Travel Spotlight

A backpacker pauses on a narrow trail above Pontremoli, with sweeping views of green valleys, red-roofed villages, and the Apennine Mountains in the distance. The foreground shows tall grass and shrubs, while the sunny, cloudless sky adds to the sense of open adventure in rural northern Tuscany.

Travel Spotlight | Tuscany | Via Francigena

The Mountain We Didn’t Walk (with a Little Help from Claudio)

ByGriffin Smyth July 2, 2025July 12, 2025

Golden sunset viewed from Le Spine Pub & B&B near the Cisa Pass, with a warm glow fading behind the Apennine mountains. A wooden sign and rustic benches sit in the foreground, overlooking the rolling hills of northern Italy.

Travel Spotlight | Tuscany | Via Francigena

Walking Over the Cisa Pass and Into a Pub Called Le Spine

ByGriffin Smyth July 1, 2025July 12, 2025

A man in a red shirt leans happily out of a second-story window at La Vecchia Quercia, a charming ivy-covered B&B in Emilia-Romagna. The facade is completely blanketed in lush green vines, with purple shutters and wrought-iron railings adding rustic character under a brilliant blue sky. The scene feels like a postcard from the Italian countryside.

Fornovo di Taro | Travel Spotlight | Via Francigena

Best B&B on the Via Francigena? We Found a Gem in Emilia-Romagna

ByGriffin Smyth June 30, 2025July 12, 2025

A rough gravel path curves through golden fields and lush green hills just outside Noceto, Italy. The landscape glows in the warm light of early evening, with distant vineyards, scattered farmhouses, and a clear blue sky stretching overhead.

Travel Spotlight | Via Francigena

We Walked 15 Miles and Accidentally Slept in a Monastery

ByGriffin Smyth June 30, 2025July 12, 2025

Close-up view of the Florence Cathedral’s richly patterned marble façade and Brunelleschi’s iconic dome, set against a dramatic, overcast sky. The green, white, and pink stonework appears vivid and textured in the soft light, capturing the intricate beauty of one of Italy’s most iconic churches.

Florence | Travel Spotlight | Tuscany

The Real Florence: A Walking Photographer’s Guide (with 15 Hidden Photo Spots)

ByGriffin Smyth June 28, 2025July 23, 2025