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Krakow: Outshining Poland’s capital after a century of horror

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Old Eastern Bloc capitals dusted themselves off and cleaned up after communism fell and they are some of my favorite cities in the world to visit. But Krakow, Poland, is one of the few cities in Europe that is prettier and more cultured than its capital. It has beautiful squares, hip neighborhoods and a castle overlooking it all. In the background, however, is the horrid history of the Holocaust. We spent four days there last week and came back with this report.

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Barolo and global warming: It’s bringing my favorite wine to the table faster but purists may balk

Michele Adriano lovingly looks at her Barolo wine at the Go Wine event in Rome.

Anyone who follows my blog knows that I love Barolo wine as much as Italy itself. But I’ve always worried about the effects of global warming. After all, it forces winemakers to harvest grapes faster. However, I attended a recent Barolo wine tasting event in Rome and winemakers say global warming is actually making Barolo ready to drink faster. That’s good for me, but not necessarily good for purists.

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Lampedusa immigration: Red Cross comes to rescue after the most dangerous migrant passage on Earth

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The little Italian isle of Lampedusa has been making international headlines for taking in boatloads of migrants. The numbers reached epic proportions in the 2010s but in 2023 the Red Cross built a facility to process those who survived the Mediterranean crossing. During our visit to Lampedusa this month, we stayed 100 meters from the pier where the migrants land and I interviewed the facility’s director.

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Electric bikes: The best places in U.S. to explore

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Electric bikes have become a huge craze in the world, especially in the U.S. where cities are striving to become more environmentally friendly. Boulder, Colo.-based cycling enthusiast James Carter writes a guest blog listing all the great places in the U.S. to explore on an e-bike.

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Lampedusa: It’s more than migrants’ “Gateway to Europe”

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My Travelers’ Century Club held its latest meeting in the tiny Italian island of Lampedusa. It’s not my favorite place in Italy. I visited in 2002 and hated it. But I went in August, the height of the heat and tourist season. This time I went two weeks ago and besides the colder weather, I didn’t like it much better. Still, it has more than just news about immigrants’ gateway to Europe.

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Travel and sport: How the two passions go hand in hand

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One of the best ways to peek inside a culture is through sports. You can attend a local sports event, such as a pro soccer or rugby match, or you can cycle your way around an area instead of taking local transport. Guest blogger Eliza Medley explains why combing sports with travel adds to the travel experience.

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Tramezzino: Italy’s famous sandwich is 100 years old this year and I visited its birthplace in Turin

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One hundred years ago, a woman from Turin and her husband took a toaster from their years in Detroit and made a sandwich out of spongy bread and a variety of fillings. It was called a tramezzino and the square, little sandwich has been a constant presence in Italian bars and aperitivos ever since. Two weeks ago I visited the cafe in Turin where it was invented and got the whole history. I also tried a couple, and they were even better than the ones I regularly eat at my corner bar in Rome.

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Turin: Italy’s “most underrated city” is still punching above its weight

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We came to Italy’s “Most Underrated City” to celebrate our 11-year anniversary. It’s a city in which we’re both familiar but it never disappoints. It has some of Italy’s most beautiful piazzas, long portico-covered walkways, beautiful parks and the best chocolate and wine in the country. We also hit it during its annual May Day parade which held up Turin’s history-long tradition of resistance.

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Mussolini at the table: On the anniversary of his death, I look at a restaurant-museum honoring his name

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On my way back from assignment in Fiuggi Sunday, my two friends and I stopped at a restaurant in the town of Artena. Il Federale is a “restaurant-museum” honoring Benito Mussolini. Hundreds of photos of him adorn the wall. So do fascist signs. A mannequin wears an old Italy fascist flag and Mussolini’s beret. I wasn’t going to write about it until I looked him up. Today is the anniversary of his death. He died April 28, 1945.

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Arezzo: Tuscany’s “other” city a little artistic jewel

Marina and I at Vasari Cafè on Piazza Grande.

In lieu of my cancelled birthday trip to Maldive Islands, we spent four days at a spa in Tuscany. It was a terrific save. The town of Arezzo is a little-known city overshadowed by Florence and Siena in Tuscany. Arezzo is a growing arts center with a terrific restaurant scene and a unique sloping main piazza which adds to the quirkiness of the place. Of course, soaking in a Jacuzzi in a luxury spa didn’t hurt, either.

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