A recent invitation to explore Versilia in Tuscany had me expecting corn fields and countryside, traditional Italian cooking, and picnics after a good days hike. I’m sure you can do all those things quite easily, but this trip to Tuscany was a little alternative…
You can see my musings and photos from Tuscany in the trip write-up for BudgetTraveller.org, called ‘Five ways Versilia won’t be the Tuscany you expected’, and below I’m publishing a few more photos from Versilia that show yet more of the alternative side to Tuscany.…

Earlier this year I spent a month studying Italian in Rome, taking two weeks of lessons at an Italian language school. I made some great progress there and in Sicily afterwards, gabbing away in my patchy Italian whenever I had an excuse.
Whether you prefer to learn the language before you visit a place or you don’t mind jumping into the deep end, here’s why I think you should learn Italian in Italy…, and Rome in particular.

Recently, a few travel bloggers and I made a Youtube video full of great travel photography tips for beginners. Using Google Plus, we recorded a live streaming ‘Hangout On Air’ on the subject of travel photography; what camera to buy, what camera equipment is best for backpacking, and how to take the best photos in different situations.
In this episode of Room For Travel…, your hosts are Alexander Koval from Out-n-About.de, Ash Clark from TheMostAlive.com, Flavio Alagia from NonSoloTuristi.it, and myself  - Peter Parkorr, from Travel Unmasked.

When I spent a few months in India in 2010, I visited the Namdroling Monastery Golden Temple in Bylakuppe, the home to thousands of Tibetan monks, not far from Mysore in Karnataka. I recently guest-posted a photo essay from the day trip on the site of my friend and fellow blogger Steve. Head over there to see the rest of my photographs from Namdroling Monastery on back-packer.org.…

While I was in Rome at the end of May, I decided to spend the best part of 36 hours straight making a short video showing some of the great food experiences I’d been having in Italy. So here is my video of handmade Italian pasta and fresh pizza that I hope look good enough to eat.
Featuring the expert pasta maker Sfoglina Luisa of Bologna making fresh pasta by hand, fellow tourists making their own pizzas on a food tour of Campo di Fiori in Rome, and some scenes from the lovely towns of Piacenza and Bobbio in Emilia Romagna.…