Winter in Friuli: Top 10 Things to Do
1. Ski the slopes of Monte Santo di Lussari Among the towering, snow-capped peaks of Italy’s Giulian Alps, Monte Santo di Lussari stands out like a precious gem. Near the…
Wines of Friuli–Venezia Giulia
This article was originally published in 2013 on TravelLady.com. Tucked away between mountains and sea in Italy’s northeast corner is the region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia. Known for its unique fusion…
Celebrate the Relaunch of BalanceontheBall.com!
For the past couple weeks, I've been working on redesigning BalanceontheBall.com, the website for my first book, Balance on the Ball: Exercises Inspired by the Teachings of Joseph Pilates. I'm…
Gubana, Putizza, Presnitz: Deciphering Friuli’s Spiral Pastries
While doing research for Flavors of Friuli, one of my most nagging questions was this: is there any difference between gubana and the similar-looking spiral pastries from Trieste, putizza and…
Autumn in Friuli: Top 10 Things to Do
1. View the Barcolana sailing regatta Founded in 1969, the Barcolana sailing regatta takes place in the Gulf of Trieste on the second Sunday in October, beginning near Castello di…
Land of the Sbilfs: Turn back time in the Carnian Alps
This piece was originally published in the June-July 2013 issue of Dream of Italy under the title "Simple Pleasures in Friuli's Carnian Alps." Hidden in the mountains of northern Friuli–Venezia…
Food Festivals of Friuli: Final Thoughts
It occurred to me, after visiting these—and other—festivals, that part of Carnia’s allure was the promise of stepping back in time, to an era where life was simpler. Where every…
Food Festivals of Friuli (Part 5): Festa della Zucca
The Festa della Zucca is held annually on the fourth weekend of October in the town of Venzone, nestled in the foothills of Friuli's Alps. On this autumn trip, I…
Food Festivals of Friuli (Part 4): Festa dei Frutti di Bosco
The final stop on my festival tour that July was Forni Avoltri, located in Carnia’s far north near the Austrian border. Celebrating the berries of the forest, this festival was…
Food Festivals of Friuli (Part 3): Mondo delle Malghe
My next stop that summer was Ravascletto, which I would use as a home base for a hike to nearby Malga Pozôf, as well as for the Mondo delle Malghe…