Experience Italy With Friends

Spring has sprung here in Italy, so today's episode is all about La Primavera! We’ll discuss what Italy has to offer visitors during these spring months including: The weather and typical spring foods, Important holidays and key events, and Cultural traditions It’s a fun and energizing season and we can’t wait to talk about it! Resources: Get Inspired – When to Travel | Discover our Trip Planning...

Today's episode showcases the beautiful coast of the Italian Riviera along the Ligurian Sea. This coastal area has been one of our favorites in all of Italy since 1997 as it has charming, colorful fishing villages, beautiful beaches with clear-blue water as well as mountain cliffs and parks. It’s the perfect destination for relaxation and sea life, as well as sport and adventure, We weren’t sure h...

Today we explore the most eaten Italian food in the world – Pizza! Everyone loves pizza – “that’s amore!” There is so much to learn about pizza, and we talk about: The history and the birthplace of pizza, Pizza toppings and pizza dough, The various styles of Italian pizzas, Italy’s pizza culture, and How it compares to the pizza found in the United States. Resources: Discover our Trip Planning Ser...

Today's episode is inspired by the fact that we now live in the heart of wine country. Wine is the foundation and essence of Montepulciano and, quite honestly, it is an integral part of the Italian lifestyle across the country. After all, it’s produced in all 20 regions. Today’s episode is special in that we have our first guest speaker, Alfonso Aiello – an expert and distributor of Italian wines....

If you’ve been following our story, you’re aware that we’ve been on a journey since last September to find a place to call home and begin our new life here in Italy. This first episode of 2025 is dedicated to our third and final trial location in Tuscany – the beautiful hilltop medieval village of Castiglion Fiorentino. This area of Tuscany was relatively new for us, and it was fun to spend a mont...

Our final episode of the year showcases the southeast corner of the region of Tuscany known as the Val d’Orcia. The countryside area is quintessential Tuscany as it is made up of charming medieval hill towns and rolling hills dotted with cypress trees, farmhouses, vineyards and olive groves.  It’s magical! We’ve been in love with this area of Tuscany for over 25 years, so it was clear to us that w...

Before we head into the holiday season, we thought this week’s episode would be a great time to talk about planning your 2025 dream trip to Italy.  Make use of that quality time with family and friends to talk all about it! You may also have heard that the Vatican is hosting a little event called the Jubilee in 2025, so we’ll first discuss how that may impact your plans. And assuming you decide th...

This week's episode is inspired by the fact that since we’ve moved to Italy, we’ve been doing a lot of travel all over the country – a true planes, trains, and automobiles life! We answer the most frequently asked questions about how to most efficiently and economically get around the country – both within cities and between cities. It’s an episode packed with useful information and everything you...

This week's episode showcases the charming Tuscan city of Pistoia. It's an historical city in the northwestern part of the region that we discovered almost exactly a year ago when we began our search for potential cities to live.  It was love at first sight and it quickly made our short list! We've now lived in Pistoia for a month and can't wait to tell you all about our experience.  We'll discuss...

This week's episode is dedicated to answering the most frequently asked questions I receive from my clients as their travel advisor. We’ll discuss the key topics and tips needed to help prepare you for your trip as well as keep you comfortable during your travels. This includes: Booking flights, passports and visa information Travel insurance and cell phone readiness Cash and credit card advice Pa...

Since we've spent the first two weeks of our new life in Italy in Calabria, this episode is dedicated to this beautiful region in the south of Italy. We discuss our personal connection to the region, provide a brief history of Calabria, and showcase what Calabria has to offer from a tourist point of view. Resources: Get Inspired | Discover our Trip Planning Services | Follow: Instagram • Facebook...

Today's episode is for those considering a move to Italy or those just interested or curious to hear about our journey to achieve "La Dolce Vita".   We talk about: why we decided to move to Italy the process we went through to evaluate the requirements and prepare for the move, and our first week living here in Calabria. It’s been a long and crazy journey, and we’re excited to share it with you! R...

Today's episode is about our favorite topic and a key reason we're moving to Italy -the food! And more specifically, eating in Italy.   Food and sharing meals and food with family and friends is the foundation of Italian culture - it's truly their love language.   To help prepare you for an amazing food experience in Italy, we'll discuss: • Italian meals and mealtimes • choosing restaurants, as we...

Ciao to all of our new amici (friends)! Welcome to our very first podcast episode of Experience Italy with Friends - a travel and lifestyle podcast where we will explore our favorite destinations and hidden gems, share key travel tips and cultural insights, and provide real-time updates about our new life in this remarkable country. In this episode, we are excited to share with you our story - how...

Today we're excited to talk about starting to plan a trip to Italy and answer some key questions: • when to go • where to go • how much time to spend there While there is never a bad time to go and every region in Italy is wonderful, we'll share with you our insights and personal favorites. Resources: Get Inspired | Discover our Trip Planning Services | Follow: Instagram • Facebook Join our FB Gro...

Discover this brand new podcast for your next travel to Italy, hosted by Italy travel expert, Tanya Raso, and her producer and Italian husband, Davide Raso.  Experience Italy with Friends is a travel and lifestyle podcast where we will explore our favorite destinations and hidden gems, share key travel tips and cultural insights, and provide real-time updates about our new life in this remarkable...