Category Archives: Lazio

Santa Marinella: Picturesque Beach near Rome

boat in the port at santa marinella

How does a weekend day trip to the beach sound? It’s especially wonderful during offseason, when there’s plenty of space on the sand and the water is almost exclusively yours to relish. The best part? Santa Marinella beach is just 45 minutes away from Rome by train! There are direct trains from Rome to the […]

Claudia’s Feast: Lunch at Agritourismo Parco dei Cimini near Viterbo

Most people think of Rome and imagine the empty ruins of the Forum or the aerial grandeur of St. Peter’s Basilica, but Rome is also filled with the sounds of screeching trams, car honks, and a never-ending stream of ambulances. If you want to get away from it all, you can retreat to an agriturismo […]

Farmer’s Markets in Rome: Speaking to Campagna Amica’s Pietro

man cutting prosciutto by hand at a farmer's market in Rome

Where did you last do your grocery shopping? Chances are, you probably went to a supermarket–I know I did, and so did many Italians. In 2016, there were some 30,000 supermarkets in Italy, and that number has only grown since.  Traditionally, Italians did their shopping at mercati rionali, open neighborhood markets usually held in the main square […]

Torre Sant’Antonio: Charming Hotel in Tivoli

Tivoli is known for its Villas (Hadrian’s Villa and  Villa D’Este), as well as its medieval towers. While you can’t sleep inside the historic villas, you can now stay inside one of the many torre that dot the small city. Torre Sant’Antonio is a 700-year-old defensive tower, and as of June 2018 – it is […]

Ristorante Sibilla in Tivoli, Italy

Ristorante Sibilla in Tivoli

After nearly eight years in Italy, I have had some impressive dining experiences but Ristorante Sibilla in Tivoli still managed to steal a piece of my heart with its incredible atmosphere and delightful dishes. I cannot believe it has taken me so long to visit Tivoli, which is only a 30 minute trip from Rome […]

Day Trip from Rome to Anagni

A day trip from Rome to Anagni Italy

Taking a day trip from Rome to Anagni puts you in good historical company. When the city temperatures rose, Rome’s emperors would decamp to this hilly town and other nearby breezy villages such as Palestrina. With a breeze flitting through the green countryside, it is a decided fresh escape from Rome. After the emperors came […]

The Olive Harvest in Italy

Jimmy thinks I am a little bit crazy, but I told him that one of the reasons that I cannot imagine ever leaving Italy is because of olive oil. New olive oil is something I look forward to every year. And ever since I moved here, I have wanted to help with an olive harvest. […]