The historical city of Bologna has the most porticos in the world with nearly 40 kilometres of long walkways and tall arches you can stroll through (not to mention the first thing I noticed when I arrived). The covered walkways give Bologna its unique character dating back to the 1200s. Since then, there have been […]
Volunteering through NGOs
Tammy and Chris always knew their calling was to help improve the lives of others. The couple hail from the UK and Germany and after years of working behind a desk in Civil Service they decided to leave their jobs in October 2011 to contribute longer and more hands-on in South East Asia. Tammy shares […]
The Other Leaning Tower of Italy
The most famous tilting tower in the world might be the Leaning Tower of Pisa. The 8-storey tower has been tipping now for 840 years and thousands have flocked to see its faulty angle ever since, but do you know about the other leaning tower of Italy? Rivalling Pisa’s tower are the leaning towers of […]
Gelato Culture in Italy
There are some sounds in the world that can make you feel nostalgic. For me, it’s the sound of the ice cream truck. Even when it’s sometimes off-tune, it makes me want to run outside like a kid again no matter how old I am. Imagine my surprise when I learned I could have been eating […]
Bologna: A First Taste of Local Life
Having just hopped off the train from Firenze to Bologna’s central train station, I anxiously navigated myself to the BlogVille house on Capo di Lucca, and through a city that is about to be my home for the next full week! As Bloggers in Residence we will be living in the heart of Bologna, a central […]
Spending a Night in Jail
In a past life, Ottawa was the most dangerous place in Canada and in 1862 the Carlton County Jail was built to house criminals with minor infractions like robbery as well as some of the worst criminals on death row waiting their ultimate fate, mostly by hanging (yup, at the time Canada had capital punishment). Today, […]