Rome Archives - The Blissful Adventurer

Italy Rules – Expanded

April 17, 2013 by Michael Housewright

The Blissful Adventurer - Michael Housewright

Spaghetti with Clams – Le Marche

What a wonderful and sometimes intense set of responses from my previous post – The Italy Rules. I want to take a little time today to expand and expound on some of my thoughts and provide further insight into traveling in Italy.

1. Italy Guides – Here is my short list of who I would travel with and why in Italy.

The Rome Digest - This new and wonderful consortium of talented Rome guides includes my dear friend Katie Parla, who is my champion of all things Roman (pork, gelato, beer, wine, art, history, and life) If you are going to spend time in Rome, and you should, let the Rome digest draw a map for you
Venice – Row Venice Nan McIlroy is one of the most knowledgeable people in Italy regarding living life, eating well, and getting out on the water. Don’t pay 200 euro for a snooze on a gondola. Pay less and get out there and learn to do it yourself. Easily one of the greatest experiences I have ever had in Italy
Tuscany – Judy Francini will cook with you and teach you what it means to truly experience life in Tuscany. Reach out to her. She has been cooking successfully for her Italian husband for years. She will teach you how to impress anyone.
Puglia – this is a bit biased but I can vouch for the unbeatable quality of Southern Visions Travel. Antonello Losito leads this superior company leading the most authentic excursions into Italy’s tastiest region. From 1 day to 1 month, these guys are amazing
Le Marche – Mariano Pallottini - the best guides are sometimes not guides. For this truly under-the-radar region no one can show visitors the ropes like Mariano. Please tell him I sent you.
Travel for Teens - If you would like to send your son or daughter on one of the most amazing experiences to be had. I strongly suggest using Travel for Teens. Managed and operated by a group of passionate, intelligent, and experienced men and women, TFT is the leader in volunteer and cultural travel in Italy for students. Ask for Ned or Nick and your young adult will be blown away
For other Italian regions I have friends of friends and would be happy to do some research for you [Read more...]

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Filed Under: Dining, Drinking, Food Travel, Friends, Going, Humor, Images, In My Opinion, Informative, Italy, Italy Travel, Magari Travel, Photography, Recommendations, Stories, Travel, Travel Eating, Travel Photography, Uncategorized, Wine Tagged With: @blissadventure, adventure, Blog, blogging, humor, Images, italian, Italy, Judy Francini, Juliet Housewright, Le Marche, Michael Housewright, Nan McIlroy, Photography, Piedmont, Rome, Rome Digest, Row Venice, Sicily, Southern Visions, the blissful adventurer, Travel

The Italy Rules

April 15, 2013 by Michael Housewright

Cathedral – Mazzara del Valo

The Italy Rules are my set of guidelines for the first-time and infrequent Italy traveler. I have traveled to, lived, and worked in Italy frequently over the past 20 years. In this time I evolved from a curious tourist to hardened, salty veteran of the trials, travails, and pitfalls of one of the world’s most visited countries. One usually dreams of Italy for years before finally setting their foot into the proverbial boot. The dream usually crashes in much less time. This post is really for the traveler who has not been deep into the Amazon or climbed to base camps in Nepal. This post is for those of you who enjoy modern conveniences, large bathrooms, and the amenities of a comfortable Western life. For the most part, I am you. I love my big bed, my central heat and air, and my very fast wi-fi connection. However, Italy is reason enough for me forego these luxuries for a few weeks or months out of every year. [Read more...]

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Filed Under: Food Travel, Going, In My Opinion, Informative, Italy, Italy Travel, Magari Travel, Travel, Travel Eating, Travel Photography, Uncategorized Tagged With: @blissadventure, adventure, Florence, food, foodies, humor, italian, Italy, Juliet Housewright, Michael Housewright, Rome, the blissful adventurer, Travel, Venice, wine

Your Life is a Trip – My Latest Published Piece

April 9, 2013 by Michael Housewright

Zabriskie Point - The Blissful Adventurer

On top of my own Mountain

Your Life as a Trip – is one of the most fantastic travel publications on the web. I am honored to be included among their celebrated travel writers and here is a link to my first piece on the site: An American Male on the Make in Italy .

I hope you will make this wonderful experiential storytelling site part of your reading routine. Ellen Barone and Judith Fein are two of the most extraordinary people in the travel writing and photography business, and I am so grateful to them for the opportunity to share my work.

Please take a look and leave your comments on the site. I promise to get back to you.

Cheers Blissful Adventurers!

Michael

2012 Year in Review Haiku

December 31, 2012 by Michael Housewright

: One of my favorite icons on earth. (copyright The Blissful Adventurer)

Here is The Blissful Adventurer 2012 Year in Review Haiku. Haiku was one of my most successful creative expressions here in the blog world in 2012 I want to share some of the best of the best with you all today for my final blog of 2012; easily the most successful year I have a had as a storyteller. [Read more...]

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Filed Under: Collaboration, Dining, Drinking, Family, Food, Food Travel, Friends, Haiku, Hipstamatic, Humor, Images, Italy, Italy Travel, Magari Travel, Photography, Poetry, Road Trip, Travel, Travel Eating, Travel Photography, Uncategorized Tagged With: @blissadventure, adventure, Blog, blogging, Colorado, Europe, food, food porn, foodies, Hipstamatic, humor, Images, Italy, Juliet Housewright, Michael Housewright, Photography, poetry, Puglia, Rome, Southern Visions, stories, the blissful adventurer, Travel

Hipstamatic Haiku Sunday

December 16, 2012 by Michael Housewright

Hipstamatic Haiku Sunday is back and bolder than before. Hipstamatic iPhone images post-processed, imbued with magical lyrics and shared in a stream of consciousness format to entertain, prod, and provoke. Enjoy the countdown to the holidays.

Hipstamatic Haiku - The Blissful Adventurer

scratching away now
solid as before he looks
down upon us in awe

[Read more...]

Italy Images from a Month on the Boot (Part 2)

October 30, 2012 by Michael Housewright

The Trulli Cones of Gelso Bianco

Italy Images from a Month on the Boot is a 3 part series of photos I have found deep in the annals of my iPhone from this past May in Italy. I have recently attended some seminars on iPhone photography and I am getting better at creating images that I believe invoke the feelings I have when I travel.

I took the shot above at the wondrous Masseria Gelso Bianco in Puglia, Italy. This facility owned by my very dear friend Antonello Losito is one of the most stunning properties along the heel of the boot. The 5 bedroom villa with pool, 11 trulli (the conical-shaped iconic roofs of the area), and a world-class professional kitchen is the perfect getaway for family or friends to one of Italy’s culinary and scenic gems. Staying here felt like coming home to a place I will always treasure. I loved being on the roof and shooting this shot as I watched the sun sink after a very rare rain shower. [Read more...]

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Filed Under: Drinking, Family, Food Travel, Friends, Going, Images, In My Opinion, Informative, Italy, Italy Travel, Photography, Recommendations, Stories, Travel, Travel Eating, Wine Tagged With: @blissadventure, adventure, Antonello Losito, Blog, blogging, Europe, food, food porn, Images, Italy, Juliet Housewright, Masseria Gelso Bianco, Michael Housewright, Photography, Puglia, Rome, Southern Visions, the blissful adventurer, The University of Dallas, Travel, Venice, wine

Top 25 Italy Moments – #12-17

July 17, 2012 by Michael Housewright

As I am gearing up to release My Italy Top 25 Moments 1-11 I am offering a quick view into 12-17 for those that are new to the site and as a refresher. My Top 10 has shifted a bit since this last trip to Italy as 2 new moments made their way up the ladder. In the next 2 weeks I will at long last reveal mt full Top 25 Italy Moments.

# 17 The Sunglass Hustle - Find out how I turned a nasty habit into a cool pair of shades

#16 Singing in Rome - The day the University of Dallas met the real Garth Brooks

#15 The Legend of Soy Jack - I have never met anyone quite like him

#14 Siena Language Barrier - Why knowing a little of a language can be a serious liability

#13 Why I Was a Lousy Tour Guide - There was a very good reason even though I still wish I had been better

#12 The Wrong Train - My first and not my last train misfortune in Italy

#11 – The Siena Church Drive - new material coming tomorrow

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Filed Under: Food Travel, Friends, Going, Humor, Images, Informative, Italy, Italy Travel, Photography, Rants, Stories, Travel, Travel Eating, Uncategorized Tagged With: @blissadventure, adventure, Blog, blogging, humor, Images, Italy, Italy Travel Blog, Michael Housewright, Photography, Rome, Siena, Soy Jack, stories, the blissful adventurer, Top 25 Italy Moments, Tour Guide, Travel

Top 25 Italy Moments (20-19)

July 13, 2012 by Michael Housewright

Gorilla Photography 2

Here is part 2 of my abridged Top 25 Italy moments from the past 19 years. As I drew these together I knew it would be about people and circumstances much more than just the place itself. Italy, it seems, provides the canvas for which to paint amazing images. I read many of my fellow bloggers’ posts and it is amazing just how close we all are in our assessments of things and yet how much diversity exists in our varied experiences. Now, on to the countdown:

[Read more...]

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Top 25 Italy Moments (#25-21)

July 11, 2012 by Michael Housewright

My return after 7 long years

As I prepare to embark (finally) on my Top 10 Italy Moments I am rebroadcasting those that were seen only by friends and people who entered the wrong letters on Google Searches. Welcome to the TBA Top 25 Italy Moments that shaped my passion for the Boot and my need to share. Cheers! [Read more...]

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