Travel Around The Clock

Italy is our native country and, although we have decided to live abroad, it is a country that we deeply love, extraordinarily rich in art, history, natural beauty and food and wine traditions.  Being an expat is not always easy, but it has the advantage that every time we return to visit our families, we always find the time to explore the country like tourists and to discover the little gems, often off the beaten path, which make this country so unique. A part of Italy, we particularly love is the Tuscia, an area once inhabited by the Etruscans, in northern Lazio. Here the charming villages, with their picturesque stone houses and narrow alleys, have preserved a good part of their medieval-Renaissance physiognomy.   One of these is the medieval hamlet of Farnese, a tiny village, counting not even 1700 inhabitants, beautifully perched on a tuffaceous cliff.  Its name derives from the Farnia tree known around Europe as peduncolate oak and depicted on the city coat o...

Corsica is one of our favorite spots in the Mediterranean. For its sun, its clear waters, its breathtaking views.... ....and because, to us, it is the perfect blend of Italian and French culture. It is extremely touristy but it still retains a very wild character along with a strong traditional identity. And while August tends to be overcrowded, September is quieter and surely a better time to visit. This is why we decided to head there for an early autumn escape. We had already been there a few times traveling all around the island so this time we decided to concentrate on the northern part and more specifically in the Balagne and Cap Corse. The Balagne is an area of the Haute-Corse, bordered by the Ostriconi river on the east side and extending  up to the Genoese town of Calvi on the west side. We used Santa Reparata di Balagna, just 5 minutes inland from the popular holiday resort of Ile Rousse, as a base for our wanderings in this fertile areas scattered with ...

Do you remember what I said about sandy beaches on Ithaca? Exactly: no trace of sand on the island, so once again, sand lovers...OUT OF HERE! In general the northern part of the island is probably slightly less exciting than the southern, but it still offers one or 2 great spots. Let's start from the one we didn't like: Polis . Just our of Stavros, easily accessible and with sunbeds available (not that we really care about those!). We arrived there in order to visit the Loizos cave (that has been destroyed by the earthquake so nothing is visible) and we didn't stop, not even for a quick swim. Don't get me wrong, the water was perfect, but the beach in itself was quite dirty for the island standard.  A bit further north there is Afales , a nice and not crowded place, but when we got there were quite a lot of seaweeds (although they don't appear on the picture). Also getting there could be quite difficult if you don't know the place. There is ...

Here we are, back on Ithaca.... First of all let me give you a tip on this post: this is no country for sand lovers. If you are looking for undulated sandy beaches you should stop reading this and start looking for another destination. Here you won't find anything else (!!) than gorgeous, secluded pebbly coves. In a week strolling around the island we made a point of checking all the beaches and finding our favourite, and this chart is the result of our tireless researches! When we finally arrived after a day of traveling we were so exhausted that we went straight for a bath in the beach just below the apartments where we were staying, to discover later that was one of the most important beaches of the island, Dexa . Only a thin stretch of pebbles overlooking a bay with olive trees behind you  and a little islet in front of you. Quiet and relaxing atmosphere (so much that we had a nice nap!). This was the view from our studio: On the second day we were suddenly starting...

Our favourite mean of transport when traveling is always car. And the reason is that it makes us independent: we are free to stop whenever and wherever we want and we can create our route unrestrictedly, that is always the best part of a trip preparation.  Last but not least, it gives us full responsibility of our destiny, which we find much better than putting our lives in a crazy bus driver's hands! We have been driving anywhere we have been and it has always been quite an experience. Sometimes a dangerous experience but, for us, it works perfectly. The most amusing side of it, is what you can see around you and all the weird things that you can capture... We had the chance to encounter a few characters on our trips, such as the street food stall on the motorbike and the salad transporter of Indonesia.... ....or the 2 men trying to saw the road (don't ask why?!) But there is more to that....a few political creative drawings and boards.... ...