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Article, Culture, Itineraries, Nomads, Planning Judy Hoctor Article, Culture, Itineraries, Nomads, Planning Judy Hoctor

Top 6 cities to visit in Italy

Our first visit to Italy was for my birthday in 2017, the year I turned 52 years old. I had been fascinated by anything and everything Italian since I was a little girl, so finally getting to visit was a dream come true. Despite the very high expectations I had, Italy far exceeded them all and completely stole my heart. My heart soared seeing the

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Journal, Destinations Judy Hoctor Journal, Destinations Judy Hoctor

Roaming Rome: A Quick Day-Long Love Affair with History

Don’t think that it’s sufficient to see Rome in a day. You wouldn’t be bored if you spent a full two weeks or more biking through and examining all the gems hidden here. But when you only have a day, it can be fun to do a quick stop and wave to familiar sites and allow your heart to swoon for a few minutes before finding the next place that takes away your breath.…

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Journal, Accommodations Judy Hoctor Journal, Accommodations Judy Hoctor

Suite Surprises: A Roman Valentine's Day Getaway!

It’s Valentine’s Day and the homestretch before we leave for Egypt. We’re supposed to be in Assisi today, not Rome, but last week our travel doctor asked us to come back for our second cholera vaccination. Visiting a doctor is not the most romantic way to celebrate, but it’s fine because this day is not typically one that grabs much of our attention.

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Destinations, Journal, Accommodations Judy Hoctor Destinations, Journal, Accommodations Judy Hoctor

Frozen Surprises and Hot Water Woes: Lecce Adventures

We arrive at our next destination’s train station on Monday evening. Lecce greets us with cold temperatures, elegant Baroque architecture, and silence. Our original plan for the Christmas season was to visit this eastern city in Italy’s Puglia region and take in its famous paper mâché manger scenes, but we ran short of time. Since Greece is only a hop away, we …

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Destinations, Journal, Accommodations Judy Hoctor Destinations, Journal, Accommodations Judy Hoctor

Beware the Steps: A Lecce Airbnb Tale of Unexpected Climbs

Now that they are older and wiser, they take great care to not repeat their mistakes by packing much lighter and always reading the fine print. But the Airbnb in Lecce bewitches them with its alluring image of a balcony ripe for cozy mornings with cappuccino or sunset aperitivos. They are not prepared for the …

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Journal, Food Judy Hoctor Journal, Food Judy Hoctor

WhatsApp and cannoli

Our search for cannoli yesterday got sidetracked, so it was the first thing on my mind this morning. Kevin’s primary agenda was to find a good cup of cappuccino. I knew for both of us to be happy, I needed to find a place that sold both.

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Journal, Food Judy Hoctor Journal, Food Judy Hoctor

Now we’re pizza snobs

There’s an unwritten expectation throughout Italy that pizzas are “personal” size and each person gets their own. Even though they aren’t sized that way, we are game because it means we get to taste different varieties.…

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