Steep hills and dead poets in the Marche’s Recanati

Recanati, Marche, Italy / Kimberly Sullivan

My son and I were traveling through Marche and actually stopped off in picturesque Recanati by mistake. Italy is one of those fabulous places when a wrong turn can introduce you to a fabulous hilltown filled with stunning views, art and culture. Every year, we are in Ancona for races, and often tag some time…

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The fried olives keep calling us back … to Ascoli Piceno

Ascoli Piceno, Italy/ Kimberly Sullivan

Can you blame us? Every time my younger son and I travel to Ancona, the regional capital of Italy’s Marche region, for his track & field races, we detour from the highway to visit the striking town of Marche’s Ascoli Piceno. While we greatly admire this picturesque town and its stunning architecture (you can see…

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Visiting Durham Cathedral, UK

Durham Cathedral, UK / Kimberly Sullivan

The spectacular Durham Cathedral is a stunning monument that dominates the Durham cityscape on a rocky prominotory next to the castle high above the Derwent River. I’ve already written about the stunning views afforded by climbing those daunting 325 steps to enjoy tower views over all of Durham and the surrounding countryside. Today, Durham Cathedral…

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The Eternal City is ready for its holiday close-up

Christmas in Rome, Italy/ Kimberly Sullivan

Rome is not the most spectacular city when it comes to Christmas decorations. BUT it does enjoy some amazing Christmas weather. I love walking around Rome over the holiday period and enjoying the Christmas decorations. Weather forecasts in Rome are looking pretty good for these next few weeks, so I’m looking forward to enjoying the…

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Christmas cheer in Montepulciano and Pienza, Tuscany

Pienza, Tuscany/ Kimberly Sullivan

Earlier this month, I was in Tuscany for a weekend with my family, and we enjoyed seeing the cheery Christmas decorations. They were especially pretty in the towns of Montepulciano and Pienza – two gorgeous Tuscan hilltowns.   Montepulciano is a steep medieval hilltown (bring good walking shoes), known for its long wine tradition. Montepulciano…

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It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas … in Verona

Verona, Italy / Kimberly Sullivan

Fitting for a Saint Nicholas Day post that we start taking a look at Christmas decorations. This day (or 8 December – The Immaculate Conception) is when many Italian towns begin decorating their centers – although the date is constantly being pushed earlier. Luckily for us, the decorations were up at the start of December…

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Palladian splendor in Vicenza, Italy

Vicenza, Italy / Kimberly Sullivan

I adore the northern small city of Vicenza, in Italy’s Veneto region. I first came here many years ago, and had not been back in years. When my youngest son had a cross-country race nearby, I jumped on the change to get back and visit this jewelbox of a town. I was not disappointed to…

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