[TRENTINO–ITALY] — “Theeesa eesa the one.” she said, in that lovely Italan way of needing to add a vowel onto every word. “Theesa one is da best hika in the valley. And ifa you goa heer, ita isa the besta viewa inaalla da Dolomites.” That’s Barbara, the owner of my splendid hotel in the Brenta region of the Italian Dolomites. There isn’t just one Dolomite, but many different ranges. But many say this is one of the best sections, centered around the Madonna di Campiglio ski resort, tucked into a valley with over sixty lifts going in all directions. For those looking for some Vail symmetry and organization, this is done the Italian way. Organically, over the time, with lifts taking off in different directions, lobbing
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[MILANO, ITALY] — I was sitting in a farmhouse in Provence reading Maisons Cote Sud thinking about where I wanted to go next. There was an article about this restored abandoned farmstead in the middle of Milan. I thought “wow, this is so cool.” I tore it out and added it to my Milan list. You’d never think there’d still be an old farmstead smack in the middle of Milano, but there is. Cascina Cuccagna is an old abandoned 18th Century agricultural complex that a group of local food lovers got together, hauled away the junk and turned the place into a cool food-centric hangout. It’s a culinary cultural center: a bar/cafe, a bookstore, a nice restaurant, an event space and an educational garden, all in