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Articles by Michael LaPointe
In the Footsteps of St. Francis and Ibsen on the dazzling Amalfi Coast
AMALFI-From Saint Francis to Scandinavian playwright Henrik Ibsen, the tourist-famed Amalfi Coast for centuries has attracted a constellation of spiritual and artistic pilgrims inspired by its stunning, cliff-dropping views of the Mediterranean. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is a perfect example of historic human adaptation blending with a dramatic and challenging environment. It is ideal for a weekend getaway at just over a three-hour drive from Rome.
Answering the call, the Samaritans save lives in Italy
ROME- I was struggling midway through a half-marathon the other day, when a young woman tapped me on the shoulder. “I have been trying to catch you. I wanted to say thanks. You guys really helped me out last Christmas when I called, I was really in a bad place.” I immediately remembered that I had promised a friend to wear a Samaritans shirt to raise awareness for the organization. I thanked her and told her that she had made my race.
Sauna rituals, luxury, and gastronomy in the Dolomites
MADONNA DI CAMPIGLIO- The ‘sauna master,’ Maria took me by surprise when she began my week-end in the Dolomites by fanning my face with hot steam in a scorching sauna with rousing ritual music playing in the background as perspiration poured off me. When you enter the five-star Cerana Relax Hotel, you are immediately surrounded by the larch pinewood interior of the spacious lobby. The faint scent of pine reminds you that you have arrived in the mountains.
Speed meets splendor, Capolavoro debuts luxury travel experience at Formula One
MONZA-The Automobile Club of Italy, (ACI) blue team introduced Capolavoro, a new high-end travel brand at the Friday Formula One practice at Monza, with previous track champion Damon Hill. Capolavoro was created specifically to develop this type of premium offering, combining motorsports, culture, the local territory and the Italian lifestyle for exclusive clients. Hill was excited to speak about the Capolavoro driving experience that he will be leading next year.
Brave Kharkiv Zoo stays open despite Russian missiles and drones
KHARKIV- With air raid sirens blaring, the city’s free zoo provided a peaceful escape on a sweltering August day. Sonia, who was calmly selling fridge magnets at the gift shop, was unphased by the alarms. Sonia said, “Nobody takes any notice of the air raid alerts.” Ukraine’s second-largest city is located just 20 kilometers from the front line and is attacked frequently. Drone alerts are constant and missiles take less than one minute to strike.
The Sirens of Eastern Crete
SITIA, Crete- We decided to miss our flight the next day over another Greek salad, fried anchovies, and fresh grilled sea bass overlooking another beautiful cove which created the perfect Greek island tranquillity. The previous day, Rania was offended at our plans to stay in town for our last day and said, “It would be a shame if you came all this far east and didn’t see the beaches of eastern Crete.” She quickly drew a map on the back of her business card with an itinerary. We were sold.
The Dogs of Saint Malo
SAINT MALO-My expat friend would not stop talking about her place in this walled port city, in northwestern France. I didn’t have any idea where it was and would always smile, nod and agree with her. When the opportunity to escape the extreme heat of summer to the cool northwest Atlantic coast of France, I agreed when she asked me to watch her beloved Teddy for two weeks. The city was no stranger to canines.
A five-star view of Elba
FOLLONICA, Tuscany-As the porter walked me to my room through a large garden under the shade of roman pine trees, I could feel the stress of Rome traffic leave me. This was a promising start to a trip that climaxed with a dazzling trip to Napoleon's prison island. The Sense Experience Resort by Icon is located in the Gulf of Follonica on the Tuscan coast, it has a perfect view of the island of Elba.
Due Torri Hotels kicks ‘Talenti,’ Italian “Ted Talks”
Verona-‘Talenti’ (Talents) is “creating a series of meetings that can convey positive thoughts,” said Silvano De Rosa, Director of the Due Torri Hotel, as he introduced the event. The idea behind the platform is to provide a platform to share the experiences of some of the most influential and talented figures in the Italian business scene.
From Taiwan to Rome with love and news
Vatican City-Thanks to the Italian Insider, “Taiwan is not alone in the world,” Taipei resident, Grace said after reading our story about Taipei. We had a chance in counter when dropping off the historic 99th issue of the print version of the English language newspaper at the Embassy of Taiwan to the Holy See.
The Center for American Studies kicks off series to celebrate Americas 250th anniversary
ROME- “Imagine the Death Star coming towards your embattled insurgent cause,” said David Armitage, Professor of History at Harvard University. He was speaking at the Center for the series, “Writing America: The United States 250.” He was referencing the time in 1776 when the largest expeditionary force ever in the history of the world was assembled off the coast of Long Island, New York while the American Declaration of Independence was being written.
All quiet on the Middle Eastern front?
DOHA-“A lot of Europeans have left,” said Margarita, the manager of the Desert Rose, the only Ukrainian restaurant in Qatar, located in the historical Souk Waqif. Referring to the attacks on Feb 28th, “to hear these sounds when you have kids is a disaster.” Iran fired a constellation missiles and drones at this tiny oil and gas rich emirate after the US Israeli attack on Tehran began Feb. 28. On the day of the attack 66 missiles were fired on Qatar and all were intercepted.
Canadian Fiction
We ate and drank and drove on and I went off the road, and so we discussed the situation and decided it would be a good idea to pull off the road
The most popular dish of the Eternal City?
ROME-Carbonara, one of the four pasta dishes of Rome, has its own day, April 6. It was created in 2017 by the Unione Italiana Food and the International Pasta Organization to celebrate the worldwide popularity of this Lazio dish. The dish is one example of “the magic of Italian food,” said Paolo, Deputy Chairman of the Barilla Group and the 4th generation of the family leading the company.
Fours reasons to head southeast of Rome
ANAGNI-For a travel experience off the beaten path, the hill towns of Anagni, Alatri, Ferentino and Veroli in greater Lazio offer a tranquil haven with a wealth of historical sites and culture away from the crowded Capital. Anagni, a small medieval hill town, lies southeast of Rome. The city is most famous for producing four popes during the 13th century. The most famous, Boniface VIII, founded the first Roman University and set up the first Jubilee in 1300.
Fiction | The Walrus
The basic premise of our twenty-five-year friendship is that we’re the same, kin among enemies. We had no experience in being opposites
Art and authors in the city of the educated, the fat and the red
BOLOGNA- This month, two new books about this capital of Emilia Romagna have cast revolutionary light of the 18th century visit to the city by Goethe and the 15th century sculptures the German poet visited during his fabled sojourn here. Goethe, the German poet, playwright, and novelist, passed through Bologna on his Grand Tour. Beatrice Buscaroli, an art historian who teaches at the Academy of Fine Arts in Bologna, wrote an account of his visit.
Beyond Prosecco in Veneto
CONEGLIANO- We awoke in the Prosecco capital to our first blue sky. It was then that I realized what a beautiful place we were in, at the foothills of the snow-capped Dolomites in the rolling green hills of perfectly terraced vineyards with little churches on hilltops you could see in every direction. With all the attention in Cortina this winter, my trip to Conegliano was a welcomed diversion.
Vulnerable Vonn now in stable condition
CORTINA D’AMPEZZO-Gasps, then silence filled the bar at the Hotel de la Poste. Everyone was crowded around the big screen that had been set up at one of the oldest hotels in Cortina where Ernest Hemingway had a favorite room and bar table. Then 13 seconds into her run, Lindsay Vonn, the American alpine ski racer, had fallen hard. Doctors and the the U.S. Ski and Snowboard team confirmed she is in stable condition Monday, after two surgeries to stabilize a broken leg.
Germany takes gold in the men’s single luge
CORTINA D” AMPEZZO-Max Langenhan takes home the Gold Medal for Germany for the Men’s Single Luge event in Cortina Sunday evening. After setting the track record last night and again tonight he was a difficult person to catch on the leaderboard. Kindl Wolgang wins the Silver for Austria and Fischnaller Dominik, the home town favorite from Italy won the Bronze. Max is 26 years old and participating in his second Olympics. Luge is a small sled that one person sleds down a track face up and feet first.
Tea and kindness on ‘The Beautiful Island’
ALISHAN, Taiwan-“The Beautiful Island” was the Portuguese nickname for Taiwan as they sailed past the East Coast on the way to trade with Japan in the 16th century. After visiting a tea plantation in the green mountainous Alishan area, I understand what they meant. Any good travel experience really depends on the guide. I had the best, Robert Dawson, my wife’s old college roommate who has been living in Taiwan for the past 30 years.
Icy opening ceremony
CORTINA D’AMPEZZO-The energy is in the famous streets, lined with designer shops like Louis Vuitton and Prada, and with the soaring Dolomites in the background creates the perfect setting for the Opening Ceremony of the 2026 Winter Olympics. Fans wrapped in their country’s flags posing for pictures at the official countdown clock, in the middle of the city. The opening ceremony was being split across Milan and Cortina this year with much of the star power performing in the larger market of Milan.
A tale of two stopovers in Beijing
BEIJING-When I found a cheap flight online to Taiwan, I realized they usually they pass the savings on to you with a long 24-hour stopover on each leg. I decided to make the best of it. The Great Wall and the Forbidden City were the two attractions at the top my list. On the way in, I decided to focus on seeing the Great Wall of China. I arrived at 1 p.m. when I had my best opportunity to see it, especially in the winter when the sun sets around 5 p.m..
Ciampino awarded Skytax 4-Star Rating
CIAMPINO-One of Europe’s oldest airport was awarded the prestigious Skytax award for the first time in its 110-year history. The Giovan Battist Pastine Ciampiano Airport (CIA) is managed and developed by Aeroporti di Roma, a Mundys Group Company. Skytrax is the number one global air transport rating organization that compares airports by using 800 parameters related to products and services provided to passengers. These measurements allow comparisons between large hubs and regional airports.
New Years in Alghero plus so much more
ALGHERO, Sardinia-From Grottos and red coral to ancient historical sites, Barceloneta, (little Barcelona) has something for everyone. While strolling the streets of the waterfront Catalan influenced old town, the laid-back pace was a welcoming excursion from busy Rome. The Catalan influence in the city stems from the 14th century when the Crown of Aragon colonized the area, expelling the Genoese. This event led to a legacy visible today in the city’s language, cuisine, and Architecture.
Christ should not have ‘stopped at Eboli’
MATERA-Over 20 years ago, my wife told me about a new cave hotel in Matera. I thought she was crazy - why would anyone pay money to sleep inside of a cave? The hotel, Sextantio Le Grotte della Civita shattered this conception, combing luxury with historic authenticity, thereby providing a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The story of Daniele Kihlgren’s Albergo Diffuso in Matera follows the same path as the story of the city.
Buoyant Bronze from the Tiber
Rome-The National Museum’s new exhibition, “Submerged Memories, the bronzes of the Valentinian Bridge,” highlights statues discovered at the bottom of the Tiber almost 150 years ago. The footbridge Ponte Sisto now crosses the river at the same point and replaced the ancient Roman bridge built by Emperor Valentinian. The bridge was named after Emperor Valentinian I, who rebuilt it in 367 AD during the time he ruled the Roman Empire with his brother, Valens.
Art Review: Detroit lends Impressionism to Rome
ROME-The Detroit Institute of Arts has lent 52 masterpieces including Van Gogh, Degas, and Renoir to the Ara Pacis Museum in Rome. The show, “Impression and Beyond. Masterpieces from the Detroit Institute of Arts,” focuses on Impressionism and the transition to modern art, also displaying works from, Matisse, Picaso, and others.
Finding truffles in tranquility
SANTO STEFANO DI SESSANIO, AbruzzoWatching Ugo work was incredible. The six-year-old Bracco (Italian pointer) was possessed, circling the oak trees, switching directions with the wind, digging profusely and then returning to his owner Andrea, with a black truffle in his mouth and waiting to be paid in sausage. A truffle is an edible underground fungus, valued for their intense earthy flavor and aroma. They grow underground on tree routes and are hunted by dogs or pigs rather than harvested.
Sensational Seven Lakes
PANJAKENT- Driving in the remote Seven Lakes region of Tajikistan in Central Asia, takes tremendous skill. The roads are in poor condition, and single lanes are used for two-way traffic. I found myself suspended on a cliff 20 meters high, driving around the first three lakes, wondering if another driver was coming around the corner. As I looked down at the water, I began to understand why Davish, my driver and guide, never buckled his seatbelt.
Musk interrupts AIRC press conference
ROME-Elon Musk unexpectedly joined a press conference in via video call at the American Institute for Roman Culture, AIRC, to which he just donated a million dollars under the Expandere Conscientiae Luman program. This program supports projects that preserve and promote Greco-Roman culture. The interruption delighted the small group of reporters that were covering the event.
In Silk Road cultural capital, all you need is Plov
SAMARKAND-In this stunning Uzbek city, the most popular item on the menu,is Plov the national dish, a culinary masterpiece, cooked with rice, lamb or beef, carrots, onions, and cumin. This is usually accompanied by Uzbek bread, lepeshka, which is round and flat and is baked in a clay oven. On most menus were samosas, pastries filled with meat onions and potatoes, and kabob skewers.
Vibrant Veneto | www.italianinsider.it
Castelfranco Veneto – As we headed into the center, the clock tower of the walled city was hard to miss with its imposing Venetian lion. This was the main entrance to the old town surrounded by medieval walls which was created in 1211 by the people of Treviso as they continued to fight with their neighbors in Padua. The result of the struggle is that now there is a beautiful walled historic center surrounded by a romantic moat. A town that was not on my list of places to see in Italy.
Multi million euro renovation in Monti
Rome- “This place has changed a lot over the years, most people would not walk back there”. Dott. Federico Isola, Owner and CEO of FH55 Hotels was describing how rough and dangerous the area was like in the 1960s when his grandfather purchased the Grand Palatino Hotel. Watching the sun set in the newly renovated Presidential suite, with an open bar, a violin player, servers with appetizers on a large balcony facing Monti was quiet a way to start an evening.
Wild horses and Kazakh Pop
ALMATY- My guide Anara loved living in the former Kazakhstan capital, “because of the freedom and the ability to head to the mountains on a hot summer day and still see snow.” She believed that the Kazakhstan tourism surge was mostly based on social media and was happy everyone was discovering how amazing the 9th largest country in the world was. The free walking tour, starting through a park dedicated to sacrifices made during WWII and the Green Bazar.
More Love | The Walrus
We lost a day on the flight and forgot it was St. Valentine’s and when we ditched our stuff and ran to catch the last light on the Acropolis, the first thing I saw other than the Parthenon was the red heart-shaped balloon. It flew solo over the city, trailing a ribbon just released, and I got weirdly dizzy, like it was me rising up forever from the ever-shrinking earth.
Is Florence still a day trip from Rome?
FLORENCE - Known as the birthplace of the Renaissance, and well worth a visit for any traveler who comes to Italy, the World Heritage Site city can be seen in a day trip from Rome. But is it worth it? My answer is yes, if planned and executed efficiently. Over the years, I have led too many day trips to the capital of Tuscany. After this last one, though, I was impressed with many things that I experienced with my friend from London.
WTTC Global Summit comes to Rome in 2025
World Travel and Tourism Council has announced that Rome will host the 25th Annual WTTC Global Summit in September this year, which is returning to Europe after 6 years. This was announced yesterday at the Orient Express Hotel, in the center of Rome yesterday. “We are seeing growth and strong demand for Italian tourism,” said Greg O’Hara, Chair of the WTTC. The WTTC is a forum for the travel and tourism industry which began in the 80s.
Bare knuckles and knockouts in Constantinople
ISTANBUL-The IBA(International Boxing Association) held an extrodinary event at the crossroads between Europe and Asia on the Golden Horn. With multiple belts on the line and two bare knuckle fights, the matches did not disappoint. The hotel arena was full of spectators and still intimate. The loudest voice in the room was Shannon Briggs, former champion Heavyweight, with shouts of “Lets go champ!”. The Cannon, still holds the record of 1st round knock outs 37.
An American Eating his way through Georgia
KUTAISI, GEORGIA- Landing just after midnight and preparing myself for a two-hour drive to the Black Sea, I asked myself, “Am I getting too old for this?” After overreacting to my car rental agent’s Washington Wizards Basketball t-shirt, I had answered my own question. He preferred rugby and did not understand what the t-shirt meant. With Georgian classics on the radio and driving on poorly lit rainy roads, I had arrived in Batumi just after 3am.
Deserted adventure in Jordan
AMMAN- Trips to the safe and stable country Jordan are currently heavily discounted due to continued fighting in Gaza. So, we spent the first two nights in the capital city. Fresh off our 40 Euro flight from Rome, I realized that when the plane slammed onto the runway, Ryan Air passed the “smooth landing savings” on to you. It was decided that renting a car was the best way to spend a week to see the sights.
48 hours in Jeddah: Not ready for prime time
JEDDAH — On the plane to the Red Sea port city, I noticed the absence of Saudi Royalty. Apparently, they do not fly on WizzAir. Half the plane was filled with groups of men wearing Irahm clothing (two towel-like white pieces of cloth without seams, hems or buttons) which made me wonder if I made the right decision to travel to Saudi Arabia during Ramadan.
48 Hours in Baku, the city on fire
BAKU - The Azerbaijani capital, Baku is the largest city in the country and the only national capital that is located below sea level. It is a city that celebrates fire due to its vast amount of natural resources which has made it a success story and features a walled old city center surrounded by a modern European city. The old city center is a UNESCO heritage site and is filled with numerous monuments and museums including the Maiden’s Tower, a 12th century 30 meter high structure.
Palazzo Velabro brings art hotel concept to the birthplace of Rome
ROME — A new hotel steps away from The Roman Forum and next to the Bocca della Verita’ provides a new perspective on the relationship between art and a hotel space. This 18th century property is considered a mixed-use hotel under the “Design Hotels” brand name of Marriott. “We are all betting on Rome,” says the CEO and Founder of Lab & Hotel Management, Cristina Paini, who opened the hotel in the spring of 2023.
Travel: 48 hours in Hamburg
Hamburg is like a German Seattle. It’s the third largest port city in Europe, with cloudy and rainy winters and an industrial vibe with links to a famous music scene. The city has had its share of tragedy- first, the major fire of 1842 which destroyed most of the city, and then, the allied bombing campaign during World War 2.
Night at the museum
VICENZA-I did not know what to expect when I arrived at the property. I did not imagine I would be sleeping under and next to frescos painted by Giambattista Tiepolo, a master of the late Baroque period, and his son, Giandomenico Tiepolo. Having the whole museum to myself at night seemed an unlikely reality, but that is what I experienced. I had a chance to wander seven heavily frescoed rooms long after closing hours when I was the only one in the Foresteria (“guest house” in Italian).
Hercules watches over you in a luxury property in Padua
PADUA-As the gate opened, I was struck by the centrepiece in the courtyard, a gigantic statue of Hercules which was sculpted by Bartolomeo Ammannati during the sixteenth century. Ammannati, who closely followed the style of Michaelangelo, is also known for his other works such as the Neptune Fountain in the Piazza della Signoria which was commissioned by Cosimo I de’ Medici.
Garbage collector convicted of rape by exploiting his resemblance to Keanu Reeves
ROME - Ulbaldo Manuali was sentenced to 9 years and 10 months for rape by impersonating American actor Keanu Reeves on social media in order to lure women. Between Sept. 2022 and Jan. 2023 the 60 year old garbage collector raped two women in the Viterbo area and one woman in the Frosinote area. The ruling was pronounced by the Court of Viterbo by Judge Daniela Rispoli.
Italian Astronaut Returns the Order of Malta’s Flag from Space
Michael LaPointe 17 September 2024 17 September 2024 Rome - Italian Astronaut and Air Force Colonel Walter Villadei returned from the Axion 3 mission at the International Space Station with the Sovereign Military Order of Malta’s Flag. For this extraordinary event the doors which are usually closed were open to press on Monday at the Villa Magistrate Headquarters of the Order of Malta on Aventine Hill.
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