Italy: 'What's Not to Like?' With Steve Perillo

Places I Remember with Lea Lane

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Steve Perillo, a third-generation owner of America's biggest tour company to Italy, figures he's traveled there over a hundred times. Steve brings expertise and humor as he and Lea share glorious travel memories from Milan to Sicily, and offer a charming overview of this blessed travel destination. What's not to love?
-- Steve talks about Adam Sandler playing him on Saturday Night Live, but goes on to list the myriad qualities that make Italy a just-about-perfect travel destination, and reminds us that it's an ancient crossroads of the Mediterranean. We even talk about a few of Italy's negatives, including the VAT tax.
-- Italy may be compact and easy to get around, but each region offers something special. These include:
-- Milan and the Lake District, including the Galleria, La Scala and The Last Supper in Milan, and the prettiest villages and grand hotels in the Lake District.
-- Venice, with Murano, Burano and the ancient cities of the region, including romantic Padua and Verona.
-- Tuscany, with Florence, Siena, Lucca, fishing villages and Pisa; nearby Umbria, with Assisi and Perugia.
-- Rome, with its ancient wonders and its pasta!
__ The food and beauty of Italy's Amalfi Coast, with Naples, Capri, Sorrento.
-- Sicily, the largest island in the Med, with its special treasures.
-- Steve gives us more basic travel tips about traveling to Italy, and then tells us of his favorite memory, involving a helicopter and an ancient high-rise Tuscan town.
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Steve Perillo is the president and owner of Perillo Tours, America’s leading travel company to Italy. A lifelong apprentice to his father, the legendary Mario Perillo who was also known as “Mr. Italy,” Steve represents the third generation of his family’s 75 year-old business. Steve is also a respected classical composer.
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Podcast host Lea Lane has traveled to over 100 countries, written many travel books, including Places I Remember, and has contributed to dozens of guidebooks. She's @lealane on Twitter, Travelea on Instagram, and blogs about travel at forbes.com. Contact her at placesirememberlealane.com.
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Follow Places I Remember with Lea Lane wherever you listen to podcasts. New travel episodes every otherTuesday. And please consider reviewing us on Apple!

Chapters

1. Italy: 'What's Not to Like?' With Steve Perillo (00:00:00)

2. Adam Sandler played Steve on SNL; traveling to Italy 127 times (00:01:21)

3. Qualities that make Italy so beloved (00:02:16)

4. Cultures are different in each region (00:03:57)

5. VAT tax (00:04:13)

6. Milan and the Lake District (00:04:47)

7. Venice (00:07:05)

8. Tuscany, inlcuding Florence, Siena, Lucca, Pisa and the towns and villages (00:09:13)

9. Umbria, including Assisi and Perugia (00:11:00)

10. Rome (00:11:49)

11. Pasta, and the Slow Food Movement (00:14:35)

12. The Amalfi Coast, with Naples, Sorrento, Capri (00:16:16)

13. Sicily (00:18:56)

14. More general advice (00:20:08)

15. Steve's special memory (00:21:33)