Blogger couple Ilene and Gary Modica of Our Italian Journey share why they chose Lucca in Tuscany for their retirement home almost from the moment they entered this charming walled city. Lucca is a city on the Serchio river in Italy's Tuscany region. It's known for the well-preserved Renaissance walls encircling its historic city center and its cobblestone streets. Broad, tree-lined pathways along the tops of these massive 16th- and 17th-century ramparts are popular for strolling and cycling. Casa di Puccini, where the great opera composer was born, is now a house museum. - Google Food writer Mark Bittman says Lucca's "food is among Italy's most compelling -- almost certainly the best in Tuscany -- and the town is a draw in its own right. Enclosed by walls whose broad tops look out over the town's lovely towers and broad, calm piazzas on one side and park grounds on the other..." Lucca has everything within its walls: art, music, cycling, food, festivals...plus it's easy to get here!

Part 2 is a deeper dive chat with the delightful author of Pasta Every Day, Meryl Feinstein. Our original recording was close to two hours, and it could have gone on longer, as Meryl is such a pleasure to chat with and full of wise insight on life, and getting your hands into Pasta. Meryl shares her insider tips on pasta-making: everything from the kind of salt she uses, to pasta equipment. For Meryl "pasta is a social thing" - a way to make friends - it's "meant to be shared". And at the same time pasta-making is also great when you're alone, "it's therapeutic". Join us today for our open-hearted chat all about pasta-making, and the personal enrichment it brings you. Plus Meryl's insider tips on ingredients and tools for pasta-making.

Meryl Feinstein is charming and humble and a clever, creative, accomplished pasta maker and cookbook author. In just five years from when Meryl first created the Pasta Social Club she's moved on to write her delightful Pasta Every Day cookbook, with a fresh approach to pasta recipe creation. The book is full of exquisite photographs that transport you to another delicious place, page after page. I first connected with Meryl through her Pasta Social Club Instagram profile back in 2019 and since then she has amassed nearly 300,000 followers. Her book was named a 2023 Best Cookbook of the Year by the New York Times, Bon Appetit, and the LA Times, and Vice calls it "a masterpiece". Listen to this double episode chat with Meryl Feinstein to learn all about her pasta trajectory, her culinary history and approach to pasta recipe development.

Recently one of my Substack newsletter subscribers, a wheelchair user, asked if I'd do a podcast episode all about Italy accessibility information for wheelchair users and those with a mobility/physical disability. So here it is! This episode is a deep dive into wheelchair accessible hotels, tours, trips, guides, travel packages, mobility equipment, accessible bathrooms - everything you need to know if you're a wheelchair user traveling to Italy.

You've probably wondered about the importance of a wine glass, and whether it really matters which glass you choose. I know I have! The short answer is yes – and no. Today sommelier Cynthia Chaplin and I delved into wine glasses, an apropos topic during the holiday season and with New Year's Eve right around the corner! The bottom line is the best all-purpose wine glass shape is the tulip - perfect for your red wines AND your New Year's Eve festive bubblies. And there's one tulip glass that is a clear, affordable stand out winner among them. Listen to get the details!

Jeannie Marshall's new book, All Things Move, opens the door to a thoroughly new way of experiencing the Sistine Chapel, and the magnificence of Michelangelo's work. All Things Move: Learning to Look in the Sistine Chapel "tells the story of Marshall's relationship with one of our most cherished artworks. Interwoven with the history of its making and the Rome of today, it's an exploration of the past in the present, the street in the museum, and the way a work of art can both terrify and alchemize the soul. An impassioned defense of the role of art in a fractured age, All Things Move is a quietly sublime meditation on how our lives can be changed by art, if only we learn to look."

The perfect Christmas holiday Day Trip from Rome is a visit to the northern Lazio hill town, Greccio. It's a tiny little town but this year it's the central focus of the Christmas holiday season worldwide. Why? It's where Saint Francis of Assisi created the original Nativity Scene (Presepe in Italian) in 1223 exactly 800 years ago. My husband and I visit Greccio frequently, and have for many years: it's in the Sabine hills just above Contigliano where our family is from. If you decide to make a Day Trip to Greccio, I've got you covered with everything you need to know, including the best places to eat in the area. Have a listen to learn all about it…

Bologna is the city of porticoes, Europe's oldest university, amazing towers and culinary delights you can't even imagine. If you're hankering for something different and unique to do while visiting Rome then this is the day trip you'll want to make! Add magical Bologna to your bucket list and listen now for all the details. Are you interested in a culinary walking tour of Bologna? Then I've got you covered! Contact me at [email protected] to book your Culinary Walking Tour of Bologna!

Everything you need to know this Thanksgiving!

* Thanksgiving Recipe Ideas & Pro-Tips: Truffles, Turkey, Pork Belly! * How to ditch holiday cooking stress * My HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE with a focus on truffles * Combatting holiday loneliness if you happen to be alone this Thanksgiving

The Piedmont Region is Italy's overlooked, "hidden" gem! This is a region overflowing with culinary goodies: Barolo and Barbaresco wine, Alba white truffles, gianduia chocolate. The landscape is magnificent and deserves exploration to uncover and enjoy the region's marvelous castles, wineries, and historic landmarks. Listen to my chat with Carlotta Prandi, the one woman business owner of Piedmont Tours. Carlotta is always available and expert at helping find perfect accommodation, and she also organizes experiences like fabulous white truffle hunts and tours. Piedmont and Carlotta need to be on your bucket list for Italy travel!