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The Discovery CompassThe Discovery Compass

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  • Small Group Travel
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Culture & Lifestyle

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 jumping in, this will make a lot more sense if you start at the beginning of the series....

  • Michael Kovnick
  • September 2, 2026
  • 0
Culture & Lifestyle

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. As with every post in this series, if you’re jumping in here, it’s like...

  • Michael Kovnick
  • August 29, 2026
  • 3
Small Group Travel

Small Group Tours in Croatia: 8 Checks Before You Book


Full disclosure before you read a word of this: I run one of the companies that offers small group tours in Croatia. So treat what follows as a method, not a recommendation, and run it on us too. Our own numbers are in here wherever they apply, including the place where our price comes in higher than every operator I...

  • Michael Kovnick
  • August 19, 2026
  • 0
Personal

My Life in Italy, Part 14: He Speaks! & Mirror in the Bathroom


As with every post in this series, if you are jumping in here, it is like jumping into the middle of a movie. Please start with Part 1, or this will make absolutely no sense. Yikes, it has been a long time since I wrote the last part of this series! This part is going to cover a fair amount of ground because by...

  • Michael Kovnick
  • August 17, 2026
  • 4
Small Group Travel

Best Small Group Tour in Italy: 10 Checks Before You Book


Full disclosure before you read a word of this: I run one of these companies. So treat what follows as a method rather than a recommendation, and run it on us too. I have put our own numbers in wherever they are relevant, including the two places we come off worse. The useful thing I have learned after 20 years of...

  • Michael Kovnick
  • August 16, 2026
  • 0
Culture & Lifestyle

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 handed me a list of “the American bars.” I found an apartment because a a friend...

  • Michael Kovnick
  • August 11, 2026
  • 0
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Personal
Personal

Starbucks digs its claws into Italy, and why that saddens me.


With its massive global expansion, Starbucks has always left Italy alone. After all, how do you open a store in the country you copied your model from?

  • Michael Kovnick
  • May 10, 2019
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Culture & Lifestyle
Culture & Lifestyle

Italian Coffee – What and How to Order


Italian Coffee Protocol There are many things that Italians hold dear, coffee being one of the big ones. But there are unspoken rules about how to order Italian coffee, and if you do it wrong, every Italian will judge you, even...

  • Alyssa Saltzman
  • May 6, 2019
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Destinations
Destinations

Our Amalfi Coast Vacation in 13 Gorgeous Photos


Our Amalfi Coast Vacation is one of our best selling tours. The dramatic coastlines, the perfect towns built into the cliffs, it is absolutely stunning from every angle. The Amalfi Coast was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site...

  • Alyssa Saltzman
  • May 3, 2019
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Travel Tips
Travel Tips

10 Tips for New Travelers


These are great tips for new travelers, but also useful for seasoned travelers or people who haven’t traveled in a while. It can be scary to travel to a new country, especially when there is a different currency and...

  • Alyssa Saltzman
  • April 30, 2019
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Culinary Experiences
Culinary Experiences

7 Reasons Why Bologna is an Italian Food Paradise


Bologna, the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, is one of Italy’s best kept secrets.  While many American tourists don’t even know Bologna exists, Italians consider it as a major food capital. Bologna is the...

  • Alyssa Saltzman
  • April 26, 2019
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Culinary Experiences
Culinary Experiences

5 Reasons our Cooking Vacations are the Perfect Solo Trip


Are you thinking about taking a solo trip, but are afraid of being in a new place all alone? Solo trips are becoming more and more popular among men and women of all ages. Solo travelers can be anyone from a young single who is...

  • Alyssa Saltzman
  • April 23, 2019
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Culinary Experiences
Culinary Experiences

The 10 Best EASY Italian Recipes


Italian food is always a crowd pleaser, and it’s truthfully pretty easy to make but a lot of people are afraid to try. Enter Olive Garden. You can make your favorite Italian recipes at home, it’s so much easier...

  • Alyssa Saltzman
  • April 17, 2019
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Destinations
Destinations

The Siena Horse Race – Palio di Siena


The Siena horse race, Italy’s most celebrated horse race dates back to 1633. The Palio di Siena is not a typical race, the rules are few, the traditions are involved, the rituals are divine, and the fanaticism is nothing...

  • Alyssa Saltzman
  • April 15, 2019
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Travel Tips
Travel Tips

Vacationing in Italy 101


When you do what we do, everyone you know and their mothers ask you to help them with their trip to Italy. This is great, I love Italy and I want everyone to experience the real Italy, so I try my best to help my...

  • Alyssa Saltzman
  • November 27, 2018
  • 2
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Culture & Lifestyle
Culture & Lifestyle

Bella vs. Brutta Figura: How Italians Judge You


In the United States, it can sometimes seem like we don’t care how we come off to others. Of course, this isn’t to say that nobody here in the good ol’ USA makes a good first impression, but its not uncommon to...

  • Alyssa Saltzman
  • November 19, 2018
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Small Groups
Culture Discovery Vacations
Leading Small-Group Culinary & Cultural Immersion Tour Operator
Authentic culinary experiences with Culture Discovery Vacations

Experience the true meaning of luxury travel with Culture Discovery Vacations - the leading small-group culinary tour operator, offering immersive experiences that go beyond traditional opulence.

  • Hands-on cooking classes with local families
  • Authentic all-inclusive pricing with no hidden costs
  • Boutique accommodations with character
  • Exclusive access to family vineyards
★★★★★
5.0/5 from 384+ reviews on TripAdvisor
"We didn't feel like tourists—we felt like family. The cooking classes changed how I think about food."
Mark S., Tuscany Tour
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Italy • Portugal • Spain • Croatia

Recent Comments


  • My Life in Italy, Part 14: He Speaks! & Mirror in the Bathroom - The Discovery Compass on My Life in Italy, Part 15: Race Against the Clock
  • My Life in Italy, Part 16: Two Weddings and a Funeral - The Discovery Compass on My Life in Italy, Part 15: Race Against the Clock
  • My Life in Italy, Part 15: Race Against the Clock - The Discovery Compass on My Life in Italy, Part 2: Where are the Walls? and How do I Flush?
  • My Life in Italy, Part 16: Two Weddings and a Funeral - The Discovery Compass on My Life in Italy, Part 1: “The Warm Table”
  • Robbie Huddleston on My Life in Italy, Part 15: Race Against the Clock

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