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The Culinary Tour Journal
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Michael Kovnick
Author @TravelCDV

Michael Kovnick


Co-Founder of Culture Discovery Vacations. I am a native American from Los Angeles that has been living with one foot in Italy and the other in the US for more than 30 years. I usually write about oddities I see in Italian culture from an American perspective, and the humor I find in it. However, after decades of living in both countries, I often see the reverse as well. That is, where the Italians got it right, and we can certainy learn from them!

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Culture
Culture

Finding Italy through London Fog this XMas


On Tuesday, December 19th at around 4:30 PM we sat at the departure gate in Los Angeles waiting to board our flight.  It had already been a very long day for us, and we were looking forward to a 10 hour flight to London with...

  • Michael Kovnick
  • December 28, 2006
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Culture
Culture

How do they get the flavor out of the food in the states?


I’ve been back in Los Angeles for a week now, and last night we went to an Italian restaurant for dinner for the first time since I got back.  This may not seem like a big deal, but for us, it is always a tragedy. The...

  • Michael Kovnick
  • November 5, 2006
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Culture
Culture

Cattle Call in Rome versus an Italian country sunrise


I’ve been here for 5 days now and have had no time to write as I have been so busy working on our apartments.  However, yesterday I took my cousin to see Rome.  After all, she has never been to Italy and it is less than...

  • Michael Kovnick
  • October 20, 2006
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Culture
Culture

One too many Margaritas for Uncle Ben


As you travel the world, you continuously run across things you never thought you might.  Some are big, some are minor. All Uncle Ben is good for in the states is rice, but it seems he has been secretly spending some time...

  • Michael Kovnick
  • October 6, 2006
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Culture
Culture

Having a craving for Grilled Flesh


Grilled Flesh… YUM! When I lived here in Soriano, I was, quite simply, ‘The American”. In fact, the immigrant population of the area consisted of me, two Brits and a Brazilian. Outside of that, nobody spoke a...

  • Michael Kovnick
  • October 3, 2006
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Culture
Culture

Discovering the True Italian life when vacationing in Italy


Some people travel to Italy, see the sights, eat the food, and go home thinking they experienced Italian culture.  In reality, the vast majority of these people only experienced a tiny fraction of the amazing culture that...

  • Michael Kovnick
  • October 3, 2006
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Culture
Culture

How to avoid getting ripped off as a tourist in Italy


When you are traveling, sometimes you can just feel it. You go to pay for something, and you just know that if you were a local, you would have paid a much lower price. You are an ‘unsuspecting tourist’, and they will take you...

  • Michael Kovnick
  • October 2, 2006
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Culture
Culture

Baseball, Italian Style


On my last trip to Italy, I was hoping to attend an Italian NFL football game. Actually, it was the ‘Silverbowl’. Unfortunately, Paola wasn’t feeling well, so we ended up skipping it. Still, while browsing one...

  • Michael Kovnick
  • September 29, 2006
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Culture Discovery Vacations
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