Saskia Balmaekers from Ciao Tutti discusses for of the Eastern Sicily Highlights during a recent trip to the Aeolian Islands with Rick Zullo and 8 other international travel bloggers.

FCI 031 - Eastern Sicily Highlights With Saskia Balmaekers

I'm a former American expat in Rome, talking about the beautiful, messy, delicious, chaotic life in the Caput Mundi. I explore many areas of Italian culture and point out the things that a foreigner in Italy might find peculiar. Often, however, I discover that... what I first considered peculiar, usually made sense after some time.

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When you talk about gay travel in Italy, you must begin the conversation with the Puglia region. It’s the top gay summer destination for Italy’s gay community, and furthermore, it’s recognized as one of Europe’s top 5 gay destinations.



So what draws LGBTQ visitors to Puglia, and for that matter, why would anyone want to go to this remote corner of Italy, not often on the tourist map?



In this episode of my Fatal Charm of Italy podcast, I spoke with Scott Maxwell. He’s from the Big Gay Podcast from Puglia, and he talks to me about travel to Puglia in general, and some specific recommendations for gay travel in Puglia, and throughout Italy.



Rick Zullo · Gay Travel in Italy



Gay Travel Puglia 



During our conversation, we get into planning some travel to Puglia, some of the top Puglia destinations, and some specific locations that are more friendly or gay welcoming.



For many travelers, Puglia is really all about the beaches. And in summer, tourists and residents alike go to the beach all the time (or the Italians say, “We go to the sea. Al mare.”)



Here’s a short excerpt from our chat. For the rest, you’ll have to listen to the podcast.



Transcript to Gay Puglia Travel on The Fatal Charm of Italy



“I think that because we have 800 kilometers of coast and we have such wonderful, wonderful beaches, that is one of the biggest draws for the LGBTQ community here in Puglia, that we have amazing, beautiful, wonderful beaches, and a very wide variety of beaches, from rocky coves, limestone limestone cliffs to long, sandy beaches. 



At the very tip of the heel, we’ve got the Maldives of Salento, so called because a lot of people think they are just like the Maldives, with lots of soft white sand and crystal clear blue waters. 



But yes, Puglia is a huge LGBTQ destination. And I have to say, I’ve been living here for six years. When I first came to Puglia, I didn’t know that Pulia was such a gay favorite. 



My background is that I was a London attorney. I worked for an international law firm as an attorney, but my management role was diversity and inclusion. When I came to Puglia because I decided that I didn’t want to live in the UK anymore, and I didn’t want the stressful workday. 



But after about six months, I thought, well, you know what? I’ve really got to be doing something because I’m now doing nothing other than just sitting in the sun and going to the sea and swimming. So I kind of thought, well, maybe with my diversity background, I can do something that helps contribute to the LGBTQ community here in Puglia and in the south of Italy. 



Because in Italy, as you might expect, with the Catholic Church being so strong and having such an influence, especially here in the south, having such a patriarchal society, LGBT people don’t have the same protections as many other Western countries do. 



So, for example, in Europe, in the European Union, Italy is the only Western European country that does not have equal marriage. Civil Unions, but not legal marriage.

Gay Travel in Italy – FCI 049

When you talk about gay travel in Italy, you must begin the conversation with the Puglia region. It’s the top gay summer destination for Italy’s gay community, and furthermore, it’s recognised as one of Europe’s top 5 gay destinations.

So what draws LGBTQ visitors to Puglia, and for that matter, why would anyone want to go to this more remote corner in Italy, not often on the tourist map?

In this episode of my Fatal Charm of Italy podcast, I spoke with Scott Maxwell. He's from the Big Gay Podcast from Pulia, and he talks to me about travel to Pulia in general, and some specific recommendations for gay travel in Pulia, and throughout Italy.

Gay Travel in Italy


Back in mid-March of 2020, when the pandemic hadn’t quite reached the U.S. yet but was devastating Italy, I interviewed five friends who were suffering through those early days of fear and panic.



One of those friends was Judy Witts Francini, who lives in Tuscany, midway between Florence and Siena. I guess I might describe her as an “Italian Food Concierge,” because she seems to be involved in every aspect of regional Italian cuisine; from shopping at the local markets, to cooking classes, to creating unique foodie experiences for curious travelers. 



(And the tourists are back now… BIG TIME!)



But as I’ve mentioned before, “Tuscan food,” perhaps more than any other regional Italian cuisine, gets bastardized the moment it leaves the confines of Italy. 



There is a legend that suggests it was the Tuscan-born Caterina de’ Medici who taught the French how to cook—although comparing the two cuisines these days, it seems that the Frenchies were slow on the uptake. Tuscan cooking is simple and contains very little of the elaborate sauces or complex seasonings found in the kitchens of Paris. 





















The food traditions in Tuscany have their roots in peasant cooking, or “la cucina povera.” The poor folks learned to make the best out of the meager ingredients available to them. 



That’s why it’s laughable that so many fancy, high-priced “Tuscan” restaurants have sprung up in the U.S. and U.K., becoming the exact opposite of the real recipes cooked in traditional Tuscan kitchens.



This is apparent in the antipasti where the most common thing is to offer a variety of crostini (little pieces of toasted bread) topped with anything from chicken livers to wild mushrooms to olive tapenade to lardo (yes, that’s exactly what it sounds like: lard, or pork fat).



The bread is made without salt (called pane sciocco in local slang), because once upon a time, salt was heavily taxed and very expensive so they made their bread without it. As a homesick Dante wrote in Canto 17 of Paradiso, “Thou shalt prove how salty is the flavor of other people’s bread.”



But bread eventually goes stale, so being ever frugal, the Tuscans use the day-old bread to make their famous soup, ribollita, with black cabbage (cavolo nero) and cannellini beans. 



Or as Judy described in the podcast, a “bread salad,” called panzanella, which under the right conditions takes on the consistency of cous-cous. 



Well enough from me. Listen to what the expert has to say about Tuscany Food And Wine:



Rick Zullo · Tuscany Food Tours with Judy Witts Francini – FCI 048



Tuscany Food And Wine Tours with Witts Fancini!


Tuscany Food And Wine Tours with Judy Witts Francini – FCI 048

On this episode I'm joined by Judy Witts Francini, who lives in Tuscany, midway between Florence and Siena. I guess I might describe her as an “Italian Food Concierge,” because she seems to be involved in every aspect of regional Italian cuisine; from shopping at the local markets, to cooking classes, to creating unique foodie experiences for curious travelers.

Tuscany Food Tours with Judy Witts Francini - FCI 048


Visiting Venice is a dream for many. And then there are those who are fortunate enough to live inside that dream every day. More appealing still when part of your job description is leading hungry tourists around that dreamy landscape in search of the best cicchetti and Spritz.



I talk about all this on the podcast today with my friend Monica Cesarato; blogger, chef, food tour leader, and an unofficial ambassador for the city of Venezia. 



Rick Zullo · Visiting Venice with Monica Cesarato – FCI 047





























But the dream of visiting Venice was interrupted for many by the global pandemic. Cancelled flights, scrapped itineraries, and alas, broken dreams. Perhaps more like a nightmare for the Venetians themselves who rely on the tourist industry as major source of the local economy. 



The good news? It’s coming back in 2022! As of this writing, Carnevale is underway!











Monica dissects this discussion for us, talks about some other current events in the city (like the MOSE initiative to combat the high water), and shares many tips about visiting Venice beyond the standard 1-day/10-hour tour-de-force. If all you see is the worn path from the train station to the Rialto Bridge to Saint Marks Square and back, well, then you haven’t seen the real Venice at all. You’ve had a rushed visit through a museum, not an encounter with a living, breathing city. A missed opportunity of a lifetime.



In this episode we talk mostly about Venice tourism in general, and the current post-pandemic state of affairs. But Monica is publishing a book on cicchetti, the Venetian version of tapas, I suppose, by one definition. That discussion will take place on my other platform dedicated to food, Eat Like an Italian. So stay tuned for an update on that, which will be live in early April, in anticipation of her book launch.





I’ve mentioned it before: Venice holds a special place for me. I spent about 7-8 weeks there in the spring of 2010, and I recall it as the most tranquil period in my adult life. 



It was a real pleasure to travel through La Serenissima once again with the guidance of Monica.











Monica Cesarato – Your Guide for Visiting Venice at her best



Grazie a Monica for being such a gracious guest, full of both knowledge and love for her city. It’s contagious. After listening to her I’m sure you’ll be researching your next trip to this one-of-a-kind magical place! But in the meantime… 



Visit her website at MonicaCesarato.com




FCI 031 - Eastern Sicily Highlights With Saskia Balmaekers

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