My Life in Italy, Part 16: Two Weddings and a Funeral
What do The Nazis, Audrey Hepburn, Ronald & Nancy Reagan, Mikhail Gorbachev, Pope John Paul II, Margaret Thatcher, The Chernobyl meltdown and Mother Teresa all have in common? I knew you would ask! As always, if you are just...
My Life in Italy, Part 15: Race Against the Clock
Every time I think about a wedding, Wallace Shawn shows up in my head lisping about “mawwiage” and “twue wuv.” Sorry, can’t help it! It ruined weddings for me forever… in the best possible way....
Why There’s No Little America in Italy: 6 Reasons, and Only One of Them Is Romantic
I first came to Italy in 1983 and moved here in 1985. Nineteen years old, straight out of The Valley. There was no Facebook group. No welcome committee. No English-speaking realtor with a golf tan and a business card. Nobody...
Croatian Food, Region by Region
Because “Croatian food” isn’t really one thing. I get some version of this question every single time we bring a group through Croatia. “So what’s Croatian food actually like?” And every time,...
You Can’t Learn to Care
I just got back from IMEX in Frankfurt. If you don’t know it, IMEX is one of the big ones… the trade show where the meetings-and-incentives world gathers to talk shop. Corporate event planners. Incentive houses. The...
The Crisis That Revealed Our True Identity – And Changed Everything
How choosing family over profit during COVID confirmed for us that we were still the company we were always meant to be In March 2020, the entire world seemed to stop, and we were just about to start our season. The entire world...
Where Hearts Find Home: The Story of Soriano nel Cimino
Why our first location remains the soul of Culture Discovery Vacations Nearly twenty years ago, in a medieval hilltop village that most travelers have never heard of, a dream was born. While everyone else flocked to the famous...
Portugal Tours: Why 8 Days around Porto Beats 8 Cities in 8 Days (A Travel Industry Insider’s Honest Take)
Tired of Portugal tours that leave you empty? An industry insider reveals why 8 days immersed in Northern Portugal offers true cultural connection and lasting transformation, far beyond rushing through 8 cities.
Unveiling the World of Luxury Experiential Travel
Luxury experiential travel focuses on providing unique and immersive experiences for travelers, allowing them to engage with local cultures and environments in a more meaningful way (National Geographic). And so… it’s time to...
4 Italian Summer Recipes to Try
It’s July, that means there is no denying it, it’s officially summer. The days are longer and hotter. You’re probably reading this from the comfort of your air conditioned home or office, but in Italy, most...