Novel research in San Gregorio da Sassola

San Gregorio da Sassola/ Kimberly Sullivan

My new novel, Rome’s Last Noble Palace, will be releasing 6 December. You can learn more about that novel and see early reviews here. Although most of the novel takes place in contemporary and 1896 Rome, a small portion of the 1896 timeline takes place in the tiny town of San Gregorio da Sassola, specifically,…

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Views from the medieval belltower, in Todi

San Fortunato bell tower, Todi / Kimberly Sullivan

I recently spent a lovely day in Todi, a picture-perfect medieval hill town in Italy’s region of Umbria. I have been numerous times, but it’s always fun to get back. On this visit, I climbed the San Fortunato belltower to enjoy stunning views from the top. And what a view it was! This is the…

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Exploring Florence’s Boboli Gardens

Boboli Gardens, Florence, Italy / Kimberly Sullivan

I have been many times to Florence, but had never been to the Boboli Gardens of the Palazzo Pitti. I visited recently, and after spending almost five hours in the Uffizi, admiring (for the umpteenth time) many of the masterpieces of art, I went out into the beautiful day and decided it was perfect to…

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Hitting the beach in Cagliari, Sardegna

Cagliari beach, Sardegna/ Kimberly Sullivan

Last week, I wrote about a fantastic weekend trip to Sardegna’s capital of Cagliari – my first time there. You can see my Cagliari post here. Cagliari is a fascinating city, with plenty to see. But if the weather is as good as it was when we were here, you’ll want to spend at least…

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Tuscan beaches

Tuscan beaches, Italy/ Kimberly Sullivan

Discovering new beaches is always fun… This summer, we had my son’s national track championships up in Grosseto, Italy, and the heat led us to carving ina  little beach time. Some of that we spent on the wide beaches of Marina di Grosseto, just a few kilometers from the medieval hilltown. The other beach was…

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Padova’s spectacular San Antonio Basilica

San Antonio Basilica, Padova, Italy / Kimberly Sullivan

This past winter, my son and I took a few weekend trips to Padova, in Italy’s northern Veneto region. It was also a great opportunity to see the Sant Antonio basilica once again. This spectacular basilica was constructed beginning in 1232, a year following the death of St Anthony. It was completed in 1310. Like…

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Watching over Ancona’s port each morning

Ancona port/ Kimberly Sullivan

These past years, I’ve gotten to know the Marche’s region’s capital of Ancona. I came here regularly because the small city hosts an indoor track, and my sprinter son would compete here. Whenever we would stay, I would book my favorite hotel, with its views over the Ancona port. Ports are interesting places, and it’s…

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