7 Valleys of Carnia
Hidden in the remote northwest corner of Friuli, where Italy meets Austria, are the Carnia mountains. The area takes its name from the region's first inhabitants, a Celtic tribe called…
Summer in Friuli: Top 10 Things to Do
Note: Even though Italy has begun the process of reopening following the coronavirus shutdown, many events, including the festivals listed below, have been cancelled for 2020 as a precaution. Organizers…
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 (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…
Forni Avoltri: Festa dei Frutti di Bosco
It was the day of the Festa dei Frutti di Bosco in Forni Avoltri, and gauging by the number of tables set up, it looked to be the largest of…
Forni Avoltri and Prato Carnico
On my first full day in Forni Avoltri, I would be visiting the Val Pesarina, the last of Carnia’s seven valleys on my itinerary. After an ample breakfast at Hotel…
Forni Avoltri
I left Forni di Sopra early, catching the 9:15am bus east to Villa Santina, where I had about 90 minutes to wait for my connecting bus north to Forni Avoltri.…
Intermission
It was June 2004 when Mike and I returned to San Francisco. I had over a year to prepare for my next trip, which would take me once again throughout…
New Travel Highlights on Afar
Check out my new travel "Highlights" on Afar.com: Europe's largest seafront square and a festival of wild berries.