Los Angeles based travel writer, specializing in Italian travel
Author of 4 books about Italian travel, including "100 Places in Italy Every Woman Should Go"
25 years of professional experience writing for TV sitcoms, books, newspapers, magazines, online, and promotional materials
Website: www.susanvanallen.com
Contact: [email protected]
How fabulous to learn the history of Baccala alla Vicentina...
National Geographic Travel
Ancient Roman elites marveled at an astronomical alignment from this cavern on Italy's coast. Now you can too.
When visitors look up at the ceiling of the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua, Italy, they often suddenly fall silent. Painted above are the golden stars and the enchanting blue skies of a heaven envisioned by the Renaissance artist Giotto di Bondone.
When you get off the Circumvesuviana train one stop before Pompeii, at the city of Torre Annunziata, you will not be impressed. The map says you're in a UNESCO World Heritage site in southern Italy, bundled with nearby Pompeii and Herculaneum, all buried in the A.D. 79 eruption of the Vesuvius volcano.
A story to give travelers a taste of Italy's region of Umbria, focusing on its natural beauty, spiritual history, and tradition of artisans.
BBC Travel
It's sunset in Rome, outside the city walls. Golden light filters through umbrella pines and casts its glow on a straight stretch of smooth basalt stones that changed the course of history. This is the Appian Way, the first road built in Rome, where more than 2,000 years ago soldiers set out to conquer distant lands and returned in triumph.
In every Italian city, the day's rhythm begins at the cafe. But in Trieste, a city on Italy's north-east coast, that rhythm comes with a twist. Wander into any cafe here and, in addition to the familiar clinks of cups and hissing of steaming milk, you'll hear people ordering " capo in b": a mini cappuccino served in a glass that's a favourite of Triestini.
Virtuoso Travel
A slow-travel renaissance may be the key to a new way of exploring this favorite European country.
By Susan Van Allen Photography by Susan Wright "Take a day trip on the Lago Maggiore Express. The journey starts with a train to Domodossola along the lake's border, then follows the Centovalli Railway through mountains and forests to Locarno, Switzerland. You return to Stresa by ferry."
By Susan Van Allen Photography by Susan Wright Tourism is up in Vatican City as visitors revel in the popular pontiff's folksy spirit. At holiday time, Saint Peter's Square glows with an enormous Christmas tree and life-size nativity scene, and the Basilica's Christmas Eve mass is projected on outdoor Jumbotron screens.
Spa Story, about the pleasures of the island of Ischia's thermal waters.
Westways
And More...
The Italian island of Ischia, one of the settings in Elena Ferrante's Neopolitan Novels, has a literary history. According to ancient Greek legend, the island of Ischia in Italy's Bay of Naples was created when Zeus and the Titan monster Tifeo clashed.
A former Ferrara prison becomes Italy's Museum of Italian Judaism and the Holocaust
Photo: Expo 2015 gate in Milan's Piazza Castello with Sforza Castle in the background © Ixuskmitl | Dreamstime.com Milan still basks in the glow from Expo 2015, the blockbuster international exhibition focusing on food sustainability that featured spectacular exhibits from 140 countries and attracted 21.5 million visitors.
Round-Up of 10 highlights of the Friuli Venezia Giulia region
Following the pandemic pause, we're having a travel renaissance - and my suitcase has been getting a workout. Yes, there are always excuses to stay home, especially as we get older. The long list may include money worries, health concerns or simply the comfort of couch, cat and Netflix.
How my dead mother comes to me in everyday life and in my dreams. She passed away but never went away completely.
Susan Van Allen Interview and Chapter Excerpt from Hungry for Italy
A love affair with this gateway to the Amalfi Coast
December 13 - Feast of Saint Lucy Celebrate the Saint of Light and Sight, Italian Style Today is Saint Lucy's Feast Day, where Hope comes to dark winter days The festa also brings me back to Siracusa, Sicily, and the island of Ortygia, where she is honored, along with other amazing females...
Bologna's Three T's Discovering Pleasures of this City of Towers, Tortellini, and Tette
A Golden Day at 300 Gradini Beach, Gaeta Where HBO's "My Brilliant Friend" was filmed... 300 Gradini, means 300 steps, which is how you get from the road, Via Flacca, to this dreamy stretch of beach clubs. It's part of a beautiful coastline south of Rome, named The Riviera of Ulisse, as it is said that Circe lured Ulysses and his crew here...
Ambassador Magazine
Beyond Pisa's famous Leaning Tower, travelers can discover an enchanting town
Saffron is the crown jewel of the culinary treasures of Abruzzo
The region of Abruzzo upholds its age old traditions with colorful traditions
Italy's region of Abruzzo has hiking paths long loved by spiritual seekers
Italy's region of Molise became a living laboratory to study the benefits of the Mediterranean Diet
For Italian Americans, th Great Pause became a time of Personal Discovery
Doctor Anthony Fauci is part of a great tradition of Italian and Italian American medical researchers.
Italian-American Giancarlo Ianotta's film "My Country" celebrates his roots in Italy's region of Molise
Travelers join in to restore centuries-old frescos in Puglia's caves
Profiles of Frontline Workers -- Heroes of the Pandemic
Review of Frances Mayes' "Women in Sunlight"
A quest to Sicily's Baroque town of Noto, to learn the secrets of the island's most famous dolce: Cassata Siciliana, from an internationally acclaimed pastry chef, Corrado Assenza
Termoli, a treasure-of-a-seaside destination in the region of Molise...
Italian-Americans discover wonders when they return to their roots in Molise, an undertouristed region of Italy
Discover Puglia's centuries' old farm estates, transformed to welcome travelers
Italy Magazine
These 5 Italian gardens are inspired by women in various ways
Artisans traditions are upheld in Florence by these wonderful women who you can visit in their workshops
Meet artisans who carry on centuries-old traditions in Venice
Celebrating May, the Month of Mary, with Visits to Five Santa Maria Churches in Rome
One of my favorite June in Italy times was a Golden Days in Sperlonga, a beach town in Lazio, easily reached from Rome. My dear Roman friend Gioia, first told me about Sperlonga: "It's where we all had our first boyfriends," she said, with a dreamy look in her eyes...With Gioia as my cicerone=guide, I landed in all the right places...
So much of the fun of Italian travel is Anticipation... In a few days I'll discover someplace in Italy I've never been before...the Franciacorta wine region, north of Milan. Just a few weeks ago, back in Los Angeles, I was dreaming about it with my friend Pam, and wrote this: The cork pops, my heart leaps.
Dreaming of the Island of Ponza AKA The Roman Capri... These beautiful almost summer days have me dreaming back to days on the island of Ponza, aka The Roman Capri...The 7km squiggle off the coast of Lazio may look minor on the map,... but Ponza has long been a major summertime paradise for pleasure-seeking Romans.
Susan Van ALLEN in Rome iTunes | Stitcher | Spotify | iHeartRadio Susan Van Allen is a living anthology of Italy. She's the mind behind 100 Places in Italy Every Woman Should Go. Her passion for Italy comes from a New Jersey childhood growing up Italian-American, which she's shared in numerous plays and tv shows including Everyone Loves Raymond.
Travel Essays
The Legend of La Befana Sweep Away the Old Year, Italian Style According to Italian tradition, La Befana flies through the night sky on January 5 to sweep away all the troubles of the old year, and clear the way for a fresh start, the Epiphany on January 6.
After rhapsodic praise about a glamorous Capri beach club from her 80-something uncle in America, a writer puts her snobby sense on a shelf to see how the club who hosted singers and movie stars is faring in modern times.
My father never talked about his time in the Navy during World War II. We did see pictures of him in uniform, knew he was a radio operator, and thought it was cool that he used Morse Code. There was...
Covid-19 Cleaning Reveals a New Family History In the springtime of uncertainty, there was certainly time to clean out closets. Strangely, burrowing in dark corners brought comfort. Outside were so many questions: When will it end? Will my loved ones suffer and die? Will I get it?
Essay by Susan Van Allen I'm standing on a balcony overlooking the port of Forio, on the island of Ischia, floating in the Mediterranean, off the coast of Naples. Sounds fancy, but it's far from it. The port is fronted by a parking lot of taxis and Vespas, smooching teenagers, signoras strolling by with bags of ...
Personal Essay about my stay at a convent in Rome
In the Italian village of Gubbio, a visitor follows a stranger into the dark forest seeking truffle treasure.
Italian Food
In Palermo, a cooking class with Chef Gaga starts at the folksy Capo Market and continues on to an elegant palazzo
For an authentic, immersive experience of Capri, a local couple offers delicious tastings and cooking classes
In the hills above Lake Maggiore, Chef Francesca Settimi teaches delightful cooking classes
Bologna: Discovering the Secrets of Real Ragu It smells good in here: high note of nose-tingling parmigiano, base of salty cured salumi, and centering it all is rich meaty ragu, the sauce this city of Bologna is famous for.
Ancient Roman recipes are being revived on Rome's beautiful Appian Way
Outside Milan, travelers can discover the lovely and delicious Franciacorta sparkling wine region.
Italy's beautiful Port City of Trieste Offers a Delicious Mix of Flavors
Chef Gino Angelini, who grew up near the seaside town of Rimini, shares memories and his grandmother's lasagna recipe, that is the signature dish of his popular Los Angeles Osteria Angelini.
Artichoke season in Rome inspires delicious dishes
Experiencing the tastes of Venice, From the Rialto Market to an Elegant Palazzo
A delicious time at Mamma Agata's Cooking School in Ravello
Visiting Sirmione in Lake Garda is like stepping into a fairytale land...
Arthur Avenue Food Tours gives travelers an insider's experience of New York's Real Little Italy
Roman native Elisabetta Ciardullo shares her culinary memories
Enjoying a farm-to-table experience at a Tuscan family run agriturismo
Atlas Obscura
Fascinating story of all that goes into making Traditional Balsamic Vinegar and its history
From the region of Calabria, in the toe of Italy's boot, comes the fiery condiment known as 'nduja (pronounced en-DOO-yah). It's a spreadable cured meat, made of ground pork and pork fat, mixed with hot and sweet pepperoncini, the curvy, glossy red peppers that serve as a symbol of Calabria.
Alkermes is a syrupy, spicy liqueur whose bright red color originally came from an unusual source: the scales of the kermes insect. In modern times, the bugs have largely been replaced with synthetic dyes (a few insect-tinted varieties remain), but the striking spirit remains a colorful and flavorful addition to Italian desserts.
In 1868, Trappist monks moved into Rome's abandoned Tre Fontane Abbey and planted 125,000 eucalyptus trees to revive the swampy, malaria-infested property. The trees thrived, the disease disappeared, and a distillery was created to make a liqueur known as Eucalittino. One hundred and fifty years later, the tradition of making this dark, aromatic drink continues.
Sicily's most elegant dolce is cassata Siciliana. The Baroque-style treat begins with a liqueur-soaked sponge cake, then layers on sweetened ricotta, pistachio-tinted marzipan, white glaze, and colorful candied fruit. The sweet is traditionally served at Easter, to celebrate the breaking of the Lenten fast.
Mortadella Bologna IGP bears little resemblance to the rubbery slices of baloney that American schoolchildren pack in their lunches. The original bologna is a pink, watermelon-shaped sausage, composed of finely ground pork, chunks of fat, and an array of spices.
Before Mount Vesuvius destroyed Pompeii in 79 AD, its volcanic vineyards produced unique wines that the ancient Romans enjoyed at lavish banquets. Modern drinkers can savor the same flavors with the historic wine known as Lacryma Christi. Although its name translates to "tears of Christ," the wine's origins go back further than the time of Jesus.
Amaro di Sant'Antimo is a bitter liqueur created by monks in the Tuscan town of Montalcino. The liqueur's key ingredient is the Carlina acaulis plant, a thistle-producing flower with a golden center and silvery-white petals. The plant gives an earthy, artichoke-like taste to this digestivo, which is perfect to sip after a heavy Italian meal.
BLOG POSTS
By: Susan Van Allen Extraordinary destinations for travelers are added every year to UNESCO's World Heritage List. In 2021, three of the new sites selected were in Italy, bringing Italy's World Heritage Site total to 58-the most of any country in the world.
Best-selling author of "100 Places in Italy Every Woman Should Go" Susan Van Allen tells us how, over her years of traveling in Itay, there have been many surprises such as how At Home She Feels in an Italian Spa.
I n this guest blog, Susan Van Allen, author of the bestselling 100 Places in Italy Every Woman Should Go, introduces five of her Florentine favorites: 1.
HOTEL REVIEWS
Hotel Review A murano glass chandelier hangs from the ornate domed ceiling. Marble columns surround the sitting area of rich red and gold Empire style furniture. Thanks to a recent restoration, the room looks exactly as it did in 1894.
Come to the Villa San Michele in Fiesole Italy and enjoy the views of the olive and cypress trees.