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[Hidden Italy] Discover Seborga, An Old Village in Liguria With A Unique Character

11/03/2022

There is a village in Liguria that wants to be independent. Discover Seborga, an old village perched on a hill that claims its independence.
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Visiting old Ligurian villages is one of my favorite pastimes and I have been to a lot of them over the years.

I have been to Triora, which is famous for being il paese delle streghe, to Apricale and Perinaldo, two lovely perched villages in the west of the region, to Verezzi and its scenic beauty, to Bussana Vecchia and its unique story, and to many other interesting places but there was one village I still had to cross off my list: Seborga.

[Read more…]

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[Italian Books] The Passenger: Rome

10/06/2022

If you want to read a book about Rome that tells you how life in the city really is, this one is the title for you
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What I have chosen as the topic for today’s post is probably one of the most honest books about Rome I have read recently. 

Actually, it is not exactly a book because of its very unique format but it can absolutely be read as a non-fiction book about Rome and about what it really means to live in the city.

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Filed Under: Italian language 6 Comments

[Hidden Italy] Alta Langa, A Peaceful Corner of Paradise in Piedmont

08/18/2022

Alta Langa is the lesser-known part of the amazing area around Alba, in Piedmont, famous for its wine and truffles
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When you say the word Langa, people immediately think of wine, cheese, and truffle.

In fact, the Langhe, the hilly area around Alba in Piedmont, is one of the most famous gastronomy areas in the whole world. In autumn, people literally flock to the region to taste its delicious wine and maybe a bit of its superb white truffle.

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Filed Under: Visiting Italy 2 Comments

[What To See in Liguria] The Magnificent Beauty of the Hanbury Botanical Gardens in Ventimiglia

04/14/2022

This post takes you to the magnificent Hanbury Botanical Gardens in Ventimiglia
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Sometimes it seems that heaven on earth really exists. 

This is what I thought a few weeks ago when I visited the Hanbury Botanical Gardens in Ventimiglia, some really magnificent gardens with an interesting history that are located on the westernmost side of Liguria, right on the border to France.

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How to Avoid Crowds in Italy

03/17/2022

How can I avoid crowds in Italy? This is a very common question and I try answering it in today's post
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How can I avoid bustling crowds of foreign tourists when I visit Italy? 

This is probably one of the questions I get asked the most and I thought it might be interesting to answer it with a proper blog post.

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[What to see in Liguria] A day trip in Camogli

02/03/2022

If you are wandering what to see in Liguria, Camogli could be a great option. Lovely fishermen village in a perfect location.
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I had been talking about going to Camogli since the Christmas holidays. 

For weeks, I kept telling my husband that we absolutely had to plan a day trip there but somehow never found the right moment to go – until this past Saturday.

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Filed Under: Visiting Italy 4 Comments

[Family Recipes] Le cupete piemontesi

12/16/2021

Cupete piemontesi are a staple in my family's cuisine and here is the recipe for this unique Italian sweet
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I was born and raised in Liguria but half of my family comes from Piemonte. 

My mom was born in Sale delle Langhe (a tiny village that carries the name of a fancy tourist destination for foodies but doesn’t have anything to do with it) and one of her sisters lives in Mondovì, a town located between the mountains and the plains, 80 kilometers south of Turin.

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Filed Under: Italian food 2 Comments

A Winter Weekend in Florence

12/09/2021

Winter is the perfect time to visit Florence. Here is an account of my weekend in Florence this past November.
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Florence is always a good idea, especially in winter. 

Florence is one of the most beautiful Italian cities but it tends to be overcrowded in high season and I feel this ruins its incredible atmosphere. This is why lately I have chosen to visit it in winter.

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Filed Under: Visiting Italy 4 Comments

[Hidden Italy] A walk around the Cimitero Monumentale in Milan

11/11/2021

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One of the goals of this section of the blog is to help you discover off-the-beaten-track Italian locations.

I have specifically created this ‘Hidden Italy’ series to write about places that you might not know or that might not be on the usual not-to-miss list of Italian destinations.

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Filed Under: Visiting Italy 4 Comments

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

09/02/2021

I have recently spent a week in Friuli Venezia Giulia, one of the lesser-known Italian regions and this post is an account of my trip
Subscribe to the Vespa rides and get full access to Your Italian Toolbox, a library of language learning materials that you can use to practice Italian.

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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Ciao!

My name is Cinzia and Italy is the place I call home.

Books feed my soul, music fills my days and travelling makes my life richer. I am a day dreamer, tireless walker and believer in the power of little things.

I’ve created Instantly Italy to take you to Italy with me and explore together this crazy but “oh so lovely” country. Read More…

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This post is about Al di qua del fiume by Alessandra Selmi, a historical fiction book that tells the story of the Crespi family

[Italian Books] The Story of an Italian Family, of a Business, and of a Whole Town

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[Italian Language] I Wrote a Book and it’s Perfect To Practice Italian This Summer!

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