When you think of Sicily, you might imagine ancient ruins bathed in golden light, dramatic coastlines with craggy cliffs, and olive groves stretching to the horizon. But Sicily is so much more than just a picturesque island. It’s a place where the past and present intertwine, where the daily rhythm of life is filled with rich traditions and a touch of magic. A Cinematic Connection For many, their first glimpse into the world of Sicily comes from movies like “The White Lotus,” which, in its second season, captured the island’s beauty and complexity. The show’s sweeping shots of the Sicilian la ..read more

Have you been thinking about joining us on a Tuscan Adventure? Are you wondering what exactly the trip will be like? Read today’s blog for Lori’s perspective on her trip to Tuscany for a peek inside our itinerary! Ah Tuscany! I believe that there is a part of my soul that has always longed for Toscana and it did not disappoint! While planning our epic adventure we struggled to find exactly what we were looking for in the Tuscany region so we turned to the experts at Ciao Amici who of course created magic for us! Filomena and Kelly shared some amazing ideas and planned an authentic Tuscan adve ..read more

There is a saying in Italian that says “Toccare il cielo con un dito,” touch the sky with your finger.  This is a saying Italians use when they want to tell someone they are very happy about something.  It can also be used literally when you are in the Dolomiti mountain range.   When you are here, you are over 2000 meters high, and you literally feel like you are so close to the sky you could touch it with your finger. The Dolomiti are a place that you should go at least once in your lifetime.   They are a mountain range located in Northeast Italy and form the bor ..read more

Today we are traveling to Lago Di Como, located in Northern Italy in the Lombardia (Lombardy) Region. One of the things I found most interesting about this area is that I started Ciao Amici’s Northern Italy trip in Milan, a crowded, bustling city, and within an hour’s drive, I was in a completely different atmosphere at this beautiful lake area. The hotels on Lake Como are very expensive to stay in, especially in the town of Bellagio, so instead I stayed in the City of Como. It was such a nice surprise, the city was beautiful. Como is a modern city with walls surrounding the older, inner city ..read more

When I was growing up in Italy the Christmas Holidays started on December 8 and went on until Jan 6 the Epiphany. On Christmas Eve we would have a traditional fish dinner but it did not consist of 7 fish like some Italian Americans do here. We lived in the mountains so there were not a lot of different kinds of fish available. We had river fish, vongole (clams), eel and a lot of baccala! (dried salted cod) On Christmas Day we did not receive gifts.  We would go to Mass and then we would go visit our family. The kids would especially like to visit relatives they hadn’t seen in a while beca ..read more

On Ciao Amici’s Central Italy trip I take you to the Umbria Region, known as the green heart of Italy. It is called this because it is centrally located in the shape of the boot of Italy and has beautiful lush green rolling hills. It is also often called the poor cousin of Tuscany.   I […] The post Travel Tuesday: Umbria – The Green Heart first appeared on Ciao Amici | Discover Italy ..read more

When people ask me if they should go to Venice my answer is always YES!!! It’s one of the most unique places on earth with an incredible history. This is why I conclude my Ciao Amici Northern Italy trip there. Just think about this, Venice is comprised of over 100 small islands and over 300 […] The post Travel Tuesday: Venice – Queen of the Adriatic first appeared on Ciao Amici | Discover Italy ..read more

When I think of Lucca there are many things I want to say. The architecture, the beautiful Piazza’s, the city walls, the sophisticated people and it being the city of the famed opera composer Puccini all add to why I say Bellissima Lucca. It would be an ideal world if you could see the architecture […] The post Travel Tuesday: Bellissima Lucca first appeared on Ciao Amici | Discover Italy ..read more

When people come to me to plan their vacations in Italy, they usually want to travel to Florence and Tuscany (the most popular region in Italy). When people told me this, I was very confused because Florence is the capital of Tuscany, so I didn’t understand why people were referring to them as two separate […] The post Travel Tuesday: Toscana first appeared on Ciao Amici | Discover Italy ..read more

The Italian holiday of Ferragosto, dates back to Roman times and has been celebrated in Italy for over 2,000 years. Originally it was celebrated on August 1st and it was the festival of emperor Augustus. He made it a day of rest for all of the workers who had been working so hard in the […] The post Celebrating Ferragosto first appeared on Ciao Amici | Discover Italy ..read more