Are you one of the many who dream of visiting the Blue Grotto (Grotta Azzura) on the Isle of Capri just off of the Amalfi Coast in Italy? I was too.

The Blue Grotto is a seemingly magical cave on Capri. When inside, the light coming from outside the cave reflects off of the white cavern floor giving the water a fluorescent blue color that seems to have been sent from the heavens. It should be on everyone’s list of places to see before they die. Unfortunately, most tourists are sent home disappointed, as the grotto is frequently closed due to high tides or rough seas. It’s too bad they did not know the secret.

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It’s the best time of year for foodies in Italy. The Barbera grapes are being harvested, the Nebbiolo will be picked soon, but right now, we can find winter (white) truffles being sold on the streets and in markets all around Piemonte! Of course the center of activity is in Alba, where people are getting ready for the International White Truffle Festival to open up. In the mean time, however, there are plenty of offerings to be had. I found wonderful cheeses flavored with these rare white truffles to be a perfect match for the Barbaresco wines of the region. The Toma infused with white truffle seemed to be the best.

Italy’s culinary prize, the white truffle, comes into season from late September until mid November each year. Chefs and celebrities from around the world will bid thousands of Euro for these underground tubers, enhancing the flavor of everything from breakfast to desserts.

Watch the video above as Mario and Rocky take us White Truffle Hunting

Debbie and Barry at Carnevale

To wear a mask was considered a sign of freedom and breach of all social rules imposed by the Republic of Venice. In Venice it embodied - more than anywhere else - the need of playing, of gambling and enjoying life. In fact, Oscar Wilde once said, "Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him mask, and he will tell you the truth."