italy Archives - Books And Travel

Walking To Rome On The Via Francigena With Chandi Wyant

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“Every day I walk myself into a state of well-being and walk away from every illness. I have walked myself into my best thoughts, and I know of no thought so burdensome that one cannot walk away from it.” Soren Kierkegaard

When life becomes unbearably painful, sometimes the only thing to do is go for a really long walk. In this episode, Chandi Wyant talks about how walking the Via Francigena in Italy for 40 days helped her heal after a painful divorce, and how the lessons of pilgrimage can take time to emerge.

Chandi Wyant is an author, a Florentine Renaissance historian, and an accredited guide to Italy’s museums. Her latest book is Return to Glow, a Pilgrimage of Transformation in Italy.

Show notes

Why Florence and Italy
What is the Via Francigena?
The spiritual lessons learned on pilgrimage, even if you’re not religious
The challenging emotional and physical aspects of pilgrimage
Digging deep to face the fears that come with traveling solo
How traveling can increase our appreciation for other cultures
Travel book recommendations

You can find Chandi Wyant at ParadiseOfExiles.com

My book, Pilgrimage, Lessons Learned from Solo Walking Three Ancient Ways, is out now.

Pilgrimage Kickstarter Banner4 — My book, Pilgrimage, Lessons Learned from Solo Walking Three Ancient Ways, is out now

Venice, Art History And Italian Artisans With Laura Morelli

Unusual Places

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Traveling to a new place is about art, architecture, food, and culture, but it can also be about the people you meet and the memories — and even souvenirs — you bring back.

In today’s interview, Laura Morelli talks about Venetian artisans, the joys of limoncello, and shares her tips for finding the perfect way to remember your trip.

Dr. Laura Morelli has a Ph.D. in art history from Yale writes award-winning historical fiction based on the true stories of art history and teaches art history online.

Show notes:

How early travels in Europe sparked Laura’s interest in medieval history
Places in Venice where you can see behind the present facade to the history beneath
The quiet places where you can still find artisans and craftspeople who keep old skills alive — and how to avoid being ripped off
Venetian paper and bookbinding
The plague mask and Carnival
Limoncello
How travel helps us appreciate what’s different and what’s the same between our cultures and countries
Recommended books around works of art

You can find Laura at www.LauraMorelli.com and on twitter @lauramorelliphd

Myth And Reality. Beauty And Decay In Venice With J.F.Penn

Travel Memoir

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Today I’m talking about The Myth and Reality Of Travel, and focusing on Venice in particular, as well as giving you some tips and book recommendations if you are going to visit.

There is a problem inherent in travel, especially in a world of filtered Instagram photos, social media bubbles and glossy travel magazines.

There are some places in the world that are so famous it can be difficult to know whether they live up to the hype or not. There is the myth and then there is the reality, so how do you manage the two? How do you decide to go in the first place in case it doesn’t live up to the myth, and how do you deal with the reality if you have to face up to it?

In this episode, I’m talking about Venice, which is definitely one of those places. I’ve been to Venice three times under very different circumstances and today, I’ll share some of my thoughts on the myth versus the reality.

The myth of Venice

What does the word Venice evoke for you, regardless of whether you’ve been there or not?

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The myth of Venice

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