John Henderson's Travel Adventures in Rome and Beyond

April 14, 2026

Arezzo: Tuscany’s “other” city a little artistic jewel

Marina and I at Vasari Cafè on Piazza Grande.

In lieu of my cancelled birthday trip to Maldive Islands, we spent four days at a spa in Tuscany. It was a terrific save. The town of Arezzo is a little-known city overshadowed by Florence and Siena in Tuscany. Arezzo is a growing arts center with a terrific restaurant scene and a unique sloping main piazza which adds to the quirkiness of the place. Of course, soaking in a Jacuzzi in a luxury spa didn’t hurt, either.

April 7, 2026

Tuscany beyond Chianti: Discovering other wines while winery hopping off the beaten Tuscan path

Everyone who goes wine tasting in Tuscany wants Chianti and Sangiovese. However, there are hundreds of fantastic Tuscan wines you’ve never heard of. While on my 70th birthday celebration in the charming Tuscan town of Arezzo last week, Marina and I went winery hopping for two days. We found some wines that fly under the radar that shouldn’t.

April 3, 2026

Italy reels in shame as it’s three strikes and it’s out of the World Cup again

I watched Italy’s pratfall in Bosnia from a pub in Tuscany and am seeing the vile aftermath of it missing its unprecedented third straight World Cup. The manager, delegation head and federation chief are all out. The next steps are what to do next and it goes all the way down to the youth level. I take a quick look at the latest Italian soccer crisis.

March 31, 2026

Turning 70: How a war turned a birthday week in the Maldives into three days in Tuscany

I fully intended to be sitting on a sandy beach in the Maldives while you’re reading this. Turns out, I’ll likely be sipping a glass of wine at a Tuscan winery. I turned 70 Sunday. The Iran War poleaxed my birthday plans as flying to the Maldives through Doha became impossible. But I think I’ll survive with three nights in a spa in Tuscany. This goes down as one of my many landmark birthdays that turned into disappointment. But since moving to Rome in 2014, my birthdays have remarkably improved.

March 27, 2026

Fall colors: Seven great spots from Oregon to Vermont

I tell Europeans that the best time to visit the United States is in the fall. That’s when the famous fall colors put the U.S. on the map of the most beautiful places in the world. The Georgia CFY editorial team put together a list of seven great places to view the fall colors. It’s my guest blog this week.

March 24, 2026

Italy soccer: Can Italians miss their third straight World Cup?

In what would be one of the greatest embarrassments in international sport, Italy faces the prospect of missing its third straight World Cup, unprecedented for a former World Cup champion. The winner of four World Cups, Italy hosts Northern Ireland Thursday in a four-team playoff for one of the last World Cup bids. If they win, they’ll travel to the winner of the match between Wales and Bosnia-Herzegovina. The odds are in Italy’s favor. But they were in 2022 and 2018 also.

March 17, 2026

Rome fountains: My five favorites — and they’re free!

On Feb. 2, Rome started charging visitors €2 to get close to Trevi Fountain. Why? It was getting too crowded. It’s still too crowded. But there are 2,000 other fountains in Rome to enjoy. Here are my five favorites, all in interesting parts of the city.

March 11, 2026

An Iranian voice in Rome: Culture chief defends his nation in the throes of a deadly war

Two thousand miles from where the U.S. and Israel are peppering Iran with bombs, an Iranian in Rome waves his flag. Seyed Majid Emami is the culture chief at Rome’s Istituto Culturale dell’Iran and he says Iran’s resolve will win in the end. I sat down with him Tuesday to discuss the war that has engulfed us all.

March 10, 2026

Italy and Iran: It will help allies but Meloni declares “We are not at war”

As an American in Italy, I’m deeply connected to the war in the Middle East. With rockets flying across the region, we are scheduled to fly through Doha, Qatar, March 24 on our way to the Maldive Islands. But as a nation, Italy is already being affected by higher gas prices and blocked trade routes. Meanwhile, prime minister Giorgia Meloni declared she will not let Italy get dragged into the war.

March 9, 2026

Escaping Dubai: An American-Italian describes his ordeal getting out during a war

When the Iran War broke out Feb. 28, thousands were stranded in the Middle East, particularly Dubai where Iran bombed the airport. Domenico Marino, whom I know from our membership in the Travelers’ Century Club, was one of those passengers. He has a harrowing tale of waiting for a flight — any flight — out of a war zone. This is the first of a three-part series on the Iran War from an Italy perspective.

March 6, 2026

Learning Italian: Through Rome markets, cafés and small talk

Learning Italian is very difficult but learning a little is essential if you’re visiting Italy, particularly Rome where few speak English. Rome is a good place to learn. Markets, bars and public transportation are perfect places to learn and practice a few handy phrases. Here’s a list of tips to study before your next journey.

March 3, 2026

Edicolas: Death of the Italian newsstand as sad as the news it sells

One of my favorite routines in Rome is going to my local edicola (newsstand), buying my Corriere dello Sport and reading it at my corner Romagnani Caffe’ with a cappuccino and fagottino. But, alas, the edicola is dying in Italy. Few people read anymore. No one wants to wake early every day and sell a few newspapers. This is my look into a dying Italian tradition.

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