Europe

April 30, 2024

My 10 favorite restaurants in Lazio outside Rome

Ever since Marina and I started our TraveLazio blog in January 2023, we have discovered fantastic restaurants in little towns outside. Rome. After traveling to 34 towns in the Lazio region, I came up with my 10 favorite restaurants. They’re in rough order and include contact info, photos and links to the towns we featured in TraveLazio. If you love Italy, this is a must read.

March 19, 2024

AS Roma: The return of Roman icon gives my club a special season after The Special One falls

My beloved AS Roma soccer club was going nowhere fast until they fired The Special One, Jose Mourinho, and hired local legend Daniele De Rossi. Despite hardly any managerial experience, he has led Roma to a 9-2-2 record, the quarterfinals of the Europa League and fifth place in Serie A. I attended Sunday’s 1-0 win and here’s a full update on the team that made me a fan again.

March 12, 2024

Blending in to Rome as an expat: New clothes, new diet and is there anything better than a frothy cappuccino?

Many people talk about moving to Italy but few do. I did. I retired to Rome 10 years ago. I’ve learned a few things along the way, particularly how to blend in when I don’t look remotely close to Italian. Here are 10 things I did to make me blend into the city.

March 5, 2024

A single woman in Florence: An American expat describes the ups and downs of living in Tuscany’s crown jewel

American expat Chandi Wyant has lived in Florence for many years over various stints and four years ago bought an apartment in the San Frediano neighborhood. It took her two years to renovate but now it’s available to rent as a B&B. A dream living in Florence? Yes. But it also has drawbacks. Chandi tears away part of the veneer that is Florence’s glorious image.

February 27, 2024

Uplistsikhe: Hard to pronounce but Republic of Georgia’s 3,000-year-old Cave City is hard to miss

Uplistsikhe is a cave city that dates back to the 2nd millenium B.C. At one time, it had 700 caves that housed 20,000 people. Today it’s a comfortable day trip from the capital of Tbilisi and also near Gori, the childhood home of Joseph Stalin. I took a trip with a group of other travel writers and the journey itself was as entertaining as the site.

February 20, 2024

Georgia: My most underrated country in the world

I visited the Republic of Georgia again earlier this month and marveled at its little-known wonders. From the beautiful Caucuses to its cuisine to its affordable prices, the former Soviet Republic really is one of the lightly trodden destination gems in the world. I list 10 reasons why Georgia is the world’s most underrated country.

January 23, 2024

Termini: Rome’s rough-and-tumble train station has become an international gastro emporium

Rome’s Termini train station has a reputation of being dark and dangerous. It isn’t that bad, a couple of incidents over the last two years notwithstanding. In the last decade, Termini has turned into a place to go instead of a place to escape. Forty eating establishments have been built inside, ranging from hamburger joints to French bakeries. We went through Terrazza Termini Saturday and here’s what we found.

January 11, 2024

Ten years in Rome: A landmark anniversary and a new list of all the reasons I love living here

On this day exactly 10 years ago, I landed in Rome, leaving behind a 40-year sportswriting career in the U.S. I had three bags and lots of doubts. But I’m still here. And every year on my anniversary, I list a whole new set of reasons why I love Rome. I doubt I’ll ever run out of reasons.

November 21, 2023

Italy soccer team qualifies for Euros as a nervous, embarrassed, rabid fan base finally exhales

Italy, a four-time World Cup champion, already had not qualified for the last two World Cups and was in danger in not qualifying for the European Championships of which it’s defending champion. But it beat North Macedonia in Rome Friday and tied Ukraine Monday to barely go through. I went to the Friday game. Here’s my report.

November 14, 2023

Fettuccine Alfredo: It’s only Italian by birth in 1914 and we went to its birthplace in Rome

You can find fettuccine Alfredo in nearly every Italian restaurant in the U.S. but hardly any in Italy where it was invented. Why? We went to its birthplace, Alfredo alla Scrofa, in Rome to find out. We also tasted it for the first time. Here’s what we found.

November 7, 2023

Italy in November: Yes, it’s a wonderful month to visit

So many people make the mistake of coming to Italy in July. I have a better idea. Come now. November is a terrific time to visit. Flights are cheaper. Cities are less crowded. Weather is cooler. Yeah, it rains. Bring an umbrella. Wear a sweater. I offer 10 good reasons to visit during Italy’s off-season month.

October 31, 2023

Travelers’ Century Club: My new travelers group of 100 countries covers the scope of world and travel modes

Last fall I joined the Travelers’ Century Club, a club for travelers who’ve been to at least 100 countries and territories. The list is loose and the checklist seems way too important for some members. But it got me in touch with 1,500 club members, many of whom have traveled more than I. During our long weekend in Madrid, Marina and I attended the TCC’s Mediterranean Chapter meeting and dinner.

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