Emperor Nero: Monster or Myth?

This year, London's British Museum is staging an exhibition entitled Nero - The Man behind the Myth.  Was he a monster or has history misrepresented his 15 years as Emperor of Rome?

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6 Good Reasons to visit Abruzzo

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.

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More Books for Cooks

Two recently-published cook books caught our eye in the last couple of weeks so we thought we'd share them with our Hedonistic Hiking readers - one on Australian food and the other on Italian Delis.

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In Exile on Elba

Last month saw the 200th anniversary of the death of Napoleon Bonaparte: Emperor of France and famous resident of the island of Elba which we visit on our Lucca, Volterra and Elba tour.

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7 things you may not know about Tuscany

We’ve been lucky enough to have lived in Tuscany for over 20 years and, after planning our own tours in the region, we’ve really got to know every nook and cranny. So while travel to Italy remains challenging for now, here are our own little Tuscan gems, guaranteed to whet your appetite for...

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Booming Ballarat

Our new tours in the Grampians in central Victoria start and finish in the town of Ballarat, an established foodie destination with some magnificent gold rush architecture. Well worth a visit if you have not been before ...

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Who were the enigmatic Etruscans?

The Etruscan people occupied an area of Central Italy referred to as Etruria predominantly in the 7th and 6th centuries BC, the region broadly covering modern day Tuscany, the west of Umbria and the north of Lazio.

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Mick steps up to the plate

One of the unique selling points of our hiking tours is the emphasis we place on local food and wine.  On many of the Australian tours we stay in lodges or private houses where Mick turns from hiking leader by day to head chef by night.  A professionally-trained chef, Mick puts...

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Dining out on delicious memories III

As we continue to miss Italy and won't this year have the chance to catch up with so many of our favourite chefs and restaurateurs, we have re-visited this month three more truly fabulous dining experiences from our tours in La Bella Italia.  From the highly sophisticated cuisine...

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Italy's favourite Easter dish

Torta Pasqualina has become a tradition at Easter time across the whole of Italy, although it is believed to have originated in the coastal region of Liguria. The inclusion of the eggs symbolises life and rebirth and it makes a delicious savoury tart for picnics or light lunches.

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