Are you the type of person that enjoys sitting out on the beach or by the pool with a good book? I love reading especially when I want to get away and escape the daily grind. There is something magical about certain books – they can take you anywhere in the world real or imaginary....Read More
Campania, located to the north of Calabria and Basilicata, is the second most populated region of Italy and stretches along the Tyrrhenian Sea. It prides itself on its impressive coastline, picturesque cliff-side towns and gorgeous islands. So, it shouldn’t be any surprise that there are many remarkable castles throughout the region. We’ve already shared our...Read More
Either loved or feared, anchovies are a staple of Italian cooking, especially along the Amalfi Coast in southern Italy’s Campania region. Called alici in Italian, these little fish are prepared in many local specialties. Laura Thayer, an American expat who lives on the Amalfi Coast, shares with My Bella Vita a traditional recipe from Amalfi for...Read More
Welcome to the Southern Italy Books Series – a place to share about all the great books set in southern Italy! If you’re like me and love geting lost in good story set in Italy or read about a new place before traveling, then this series will help you find the perfect book. Let’s kick...Read More
It’s no secret I’m a fan of off-the-beaten-track Italy. I love discovering new, under-appreciated locations and I love even more to be able to share them with you. Vallo di Diano is in the province of Salerno in southern Campania and is part of Italy’s second largest national park. It borders Basilicata and encompasses 17...Read More
If there is one thing expats in southern Italy can agree on, it’s that we have the. best. food. in the country. Ok, ok, expats in other parts of Italy … back off! Your food rocks, too. But I have that whole southern pride thing going on and nothing makes me prouder than reviewing a...Read More
Through the Southern Italy Snapshots series we’ve visited four of Italy’s southern-most regions, including world-famous Sicily, popular Puglia, laid-back Basilicata and my adopted home region and personal favorite, Calabria. Today, we are heading a bit north into another one of my favorite regions, Campania. Campania is the most-traveled region in southern Italy and with its...Read More
I announced on my Calabria Travel Facebook page last week that I’d begin answering Reader Questions as part of an on-going series here on My Bella Vita … and whaddyaknow, people have questions. Today’s question comes from Michele in Chicago, a lovely young woman with a Calabrese mother-in-law who I’ve corresponded with before (thus, her...Read More
My husband and I have spent the last four years in the Southern Italy tourism industry and we’ve learned a lot in that time. Between the guests we host at our Calabrian bed and breakfast and the clients we help through our travel consulting business, we’ve seen travelers on every end of the spectrum …...Read More
Although this is technically my fifth December in the bel paese, I’ve only celebrated New Years in Italy once … three years ago, where the Prosecco flowed like, well, Prosecco, our happy feet overtook the dance floor and Italian “Bingo” and Karaoke filled the evening leading up to the explosive fireworks that overtook our little...Read More
