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The Discovery CompassThe Discovery Compass

  • Home
  • Small Group Travel
  • Luxury Travel
  • Experiential Travel
  • Culture & Lifestyle
  • More
    • Personal
    • Destinations
    • Travel Tips
    • Tours & Vacations
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    • Culture
Search
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Expectations

Tomorrow, We Lose Money. Here’s Why I Sleep Perfectly Fine About It


What happens when 2 guests show up for a tour that needs 8 to profit – and what it reveals about an industry that’s forgotten its purpose I was scrolling through TripAdvisor reviews this morning (don’t ask me why I torture myself like this), when I stumbled across something that made me sick to my...

  • Michael Kovnick
  • August 29, 2025
  • 1
Culture & Lifestyle

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 stopped traveling, and we faced an impossible choice that would define not just our...

  • Michael Kovnick
  • August 19, 2025
  • 3
Expectations

The Truth About Italy’s 1 Euro Homes: Why They’re Not Such a Great Deal After All


The headlines are irresistible: “Buy a House in Italy for Just 1 Euro!” Social media feeds overflow with dreamy photos of ancient stone cottages nestled in picturesque Italian villages, all yours for the price of a morning espresso. With over 50 municipalities across Italy participating in these schemes as...

  • Michael Kovnick
  • August 2, 2025
  • 0
Culinary Experiences

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 piazzas of Florence and the dramatic coastlines of Cinque Terre, we discovered something...

  • Michael Kovnick
  • July 13, 2025
  • 4
Experiential Travel

Small Group Travel Myths Debunked: The Truth About Authentic Cultural Tours


Discover why small group travel myths are wrong! Learn how authentic cultural tours with 14-18 guests offer better value, flexibility, and access than large group tourism. Expert insights from 20+ years in travel.

  • Michael Kovnick
  • July 4, 2025
  • 0
Culture & Lifestyle

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.

  • Michael Kovnick
  • June 24, 2025
  • 1
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Culture
Culture

The 10 Best Beaches in Italy


Italy can get extremely hot during the summers, and this year is no exception! With two consecutive heat waves coming up from Africa, the heat is really getting intense. This last heat wave, named “Il Caronte” was named after a...

  • Alyssa Saltzman
  • July 17, 2015
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Culture
Culture

Italian Stereotypes – True or False


  Every culture is associated with stereotypes, and while they can have some truth to them, many of them are exaggerated or generalized. This is being written by someone who is constantly stereotyped as a guido (thanks...

  • Alyssa Saltzman
  • June 30, 2015
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Culture
Culture

Basic Guide to Pronouncing Foods in Italian


    Learning a new language is terrifying. All the pronunciation rules you know and love in English are entirely irrelevant in this new language, its like being in primary school all over again. Right now Sam and I are...

  • Alyssa Saltzman
  • June 11, 2015
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Culture
Culture

Helpful Italian Words and Phrases


I know that when you are learning a new language, it can be harder than just having the words in front of you, its also about how in heavens name you’re supposed to be able to pronounce them! There are a lot of guides, but...

  • Alyssa Saltzman
  • June 3, 2015
  • 1
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Culture
Culture

How to: Speak Italian like a Local


Before traveling any place that speaks a different language, you should definitely take the time to learn some key words and phrases to help fit in and know what is going on. Although finding some english speakers isn’t too...

  • Alyssa Saltzman
  • May 26, 2015
  • 2
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Culture
Culture

How to Survive a Long Flight : Entertainment


Sometimes you get lucky and your flight will offer unlimited free movies of your choice on your in – seat entertainment, and sometimes your plane has nothing but the back of someone’s seat for you to look at. There are a few...

  • Alyssa Saltzman
  • May 19, 2015
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Culture
Culture

How to Survive a Long Flight : Health


Planes are incubators for sicknesses. And what really stinks is saving up your money, traveling across the world and getting to your destination just to spend the whole time sick in a hotel room.   Here are my favorite tips...

  • Alyssa Saltzman
  • April 30, 2015
  • 1
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Culture
Culture

How To Survive a Long Flight : Sleeping


I started out wanting to make one big post about every tip I have for How To Survive a Long Flight, and then it got so long I realized I needed to break it up into more manageable posts, so I will post this one first because it’s...

  • Alyssa Saltzman
  • April 24, 2015
  • 4
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Culture
Culture

Easter In Italy- The Holy Week


Easter in Italy It may be hard to believe just how important Easter is in Italy, here in the US, its not nearly as big. Easter in Italy is arguably the most important holiday after Christmas. Processions and Services...

  • Alyssa Saltzman
  • April 6, 2015
  • 1
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Culture
Culture

7 Things Americans Can Learn From Italians – My Take


An article recently appeared on HuffPost Travel that went quite viral.  It is a list of 7 things that would make Americans  better off if they would adapt from Italian culture.  The article (Original Linked Here)...

  • Michael Kovnick
  • February 16, 2014
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Small Groups
Culture Discovery Vacations
Leading Luxury Food & Wine 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
Discover Our Tours
Italy • Portugal • Spain • Croatia

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  • Michael Kovnick on Where Hearts Find Home: The Story of Soriano nel Cimino

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