Blog

Chocolate and Hazelnuts

One of Italy's most popular confections is known as Gianduia and is a mouth-watering blend of chocolate and hazelnuts. Turin is a centre of chocolate production and August and September in Piedmont herald the start of the hazelnut harvest ...

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National Geographic Traveller Food Festival

Saturday 16th July saw us exhibiting at the National Geographic Traveller Food Festival in the Business Design Centre in London.  We were part of the Italian National Tourist Board stand for the event and talked to visitors from far and wide about our hiking holidays in Italy.

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Siena's Magnificent Mosaics

Anyone joining our Tuscan tours from August to October, with a plan to spend time in Siena, has a rare opportunity to see the stunning marble mosaic floors in the city's famous cathedral.  Most of the year this beautiful floor is covered with protective layers, but it is opened for just a...

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Five Favourite Tipples!

With the Italians being such expert winegrowers, it is no surprise that they also produce many delicious Aperitifs and Digestifs, blending age-old, closely-guarded secret recipes of herbs, roots and spices which are loved the world over. We've picked five of our favourites and thought...

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Exploring with Experts

Often when we are visiting major cities at the start or end of our tours, we draw on the knowledge of licensed guides who can absolutely bring the city to life, or help us to focus on a particular building or artwork. We have worked with a number of highly qualified...

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Bolgheri - Italy's Bordeaux?

On our Lucca, Volterra and Elba tour we pass through a wine producing area on the Tuscan coast known as Bolgheri. Today this is truly one of Italy's wine-growing success...

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A Week in Pictures

On the basis that a picture is worth a thousand words, we have put together a photo album of some of the highlights from our first Etruscan Trails in Central Italy tour.  It really is a feast for all the senses ...

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Celebrate Semifreddo!

As the summer in Italy beckons, restaurant menus everywhere will start to list the ever popular "Semifreddo" dessert.  This light, textured, frozen mousse is popular right across the country.

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One Holiday: Two Countries

We all know that mixing together the right travel ingredients produces a magical trip, but exploring two countries in one holiday makes for a double helping of enjoyment. This year we will cross from Slovenia into Italy's Friuli region on foot, and from Austria into the stunning Italian Dolomite...

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Abruzzo: From the Apennines to the Adriatic

Jackie has recently been interviewed for the Amateur Traveler Podcast series, talking all about the region of Abruzzo, which for us at Hedonistic Hiking is an all-time favourite.

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