I’m driving down Via IV Giugno (June 4th Street) from Serravalle, where our apartment is, into Dogana. Four lanes of divided highway, it’s a curvy stretch of road. Drivers here take the curves fast and accelerate on the long straightaways. Everyone, it seems, is in a big hurry. What’s the speed limit? I don’t know.…More
Category Archives: travel
Hell Yes
If you’re interested in hell, look for it in a church in Italy. It stands to reason. The church’s goal, among other things, was to keep you out of hell. The process starts with scaring the pants off you. Up there on the walls of the cathedrals and duomos, in frames and frescoes, in statues,…More
Venice Backstreet Walk
I wake up early. I want to. The two nights we spent in Venice I forced myself to stay in bed until 5:00 a.m. Then I got dressed and went out walking the city. At that hour you share the streets with the sweepers. Otherwise you don’t see anyone. It’s dark. The city is an…More
About Fano
At one time it was a mild curse (and may still be), a joke expressing the rivalry between two towns. When a person from Pesaro would say, Va a Fano! it was sort of like saying go to hell. If Fano is hell, you won’t mind ending up there. A few miles down SS16 (aka…More
From SP258, Torriana and Montebello
Slow travel on the backroads means you’ll have time to feel a vibe, coming from the hills and vineyards and olive groves, from the castles and churches, from the countryside.. This route takes you to Torriana and Montebello. But before that, if you’re up for a short hike to the top of a hill, set…More
Bologna Inroads
The first time I tried driving into Bologna from the airport, I made the obvious decision: Look for the bullseye sign that says CENTRO. Usually if you go in that direction you’ll come to the old city. First sign I saw I went for it, and drove around in circles for half an hour or…More
From SP258, Santarcangelo di Romagna
Set your navigator for Parcheggio Piazza Ludovico Marini, Santarcangelo di Romagna. From SP258, aka the Marecchiese, you drive mostly north on SP49, crossing the Marecchia River on your way to Santarcangelo di Romagna. The riverbed is wide, while the river, especially in the dry season, seems little more than a trickle. Ahead and to the…More
Pastry Me
Tizi and I are sitting in Cesari in Rimini on a Sunday afternoon. In front of us, on a little white plate, are six pastries, three for her, three for me. These are bigne, cream puffs you can eat in two bites, one of them filled with coffee-flavored crema, one with chocolate-flavored crema, one with…More
You Are Now Entering the Marche
As an advocate of slow travel, I don’t wish the Italian autostrada on anyone. If you drive it, and if you are American, beware the left lane. Cars typically fly past you at 80-100 mph in the left lane. If you’re lollygagging along on that side of the road, the way we do in the…More
Head for the Hills
SP44 takes you through the hills of San Bartolo, along the sea in the Marche, northwest of Pesaro. The natural beauty above the Adriatic is breath-taking, and up there you will find da Gennaro, a seafood restaurant you’ll be talking about for a while. In contrast, SP258 is a valley road, running northeast to southwest,…More