow us to book you on a tour, Private or Small Group, which will show you this masterpiece along with Milan’s highlights: the Duomo, Castello Sforzesco, Galleria, and stunning La Scala Opera House.
Even for those of us who have studied art history for years, there is something to learn from an experienced guide, and much to be said for the guaranteed skip the line entry!
The Last Supper is housed inside the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milano. To protect the painting from outside moisture, visitors must wait in a dehumidifying room for a few moments, before the awe-striking moment of being allowed inside with the painting.
When we gaze at Leonardo’s work, we are seeing not only a monumental masterpiece, but also the work of one of the greatest scientists the world has ever known. Leonardo was famous for his ideas and experiments, and both his scientific and artistic aspects are evident here.
Before the work was ever finished, his experimental method and pigments proved to be less than successful.
The word, “fresco” implies that the paint is applied directly to the wet plaster in the wall. Here, instead, Leonardo painted onto dry plaster and using experimental paints. Perhaps one of the most endearing aspects of this painting is to see the marvel that can come of a failure.
The depiction that leaves us speechless today lost its original vibrancy while the brush was still in the artist’s hand, however its power to dissolve its onlookers into tears still today is undeniable.
Leonardo was a master of perspective. See how he blends the painting seamlessly into the wall as if it were a continuation of the room itself. Notice the balance and symmetry in the people. The expressions on their faces.
The fresco we see today is the result of the genius of Da Vinci, of the many hands involved in its restoration, of Nazi bombing it withstood in the second World War, even, some argue, the hand of God Himself. No wonder it feels so miraculous.
In 1943 when the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie was severely damaged, great worry set in for the painting, but to everyone’s surprise and elation, the painting survived with only minor damage. It is quite difficult when standing in front of the Last Supper to imagine that its subject wouldn’t have gladly shielded bombs to protect it.
And, so, as we find quite often in Italy, history lives and mingles. Completed in 1498, bombed in 1943, restored many times between its completion and today, it draws us in as it always has, connecting us with centuries long ago.
If you would like to see this yourself, we highly recommend a tour with an excellent guide. If you prefer to see it on your own, you will need to book tickets in advance, and they sell out quickly. Booking information below.
Contact us to book your tour, and your beautiful accommodations in Milan’s Vibrant City Center! Lindsay Sinko, PFI Travel, USA
Booking is Mandatory Opening Hours: From Tuesday to Sunday 8:15 – 19:00 (last entrance 18:45) Closed on Mondays and on January 1st, May 1st, December 25th
How to Purchase Tickets By contacting the call center (toll number, Mon-Sat: 8-18:30) on: +39 02 92800360. Tickets bookable only through the CALL CENTER Free call from Italian landlines: 800 990 084
Online on the Vivaticket official website: click here TICKET MUST ALWAYS BOOKED EVEN IF ENTRY IS FREE)
INFO TICKET COLLECTION: Present the payment receipt at the ticket office next to the museum entrance at least 20 minutes in advance of the visit to avoid the risk of forfeiting purchased tickets.
The ticket office is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 08.15 to 19.00 (last admission 18.45). Closed on Mondays and public holidays: January 1st, May 1st, and December 25th.
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Passion for Italy. For us the passion does not stop at travel, but extends to a passion for Authentic Italian products of many kinds, wherever we may find them!
A few months ago, a family came to us to help them organize their trip to visit suppliers in Italy. That was exciting for us, because it meant we also got to interact with some of Italy’s finest pasta makers, Extra Virgin Olive Oil producers, etc.
I immediately bonded with the family over our mutual appreciation for Italian culture, and Italian people, so passionate about their land and its many treasures.
Curious to try the products, I opened my box from Mia Emilia, and my heart was warmed just at the sight.
Bottles of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, one from my beloved Chianti region and another delicately flavored with lemon. A white balsamic dressing that made me throw out the commercial, “balsamic” salad dressings in my fridge. Handmade exquisite pastas. A coffee that gave the entire box a heavenly aroma. And finally, the Monachino, a chocolate dessert with hazelnut filling that left my usually chatty self quite speechless.
Buon Natale, right? But, no, not Christmas morning. It was mid-March.
And there was Italy, just sitting in my kitchen. My husband and I couldn’t wait to forgo our store-bought pasta that evening in favor of this tagliatelle egg pasta from the supplier who was so kind in helping us arrange their arrival to Le Marche.
Just a few minutes and it was perfectly al dente, and only a homemade sauce would do. To accompany it, a Super Tuscan wine from a beloved vineyard, of course!
We drizzled the Chianti Classico extra virgin olive oil over the top, nodding to our friend, the little black rooster on the label, and immediately tasted authenticity.
Italy completes us and, in some ways ruins us, for after you taste a hand made pasta overlooking the Val D’Orcia, good luck ever enjoying a meal quite so much back home!
We swirled and sipped, twirled and tasted, and mamma mia! What a pasta! This is the real deal. Authentic Italian at its finest. It transported us back to that terrace in Pienza. Back to the pretty little villa that was ours for a few days. Back to the sommelier who opened to us her heart and her passion for the riches of the Tuscan land.
And so, months later now that the family has returned home, we’ve kept in touch and continue to celebrate Italy. They have been kind enough to offer our clients in the USA (due to shipping, only the USA) a discount to console your homesickness once you return! What joy these products have brought to my family and me, and I hope they will do the same for you and yours.
I cannot recommend this company or the family who owns it highly enough. They understand that a true Italian meal is an experience to be lingered over. An opportunity to laugh together, create memories together, and savor the best of what this beautiful life has to offer; flavors, family, and friends.
Amici, you just can’t find this quality and authenticity on your grocery shelves. Mia Emilia is a small business who shares our Passion for Italy. We hope that you’ll contact us to help you plan your journey and when you are longing for the flavors of Italy, we encourage you to enjoy the offerings of our friends at Mia Emilia- Authentic Italian!
Lindsay Sinko PFI Travel Florida, USA
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There are some Sounds of Italy you can never forget, never quite get over. Laughter is among the top for me. By Lindsay Sinko PFI USA Florida Office.
My husband and I were at the beach a few weeks ago and at the sound of a family’s laughter he and I shot each other a glance. “They’re from Italy!” We didn’t even have to ask each other. We knew. Without hearing a single word, only their laughter.
There are some sounds of Italy you can never forget, never quite get over. Laughter is among the top for me.
Even before I spoke a word of Italian except an incorrectly pronounced, “grazie” and the odd, “ciao”, I could pick out Italian laughter. There was this infectious internal joy that somehow came through even in a laugh.
We couldn’t help introducing ourselves to the family, who did indeed turn out to be from Italy. And for a few minutes in Florida, speaking Italian with them warmed our hearts. Why? What is it about these sounds that just instantly takes us there? There are so many sounds that remind me of Italy and make my heart jump for joy.
A moving train’s clickity clack, clickety clack. Surely, the window offers views of a Tuscan hillside or an ancient aqueduct! The unmistakable clinking of wine glasses followed by an audible sigh of relaxation and bliss. I can almost taste the Brunello!
Our very own Moka machine, steaming up an afternoon shot of espresso. May it be half as good as Sant’Eustachio! Deafening church bells at noon. Where is Giotto’s campanile in pink, white and green?
Fountains bubbling away playfully. Did Bernini design this one, or add a few turtles at least! But, above all, the sound of Italy to me is music. Not only the knock-your-socks-off voice of Andrea Bocelli, but the street musicians. Melodies that welcome you out into the piazza and yank at your heart strings.
An accordion playing “Funiculi Funicula” or “That’s Amore”. A violin that looks too tiny to be real managing to play a very recognizable, “Con Te Partiro`”.
A chef happily singing, “Volare” in his kitchen. “Nel blu dipinto di blu, felice di stare quaggiu`…”
The quintessential mandolin bringing a passion to, “O Sole Mio” that only the sound of tremolo can. Go out at night in the states and you’re likely to hear a lot of things. Booming bass, screaming engines, sirens, and honking horns, to name a few.
But when is the last time you took a walk after dinner and were greeted by the sounds of conversation and laughter, instruments and fountains? The sounds of Italy stay with us forever. Thankfully, a few of them make their way into our homes and take us back, if only in memory, every time the nostalgia comes calling.
My favorite memento is a beautiful music box decorated in wooden inlay by the hand of an artist in Sorrento. It plays, “Torna a Surriento”, and as sure as I open it, my heart does indeed return to the sun-soaked lemon groves of the coastal town. Limoncello anyone?
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Planning a holiday is always challenging, if you do not know anything about a country. However as I myself prefer slow travel, I am always amazed how some people seem to have so much energy to want to run around the country in ten days.
I think the reason for this is that, a lot of people suffer from FOMO (as the young ones say) – The Fear of Missing Out! However as with all fear, this is a crazy reason to whip yourself mercilessly.
At Passion for Italy Travel we try to suggest the best holiday possible – this encompasses many things – it includes us being aware of how long it takes to travel from one region to the next and how many tours you can fit in in one day.
I am often appalled when I look at the large tour groups entering Rome or Capri.
They are dragged from pillar to post with a video camera attached to their eyes, so they do not even see the real view but through a lens.
I guess this must be to show the folks back home. This is insane behaviour and what sort of holiday is it? Going back to work is hard enough mentally without bein exhausted!
Slow travel means just that – taking it slow…. Having time to sit at a café with a sea view and just watch the ships go sailing by – not racing to catch that tour or that train to get to the next place.
We try to factor in some down time in our PFI itineraries and it always surprises me that people do not even think of this.
We are all humans and we all get tired and need some time to connect with the locals and go off the beaten track perhaps, to view the quiet life where the real people, away from tourism, live. This is actually the Italia vero and the best Italy.
Factor some of this in and don’t worry, we will remind you.
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