Have you discovered Bari yet?

And I understand why.

But I think you'd be making a mistake.

Bari deserves some time of its own.

I love the old town, where the narrow lanes are still very much part of everyday life rather than simply being a backdrop for tourists. Watch local women making orecchiette by hand in the streets, wander through the maze of little lanes, visit the magnificent Basilica of San Nicola, and eat something delicious at a tiny local restaurant.

And then there's the seafront, the markets, the street food, and that wonderful southern Italian atmosphere.

Bari feels lived in. It isn't a museum. And perhaps that's exactly why I like it.

Read my guide to Things to Do in Bari

William's discovery in the Dolomites

Now, William doesn't always come home from a trip and immediately start telling us about the hotel.

This time he did.

He stayed at Boutique Hotel Zenana, right in the center of San Candido, and absolutely loved it.

And having looked at the place myself, I can see why.

Zenana is an old house with character. Every room is different, with its own personality, colors, and furnishings. The hotel sits right in the pedestrian center of San Candido, with the mountains almost on your doorstep.

It's small and personal, more like staying in someone's beautiful home than checking into a conventional hotel.

William particularly enjoyed the atmosphere and the hospitality and told us it was somewhere he'd happily return to.

That's about as good a recommendation as you can get from him!

If you're thinking about exploring the Dolomites, San Candido is definitely somewhere I'd put on your list.

And Zenana is the sort of place I think you would enjoy,.

Take a look at Boutique Hotel Zenana in San Candido

So, when IS the best time to visit Italy?

And my slightly cheeky answer is:

As soon as possible!

But there are definitely better times than others depending on where you're going and what you want to do.

Maria and I generally prefer the shoulder seasons.

May and June are usually wonderful, with pleasant weather and fewer crowds than the height of summer.

Then there's September and October, which I particularly love. The worst of the summer heat has passed, the crowds thin, and autumn brings some of the most wonderful food and wine experiences of the year.

And don't completely dismiss winter either.

I've always thought Venice, in particular, has a completely different personality in winter.

Of course, Italy is a big country, so I've put together a guide to help you decide on the perfect time to visit based on your own preferences. Click here to read it.

One of the reasons I enjoy writing these newsletters is that Italy never seems to run out of surprises.

I've spent decades exploring Italy, I'm married to an Italian, and you'd think I'd have seen most of it.

But then William goes somewhere like San Candido and comes home telling me about a little hotel I've never stayed in.

Or I return to somewhere like Bari and discover something I somehow missed the previous time.

That's Italy.

You can keep coming back and still find something new.

And perhaps that's the real secret.

Don't just visit the Italy everyone tells you to visit.

Take a wrong turn.

Stay an extra night.

Go somewhere you've never heard of.

Sit down in a little café and see what happens.

You never know what you'll discover.

Until next time,

Andrew & family

P.S. If you've enjoyed this newsletter, please feel free to forward it to a friend who loves Italy as much as you do.

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