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Escape to a Fairytale Fever Dreamscape at Il Falconiere in Cortona, Tuscany Italy
Luxury Wine Resort in Cortona Tuscany, Italy Story, photos and video by Cassie Hepler Behold the beauty of Il Falconiere Relais & Spa, an elegant 17th-century country residence on the hillsides of Cortona, Tuscany! This was truly a hidden countryside gem in Italy and welcome restful retreat of relaxation, nature and wellness, carefully crafted to be delightful fairytale couture by Silvia and Benedetto Baracchi. Cypress trees, umbrella pines, olive trees and vineyards as far as the eye can see are spotted with stone buildings with terracotta-colored walls while the healthiest, shiniest chickens and roosters roam the grounds. Flowers were blooming everywhere for spring which was intoxicating to the senses. Relais…
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Spend 24 Hours in the Mountain Town of Norcia, Umbria in Italy
Story, photos and video by Cassie Hepler Norcia is located in the mountains of Italy at 6,500 feet altitude! About two and a half hours Northwest of Rome, Norcia is a small town in the east of the province of Perugia, in the central region of Umbria. It is smack dab in the center of the Monti Sibillini National Park, with endless rolling mountains, an ideal destination for nature lovers, hikers and skiers. In 2016, a 6.6-magnitude quake hit the small town shaking up the medieval basilica of St. Benedict in Norcia among other structures and was Italy’s strongest earthquakes in decades. The town is very busy bringing itself back…
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Explore Affordable Luxury on the Italian Riviera at Europa Hotel in Sanremo, Italy
Story, photos and video by Cassie Hepler Flying into Nice, France felt like visiting an old friend even though I was just there last fall! The amount of peace and happy giddiness washed over me as soon as I saw that familiar skyline and sunset. With a pretty smooth flight from Phoenix through British Airways, I had a brief layover in London, England and was soon on my way to my first overnight hotel, safely walkable from the airport even at night. A lot of places will say they have an airport shuttle in both France and Italy so be certain that it actually exists and without hidden fees by…
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Places to Eat in Santa Fe, New Mexico from Frugal to Fancy
Story, photos and videos by Cassie Hepler I love food. Period. It doesn’t matter if it’s from a food truck, my neighbor, a street vendor or a fancy restaurant because I don’t have any food allergies thankfully. This whole hierarchy of travel tracking for only luxury food locations is just gross. Travel is travel. If you are out of your hometown, you are traveling. I don’t care if you’re staying at La Quinta Inn Santa Fe or The Inn of Five Graces, you’re still exploring another culture and this shaming people for traveling on different budgets is just so icky. When I was in my 20s, I was doing a…
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A 300-Day Nomad’s Guide to Why Slow Travel is Superior
Meet Ian Poh Jin Tze from Singapore in Southeast Asia who has quite an impressive resume and has mastered the art of slow travel. If you have no clue what that is, keep reading because it could just change your life. Q: Please tell us about how you became a world traveler? A: I am a storyteller – through the lens of my camera and the rhythm of my pen. For years, I’ve been chasing stories, capturing fleeting moments and uncovering truths that others might overlook. My work has graced the pages of prestigious publications like Singapore Airlines, Eater, Asian Food Network, and Le Cordon Bleu, and I’ve had the privilege of authoring…
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Drink the Pope’s Wine at Châteauneuf du Pape near Avignon, France
Story, photos and video by Cassie Hepler Taste one of the best wines in France at Châteauneuf du Pape! We started with a leisurely lunch at Château des Fines Roches with an outstanding selection of fine French cuisine paired perfectly with each outstanding glass of wine. The red with the chocolate dessert was so decadent, it’s almost felt naughty eating it and enjoying the wine pairing! Only a half hour from Avignon, it makes a great day trip to explore more of the French vineyards and countryside in South of France. Using rocks on top of the soil, it is how they capture the unique and rich earthy flavors in…
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Explore the Largest Medieval Gothic Palace in the World at Palais des Papes in Avignon, France
Story, photos and video by Cassie Hepler After a restful night at Hotel Cloitre Saint Louis in Avignon, France and a hefty European style buffet breakfast with lots of espresso, we were up and at ’em to meet with our fabulous tour guide to take us around the city and explain exactly what we were looking at. This was the end of the South of France press trip so we were getting weary and myself, a bit weak from not having downtime to rest my still healing body. But I instantly liked Manu and a little French birdie told me sometimes he sings for his guests and I enthusiastically asked…
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Stay at Affordable Architectural Gem Medieval Town of Avignon, France
Story, photos and video by Cassie Hepler We hopped back into our upgraded Mercedes van this time with our driver Sophie from Provence Reverie after finishing our absolutely fabulous French Palace experience at Airelles Gordes, La Bastide in Gordes, France. It felt like we were still soaking in all of that dreamy day and then literally we were driving on the streets of Avignon, France. No for real, like the cobblestone streets with these giant, circular cement pillars that rose from the ground where you had to provide a pass to get through. It was rather rad because you’re getting the walking tour, without the walking but also watching the…
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Explore French Palace Airelles Gordes, La Bastide in Gordes, France
Story, photos and video by Cassie Hepler A little awkward here because I was standing cliffside in Gordes, France! This was just the tip of the beauty iceberg as we enjoyed a very chic lunch at Airelles Gordes, La Bastide, a Provençal Palace in the heart of Luberon. Ironically (or not), I was wearing an interior matching dress made in India and the whole palace was dripping in luxury, a lot from other countries because back then collecting exotic items and materials – literally the wallpaper was fabric – was seen as the ultimate status symbol. Mere peasants could only dream of traveling! Every plate a true French masterpiece while…
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Explore 24 Hours in the Beautiful French Provençal Town of Lourmarin, France
Story, photos and video by Cassie Hepler After our amazing experience in Cotignac, France, our press trip group was whisked away by our amazing driver Sophie to experience the charming small town of Lourmarin, France. It is located in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region in Southeastern France. The people who live there are called Lourmarinois, which is très (very) difficult to pronounce. Part of the Luberon region, it is composed of three mountain ranges: Lesser Luberon, Greater Luberon and Eastern Luberon. There’s a whole lot of Lou’s happening here and it can be very confusing – especially when you’re not driving and following maps. Just try to…
