Italy
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The Inferno by Dan Brown
Reviewed by ExperiencePlus! Traveler Bill Giovinazzo When Dan Brown came out with his latest thriller “The Inferno,” there was no question; I had to read it. It isn’t that I am a Dan Brown fan, but over the past year… Read full article
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Tuscan Rosemary Bread
I grew up baking bread in a bread maker. The only thing I knew about kneading was that it was the loudest stage in the machine’s process. Favorite memories from this household activity include catching the first glimpse after opening… Read full article
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Fisherman’s Risotto
“My wife’s a better cook than yours” was the common refrain on fishing boats plying the Adriatic Sea. These rugged men would leave home for three or four days at a time, each carrying a lunch toolbox of sorts. What… Read full article
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Accommodations We Love – Part 7
If our itinerary descriptions have whetted your appetite and you’re starting to daydream, let us help you set the stage with these splendid backdrops. Proudly announcing Accommodations We Love Part 7…with some properties from new departures in Catalonia, & Slovenia.… Read full article
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Machiavelli By Ross King
Reviewed by ExperiencePlus! traveler Bill Giovinazzo. When our ExperiencePlus! bike tour passed through Florence I happened to notice the statue of Niccolo Machiavelli outside of the Uffizi Museum. He had the look of an opportunist; his head bowed, hand to… Read full article
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Spring Salad
This recipe comes to us from our friends at Cooking Vacations Italy and takes advantage of the spring harvest including fava beans, lemon balm, mint, chives, radishes, spinach, lettuce and peas. If you aren’t familiar with fava beans, sometimes known… Read full article
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Accommodations We Love – Part 6
We’ve chosen several multi-night stays in this edition of Accommodations We Love. We don’t stay longer at these hotels because we fear you’ll never want to leave! Read up on hotels in Chile, Scotland, France, Argentina, and Italy this month.… Read full article
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The Artist, the Philosopher, and the Warrior
by Paul Strathren. Reviewed by ExperiencePlus! traveler Bill Giovinazzo. When we rode across Italy we cycled over roads and through towns that were thousands of years old, areas that have seen the rise and fall of empires, invasions by foreign… Read full article
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The Tigress of Forlí
The Tigress of Forlì: Renaissance Italy’s most Courageous and Notorious Countess, Caterina Riario Sforza de’ Medici By Elizabeth Lev, 2011 Review by Paola Malpezzi Price I grew up hearing the story of Caterina Sforza (as we called her) valiantly defending… Read full article
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Cotechino Sausage with Lentils
Cotechino Sausage with Lentils Though our recipe is a little late for your New Year’s celebration, we thought we’d go ahead and share this traditional New Year’s dish that combines two of Italy’s culinary symbols for good luck, the lentil… Read full article
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Panpepato or Pepper Bread
Though the origins of Panpepato aren’t certain one theory is that Sister Berta adapted a Panforte recipe when Siena was under siege and instead of using fresh fruit, she used more readily available dried fruits. Panpepato is rumored to have… Read full article
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Accommodations We Love – Part 1
ExperiencePlus! has added one more piece of information to our itineraries to enhance the fun and excitement of choosing your next bike trip – you can now check out the hotels on each day. Since we originally launched our website… Read full article
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Risotto with Pear, Gorgonzola, & Walnuts
This month’s recipe comes to us from tour leader Enrico Dal Monte who you may have met on tour in Belgium, Italy, France or Spain. Pears are in season so it’s the perfect time to make this delicious cheesy risotto.… Read full article
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Piadina or Flatbread
Piadina* or Flatbread Ingredients: 5 cups (500 grams) of unbleached flour, soft flour if you can find it 2 teaspoons (10 grams) salt 5/8 cup (70 grams) of rendered lard (or scant half cup of olive oil if you prefer)… Read full article
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The Leopard by Giuseppe Di Lampedusa
Reviewed by ExperiencePlus! Traveler and regular contributor to the Rambler Newsletter, Bill Giovinazzo. In May of 1860 one thousand “Garibaldini”, or Redshirts, sailed from Genoa to Marsala to free the idyllic isle of Sicily from the Bourbons. Leading this group… Read full article
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Strawberry Lasagna with Cream
Serves Four Sponge Cake: 3 egg yolks 1/3 cup sugar pinch of salt 3 egg whites 3/4 cup flour Zest from half an orange The Filling: 1 cup of fresh strawberries 2 tablespoons of lemon juice 2 tablespoons of powdered… Read full article
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The Italians by Luigi Barzini
Reviewed by ExperiencePlus! Traveler Bill Giovinazzo. I know there is a God. I know that he/she is good, kind, and loving. There is no doubt in my mind about this fact. How do I know? Only a good, kind, loving… Read full article
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Per la Cena or What’s for Dinner?
An interview with Bea Tassinari who coordinates meals on ExperiencePlus! Bicycle Tours in Italy. Bea can you tell us a little about the process of deciding what’s for dinner on a tour? The first step is to ask each restaurant… Read full article