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As you’d expect in a fishing port, there’s a lot of great seafood available here in Monopoli. And it’s all, literally, fresh off the boat. Octopus, mussels, prawns and, of course, fish … the choice is seemingly endless. We often… Continue Reading →

Last week we set off for a few days of exploring. As well as tootling around Puglia, our travels took us south into the other two regions at the foot of Italy, Basilicata and Calabria. It was a trip marked… Continue Reading →

It’s estimated there are up to 60 million olive trees growing in Puglia. That’s right – 60 million. It’s a number that’s hard to imagine, even as you watch from the window of the car or train as kilometre after… Continue Reading →

Puglia is a region on the Adriatic coast in the area often referred to as the ‘heel’ of Italy’s ‘boot’. Described variously as a ‘hidden gem’, ‘underrated treasure’ and ‘best-kept secret’, Puglia isn’t one of the country’s most popular destinations. For… Continue Reading →

Last weekend Greg joined 15,000 screaming Chainsmokers’ fans at Unipol Arena in Bologna for the group’s only Italian show of their ‘Memories … Do Not Open’ world tour. Here’s Greg’s ‘Access All Areas’ report. I’d be the first person to… Continue Reading →

Before we left Australia many people urged us to visit Lucca in Tuscany. I’m pleased to say that finally we managed to get there and friends, you were right, Lucca is a beautiful city. In fact Greg and I found that… Continue Reading →

Today in Rome it snowed. An Arctic storm swept across Europe overnight dumping several centimetres of snow on the capital, and this morning Romans woke to the rare sight of their city blanketed in white. The last time it snowed… Continue Reading →

The Romans were extraordinary road builders. Before the 4th century BC, many roads were poorly-maintained, meandering tracks connecting villages and towns. But Rome required a more efficient transportation network, a more effective means of deploying and supplying its armies, so… Continue Reading →

In 2015 a group of local and international artists descended on a social housing precinct in Via Tor Marancia, about a 20-minute bus ride from the centre of Rome. The aim of the urban renewal initiative was to breathe new… Continue Reading →

The Aventine Hill, a short walk south of the Colosseum, is one of the seven hills on which Ancient Rome was built. And on top of the Aventine Hill, in the Piazza of the Knights of Malta, there’s a quirky… Continue Reading →