Ovid’s birthplace: Sulmona, Abruzzo

Sulmona is a small town in the region of Abruzzo. It is located near one of Abruzzo’s three national parks: the National Park of the Majella. The town dates back to before the Roman Empire, but it was the era of the Roman Empire in which Sulmona boasted its most famous resident: Publio Ovidio Nasone,…

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The medieval town of Radicòfani, Tuscany

Tuscany is a pretty gorgeous region, with so much to see and do. I have the chance to get up to one pretty corner of Tuscany each summer when my son attends a track and field camp in the pretty medieval town of Abbadia di San Salvatore. It’s a great chance to visit the rolling…

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A spring day in seaside Sperlonga, Italy

During the Easter weekend, my kids and I had a perfect day in the beautiful beach town of Sperlonga, Italy. I’ve already written about this pretty little beach town on teh Tirrenian Sea, half-way between Rome and Naples. See my earlier post about the resort town once the favorite of Emperors. But my day-long escape…

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Thermal Tuscany – San Filippo ai bagni

Tuscany, Italy, is a pretty nice travel destination. Every time I go to the Tuscan countryside, I find myself fantasizing about moving to some old, Tuscan farmhouse and spending my time in that peaceful, rolling landscape. My son goes to a running camp in the Tuscan region south of Siena, and I’ve already written about…

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Reason #5383 to love Rome: San Teodoro neighborhood

San Teodoro an interesting, and very old, neighborhood of Rome, tucked away between the Circo Massimo, Campidoglio and the Ghetto. It’s said to be the area where Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, were said to be suckled by the she-wolf. Today, it’s a quiet neighborhood: only a few cross roads and a few sites…

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A round-up of European Christmas markets to visit

This year, I couldn’t manage to escape to one of the Christmas markets I love in Europe, so instead on this post I’ll pine away thinking about great Christmas markets of the past take a look at some of the Christmas markets I’ve posted about in European cities. Should you find yourself in any of…

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The winding streets of Nice’s old town

The French Riviera city of Nice is a beautiful place to visit. I especially loved wandering Vieux Nice, where I could be forgiven for thinking I was back in Italy. The old quarter used to have  a reputation for being dangerous, but today it’s a beautiful area to wander and enjoy the views into the…

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