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If you’ve ever been in charge of planning a trip for yourself or others, you know how involved it is and how much time it takes. To some, the idea of a travel advisor might seem out of their reach or perhaps too good to be true. Well, allow me to give you just a […]

Travel

5 Reasons Using a Travel Advisor is a Must in 2021

While traveling to Africa, I glanced out the window of the Airbus 380 at the exact moment we crossed over from the Mediterranean Sea into Africa. Algeria was 39,000 feet below and the only thing to see was miles and miles of desert. For the next several hours, the view below changed from sand, to […]

Travel

Traveling To Africa

Elephants

Are you one of those people that loves to get behind the wheel of a car and go places? Does the thought of hours in a car excite you? And you look forward to practicing your Zen breathing while in traffic? Or are you someone who would rather leave the driving to someone else and […]

Travel

17 Things to Know About Driving In Italy

Tips for driving in Italy

Just reading the word Tuscany brings up all sorts of things in one’s mind – red wine, charming villages and breathtaking scenery to start. And if you read “truffle hunt in Tuscany”, it takes that image of Tuscany and elevates it to a whole different level. Cate and Anne are two of my closest and […]

Travel

A Truffle Hunt in Tuscany

Starting with Ireland… Ireland had long been on my bucket list. March weather there is rather cold and damp, but I was going with my friend Joanne, a college professor who had spring break week off. So we packed our woolies, raincoats, gloves, hats and umbrellas and soldiered on. And the beauty visiting this time […]

Travel

A Wee Bit of Ireland and Scotland

  FICO Eataly World, the big daddy of Italian food and drink is set to open in Bologna.  FICO short for Fabbrica Italiana Contadina and Eataly will be the largest Italian marketplace and agri-food park in the world. “FICO-Italy for the world to see” is their tagline. Opening day is November 15th and I was lucky […]

Travel

FICO Eataly World

FICO Logo

Learning Italian has been my work in progress for many years. I can give a long list of excuses reasons why I’m not at the level I would like to be such as it’s not an easy language (14 verb tenses), type A personalities like myself want everything to be perfect before we even attempt it, it’s […]

Travel

My Week at Italian Language School in Bologna

Bologan

All I knew was that I wanted to go to Sicily. It was at the top of my list of places to visit, but I knew traveling to Sicily wasn’t going to be like traveling to the rest of Italy. It’s big, has history spanning thousands of years and a train system that wasn’t going to […]

Travel

Traveling In Sicily

Market in Sicily

“You’re going where?”, one of our guests was asked by a friend. “Lake Como? Say hi to George for me (chuckle, chuckle)”. “No”, he replied. “We’re going to Lake Garda.” “Where’s that?”, responded the friend. Well, if you’re a regular reader of this blog, you already know that Lake Garda is the largest lake in […]

Travel

Postcards from Lake Garda 2016

Group at San Rocco

Mother Nature is a strange bird – one year ago the grape harvest was in full swing for our Prosecco Tour. This year, the long hot summer delayed the harvest a week which the experts say will make for an excellent Prosecco year. Seeing the vines full and heavy with juicy grapes ripening in the glorious Italian […]

Travel, Wine and Cocktails

Postcards from Prosecco Tour 2016

Group in Prosecco Vineyard

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At Ortensia Blu, we design true adventures. This is adventure that takes you to the heart of your destination—without sacrificing an ounce of comfort along the way. Our adventures come from knowing the right people (a.k.a. our expert in-country partners), asking the right questions, and being there for you every step of the journey.

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