Kate
McCluer
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.
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
Precariously perched on the edge of a rocky plateau sits Orvieto. This medieval walled town 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 Florence, but this quintessential Italian hill town
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
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,
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