by Mara Solomon | May 18, 2017 | Travel Advice
It’s question season here at Homebase Abroad. “Can we still find a house for this summer?” (Yes, except on the Amalfi Coast) “How do we get to Florence?” (We recommend by private car or train as parking a rental car is challenging), “How do we get on the water along...
by Mara Solomon | Jun 19, 2015 | Seasons In Italy, Wine
Take Brunello, undisputedly one of the most important wines of the world, and add an infectious passion for winemaking. These were the two ingredients inspiring Roberto to take over a wine estate in Montalcino and turn a good wine into a great one. He brought...
by Mara Solomon | Jun 19, 2015 | Shopping
Over the course of a morning with Cristina, the current artistic head of Positano’s last remaining fashion producers; you will come to experience the passions and artistry that has driven this three-generation enterprise for more than 50 years. You will be treated to...
by Mara Solomon | Jun 19, 2015 | Food, Wine
Getting close to the land is part and parcel of any introduction to the distinctive country ways of these mountains. At Homebase Abroad’s Villa San Lorenzo, this experience is magnified by the hospitality of your hosts– Stefano and Georgia. With them, you...
by Mara Solomon | Jun 19, 2015 | Cities & Towns, Food, Seasons In Italy
In our world, truffles are worth getting up early especially when you are walking with a local Italian and trained dogs in the damp early morning of Fall. Weather permitting, of course. This experience is set in the hills above Spoleto on a family-run organic farm. In...
by Mara Solomon | Jun 19, 2015 | Cities & Towns, Seasons In Italy
If you missed the amazing display of camellias, azaleas and rhododendrons that blaze in the gardens of Lake Como during March and April (reason enough to come ahead of the crowds), come walk through a daydream of beauty in the Fall when you can enjoy the careful...
by Mara Solomon | Apr 25, 2015 | Helpful Hints, Italy Vacation Activities, Travel Advice
1. Let the Days Evolve. Have no more than one concept or destination per day. Reward lingering with ample time to enjoy a meal while watching the street scenes, watch an artisan work or contemplate a fresco in the cool serene of a neighborhood church. 2. Sera or...
by Mara Solomon | Apr 6, 2015 | Food
When Jeff, our Italian personal chef, invites you for tea and cake at four you may arrive to find he has set out two fresh cakes and a big American-style mug of good coffee instead. ‘Non ce male’ as we say in Italian. Jeff is a favorite of ours, one of the...
by Mara Solomon | Oct 17, 2014 | Activities, Helpful Hints, Italy Vacation Activities, Travel Advice
1. Manage everyone’s expectations Travel might be the ultimate test of relationships (besides politics according to my mother). We all do it differently and spend time and money according to our own priorities. Manage everyone’s expectations for time together and...
by Mara Solomon | Oct 1, 2014 | Cities & Towns, Italy Travel Advice, Italy Vacation Activities
For anyone thinking a holiday on Lake Como is only for sitting on the terrace sipping aperitivos enjoy a blazing sunset view, we suggest you consider the following activities: –Wake-boarding just off your villa’s dock followed by a trip up the funicular at...
by Mara Solomon | Jul 17, 2014 | Cities & Towns
A Homebase Abroad family staying at the Villa San Giacomo in Positano recently requested a private tour of Pompeii. Unfortunately, the weather this summer has been particularly wild in Italy with strong thunder, brilliant lighting and torrents of rain. This generally...
by Mara Solomon | Apr 15, 2014 | Food
What? A bad meal in Italy? Well, maybe impossible relative to a school cafeteria, but there is good, better, best when it comes to restaurants in Italy. When I am hungry and in a new place in Italy. I use these guidelines to find a new restaurant that most often...
