Going for a walk?

A gluten free itinerary along the East coast of Sicily. Where and what to eat in Catania, Taormina, Ortigia and Noto tasting some typical Sicilian food safely for coeliacs. At the beginning of August we’ve gone to  Sicily to see some friends who moved to Augusta. We knew that they would have guided us in a tour of their place and obviously made us taste some typical products. What we didn’t know was that, in reality, it would have been a real culinary tour with steps to check off. Obviously, they knew about my celiac disease , but it wasn’t a problem at all. So, here what they suggested (just the fundamental, eh) in those three days spent with them. Leggi in italiano

I’ve always thought that it’s not necessary to make long journeys to define yourself a “traveller” or to make great discoveries. On the contrary, it often happens that staying near your home you can be surprised by what you meet. Every day life makes you forget that around you there is so much to discover and to learn and sometimes it’s good to venture yourself with the eyes of a tourist in places that you “know”. I’ve passed through Gioia del Colle so many times while going to Bari since when I attended university until nowadays and just recently I managed to visit it and to give a name to those monuments the I saw from the road.   And to think it’s just a half an hour by car far from home. The historic centre of Gioia del Colle dates back the 9 th century and still nowadays it keeps its original conformation. Many alleys snake and connect around a focal point, the Norman-Swabian Castle. Visiting this place in the Land of Bari is an excellent way to spend a morning in...

I stop, wordless. I didn’t imagine that it was so breathtaking. I’ve seen many photos of it, but they didn’t prepare me to this spectacular.

“Gnatia lymphis iratis exstructa” -   Horace                  “ Gnathia built on tumultuous water” Once upon a time there was a town on Apulian coast. It was prosperous thanks to its position on the Adriatic Sea. Everyone in the Mediterrean Sea knew Gnathia and many coutries had commercial relationships with it. Leggi in italiano This could be the beginning of a fairy tale, but actually it corresponds to the reality. The town of Gnathia existed until the 10 th – 15 th century a. C.   and you can visit it in Apulia, near Fasano, thanks to the effort of the Archeological Museum , which has brought it to light in collaboration with the University of Bari.

Did you know that in these days Verona celebrates its saint patron, Saint Zeno?  It’s an opportunity to enjoy the music, the performances, the craftsmanship and the food of this land. But I think that a visit to Saint Zeno Church is also due, even though you’re not a religious person.

Have you ever been in Bozen ? It’s a peaceful place, though it’s a town. It’s a perfect place to find yourself, to calm yourself. It’s amazingly connected with the surrounding nature. Walking in Bozen is the best way to experience it. Town, nature, town: there’s   no separation. It’s the aspect I enjoy the most here. If you like walking, you can forget any other means of transport (otherwise you can go everywhere by public transport).

I motivi per cui si viaggia sono innumerevoli, si sa. Si viaggia per conoscere cose nuove, lontane dai nostri luoghi, per studio, per lavoro, per partecipare a eventi. La mia prima volta a Bologna non avrei mai pensato che sarebbe stata per quest’ultimo motivo, per partecipare a un evento, uno stage di aikido per la precisione. Non sono questi tipi di viaggi che preferisco fare: la maggior parte delle volte hai pochissimo tempo libero a disposizione. Nel mio caso lo stage occupava un giorno e mezzo del fine settimana. Non puoi prolungare il tuo soggiorno, perché devi tornare al lavoro. Ti riduci a sfruttare quella mezza giornata prima di riprendere il treno verso casa per dare uno sguardo alla città ospitante. Non è esattamente nel mio stile fare visite “mordi e fuggi”, ma sarebbe comunque un peccato non sfruttare quel poco tempo che abbiamo. Diciamo che si può considerare un assaggio che ci farà venir voglia di tornare. Quindi, sì, la mia prima volta a Bologna non è stata s...