October 31 We spent three nights here recently with clients from Sarasota, Florida. San Gimignano is one of the most famous of the Tuscan hill towns. It once had 70 towers but today only 13 survive. These towers were built to show the status of various families who were usually in conflict with one another. […]
Tag Archives: italy
Venice Earns its Reputation as World’s Most Amazing Place
October 28 Yes there are hoards of tourists. Yes the main thoroughfares between San Marco and the Accademia and the Rialto Bridges are ridiculously crowded. Yes, Venice is slowly sinking into the mud. But my, what a wonderful, colorful, interesting place. Get away from the day-trippers who come in on huge cruise ships or by […]
Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel
July 11 After a string of negative experiences we have taken the Vatican Museums and the attached Sistine Chapel (you cannot visit the Sistine without going through the maze of the museum) permanently off our list of things to see and do in Rome, until they either change things in a major way at the […]
The Enchanting Amalfi Coast of Italy
April 28 Even though getting there can be a bit hairy at times with Italians driving far too fast for the conditions, tour buses taking up more than their share of the narrow, winding road which hugs a sheer drop off, the Amalfi Coast in Southern Italy is worth every drop of sweat shed during […]
Eating at Da Carlo in Orvieto a Must
April 22 Those looking for an authentic dining experience should stop their search at the tucked away ‘Da Carlo’ in the heart of ancient Orvieto’s medieval district. Young chef and entrepreneur Carlo and his ‘mama’ provide not just excellent food in a cozy atmosphere, but their back and forth banter is worth the price of […]
Taking Photographs is Part of the Trip
People on a big bus tour rarely get to stop and smell the flowers, much less take the time for a well-composed photograph. With European Focus Private Tours philosophy of “your pace is our pace,” our guests have all the time they want to capture the moment. Our recent guest Art shoots his ancestral village […]
The Cinque Terre is Alive and Well After Flooding of 2011
May 18 News hit the world like a flash. The beautiful Cinque Terre of Italy’s Ligurian coast was destroyed by terrible mudslides in October, 2011. Torrential downpours had reduced the villages to colorful versions of Pompeii. Well, not entirely true, as we found out on a recent visit to this sparkling part of Italy. Two […]
Jewish History in Pittigliano, Tuscany
May 10 There was once a flourishing Jewish community in this fortified Tuscan village. Kicked out of the Papal States (those areas immediately surrounding Rome) by Popes in the 16th century, a large settlement developed in Pittigliano where they were given protection by the local ruling family. In ‘Little Jerusalem’ there can be seen many […]