Kate got bit by the Italy bug when she was a Junior Year Abroad student in Florence, many years ago. She got her Masters Degree in art history in Florence; did dissertation research in Genoa and Rome; and taught for the Syracuse University and New York University study abroad programs in Florence, where she still lives.
Slovenia Travel
Visiting Slovenia is like stepping into a fairy tale. This pint-size nation at the crossroads of Europe is a wonderland that will take your breath away. Snowy mountains with caves, enchanting forests, and deep blue glacier lakes. Not to mention picture-perfect villages and lively Old Towns. And what self-respecting fairy tale doesn’t boast at least
Italy Travel
Precariously balanced on the edge of a rocky plateau 1,000 feet above the plain clings Orvieto, a breathtakingly positioned walled town that commands an inspiring view of the tidy farmhouses, monasteries and vineyards below. Travelers might get a fleeting glimpse of Orvieto from the window of a Freccia train as it speeds between Rome and
Croatia Travel
The long, hot summer is coming to a close and, frankly, it can’t happen soon enough for me! This isn’t the hottest Italian summer in recent memory—that record is held by 2003, with summer 2017 in second place—but the mercury hit 102 degrees Fahrenheit in Florence on the 31st of July so the cooler temperatures
Italy Travel
As a new travel company dedicated to bringing you the very best of Italy and Croatia, Olive Tree Escapes is thrilled to share our enthusiasm for this compelling corner of the Mediterranean. And a fun fact of which you might not be aware is that a little bit of Croatia is actually embedded in Italy,
Italy Travel
If you think eating well in Italy as a vegetarian can’t be done, then think again: the country boasts one of the highest rates of vegetarianism in Europe, with an estimated 10% of the population shunning meat. The first vegetarian restaurant in all of Europe to be awarded a prestigious Michelin star was Joia in
Croatia Travel
Designed with the luxury client in mind, Olive Tree Escape’s second annual FAM trip to Croatia took place from April 18th to April 28th, and the 10-day itinerary had lots of delightful surprises in store. The best being a flight in a private plane from Lošinj island to Zadar on the mainland. The aerial view
Italy Travel
Perched on a rocky outcrop overlooking the sapphire blue waters of Lake Albano, Castel Gandolfo has given a long line of popes respite from the hordes and heat of Rome. In fact, this papal hilltop summer retreat enjoys all the same privileges as the Vatican, but is even bigger—the Pontifical Villas of Castel Gandolfo cover