Alpine Tuscany: Monte Amiata

I’ve already written about my ‘find’ this summer when my son, an aspiring Usain Bolt, went to a track and field camp in the pretty Tuscan town of Abbadia di San Salvatore. The town is on the foothills of Monte Amiata, a volcanic cone that is 1730 meters from sea level. Luckily, this volcano has been dormant for…

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Writing inspiration in the mountains

Although I live in Rome, I love to escape when I can to the nearby mountains of Abruzzo. I have a small place in a little town up in the Apennine mountains, and I enjoy going out there to escape the chaos of Rome – to hike and mountain bike and ski. I was out…

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Hiking the Phelps Lake Loop, Grand Teton National Park

Of the many impressive hikes to explore in the picturesque Grand Teton National Park, in Wyoming, one not to be missed is the pleasant seven-mile loop around Phelps Lake. The stunning hike begins from the Laurance S. Rockefeller Presereve’s parking area. Parking spots go quickly, so be sure to arrive early in the morning. As…

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Mountain bliss in Leysin, Switzerland

Leysin, Switzerland / Kimberly Sullivan

I clearly have Switzerland on my mind this summer. That’s because I’ve been up bringing my older son to French camp and picking him up, and I’ve had time to explore the pretty region around Lake Geneva. And this is the idyllic mountaintop community where he’s been spending his time – Leysin. In the winter,…

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Suffering from snow withdrawal

I’m just back from a fantastic week of sun, snow, and ski slopes and I find myself extremely slow to get back into the rhythms of city life and the difficult rite of catching up with dreaded e-mails and deadlines. I was out in the Italian region of Abruzzo, in a little town called Ovindoli.…

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