Welcome to The Slow Road, a B&R travel chronicle consisting of “postcards”
from our guides and Regional Directors; the unveiling of new trips crafted by the
most creative trip designers on the planet; personal accounts from our travellers
as they see the world others miss; and all the latest and greatest travel news from
B&R.
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September 09, 2010
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August 04, 2010
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July 07, 2010
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June 02, 2010
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May 05, 2010
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April 07, 2010
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March 03, 2010
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February 03, 2010
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January 06, 2010
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December 02, 2009
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November 04, 2009
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October 08, 2009
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September 03, 2009
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August 06, 2009
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July 23, 2009
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July 09, 2009
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June 25, 2009
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June 11, 2009
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May 28, 2009
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May 14, 2009
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April 30, 2009
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April 02, 2009
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Ten Spot: B&R's Ten Favourite Things About Italy
To think that our Tuscan depot has been humming along for ten years now reminds us how time does speed by, even when we’re helping others to slow down and see the world. It gives us such pleasure to have established our Italian home away from home here, immersed ourselves in the culture and then shared our passion with B&R travellers. As we look ahead to the next ten years, we take a moment to compile a fun list of our top-ten reasons to love Italy. Trust us, we could easily compile another dozen of these:
1. Culinary Traditions
Let’s begin with the soul of Italy: its day-to-day hospitality and rich culinary traditions. Yes, Italians rival anyone when it comes to cucina gastronomica, but our minds and appetites drift towards those moments gazing out at the Mediterranean from a garden table in the humble town of Pontone on the Amalfi Coast. Before us, the best pizza margherita imaginable and a lemon spaghetti to match. Simply without equal.
 2. Truffle Hunting
In Piemonte, attend the Alba International White Truffle Fair, and if you’re on that tact, then add a visit to Torino for the Salone del Gusto—the Slow Food movement’s annual exposition dedicated to small-scale food producers of exceptional quality. For those who want something a bit more hands-on—join B&R in hunting for the elusive white truffle on our Piemonte trips, in the company of our friend Beppe and his sniffer-dog Diana.
3. Small Town Charm
Understood, there are the showcase cities like Florence, Rome, Venice and Milan, but we encourage travellers to delve into the charms of the “secondary” cities, such as Ferrara, Siena, Parma, Treviso and Lecce, also known as “Florence of the South”. It has its own Roman Amphitheatre and a stunning duomo (cathedral) that showcases the city’s Baroque splendour.
 4. Rides of a Lifetime
In short, Italy offers some of the best biking in the world. A couple of incomparable rides come to mind: spinning along the vine-covered hills of Piemonte and pedalling to the banks of the Po River in Veneto. Even more stunning, the ride between Asciano to Siena in Tuscany, a ribbon of road lined with incredible villas, cypress trees and fortified hill towns that command dazzling views of this remarkable region.
5. Drink Like a King
We love to say the word ‘Barolo’ as much as we like to indulge its legendary taste. The “king of wine and the wine of kings”, so the saying goes, and we get to taste the fruits of famed wineries like Gaja and Elio Altare, and ponder the enduring flavours of the mysterious Nebbiolo grape.
 6. Venice After Dark
Venice at night. It’s at this point when the day-trippers and cruise liners have pushed on and the calm descends that this city becomes something magical. You have to experience La Serenessima at its most serene to really capture the soul of this city.
7. Incredible Villas
Those moments where you can live like royalty. Case in point: Villa di Piazzano, an historical residence and spectacular hotel that dates back to the 1400’s. Located just outside of Cortona, this former hunting manor of onetime treasurer of the Vatican and Bishop of Cortona, Cardinal Silvio Passerini, features a formal Italian garden, cooking school, extensive wine cellar and celebrated restaurant. Yes, why leave?
 8. Coffee at its Finest
The coffee approaches a religious experience. At least, for our staff in Arezzo, where our favourite spot off the main pedestrian route Corso Italia, not only creates extraordinary coffee, but is chic, friendly and keeps enough up-to-date reading material on hand for those mid-afternoon escapes.
9. Glorious Gelato
You knew gelato had to appear somewhere on this list. A Sicilian tradition since the early 1600’s, there is outstanding gelato to be found anywhere in Sicily, but we have a weakness for a little family-owned seaside operation just outside of Scicli on the southern coast. Care to taste a true local treat? Order the almond granita, Sicily’s sophisticated take on the slushie.
10. La Dolce Vita
While we’re in the business of taking in the world at a gentle pace, there’s much to be said for anchoring yourself at a café in the main square of an Italian town and simply watching the world amble by. Sip a chilled Peroni or Negroni and take in the people, the style and the sounds. An appreciation of all things Italian is to occasionally just quietly kick back and take it all in, something the locals call, ‘il dolce far niente’.
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