All Categories - Wanderful Retreats

No-knead Pizza Dough

8/10/2020

Photo by The Stay at Home Chef

As this summer without Italy comes to an end and fades into fall, I find myself thinking about all the things I missed most about how my summers usually go.

Usually there's traveling around the US, and of course the summer retreats in Italy. These trips are filled with my favorite pastimes...sketching and eating. And damn, I've missed eating.

I've of course missed pasta, but that one dish I'm fairly good at replicating at home without feeling like I'm missing out on the real thing

But one thing I can never quite get right, or find an adequate substitute for is pizza. Even though the struggle is real to find the perfect crust (very thin, still slightly chewy and with crispy, burnt edges from the fire), it never hurts to spend some time trying to recreate the real thing. Especially while stuck in quarantine!

Apps to download before your trip to Italy (and they're free!)

7/5/2020

Back in 2009 when I first ventured to Italy, the only easy way to communicate with my family back home was via email. And that was dependent upon our already spotty wifi in our giant converted convent in Castiglion Fiorentino that was shared amongst 100+ college students.

I could of course call my family from my cell phone directly but that would result in a ridiculously expensive phone bill as soon as I got home. Skype was just becoming popular but that also had the added expense of buying a plug in camera for my laptop, and my family back home having a Skype account and a similar set up.

Meandering Italian streets was done by paper maps and lots of guesswork. To navigate the trains you had to read the paper schedules at the train stations to check what time you were expected to roll into your stop, and then be listening for the garbled loudspeaker on the train to announce that you were next.

Deciphering menus at restaurants was done by asking the friend in the group that knew the most Italian, or by quickly thumbing through our pocket Italian-English dictionaries under the table. Or just sticking to the words you knew...or thought you knew. I have seen many people order pizza with "peperone" only to have bell peppers on their pizza instead of pepperoni salami!

SO. MUCH. has changed in just 10 years that has transformed traveling in Italy from being a stressful (albeit exciting) adventure to one that's much easier to navigate (of course still with the Italian quirks). These are some of our go-to apps that we recommend all our guests download prior to their departure to the bel paese.

And even better, all of these are FREE to download!

My favorite sketching spots in Italy

6/7/2020

Sketching in Spello, from Sesto the Traveling Sketchbook

With over 10 years of traveling through Italy, I've collected quite a number of sketches and watercolors. To date, I have 8 filled sketchbooks, most of which I bound by hand with mixed paper inside so I can paint, journal, collage and draw all in one place (Psst! Each Wanderful Retreat guest gets their own blank sketchbook to document their adventures!).

These sketchbooks are some of my most treasured souvenirs and possessions. Totally on the list of things I'd grab if there was ever a fire. Within the sketchbooks though, I definitely have some favorite sketches. Moments that were too good not to document. Sketches that captured amazing places, meals or memories. And some spots that I just can't resist sketching again, again and again, even a decade later.

Affogato... a quick Italian dessert fix!

5/24/2020

Photo by Rustic Kitchen

As the summer draws closer and our departure day for Italia pushes further down the calendar year, we're looking for ways to still get a taste of "la dolce vita" while we're sitting in our apartment stateside.

One of the easiest desserts for both a taste of Italy and a quick sweet fix is an Affogato. The word affogato means "drowned" so think of it as gelato (or ice cream) drowned in the deliciousness of espresso! (Note the lack of an 'x' in espresso, per favore ;) ) And whatever toppings you want to toss on top.

This is an incredibly easy recipe...like, 2 ingredient easy and I-almost-feel embarrassed-typing-it-out easy. You can of course modify it to fit your tastes or customize it just for fun but it's a great one to have in your back pocket. While we think it's tasty just with gelato and espresso, it could be fun to make an "Affogato Building Station" for a summer bbq party!

Well...what now?

5/15/2020

Wanderful Retreats Florence Retreat Italy Art Cooking

I snapped this photo *EARLY* in the morning during the first year of retreats I hosted in Florence in 2016.

Ciao friends.

I've been struggling to find the words during these past 2 months of "shelter at home." I think I've gone through most of the phases of grief after the cancellation of our 2020 summer retreats. There have certainly been a lot of tears, a fair amount of expletives, a *few* glasses of wine and a lot of crushing emails to future attendees and our friends in Italy as we refunded guests and put reservations on hold until who knows when.

Back in February, things were a little shaky as to whether or not we'd be able to actually host our retreats this summer. I was still trying to put on a brave face and stay optimistic that this would all be resolved by June. But as the numbers got worse, both abroad and here in the states and as all our Italian friends had to go into a country wide lockdown across Italy, the writing was unfortunately on the walls.

And now we're 2 months into this global mess. So...now what?

What to pack for Italia?

3/2/2020

What's the hardest thing about traveling to Italy? What to pack!

Honestly, even more than the anxiety of buying my flight or fear of train strikes, my biggest stress every year is what do I bring. Weather wise, Tuscany is very similar to Southern California which I'm very familiar with. This means it can be both chilly at night and very warm during the days.

So how on earth do I pack for these two temperature extremes, multiple weeks at a time, the looming chance of a summer thunderstorm AND still try to keep it all to a carry-on?! Read on to see my tips and tricks and what I recommend for packing during a summer in Italy!

A Day in... Bologna

2/20/2020

Oh Bologna... even though its name is often confused with a interesting deli meat in America, you should never assume the food in Bologna will be anything but exquisite. And I don't use that word lightly.

The food in Bologna is incredible. All of my visits to this town have revolved around it. Yes, it's a town full of amazing buildings, canals, gorgeous libraries and churches, arched hallways of terrazo floors and history...but I will forever return to Bologna for the food. And luckily there's three meals in a day (plus snacks) to take advantage of all Bologna has to offer!

Bologna may seem off the beaten path but I promise it's not. Most people find themselves in this tasty town while traveling from Florence to Venice via train. It's also a great airport hub when flying around Europe. So, if you get the chance to add Bologna to your itinerary, I have two pieces of advice.
1 - Do it. And 2 - Bring your appetite.

How to save a little Euro!

2/11/2020

One of the hardest challenges about traveling to Italy is budgeting. How do you live "la dolce vita" to the fullest and still have euro for that second gelato of the day?

I’ve compiled some recommendations of ways you can save a little money during your trip to Italy that will hopefully give you some more room in your budget to play, eat and explore more.

Because when in Italia...we want our prosecco, and to drink it too! ;)

Fresh Focaccia

12/12/2019

There's few things I love more than freshly baked focaccia. When it's still warm from the oven and crispy and has enough oil that it starts dribbling down your face. I'm a focaccia fiend! One of the first friends I made in Italy with the local focaccia lady, Carmen. Those early conversation days over a slice of fresh focaccia will always be a sweet memory.

Luckily, this addictive bread is surprisingly easy to make. A little time consuming but if you have a lazy day at home to multitask and make some fresh focaccia, it's totally worth the effort. Since it has no preservatives, it can go stale in a few days. If you don't eat it all in time, use the leftover stale focaccia to make some EPIC Panzanella!

Photo by Julia Gartland, Food52

a decade of learning Italian

11/30/2019

My first day in Florence ever! 2009

One of my favorite things about returning to Italy every summer is being able to step off the plane, walk up to the first cafe counter I can find and order a cappuccino and a pastry (or a sandwich...or all three ;) in Italian. Sometimes I get over excited about being back and end up slurring my words together but either way I end up with a cappuccino in hand.

It sometimes takes them by surprise that a little curly blonde can order in Italian. But it wasn't always this way...