Starbucks digs its claws into Italy, and why that saddens me.
With its massive global expansion, Starbucks has always left Italy alone. After all, how do you open a store in the country you copied your model from?
Italian Coffee – What and How to Order
Italian Coffee Protocol There are many things that Italians hold dear, coffee being one of the big ones. But there are unspoken rules about how to order Italian coffee, and if you do it wrong, every Italian will judge you, even...
Vacationing in Italy 101
When you do what we do, everyone you know and their mothers ask you to help them with their trip to Italy. This is great, I love Italy and I want everyone to experience the real Italy, so I try my best to help my...
25 Tips For Traveling In Italy
With all the experience the CDV staff has collected from living and working in Italy, we thought it would be nice to share some of the things we have learned that make visiting Italy, that much easier on you. Most of these...
Italy: Where Even The Graffiti Is Romantic
If you’ve been to Italy, you may or may not have realized the very real graffiti problem. Such a beautiful country, with historic and significant buildings, covered in graffiti. It drives me insane, you can find some form...
The Best Tuscan Bean Recipe Ever
On Thursdays in Soriano we go to a winery and olive mill and learn how their exceptional extra virgin olive oil is made. After a tour of their olive mill, Serena (the owner) treats us to some home made food out on the terrace,...
Dark Chocolate Gelato with Peperoncino and Cinnamon
It’s the middle of August, its hot, the AC is working overtime, you’re daydreaming of gelato, but alas, Italy is so far away! Here is a simple recipe for some gelato that will satisfy your sweet tooth, as well as your...
The Best Time To Buy Airline Tickets
We have all faced this struggle of looking for a flight, finding the perfect one at the perfect price, just for the price to go up 5 minutes later… ARRRGH! Here are some of our favorite tips to try and beat the system and get the...
The 10 Best Beaches in Italy
Italy can get extremely hot during the summers, and this year is no exception! With two consecutive heat waves coming up from Africa, the heat is really getting intense. This last heat wave, named “Il Caronte” was named after a...
Italian Stereotypes – True or False
Every culture is associated with stereotypes, and while they can have some truth to them, many of them are exaggerated or generalized. This is being written by someone who is constantly stereotyped as a guido (thanks...