Milan’s Duomo

I’ve already written about the spectacular views from the roof of Milan’s Duomo, and why you really want to make time to climb up to the top. However, the cathedral itself is definitely worth a visit during your time in the Lombard capital. The Duomo is the most famous monument of the city, and its…

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Reason #5388 to love Rome: Sant’Agnese church

I recently returned to visit the beautiful early Christian church of Sant’Agnese, a church I hadn’t been back to in years. Since the Roman metro line has been extended, it’s even easier to get here via the B metro line, where it has its own stop: Sant’Agnese. This 7th century church, designed like a basilica,…

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Discovering the center of Italy – in Rieti

My twelve-year-old son has been running since he was seven. This year, he decided to change coaches and teams. Although he lives and trains in Rome, his competitive new team is from the northern Lazio town of Rieti. This is the northeastern tip of Lazio, extremely close to the regions of Umbria and Abruzzo. In…

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Escaping the city on the ski slopes of Abruzzo

My kids had a week of school vacation in February and they wanted to go skiing, and I was happy to exchange the office for the ski slopes for one glorious week. There’s something special about escaping the city to take temporary residence in the mountains. Our mountain escape of Ovindoli, in the region of…

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The Eternal City blanketed in white

I first began this blog post in 2012 and one of my first posts was about Roman snow, namely, an unusual snowstorm that hit the Italian capital and shut down the schools for two days. Six years later, white powder has fallen on the Eternal City once again, and these Roman school snow days seem…

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Reason #5387 to love Rome: Il Mercato Centrale

This was a great addition to Rome’s Termini train station, in the center of Rome. Following a similar outlet in Florence, Rome’s Mercato centrale opened less than two years ago, and it is open daily from 8:00 am to midnight. It opened in the spectacular Cappa Mazzoniana within the Termini complex – and impressive space…

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After your museum visit – exploring Bilbao, Spain

Last week I wrote about visiting the spectacular Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain. You can see my post here. But after your museum visit is over, you’ll want to make time to stroll down the river and enjoy Bilbao’s old town. Although Bilbao’s medieval old town and its architecture dates back to the XIVth century,…

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Bilbao’s fabulous Guggenheim, Spain

It’s been years I’ve been “meaning to” get to the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain. A holiday in France’s Basque region provided me with the opportunity to journey across the border into Spain’s Basque country to visit this modern art museum that celebrated its 20th birthday last year. This striking modern architecture was created by…

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Exploring the medieval Vatican City: Viterbo, Italy

Last week I wrote about the Terme dei Papi – The Thermal Baths of the Popes – in northern Lazio. In this port, I wanted to highlight the beautiful town of Viterbo, just a few kilometers away from this spa, and well worth a visit before or after you soak in the warm waters. Viterbo, as…

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Relaxing in Viterbo’s Terme dei Papi, Italy

The thermal waters found north of Rome, at the Terme dei Papi (The Thermal Baths of the Popes) were famous well before Papal times. These thermal waters were well known to the Etruscans, well before the birth of Rome. In the 3rd Century B.C., the Roman army, led by Console Quinto Fabio Rulliano, conquered and…

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