We had lots of ground to cover in a day – a visit to the nearby city of Ragusa – and then driving north-west to Caltagirone for an overnight stop. Like much of the region of south-east Sicily, Ragusa was reborn following the devastating earthquake of 1693. Many residents, sought to build their new homes […]
Remarkable Ragusa, Sicily Read More »
Driving from Syracuse to Modica was wonderfully scenic and we passed through the rolling, green, and rocky landscape of the Iblei Mountains. The drive took under 2 hours, We stopped to admire a ridiculously high bridge which turned out to be the 120 meters high. The Modica Viaduct built in 1968. When it first opened,
Modica, Sicily: Churches and Chocolate! Read More »
Our regular evening passagiatta led us along the banks of the lagoon in Venice to the Rialto Bridge, were we sat relaxing on the pavement – people watching and listening to street musicians with tourists and locals alike. Hunger pangs eventually forced us into the side streets in search of the ideal place to eat. We knew
When life gives you lemons – make limoncello!🍋🍋🍋 Read More »
There is nothing quite like cooking a delicious Italian meal. What is even better though, is cooking a delicious meal when you are actually in Italy and are able to use local produce.
Fragrant Salsiccia con zucchini e farfalle Read More »
It’s still a few hours from dinner, but the restaurants and bars on the sidewalks of Milan, are starting to fill up with all kinds of people. It’s time for aperitivo. This is not just for tourists. Local families, the cool set, business colleagues and couples; gather for a sundowner and a snack. But to
Learning the aperitivo lifestyle Read More »
When you only have a day or two to see a whole city, it’s hard to know where to begin. There are many good sites related to tourism that helped us. We like to do variety of different things, i.e., not just museums or art galleries. Here’s 10 cool things we squeezed into a very
Exploring Milan: 10 interesting things to do or see Read More »
We sip our coffees in Piazza Umberto like locals (well they’re Americano’s – so not quite like locals), and nibble our brioche al cioccolato’s as we discuss our plans for the day. We want to do justice to the area, but not too much that we rush through, ticking boxes. After all, Bra, where the
Langhe: Northern Italy’s Pantry Read More »
When I started packing for our trip to Italy and France, I googled the weather obsessively almost every day in the preceding week. It’s entirely impossible to imagine what the weather could be like a hemisphere away, when you are sleeping under a single sheet in a 30 degree Johannesburg, praying for rain.
What to pack for Milan in April Read More »
It’s early April and the sun is already deliciously warm but the gentle breeze (la breva) that blows across Lake Como from the snow capped peaks of Mt Grigio means I am grateful for a light jacket as soon as I step into the shade.
A jam packed day on Lake Como Read More »
The sun starts to sink, casting golden light on the River Arno. A few late canoeists cause a ripple as they streak beneath the Ponte Vecchio. A band begins setting up on the famous bridge, tuning their instruments and giving us a taste of what is to come. The locals wriggle into position on the pavements,
Florence, Italy: Journey into the Renaissance Read More »
All good things come to an end and we had to tear ourselves away from our friends Carol and Roy and the endless enigma of Rome. Our next adventure beckoned. Roy dropped us at the station in Rome to catch a train to Venice. The train route went through Florence and Bologna although we caught
Venice, the Floating City Read More »
We had an early start in the morning ahead of our 4-hour drive from Rome to Positano. Roy and Carol were taking us to see the Amalfi Coast, which is a 50-kilometer stretch of coastline along the southern edge of Italy’s Sorrentine Peninsula, in the Campania region. It’s a popular holiday destination dominated by sheer cliffs
Positano, Italy’s glorious Amalfi Coast🌞 Read More »
We flew to Rome on Air Emirates via Dubai and Milan. It was a tiring journey because the Dubai stop was at 3am and we hadn’t had much sleep. As a serial shopper I now know that shopping in the middle of the night is actually not that much fun and the effort was quickly
Les saveurs de la vie is a blog about lifestyle, travel, food, photography and other musings. We are Nikki and Geoff, married since 1995 and based in Johannesburg, South Africa 🇿🇦.