Stories from the ground
Blog
Guides, food and history written by the people who run the tours.
The Spanish Steps: The 300-Year-Old Diplomatic Joke Behind Rome’s Famous Staircase
A French church, a Spanish embassy and an English street. The Spanish Steps were almost never built. The diplomatic argument behind them…
Day Trips from Bologna: Modena, Parma and Ferrara in Italy’s Food Valley
Balsamic vinegar in Modena, Prosciutto and Parmigiano in Parma, pumpkin cappellacci in Ferrara. The Food Valley day trips from Bologna, with our…
Park Guell: The Story Behind Gaudi’s Unfinished Dream City
Park Guell was supposed to be a luxury housing development for Barcelona’s elite. Only two plots ever sold. The full story of…
Beyond the Uffizi: Florence’s 5 Most Overlooked Museums
Once the Uffizi is done, Florence has dozens of small museums most travelers never see. Five that are quieter, deeper and more…
Rome’s Best Viewpoints: 8 Terraces, Hills and Domes to See the Eternal City
Rome from above: the Pincio, St Peter’s Dome, the Janiculum, the Knights of Malta keyhole and 4 more viewpoints, free and paid,…
Why Tagliatelle al Ragu Is NOT Spaghetti Bolognese (And Where to Try the Real Thing)
Spaghetti bolognese does not exist in Italy. The real Bolognese dish is tagliatelle al ragu, and Bologna takes it seriously enough to…
The Gaudi Route: Walking Barcelona’s Modernist Masterpieces in One Day
Casa Vicens, Casa Batllo, La Pedrera, Park Guell, Sagrada Familia. A self-guided Gaudi walking route through Barcelona, in the right order.
Day Trips from Florence: Siena, Pisa, Chianti and San Gimignano in Four Days
Four perfect day trips from Florence: Siena and the Palio, San Gimignano towers, the Chianti wine route and Pisa with Lucca. How…
The Best Gelato in Rome: How to Spot Real Gelato (and Where Locals Go)
Half the gelato in Rome is industrial mass produced from powder mixes. Here are six tests to spot real gelato and the…
Italian Restaurant Etiquette: 15 Rules That Will Mark You as a Tourist
Italians spot a tourist before you open your mouth, and most of the time it is the way you behave at the…
