Ciao a tutti,
Can you believe it’s already March?! It feels like we just celebrated Christmas in Australia. 2023 seems to be flying. If you’re planning a trip to Italy this year, then it’s absolutely vital that you get organised now and confirm your bookings - it’s going to be a huge year of travel.
Winter here in Rome has been simply wonderful. The lack of crowds and crisp blue-skied days mean that it might just be my favourite season ever in the Eternal City. If you missed my last newsletter, here’s a guide to my favourite places to eat in Rome to bookmark for your next trip.
During the week we had a late night dinner reservation at one of my favourite restaurants in Rome (Armando al Pantheon). It’s a 20 seater family-run restaurant right across from the Pantheon! My pick of the dishes is the Gricia pasta.
We finished dinner just before midnight and it was lightly raining so we wandered over to get a glimpse of the Trevi fountain with no crowds. Sigh, what a magical sight!
I was beginning to reach into my purse to pull out some coins and do the obligatory throw into the fountain when Andrea told us that’s not what the Italians do…Instead, he led us to the right-hand side of the fountain where there’s a little ‘sub-fountain’ with drinking water. According to him, Italians say you have to drink from the water in order to come back to Rome, so, of course, that’s what we did! I’m curious, have you heard this before?
Last week my partner’s mum came to stay with us which gave me an excuse to play tourist (can you believe we’ve lived in Roma almost a whole year?!) In case you’re looking for some extra ideas of things to do, we visited the Galleria Doria Pamphilj (don’t miss a coffee at Cafe Doria too), had a great lunch at Roscioli Rimessa, strode into the Pantheon just because it’s unmissable, checked out the Caravaggio at the San Luigi dei Francesi Church and visited the beautiful Santa Maria Sopra Minerva Church with the gorgeous Bernini elephant statue out the front. Ah Rome, you are simply wonderful!
This is a big month of work and travel for me. Andrea and I have also been studying a sommelier course since November and have our exam at the end of March (wish me luck, it’s completely in Italian!) and my Untold Italy partner in crime Katy is arriving too.
Katy and I are heading up to Piedmont to put some finishing touches on our tours there later this year (get in touch if you’d like to make a booking, we have very few spots left on our Fall 2023 tour!), and then to Genova to meet with our Ligurian friend Enrica Monzani because guess what- we are running a tour in Liguria together this October! More info below.
Ugly Ducklings of Italian Cuisine Podcast - SBS Italian
I was thrilled when SBS Italian (a TV/radio channel in Australia) reached out to me to invite me to speak on their podcast. It’s a delightful series about the not-so-pretty (but absolutely delicious) regional dishes all around the country. Listen to my interview with host Max about Fritto Misto from Piedmont to find out more.
Why you should visit Torino in 2023 (and beyond)
If you’re still putting together your itinerary plan for Italy, why not consider visiting Torino? It’s well off-the-beaten-track but just an hour on high speed train from Milan. Read my latest blog post for 7 reasons Turin is well worth seeing in 2023 and just try and say no to a trip after that!
Visit Liguria with Untold Italy
If you’ve ever had Cinque Terre on your bucket list, this tour is for you. It offers the same charming pastel-coloured houses that dot the hills and meet the Ligurian Sea but without the crowds (and arguably better food)! Together with local Genovese food writer and cook Enrica Monzani, we have crafted our first-ever Liguria tour.
Photo credit: Enrica Monzani
Our tour begins in Genoa, where we explore its street food scene, and visit historical alimentari, trattorie and gorgeous palazzi.Then it’s onwards to a charming fishing village full of picture perfect colored houses along a dramatic coastline. We visit a modern olive oil mill to understand just why it’s such a prized ingredient, dine at a Michelin starred restaurant and relax at a gorgeous winery. We’ll also roll up our sleeves and learn how to make the real Ligurian pesto at a basil farm and some traditional dishes from Enrica herself.
That’s it for now! Wishing you a wonderful weekend & many dreams of Italy for 2023 and beyond,
Liv xo