History

Nov 10

My 2024 Tour Season: Travels in Space & Time

I just finished my 28th year of leading tours and it was a truly spectacular one. From the new destinations (Cuba! Morocco!) to the...

Jun 24

The Churches of Florence: a Complete Guide for History & Art Lovers

Like many Italian cities, Florence has hundreds of churches, from the massive Duomo to tiny hidden chapels, and it's hard to know which...

Jun 2, 2023

Sardinia Scouting with Wild Sage

Buongiorno June 1st! Summer is almost here, and with it comes a very full tour season for me -- my first year as co-boss of Wild Sage!...

Mar 28, 2023

Sicilian Adventures with Wild Sage

"Prudenza!" the van warned, via a disembodied voice coming from my navigator advising me to be careful. I was cruising down a nearly...

Oct 21, 2022

Roman History Road-Trip: from Ostia Antica to Pompeii

Hail, history fans! I've had a busy fall season with lots of travel, for work and for play. My latest trip was a ten-day voyage with my...

Aug 15, 2022

Swords and Samurai at the Stibbert Museum in Florence

One of the most unexpected museums in Florence is the Museo Stibbert, which houses the eclectic collection of Frederick Stibbert (1838 -...

Jul 16, 2022

Near Rome: the Spectacular Palazzo Farnese at Caprarola

I recently spent a few days in the region of Lazio (the region of Rome) on a little birthday trip, and one of the most unexpected and...

Jun 12, 2022

3 Days in Puglia: Trulli, Olive Trees, and Whitewashed Villages

Southern Italy has a totally different feel from the rolling hills here in Tuscany, or the plains and mountains of the North. Puglia...

May 1, 2022

On the Road in Southern Tuscany: Pitigliano, Sovana, Sorano & Saturnia

Tuscany is so big, there are still places I've never seen in my 25 years of guiding here. So I was thrilled to have the chance to visit...

Mar 31, 2022

Spring in Seville, Spain

¡Hola! and welcome to Spain! I was just in Spain on business so decided to extend my stay a few days and really explore the fascinating...

Feb 13, 2022

Winter in Tuscany: San Gimignano, Volterra & Pisa

Most people think of Italy as a summer destination and come for the beaches and al fresco dining, but that's also when it's hot and...

Nov 14, 2021

Masterworks from the National Archaeological Museum of Athens, pt.2

As promised, here's a follow-up to my previous post about the amazing collection at the National Archaeological Museum in Athens. My...

Oct 17, 2021

Masterworks from the National Archaeological Museum of Athens, pt.1

I had a few extra hours in Athens recently so decided to visit the fascinating National Archaeological Museum. I had already been but it...

Jul 6, 2021

Hiking near Florence: the Monastery and Nature Reserve of Vallombrosa

The summer sun can be brutal in Florence, and it's often one of the hottest cities in Italy since it's landlocked and in a wide valley,...

Jun 4, 2021

Revolution in the Streets: in Tiananmen Square with my Father, May 1989

Today marks the 32nd anniversary of the mass demonstrations and eventual violent crackdown in Beijing's Tiananmen Square. Amazingly, my...

May 31, 2021

Classical Beauty: the Greek & Roman collection at The Metropolitan Museum of New York

I recently spent a week in New York City to cap off my visit to the U.S., and I decided to go to the city's premier museum, the...

Apr 19, 2021

Notes from Lockdown: Spring 2020

The lockdown in Italy in the spring of 2020 was one of the strictest in the world; not only did we have to socially-distance and wear...

Apr 7, 2021

Chatting with Manu: hikes, history and explorations in and around Rome

I've spent the past year exploring every inch of Florence's city limits, so I thought it would be fun to check in with my friend and...

Mar 29, 2021

The Dying Gaul & the Naked Warriors who Terrorized Rome

One of my favorite works of art is this powerful statue called "The Dying Gaul." It's in the Capitoline Museum in Rome and has a...