It’s been 19 years that I have been travelling around Italy, as an Intrepid Travel tour guide with groups, as a destination specialist with journalists and film crews, with my family and with friends to have fun, and to work on my own travel business. For the past few years I have also been organising and guiding my own small group tours, mainly in the South of Italy. With tens of thousands of Italian photos on my hard drive, uncountable stories and adventures in my memory and wonderful feelings in my heart, I have been planning this blog for years. I want to share my stories and my passion for all things Italian, show my favourite photos, give you inspiration if you are travelling to this amazing country and as a travel expert of Italy help you organise your trip, do your bookings and make the most of your holiday.
On this blog there will be stories of old trips and new ones. I am often on the road, searching for hidden gems, unspoilt by mass tourism. Sorry, this is not the website to search info on the Colosseum or Piazza San Marco in Venice. But you should keep reading if you have already done the main sights of the Milan – Venice – Florence – Rome axis, or that’s not what you are looking for in the first place. You can surely read here about sleepy hilltop towns, colourful fishing villages, small islands, fun festivals and beaches you can have all to yourself, but you might also find some posts about the lesser known areas of the above cities.
I graduated at the University of Economics, and have worked in tourism for over 25 years. I was a glacier guide in Canada and a tour leader for Intrepid Travel in Italy. I also spent long years at a major travel agency, gaining important experience as head of marketing, then later head of tour operation and product development. I am passionate about my family, travel, photography, colours, languages, cultural festivals, farmers' markets, vineyards, fishing villages, small islands and slow living. I finally live my dream, spending most of my time with my vivacious daughter and running my own travel business. I love the flexible working hours and being able to work from anywhere as long as there is wifi.
I have been successfully running my CinqueTerre-travel business for long years, but it’s only one fantastic destination, and I have always wanted to offer more. Italy is full of breathtaking places, even a lifetime is not enough to visit them all. So I have incorporated my passions, travel, photography and Italy into this website, and have expanded my business to other areas of the "boot”, mainly in the south.
Why slow travel? Just like many places in Europe, some Italian destinations are suffering from overtourism. Rome, Venice and Florence are more crowded than ever, with narrow streets congested by bus and cruise groups, and two-hour line ups to enter museums and monuments. Of course if you travel to Italy to see the amazing artworks of Michelangelo, Leonardo or Botticelli, you can’t avoid the big cities. But if you travel to experience real Italian life, nature, stunning villages and hidden beaches, away from the crowds, then I have so many great ideas for you. Of course you can also combine the two, visit the cities first, then give yourself time to slow down. Go to places you might have never heard of, totally off the beathen path. Believe me, after places like the Trevi-fountain, a Tuscan village like Sorano or Pitigliano, with their quiet streets will feel amazing and so relaxing.
And why not change a busy beach full of sunbeds to an almost empty beach in Puglia, with beautiful weather and sea temperature for swimming.
The possibilities are endless. Find a comfortable seat, grab a cappuccino, browse my website, send me an e-mail and I will help you organise your dream slow holiday in Italy.
Happy reading and happy (slow) travels!
Tamara
