A Night Fishing Story + Upcoming Live Events
Get the dates for the August and September Q&A's and Destination Deep Dives
I really love it when I make a bold suggestion during a Trip Consultation and the client takes me up on it, going very far off the beaten path. A traveler I’ve worked with twice now wrote to me on Instagram after her experience fishing and feasting under the stars deep in the Cilento.
I wrote about La Lamparata last spring, where you shadow anchovy fishermen who still work with handheld nets by lamplight. Then your boat takes you to a private cove where dinner is prepared for you with the fresh catch. The fishermen clean the fish right in front of you while you hang out, dance, and prepare to feast. While it’s absolutely designed for tourists, you’re participating in a tradition that tells a distinct story about history, nature, and food. It’s one of those experiences that makes you feel like you’re traveling alongside Anthony Bourdain, or maybe Ernest Hemingway, since he also spent time in Cilento, where locals say he was inspired to write The Old Man and the Sea. It’s also why I tell people that August is a fantastic time to travel to Italy, if you’re willing to deviate from the usual destinations of Florence, Venice, and Rome. La Lamparata is something you can only do in the summer.
Upcoming Live Sessions
Because of the end-of-summer holidays, our schedule shifts slightly this month:
Ask Me Anything (AMA): Thursday, August 28
Destination Deep Dive: Matera: Thursday, September 4
Ask Me Anything (AMA): Thursday, September 18
Destination Deep Dive: Location TBA: Thursday, September 25
As always, Zoom links will be sent to all paid subscribers the day before the event.
Why Subscribe?
Subscribers not only support this work, but also gain access to these live sessions—spaces to ask your own Italy travel questions, connect with fellow travelers, and go deeper into Italy’s culture, history, and food traditions.
If you’ve been enjoying the stories and would like to participate in the live community, I’d love to have you join us.
Coming This Week
Stay tuned for a brand-new podcast episode about the upcoming Fra Angelico exhibition in Florence.
Fra Angelico is my absolute favorite painter. The spirituality and sense of calm radiating from his works are unlike anything else. Standing before one of his paintings feels like being invited into silence and light at the same time. The Museo di San Marco is such a jewel in Florence: not crowded with tourists chasing a checklist, but filled with people genuinely seeking contemplation. I won't miss the exhibition.
shadow anchovy fishermen who work with handheld nets by lamplight? sounds like my kind of scene