Australians don’t have a ‘right’ to travel. Does COVID mean our days of carefree overseas trips are over?
Susan Harris Rimmer, Griffith UniversityMain image: www.shutterstock.com Australia is a nation of enthusiastic travellers, it is one of our defining national characteristics. At any given time, around a million of us are living and working overseas. In 2019, a record 11.3 million Australian residents went on short-term trips, double the figure of ten years earlier. […] Read More
Canadians may enter Italy, Americans may not
(July 17, 2020) The “safe list” for citizens of countries that may enter Italy has been updated and reconfirmed. The ban on citizens from the United States and most South American countries remains in force. The only exception for Latin America is Uruguay and now Canadians may travel to Italy. The list was updated, Jul 16, 2020 by the […] Read More
Eu Opens Borders But Not For US Visitors
(July 2, 2020) The European Union Member States have approved a draft list of 54 countries (see below), considered for Safe Entrance regarding measures taken during the Coronavirus crisis. The “safe list” will be used as a guide for member countries for opening their borders after the Covid-19 travel restrictions are lifted July 1. The United States is […] Read More
Adventure Parks in Italy – great time for friends and family!
Adventure parks (parchi avventura) are a fairly new phenomenon in Italy, but there are quite a few that are really worth visiting. Apart from being great places where everybody, children and grown ups can have fun, they will give you the chance to see Italy in a different light. Have lots of fun, feel the […] Read More
5 Museums in Milan offering Virtual Tours
Just because the museum is closed or you are far away, it doesn’t mean you can’t visit the best museums in Milan. Through the Arts & Culture Project managed by Google and launched in 2011, using their Street View technology we are now able to visit hundreds of museums throughout the world. Consult the image […] Read More
48 Hours in Verona
What better way is there, than to spend Valentine’s Day in Verona, Italy’s city of love? Begin the tour at Castelvecchio (corso Castelvecchio 2). This medieval castle with its brick exterior and turrets is a wonderful architectural gem which houses an incredible collection of Medieval and Renaissance art. During your visit, take some time for […] Read More
Val Tidone – a castle on every hilltop
You know you’re in Val Tidone when you see a castle on practically every hilltop, when you find yourself surrounded by a literal sea of vineyards, and when the road winds lazily through one hamlet after another as it slowly rises, revealing breathtaking views of the hills and the valleys! When you have to slow […] Read More
Eating the Italian Way
For Italians food is something extremely special. It is connected with pleasure, tradition, family and leisure and must always be savored with gusto! In Italy, eating is synonymous with slow, so take your time and enjoy your meal! The MammamiaFamily will guide you on an exploration of Italian food habits; their peculiarities and secrets with […] Read More
Italy’s top spa destinations
Spa, or terme in Italian, have been known since the dawn of time for their healing powers, offering a range of treatments that include: bathing (hot springs – thermae hot tub, mud bath, hydro massage, sauna, sensation shower, steam bath), aromatherapy, massage, body wrap, beauty treatments (manicure, pedicure, waxing, exfoliating) and more. Check out these recommendations […] Read More
Italian Holidays
Moving to a new country has all sorts of novelties including a few new holidays to get used to. So before being the odd one racing to work on a day in which you could have stayed in bed, jot down these national holidays: January 1st– New Year’s Day or Capodanno January 6th– Epiphany or […] Read More
Day trips from Milan for families with kids!
Ten destinations only one hour away by car from Milan. The best choices when you run out of ideas in town. Castello di Gropparello 80 km from Milan Travel back in time for a fantastic family adventure in an authentic medieval fortress. Castello di Gropparello is located over a ravine above the Vezzeno stream. This […] Read More
48 Hours in Milan
Italy’s fashion capital has recently become one of top destinations in Italy! Your first stop (mandatory for anyone visiting town) is Milan’s Cathedral, affectionately called Duomo (Piazza Duomo) in the city center. Admire at one of Italy’s finest examples of Gothic architecture and be sure to visit the rooftops (via stairs or elevator) for a […] Read More
Understanding Italian coffee
In Italy drinking coffee is a ritual. Italians love going to cafés for their coffee and if skipped they won’t survive the day. Before you order a coffee, let’s clarify first the difference between café and caffè. Well, coffee translates in Italian as “caffé“, while café is known as the “bar”, the place where you […] Read More
48 Hours in Turin
Although Turin is not your typical tourist destination when visiting Italy it does offer unexpected surprises to its visitors. First on our list, is the recently renovated Egyptian Museum (Via Accademia delle Scienze 6) that houses one of the largest collections of Egyptian artifacts in Europe including the Tomb of Kha and his wife Merit and […] Read More
Introduction to Italian Customs
Italian languageItaly, as we know it today, is a very young country, just over 150 years old. It was ultimately unified in 1861 following a campaign lead by Garibaldi. Before then, it was a peninsula with dozens of independent city-states, ruled by lords, kings and popes, with their own laws, dialects and customs. Yet, the […] Read More
Milan: Mixing Old with the New
As an American, one thing that strikes on your first trip to Europe is the history. The relative age of North America is nothing compared to that of the European continent. Buildings of historical significance here can easily be two or three times as old as the historical sites in the United States. The same […] Read More
48 Hours in Rome
Day 1 Rome is truly one of a kind. It is filled with incredible buildings and architecture, ancient ruins from the great Roman Empire, and some of the most important religious landmarks in the world. The most difficult part about a trip to Rome is narrowing down a list of the best things to see […] Read More
History, wine and nature in a glass… or two!
As they say, life’s too short to drink bad wine, which is a perfect reason for visiting Val Tidone! Just an hour’s drive south of Milan will put you in the center of a landscape that is characterized by endless waves of vineyard creating glorious panoramas. The terroir of the Val Tidone is perfect for […] Read More
The Venice Carnival
When thinking of the Carnival, two cities stand out from the rest of the world, Venice and Rio. Given the cold temperatures in Italy since the start of 2016, my pick would definitely be Rio, but as I live in Milan with my wife and two small children, let’s talk about a more realistic travel option, […] Read More
Traveling with Kids
Like international couples, my wife and I travel abroad frequently, often to spend time with family and friends. For expats, traveling is like brushing your teeth, something you do on autopilot without giving it much thought. Well, at least that was the case before you had kids. Now this has become something far more challenging. […] Read More
Staying in Milan With Kids This Summer? Stay Sane and Have Fun!
It’s nearly here again…summer! And with it comes the end of another school year and the start of what seems to be both the fastest and slowest season of the year, depending on where you’re sitting. Some of you have summer calendars already jammed so full with plans that you risk whiplash racing from one […] Read More
Top 10 Ski Locations in Italy
It’s winter and if that means snow, then pick up your gear and hit the slopes with our tips for the best slopes this winter season. Courmayeur (Val D’Aosta) Courmayeur is Europe’s highest mountain and if that is not reason enough for you to pick this location then consider the 100km of pistes with 18 […] Read More
Top 10 Mercatini di Natale in Italy
It’s the holiday season and that means its time for the Mercatini di Natale or Christmas markets! This tradition, hailing from Germany where they are called Christkindlmarkt has over the years made its way to town centers all over Europe spreading the joy of the season with ornaments, toys and food specialties. Here are our picks […] Read More
48 Hours in Florence
Day 1 In the heart of Tuscany, Florence is where the Renaissance movement began. It is filled with art galleries, museums, and buildings that need to be seen during any visit. The first stop on this trip is to the city’s most popular art museum the Uffizi Gallery. The gallery is one of the best […] Read More
Bacon, butlers and Spanish nudists – Foreign Office reveals latest top ten bizarre requests from Brits abroad
Confused callers looked to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) for advice on bizarre issues ranging from where to buy English bacon in Europe, how to recruit a butler in Lebanon and how to avoid nudists in southern Spain, it has been revealed. The FCO has released details of the ten weirdest consular calls it […] Read More
Insider’s tips on Uffizi Virtual Experience
Giorgia is a journalist based in Florence and always on the move. As someone directly involved in the “Uffizi Virtual Experience”, a technologically groundbreaking art exhibition showcasing, in the heart of Milan, masterpieces from the Uffizi, she offers her insight for an intriguing visit of the show. I close my eyes and remember myself walking […] Read More
One card to visit 80 museums!
Before the beginning of Expo Milan 2015, the regions of Piemonte and Lombardy have decided to collaborate by promoting the culture and the tourism of our country thanks to one card! The goal is to realize also in Lombarduy the Museum Subscription, that in Piemonte counts more than 100,000 subscribers and it involves more than […] Read More
