Author Gayle

We had a good look at Pescocostanzo when we first arrived at this small village in southern Abruzzo. In fact we lapped the town three times before we finally admitted we were lost and stopped the car. (It’s not easy… Continue Reading →

It’s summer holiday season here in Italy, the time when many people take their annual break. As cities and towns fill with tourists, locals pack up and head for the mountains or the beach. We seem to have been caught… Continue Reading →

Some of Italy’s best – and least-known – wines come from a small area around Montefalco in Umbria. Sagrantino has been produced here since the 1500s, but it’s only in recent years that this big red wine has been ‘discovered’…. Continue Reading →

If you’re looking at a map of Italy, Marche is one of those regions that’s located about middle, right. With Umbria at its back, Marche looks east towards the Adriatic Sea. This is not one of the country’s most popular… Continue Reading →

There are some great walking tracks in the hills behind Spoleto. The most popular, the Giro dei Condotti, is an easy walk that delivers wonderful views back across the valley to the city. But if you’re feeling a bit more… Continue Reading →

Today marks exactly a year since we landed in Italy. And what a year it’s been! We’ve covered a lot of territory in that time, and seen and done many wonderful things. But if you asked us has it been… Continue Reading →

This tiny village, about 130-kilometres north of Rome, is known as ‘The Dying Town’. And it is – dying. In fact, it’s been dying for centuries. But that’s only half the story. Today Civita di Bagnoregio is also thriving. So… Continue Reading →

You’ve no doubt heard that for the past week or so Europe has been in the grip of an intense heatwave. Apparently it’s been caused by a cloud of hot air that’s swept up from Africa. Not that people here… Continue Reading →

There’s a 70-kilometre stretch of the Abruzzo coastline known as ‘La Costa dei Trabocchi’. It’s a place where the Adriatic Sea meets the land in a series of low cliffs and coves, and it’s where you find the traditional fishing… Continue Reading →

Last week we headed into the Umbrian countryside searching for flowers. We knew the time was about right for the sunflowers to be blooming, and a friend had mentioned there was a valley to the east, near the village of… Continue Reading →