ExperiencePlus! Blog


Italy

  • No Knead Flatbread/Pizza Dough

    About 2 years ago I decided I wanted try my hand at making some quick pizza or flatbread style dough. As I was looking for recipes I ran across a no knead recipe.  Since then I’ve refined my process and… Read full article

  • 2014 ExperiencePlus! SATT Winner and her class

    2014 Send A Teacher Traveling Award Winner

    ExperiencePlus! Bicycle Tours is very pleased to introduce you to the 2014 Send A Teacher Traveling Award Winner –  Jacqueline Malanga! What were your first thoughts when you received Maria Elena’s email declaring you the winner of the 2014 SATT… Read full article

  • Cauliflower Calabria

    Cauliflower Calabria

    Cauliflower: a white, seemingly boring vegetable that unfortunately suffers from neglect in the grocery store and sometimes in the fridge has just received a facelift. And, no, it’s not cheddar cheese. Prepare yourself for a caramelized, nutty, and surprisingly light… Read full article

  • La Rotonda di San Lorenzo

    The Secrets of Mantua by Enrico Dal Monte

    There are many splendid and evocative places in Italy as authors from all over the world have described throughout the centuries.  There is one pearl in the middle of northern Italy’s Padana Valley that preserves a “magic sparkle” and has… Read full article

  • Rostinniana photo by Raul Bernardo

    Rosticciana with Fruit Sauce

    Rosticciana has become a favorite for our travelers on the Bike Across Italy: Venice to Pisa trips. In fact the serving plate always ends up empty which is rare given the quantity of food the Italian’s traditionally tempt us with.… Read full article

  • Panna Cotta

    Panna Cotta

    Panna Cotta Travelers on the recent Bicycling Sardinia – Alghero to Cagliari trip devoured a wonderful Panna Cotta which inspired Italian tour leader Lisa Merighi to share her grandmother’s recipe with us. It’s a simple recipe with just a few… Read full article

  • 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

  • A Taste of Aphrodisiac Diamonds on Tour

    By ExperiencePlus! Tour Leader Pia de Richemont What did Marilyn Monroe, Mussolini and President Truman have in common? Fame? Certainly. Insomnia? Quite likely. But the three of them also shared a partiality for truffles (Latin name: tuber magnatum). For those… Read full article

  • 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

  • Lisa Merichi

    Meet Your Tour Leaders: Lisa Merighi

    Though 2013 will mark only her third season with ExperiencePlus! Lisa Merighi has quickly become one of our traveler’s favorite tour leaders. We thought it high time we all had the opportunity to get to know her a little better.… Read full article

  • Fisherman's Risotto

    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

  • Cyclist Seeks Puglian Cheese and Curious Cows

    Selecting a bonus “theme” to take with me on my ExperiencePlus! cycling trips has always enhanced my excitement and sense of discovery about an area. When I found out I would be going on the Cycling Puglia Plus! the Ionian… Read full article

  • Discover a Whole New Tuscany

    We have a secret to share — there is a little corner of Tuscany that has remained undiscovered where the bicycling is fantastic, far gentler than in the rest of Tuscany. It’s a magical area with authentic small towns perfectly… Read full article

  • Bicycling the Italian Lakes

    Several years ago a friend gave me a fridge magnet featuring the Madonna del Ghisallo – the Patron Saint of Bicyclist. I was thrilled and immediately affixed the magnet to the top tube of my touring bike and felt as… Read full article

  • 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

  • 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

  • 40th Anniversary Bike Across Italy

    By ExperiencePlus! traveler Tamsen Granger I just got back from the ExperiencePlus! 40th Anniversary Bike Across Italy Tour – Pisa to Venice- what a trip! It was 12 days of extraordinary food, fun, sights, and, oh yes, rides in the… Read full article

  • 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