Last year, I had the somewhat unique opportunity to join two very different Mediterranean cruises; one with Azamara Club Cruises and the other with Viking Ocean. Both started in Barcelona and ended in Rome, but many of the ports of call and certainly the experiences were very different from one another. One of the commonalities though was spending time at the Tuscan cruise port in Livorno. It’s from this base where cruises launch excursions to visit the broader Tuscany region but especially Florence and Pisa. On both cruises I spent time in Pisa, although on different excursion styles and so, oddly enough, I have spent nearly a full day exploring…

There are few places in the word as famous for its food than Italy. There’s just something special about traditional Italian cuisine that sets it apart from most of its neighbors. I’ve never seen a Swiss restaurant near where I live, but there are plenty of Italian bistros and there’s a reason for that. Italian food speaks to our souls in a way few other cuisines manage, so whenever I visit Italy food is of course an important part of the experience. I’ve enjoyed many great meals and food experiences in Italy, but here are some of my favorites, many of which go beyond simple pleasure and helped me better…

Food has become an increasingly important aspect of the travel experience for me, as I think it has for most people. Not only is the modern traveler more educated when it comes to all things delicious, but even the smallest of cities around the world are undergoing what I call a foodie renaissance spurred on by young and energetic chefs. The result is a travel landscape where food and drink play a starring role, so it’s weird that I haven’t written about food lately as much as I normally do. Purely the result of forgetfulness and not from a lack of experiences, today I want to quickly look back at…

I like quirky places, destinations that are a little different or unusual and, in most cases, the world’s smallest countries all fall neatly into this category. Usually formed due to a complex and politically unusual history, these microstates have embraced their stature, showing a fierce pride in what is ultimately a very small piece of real estate. I’ve had the great pleasure to visit many small countries around the world, including these personal favorites. Malta The quirky island nation of Malta in the Mediterranean has a long and important history, but it’s one not many people actually know a lot about. Long considered by Europeans as a sunny getaway, others…

There are certain places around the world that seem to be on every Must-Visit list, featured on TV shows and in movies and attract an unlikely high number of travel writers and bloggers. I’ve never really figured out the reason, but they exist and Lucca is one of those rarefied cities. Locate in Italy’s romantic Tuscany region, I remember first hearing about Lucca while watching an episode of “House Hunters International.” Ever since then, and after thousands of times reading about it, I’ve wanted to visit, to see if it really is as special as the world seems to think. I recently had that opportunity, while visiting Tuscany as part…