Italy from the Inside

Groupon in Italy

It has been a while that I wanted to write a post about Groupon Italy, first because up until a few weeks ago I didn’t even know that Groupon has already crossed the ocean and landed in Italy, second because I wanted to share with you the offers we receive here.

So, when I checked my emails today and I found this, I thought that it was worth sharing, especially considering that many of you have probably already started planning their vacation for the upcoming summer (and that the chance of driving a Formula car doesn’t happen every day!).

Groupon Italy has also a section dedicated to travel, where you can find interesting proposals that can take you off the beaten path, learning about places that you didn’t even know existed, but are worth visiting (and, believe me, in Italy there are so many of them…). Take this, for example: a Spa in Acqui Terme (near Alessandria), a Golf Hotel on the Lake Garda, a Spa in Sorrento (near Naples), or an ancient monastery near Urbino, in Umbria.

Groupon viaggiMy favorite would definitely be the monastery in Umbria, how about you?

Discover Puglia, the region of Trulli and the “burrata”

Trulli of Alberobello. Image credit: Trulli Holiday

I’ve recently read an article about an Italian resort Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel chose to get married. The place is called Borgo Egnazia and it is located in Apulia (Puglia), a region that few tourists know, but that is rich in history, culture and local traditions. The article gave me the idea to write this blog post, as well as the fact that we visited Puglia a few years ago and loved every minute of it. We ate excellent food (obviously) and stayed in a trullo, a characteristic stone building, that is the signature of Alberobello, a small town that in 1996 has been added to the Unesco World Heritage List.

Map of Puglia. Image credit: About.com

We tasted the delicious burrata, a kind of mozzarella with a creamy heart.

Burrata pugliese. Image credit: Ceglie in Cucina

And the orecchiette, also typical of this region.

Orecchiette. Image credit: ItalianFood.net

Puglia is not very far from Rome, so it is an easy stop you might want to consider if you happen to be in that area and have some extra days. However, if you prefer to be guided by an experienced insider and discover the best of this fantastic region, check out Valentina Cirasola‘s tours. And if you plan to stay in a trullo, our podcast interview with Trulli Holiday will give you some valuable insights.
We are sure you will love Puglia, as we did.

The Italian concept of fast food: Lasagnam

This is an information that I pass on to you, but that I haven’t tried first hand. It’s something I learned watching TV a few days ago, and since I think it is a quite smart business initiative, I thought you may find it useful as I do.

There’s a Lasagna fast food in Rome, near the Colosseum, called Lasagnam, which sells fast, genuine dishes freshly made every day. Fatto a mano con amore ogni giorno (hand made with love every day) is their motto and according to the reviews on Tripadvisor it is highly rated (4 stars out of 5).

They make 10 different kinds of lasagne (one even with boar meat)

But also polpette

And specialties like fiori di zucca (whose recipe you can find on my design blog)

As you can see, they have a quite interesting selection on their menu:

Besides, the venue itself is modern and fresh (which is also important, at least for a design freak like myself).

So, if you ever happen to be in Rome and want to try it out, let me know. I’m curious to hear your opinion about it.

PS: They also have a Facebook page in case you want to start following them.