Introducing our Guest Instagrammer: Nicolee Drake in Rome

ROME – The world is watching Rome and the new Pope Francis. We're watching everything else.

Best Day Ever: Rome

ROME – That was fast. Now that the cardinals have picked a new pope, we suggest a walk from the Pantheon toward spaghetti alla carbonara, fried artichokes, and zabaglione with melted chocolate.

Hello, Roma, My Old Friend

ROME – Eiffel Tower? Went up when I was seven. Tower of London? Check. Coliseum? Of course. But what do I really remember? Maybe my child-size visits weren’t enough for a lifetime.

The Archaeologist's Tour of Pagan Rome: A Christmas Story

ROME – An archaeologist living and working in Rome digs underneath the city's holiday traditions.

The Sweetest Bite in Sicily

SICILY – An olive oil producer tracks down a centuries-old recipe for torrone, an Italian Christmas confection.

The World's Best Vintage Hermès Shop

PARMA, Italy – The designer names are (almost) overwhelming: Chanel, Cavalli, Balenciaga, Gucci, Vuitton. But I come for only one: Hermès. I don't know if I should curtsy or applaud.

Pantelleria: Italy's Anti-Capri

PANTELLERIA, Italy – If true escape is what you're looking for, Pantelleria is your place. The bleak ruggedness of the island, the anti-Capri of it all, makes it worth the flight from Rome.

Innkeeper's Tales: When in Italy

Summer is travel-to-Italy season. What does that mean? You will meet a new pasta shape. You will yell at the GPS. And you'll wonder if you're in the right Monte. And that's just the beginning.

Literary Excerpt: "A Traveler in Italy"

"I forgot that I was looking at the ruin of a picture and thought I might be seeing it when Leonardo was slowly, and bit by bit, building it up." An excerpt from H.V. Morton's "A Traveler in Italy."

New Shop: Rome

ROME – Can't get to Piazza di Spagna in time for an afternoon gelato? Live la dolce vita wherever you are — even if that means an ice cream on your neighbor's stoop.

Postcards tagged: Italy