Author: Cristiana Pedrali

"Loving your job is the closest you can get to happiness on earth” (Rita Levi Montalcini) and “when real people fall down in real life they get back on their feet and carry on walking” (Carrie Bradshaw, Sex and the City): these are my two mantras. I’m a bit like this: I go through being serious to playful to help me manage a thousand different interests and commitments, keeping a smile through it all. I work in the tourism industry and on the web and every so often I look for some breathing space through reading and travel!

13th December: the longest night and the shortest day of the year

Due to the position of our planet, this is the day when we have the fewest daylight hours in the whole year, but it’s also the sign that the days will slowly start getting longer, almost unnoticed at first. Nordic countries are used to “welcoming back” the light and it’s not unusual to go to […]

Pink flamingoes, noble deer, kingfishers… the zoo of the Po river

Herons, white, black and even red ones, together with marsh harriers, funny squirrels, owls and the exotic pink flamingoes. Beautiful Italian deer. Whatever your animal preference, a visit to the “Park of the Delta of the river Po” will inspire and excite you. Herons, marsh harriers, kingfishers and …shells from the Philippines Let Captain Dario, […]

If Lecce in Apulia is the city, white is the colour!

The first long week end of december is getting closer and it is time to plan a new visit. Why not visiting Lecce, the Apulia candidate for Capital of European Culture 2019? Lecce and its itineraries in surrounding Salento area will satisfy even the most demanding visitors: culture, art, nature and more. Baroque: the age […]

Botanic gardens in Italy: let’s find the best ones!

Milan: as busy as the city itself It was 1774, at the peak of the Enlightenment, when Empress Mary Therese commissioned the Botanic Garden of Milan on the grounds once owned by the Jesuit Company. The aim of the garden was to produce medicinal herbs for the Spezieria di Brera, the local pharmacy. Hidden behind […]

Ravenna: culture, gorillas and piadina

Appointed capital of empires and reigns three times throughout its long history, housing eight World Heritage Sites and candidate for European Capital of Culture 2019, Ravenna isn’t considered the typical medium-sized “Italian province” as we know it. One city, three kingdoms First designated capital of the Roman West Empire (402-403 A. D.), the Goths also […]

Eco holidays: never without organic vegetables

Michelle Obama has started up her own garden and orchard at The White House and she’s been kindly suggesting that all chefs and kitchen staff make use of the locally grown products for the President’s family meals. Jennifer Garner, the famous actress and wife of Oscar winner Ben Affleck, is a fierce supporter of organically […]

Halloween last minute offers: a week end with love-struck deer, Renaissance villas and strong, red Sicilian wines.

Though the Halloween week end isn’t a long one, it’s the perfect excuse for a short break, and with that in mind, we’ve selected four last minute offers. Parco La Mandria (Turin): the deer wars of love Though said to be shy and mild, deer are fierce battlers when it’s all about love and the […]

Hunting ghosts in 5 Italian abandoned towns

How about visiting one of the 6,000 ghost towns in Italy? Whether you are looking for a ghostbuster tour or a more detailed look before buying one of the ghost towns that are up for sale, let me introduce you to some of the most mysterious abandoned villages in Italy. Gibellina, the little hill The […]

Matera is European Capital of Culture 2019: what to visit

A few days ago the EU awarded Matera the title of European Capital of Culture 2019. This international reward is the final step in a long process which, over the last five years, has turned Matera from one of the poorest and lesser known Italian cities into one of the most popular tourist destinations. In […]

Sharing economy: trust is the new currency

Swap party: shopping with no money and a big smile When I first saw my Etro stilettos sinuously floating in midair, in the busy hall, my heart skipped a beat. Then my eyes ran from the slim fingers that were holding them, to the delicate shoulder and upwards, to the lovely smile lingering on the […]