Here’ll you find trip reports from up and down the Boot, from Turin to Sicily, from Cinque Terre to Puglia. If you want new wanderlust stories delivered to your email inbox once a month, make sure you sign up for my newsletter, the Grapevine. As a special welcome gift, I’ll send you an e-copy of my bestselling novel, Santa Lucia. Imagine that! In a few keystrokes, you’ll be transported to the landscapes, the cities, and the beauty of Italy. No passport required.

March 17, 2023

Life in Truffle-Scented Turin

March 17, 2023/ Olivia Windsor (Livguine)

As part of the Local Guide Series, Olivia Windsor (known as Livguine to her fans) opens the door to Turin, a jewel-box city in Italy’s northern foothills.

July 10, 2019

Finding my Joy in Liguria

July 10, 2019/ Marilyn Ricci

Part of the Local Guide Series — Discover Liguria with Marilyn Ricci.

January 23, 2019

The Southern Marche Region, an Unknown Gem

January 23, 2019/ Dwight Stanford

An American wine-guy shares why he fell in love with Le Marche, and how to explore his favorite region of Italy.

September 06, 2018

At Home in Abruzzo

September 06, 2018/ Teresa Mastrobuono

Part of the Local Guide Series, Teresa Mastrobuono leads us in a discovery of undiscovered Abruzzo.

July 31, 2018

Trieste? Where's That?

July 31, 2018/ Eyrnn Laurie

Part of the Local Guide Series — Discover a jewel in Italy’s northern crown with writer Erynn Laurie.

Michelle Damiani

Website for Michelle Damiani, author of Il Bel Centro: A Year in the Beautiful Center, the funny and heartfelt memoir of an American family living in Spello, as well as Santa Lucia, a page-turner set on the Umbria border.

Rumors. Romance. And more than a little espresso.

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Then our last day dawned. After a final stunning breakfast with cheeses and meats and a chocolate-hazelnut spread that Max insists is better than Nutella—and could be, I would have liked three more pots to decide—we piled into the van for

I’m now in Brisbane, but have to tell you about Portofino.

On our first day in Sestri Levante, @max_brunelli of @ciaoandiamo pointed out how the cradle of the Ligurian Sea stretches to Portofino. Visiting Genova, Camogli, Recco, Sestri Levante

Sestri Levante.

Oh, this town now holds my heart. No wonder @max_brunelli of @ciaoandiamo made sure we passed a few days here.

Sherbet colored buildings, a welcoming beach (especially as the storm subsided and the water regained its blueness), and

The rain caused flooding and damage all over Italy (see yesterdays reel for dramatic visuals). Wave after wave of storms. We had to scrap our boat trip to the island convent because rivers had poured so much debris into the Mediterranean, the sea had

**Festival participant, speaking about “Il Bel Centro: A Year in the Beautiful Center”**

Featured speaker on panel discussing Romance for “Santa Lucia”

Travel in Italy

Michelle Damiani

Rumors. Romance. And more than a little espresso.

Follow me on Instagram!