Or How to Take the Train from Nice to Finale Traveling for me has always been a balance of letting go of my Type A tendencies to over plan and opening myself up to the unexpected things that happen when you move on the fly. While I’ve gotten better about arriving in towns without a place to stay, know the basics of city planning to find my way around without a map, and have ridden enough trains and busses to have a feel for schedules, every now and then I’m reminded that these are things I’ve learned over time. One quiet Sunday in Finale, it was by chance that I logged onto the social networks...

One of the best things about my extended stay in Italy this year, has been the time I’ve had to show Finale and the country to so many friends and family. Today, my final guests arrived. Big G and Joni made their way north from Rome and arrived at my favorite train station this evening where Bago and I waited for them. The Flagstaff trio posed for a quick photo before a walk along the beach, drinks and dinner. Related Posts:Balancing ActPhoto of the Day: Feeling JollyPhoto of the Day: The Borgo CastlesPhoto of the DayChaos Theory

A good friend sent me a care package of American magazines including the latest issue of Vanity Fair. Inside was a short article on the arrival of the Fiat Cinquecento to the U.S. market and a mention of a Fiat you won’t see anytime soon – the classic Jolly. This modified Fiat 600 was created for a very niche group of Riviera elite looking for cars they could carry on their yachts from beach town to beach town. With only 100 or so still around, they’re a rare breed. So imagine my surprise when I spotted one along the Finale boardwalk on Sunday. I had to turn the bike around for a...

This weekend, a directionally challenged friend visited me in Finale and was kind enough to take on the challenge of getting from airport, to train station, to Finale on her own. To help, I purchased a ticket for her in advance and gave her step-by-step instructions. She made it without problems and said the photos and checklist were essential. So for those of you worried that you can’t find your way around in another country, have hope. If my friend can do it, so can you. Here is what you need to take the train in Italy. These instructions reference Milan’s main train station, but will translate...

Or How to Ride Your Bike in Italy To the untrained eye, commuting in Italian towns and cities may seem like one giant cluster. With a crazy mix of cars, pedestrians, cyclists and scooters navigating narrow cobblestone streets, roundabouts, parking wherever a car can fit, and lanes defined only by the size of the vehicle, there seems to be no rhyme or reason to getting from Point A to Point B. My first weeks in Finale, I cautiously rode my bike though the gauntlet. In the United States, cars don’t see cyclists, or don’t care. I would wait before every turn and ride as fast as I could by cars parked...