I'm very excited today to share a wonderful site about Italy with our Wandering Educators! Casa Dolcetto provides insights and reflections on Italy. But! Casa Dolcetto also shares Italian Travel news; features on Italy off the beaten track; photos, Italian Blog, Hotel and Photorolls; and more. Even better, Adrian Petersen, the publisher of Casa Dolcetto, is our new Piedmont, Italy Editor! Welcome, Adrian!

We were lucky enough to sit down and chat with Adrian about Casa Dolcetto, traveling in Italy, and more. Here's what he had to say...

WE: Please tell us about your site, Casa Dolcetto: The Blog...

AP: Casa Dolcetto: The Blog, is an Italian journey offering insights & reflections on Italy. It is, by nature, work in progress and has recently been upgraded. It is for travellers and settlers alike and dedicated to all things Italian. Our aim is simple, to provide quality information on Italy whether it be where to stay, where to go or what to see. It covers a wide array of subjects and offers advice on the many Italian travel opportunities, especially those perhaps not so well publicised and those off the beaten track. The information presented on the blog is written in a way that is meant to be valuable over a long period of time, similar to a guidebook or travel magazine that you keep and flip through when you need information or even just daydream.

WE:  What inspired you to share your reflections on Italy?

AP: My interests fall under a wide range of subjects including: art, design, architecture, history, information technology, language, music and travel as well as a lot more boring stuff. So I was determined that on arrival I would set up a blog, which would be pretty unique, reflect many of my interests, include some of my own articles and reviews, focus on gathering Italian travel information locally and from around the web and most importantly create a directory of Italian travel links in one place that would be visible in a format that people would find easy to access and use.

WE:  What can readers find on Casa Dolcetto?

AP: A wide and growing range of information on subjects as diverse as Italian bed & breakfast's to Italian beaches, from Italian events to Italian experiences, from Italian food and wine to Italian heritage sites, from Italian language to the Italian news in English, from Italian segway to Italian shopping, from Italian ticket agents to Italian travel ideas, from Italian walking tours to Italian webcams as well as regional travel information on Lombardy, Piedmont, Tuscany, Umbria and the Veneto.

WE:  Where are your favorite spots in Italy?

AP: This could be a long list, how much time have you got? Obviously the great cities such as Florence, Rome, Venice each have there appeal but I think the smaller cities such as Bologna, Padua, Perugia, Genoa and Turin have much to offer and are generally not as overpriced and overrun as the big three. Then there are the lakes, Como and Maggiore or maybe the Riviera, San Remo, Amalfi, Portofino, Rapallo and the Cinque Terre. The list is endless and there lies the dilemma, but also the opportunity to create new favourites.

WE:  How do you recommend that travelers get off the beaten path and enjoy
life like a local?

AP: Do your research, we all know the internet is the super highway of information but sometimes it is difficult to find the local view. Try and learn, say 25, words in the local language before setting off, travel outside the tourist season, seek out traditional events and festivals or take a local tour guide to show you the sights that the travel books miss. Employ the use of local tourist offices in Italy, they are normally very good and offer loads of literature in English and generally have knowledgable staff who are really helpful and can point you in the direction of that hidden gem.

WE: How can travelers truly experience a place and learn interculturally
whilst traveling?

AP: Travelling should be about experiences and magical moments. Be flexible and try to not to be governed by a timetable or schedule. It is too easy to miss hidden treasures, go down that little side street, around that corner and you maybe pleasantly surprised. All too often some of the most pleasurable experiences are the simple things that just happen rather than those that are planned.

WE:  Is there anything else you'd like to share with us?

AP: The region of Piemonte where I live - but don't tell too many people! Piemonte literally means "foot of the mountain" lies on Italy's North Western border adjoining France and Switzerland, surrounded by some of the highest mountains in Europe, such as Cervino, Monte Bianco and Monte Rosa.

As you follow the valley down to the plain and Turin, Italy's first capital, you are struck by the abundance of agriculture which is so very important to this region whether it be wine, rice or the precious white truffle - Tuber Magnatum. No wonder the Slow Food movement was founded here in 1986.

The wines speak for themselves, Barolo, Barbaresco, Moscato d'Asti. The vineyards that cling to hillsides in the Langhe and Roero, hilltop castles, panoramic views and close by, two of Italy’s most beautiful lakes, the classic Maggiore and tiny Orta.

I could go on…but why don’t you just pack a bag and visit Piemonte?

WE: Thanks so very much, Adrian! I can't wait to visit Piemonte - thanks for your inspiration.

For more information, please see:
http://casadolcetto.blogspot.com/