Today is market day in Fivizzano. The drive east was spectacular. A light rain was falling, but the Alpi Apuane were covered in snow. I would have liked to say “dusted” because the word is all the rage and sounds nice, but the craggy marble mountains...

Sorry, I’ve been neglecting Wandering Italy these last few days. It’s because I’m spending a week in Provence. Peter Mayle’s Provence, meaning the Luberon. This would be a good time to discuss the differences between the two regions, Tuscany and...

Halloween has hit Italy hard. I’ve never seen so many preparations for it. Even the pasticceria/gelateria in Aulla has made room for special Halloween cakes in its freezer section, pushing out half the gelato flavors they usually have. That’s serious...

For those of you who prefer to travel in the sultry dog days of summer, there are times I feel sorry for you. You miss Otricoli arising from the fog: Or the promise of a warm morning: (Click to see them a decent size) The second picture...

Going out to eat for Sunday Lunch is a tradition in Italy. You’ll hardly get a table in a Lunigiana restaurant on a Sunday afternoon if you haven’t reserved one, even in these economically challenging times. Martha and I remembered with...