Instantly Italy

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A Week in Friuli Venezia Giulia: What We Did and What We Saw

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At the beginning of August, we spent a week in Friuli Venezia Giulia, the easternmost region in Italy and one of the country’s most ignored ones, especially by tourists. 

The fact that Friuli is not a popular tourist destination is a real pity because the region is so nice that it really deserves to be more famous but it is also a blessing for those who visit it because Friuli is beautiful, authentic, genuine, and not crowded at all.

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[Family Recipes] Zucchini and pumpkin flower fritters

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When it comes to holidays and festivities, in my family everything revolves around tradition.

We have been celebrating Christmas in the same way and with more or less the same food for years. Every year we gather around the same table, with the same people, and we eat more or less the same dishes.

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Estate Italiana: Some Snapshots of An Italian Summer

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This is the last post before the holidays and I wanted it to be super fun and summery. 

I love all the seasons but I have definitely a preference for summer and I want to use this post to celebrate the uniqueness of summer in Italy. Summer has some common traits everywhere but there are some peculiar things that belong to a specific country only, so today I’d love to list the Italian ones.

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10 Reasons Why You Should Include Ravenna In Your Italy Itinerary

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You know I always try to recommend lesser-known Italian places in my blog.

I always make a point of visiting places that are outside the main tourist routes. I do this because I love discovering new locations and also because I am always on the hunt for places that I think you might find interesting and worth exploring.

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[Hidden Italy] Castello della Manta, a Medieval Castle near Saluzzo, Piedmont

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A visit to the Castello della Manta has been on my wishlist for ages. 

In February 2020, with incredible timing, I have subscribed to FAI, the National Trust for Italy, a non-profit organization whose main goal is to protect Italian places promoting their knowledge, care, and conservation.

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[Hidden Italy] The peaceful beauty of inland Ligurian villages: Apricale and Perinaldo

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As I always say, seaside locations in Liguria are stunning but it’s the inland that that holds the nicest surprises.

Liguria is famous for its picturesque towns by the sea but if you are willing to explore further on the hills, you’ll find some places that perfectly represent the character of Liguria: introverted, shy, not talkative at all.

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A Short Summer Break: A Few Days In Cinque Terre (Returning After 10 Years)

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In the past few years, every time people would ask me recommendations about visiting Cinque Terre, I would always tell them: “Don’t go”. 

It’s not that I don’t like Cinque Terre, I think they are one of the most beautiful areas in my region – and in Italy in general –  but going there had recently become impossible. And it’s probably because I like Cinque Terre so much that I have always told people to avoid them: I didn’t want them to be disappointed by such a marvelous place.

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Some Things My Students Like About Italy and Italians

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Blogging about beautiful Italian things is quite common, I know. 

The Internet is full of posts and articles about the beauty of Italy, its amazing lifestyle, all the things you should learn from the Italian way of life and so on.

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