If you've never joined one of our annual Palio tours in Siena in August, your ideas about this horse race might be a little sketchy. As the race has been cancelled for the last two years due to Covid restrictions, 2022 promises to be more exciting than ever...
This amazing cheese comes from a small alpine area in the northern part of Lombardy, known as the Valtellina valley, close to the border with Switzerland, and its name is Bitto Storico. It is only made in the summer months between June and September when the...
The art of truffle hunting and extraction in Italy has been recently added to UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list, which aims to celebrate and preserve important cultural practices. The tartufai - truffle hunters as they are known in Italian - first...
Jackie has recently been interviewed for the US Podcast "Calm the Chaos", which is hosted by professional Life Coach Deborah Voll. Deborah's podcasts aim to inspire and motivate women in mid-life to find new purpose and passions in their lives and go for their big...
Our Austria and the Dolomites tour explores the delightful Tyrol landscape of both Austria and Italy, and we cross the border between the two on foot. The historical Tyrol region today encompasses the far western side of Austria and the northern...
Jackie's latest Blog for the Sixty & Me US website takes a look at the region of Friuli in North East Italy and uncovers details of our tour from Slovenia's capital Ljubljana to Venice. This is an area of Italy which is less well-known than...
Founded in 2007, Eataly was born from Oscar Farinetti’s idea to gather high-quality food at sustainable and reasonable prices for all, celebrate Italian biodiversity, and create an informal, natural and simple place to eat, shop and learn about...
Bright is one of the most charming country towns in Victoria's High Country and is the gateway to the snow villages up at Falls Creek, Hotham and Dinner Plain. It sits on the banks of the beautiful Ovens River and has a rich gold-rush history....
National Parks are a natural home for us here at Hedonistic Hiking. We are drawn to the unspoilt wild landscapes, the fascinating flora and fauna and the interesting history of these protected areas. Here we take a look at three of our favourites. Parco...
Anyone who has hiked with us before, in Europe or Australia, will know how interested we are in wine. Of course our meals on tour are always matched with wines showcasing a great selection of regional grape varieties but occasionally our routes enable us to...
Anne Heuperman has been teaching Pilates to Jackie in Bright for many years and Jackie swears by the exercises for maintaining core strength and flexible movement. Starting to think about getting fit again for hiking, we asked Anne for help in preparing a range of...
The Verdi Festival - Parma Each year in October the small city of Parma marks the anniversary of the birth of one of it's most famous sons, composer Giuseppe Verdi. A series of performances of selections of his work are organised at the town's Teatro Regio, and...
Autumn is a great time to visit Italy, not only for its colourful landscapes and cooler temperatures, but because this is a season full of Sagre. A Sagra is a local festival, the origin of the word coming from the Latin word sacrare, (to consecrate), because in...
It is coming up for two years since we were last in Italy and our cravings for the flavours of La Bella Italia are getting stronger. Living in Italy as we normally do for much of each year we take for granted how easily available delicious food is at any time, from...
Most people of course associate the Italian kitchen with pasta but what you learn as you travel around Italy is that each region has a very different approach to pasta, making the most of traditionally available ingredients and keeping to time-honoured recipes handed...
Even if you know very little of ancient Rome, Nero is probably one of the Emperors that you have heard something about. Described as a tyrannical monster by the historians who came after him, he stands accused of horrific murders, incest, setting fire to...
You may think that finding a tourist-free region of Italy is improbable, or even impossible. Think again. The Abruzzo, situated to the east of Rome, is one of the country’s true hidden gems. Gloriously green and bordered by the long sandy Adriatic coast, this is...
Last month saw the 200th anniversary of the death of Napoleon Bonaparte: Emperor of France, arguably one of the most able military leaders in history, and famous resident of the island of Elba which we visit on our Lucca, Volterra and Elba tour. Born...
The one thing you probably do know about Tuscany is that it’s one of the most visited regions in Italy, topped only by the Veneto, and also one of incredible beauty. Most visitors leave with memories of art-filled cities and medieval hilltop villages, and of...
Our new tours in the Grampians in central Victoria start and finish in the town of Ballarat, a destination well worth exploring for a day or two at the start or end of the trip. With its renowned wineries and exciting restaurant scene, Ballarat is now an established...