Tuesday, April 01, 2008

Podcast #16 - Folk music from Milan


I CantaMilano are an Italian folk group performing traditional and popular songs from Milan. The lyrics are sometimes in local dialect and they tend to narrate romantic and fun stories of how simple people used to live in the past. I had the pleasure to record a few songs from them during a brief visit to Milan a few months ago.


Listen / Download this episode in MP3 format
(12Mb - 16:41 mins)

Don't miss future podcasts!

Labels: , ,

Sunday, March 09, 2008

Podcast #15 - Learn Italian with free podcasts


Podcasts are a wonderful way to learn a new language, and luckily there are several good shows that focus on Italian. My favorites are My Daily Phrase Italian and LearnItalianPod. If you own an iPod or other MP3 player, you can take advantage of this medium to listen to Italian conversations while you are driving, commuting to work or just walking your dog.
It's powerful, effective and free.

In this episode, I interviewed Max Braglia, producer of the popular and successful language show LearnItalianPod.
Max shared with me some interesting insights on his podcast, how it all started and how he plans to evolve it in the future. Enjoy!


Listen / Download this episode in MP3 format
(11Mb - 15:37 mins)

Don't miss future podcasts!

Labels: ,

Friday, January 04, 2008

Podcast #14 - The Italian truffle


The truffle (tartufo in Italian) is a rare type of edible mushroom, or fungus that develops underground in relation to and dependent on the root of a tree. In ancient times truffles were considered the food of the Gods, with powerful aphrodisiac properties, much favoured by the passionate Jove.

The subject matter expert of this podcast is Mauro Mencaroni of Giuliano Tartufi, an Italian shop specialized in truffle products. He'll share some interesting insights about this very expensive garnish.

Please note that this interview is conducted in Italian.
We'd love to hear your feedback if you like us to continue producing from time to time some podcasts in Italian too.


Listen / Download this episode in MP3 format
(6Mb - 8:21 mins)

Don't miss future podcasts!

Labels: ,

Thursday, October 11, 2007

Podcast #13 - Trentino region and Dolomites


Dolomites, lakes, skiing and mountain climbing. Trentino region is located in the heart of the Italian Alps and is a mecca for active sport lovers.
In this podcast interview, Katia Vinco of the Trentino tourism office, describes a variety of opportunities to enjoy this area throughout the year.

Labels: , ,

Sunday, July 29, 2007

Podcast #12 - Torino and Piemonte region


Torino (or Turin in English) is the capital of Piemonte, a region in Northern Italy surrounded on three sides by the Alps. Piemonte hosted the 2006 Olympic Winter Games, and is renown for its local specialties such as Alba's white truffle, prestigious wines such as Barolo and Asti Spumante, the Gianduja chocolate, and a whole lot more.

In this podcast interview, Angelo Feltrin of the Piemonte Tourism Office, summarizes some of the key attractions that this area has to offer to foreign visitors.


Listen / Download this episode in MP3 format
(7Mb - 10:02 mins)

Labels: , ,

Wednesday, June 06, 2007

Podcast #11 - More folk music from Sicily

Ciuri d'Acantu folk group from Sicily
This podcast is a recording of the folk group Ciuri d'Acantu performing traditional Sicilian songs and dances on the floor of the International Travel Expo. Originally from Campobello di Mazara, the Ciuri d'Acantu performers picture in their representations the rural lifestyle of farmers and fishermen, as well as love stories of young people.


Listen / Download this episode in MP3 format
(9.4Mb - 13:19 mins)

Labels: , ,

Saturday, June 02, 2007

Podcast #10 - Italy bike tours

Massimo Ostrouska discusses bike tours in Italy
Are you considering an 'active vacation' in Italy such as a bike tour of Tuscany? Then listen to this audio interview with Massimo Ostrouska, a former bicycle tour lead who shares his insights on getting to know Italy on two wheels.
Bicycle tour companies mentioned in this podcast are Ciclismo Classico, BackRoads, Bike Riders and Butterfield & Robinson.


Listen / Download this episode in MP3 format
(11Mb - 15:09 mins)

Labels: ,

Friday, May 25, 2007

Our podcast about Italy on iTunes

Podcast ranking on iTunes
I'd like to share some positive facts regarding our New Media efforts to disseminate useful tips and information about Italy and its culture. Since we listed our podcast on iTunes just 3 months ago, we have been enjoying a steady growth in our audience.
In fact, under the iTunes category Places & Travel, we rank #8, ahead of bigger brands like Frommers and Lonely Planet.
More important, the 35 customer reviews received so far rate our shows a 4.5/5 stars. Here is an excerpt from their comments:

"Very fun and informative. And never boring as many podcasts can easily lean that way."

"The author and his wife have the unique ability to offer an insight from both American & Italian perspective. The podcasts offer many insights not available from the usual travel guides."

"Excellent. This is exactly what I was looking for. I'll be living in Italy for 3 years and wanted something besides the standard travel book to go a little deeper into the culture and sights. This is it!"

"Love it! I live in Italy and this podcast is right on the mark. Very entertaining and accurate."

"Subscribe to this podcast if you plan on going to Italy!"

"I highly recommend this podcast because it's for people who hate being tourists."

Silvia podcasting
My daughter Silvia has started podcasting too. Her passion is to communicate Italian tips to the younger audience. Every audio episode takes on average 3 hours to plan, record and publish. Video episodes usually require twice as much time.

If you own an iPod and/or have iTunes installed, it's easy to subscribe to our podcast. And if you want to help us keep our shows ad-free, we always welcome your support thru the purchase of our eBook. Grazie!!

Labels: , ,

Podcast #9 - The Island of Capri


Capri is a very popular tourist location for both Italians and foreigners. Situated on the southern side of the Gulf of Naples in the Campania region, it has been a celebrated beauty spot and resort since the time of the Roman Republic.
In this epsiode, Lorena de Pascale of the Capri tourism office is guiding us through some important facts and attractions of the island. Don't miss their photo gallery too.


Listen / Download this episode in MP3 format
(7.7Mb - 10:58 mins)

Labels: ,

Thursday, May 17, 2007

Podcast #8: Undiscovered Naples


In this podcast I interview Gaetano Gambardella of Napoli Mare, a new project that mixes cultural initiatives, events and itineraries linked to the theme of the sea. The goal is to introduce tourists to the spectacular beauty, cultural and gastronomic traditions of the Bay of Naples.


Listen / Download this episode in MP3 format
(6.8Mb - 9:42 mins)

Labels: ,

Monday, May 07, 2007

Podcast #7 - Folk music from Sicily


Alessandro Castro is a Sicilian musician I met at the International Travel Expo. He kindly agreed to perform some folk songs for me using his accordion (fisarmonica) and Jew's harp (scacciapensieri). Enjoy!


Listen / Download this episode in MP3 format
(5.4Mb - 7:31 mins)

Labels: , ,

Sunday, April 15, 2007

Podcast #6 - Sicily


Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean sea and one of the twenty Italian regions. At the International Travel Expo, I met dr. Jerry Pilarski, an American professor who moved to the city of Trapani in Sicily more than two decades ago. In this interview, Jerry gives us a great summary of what Sicily has to offer to tourists.
If you like our podcasts, feel free to send us a note and / or leave a review on iTunes.

Labels: , ,

Wednesday, April 04, 2007

Podcast #5 - Matera and Basilicata region


In this show, Enzo Montemurro of Culture Lucane talks about Matera and the region of Basilicata in southern Italy. Enzo was our private guide during a tour of I Sassi, the old part of the city where the houses were dug into the rock many centuries ago.
Watch some panoramic photos of I Sassi.


Listen / Download this episode in MP3 format
(6.3Mb - 8:56 mins)

We welcome your feedback and suggestions for future shows. Please write to paolo@tosolini.com.

Labels: , ,

Friday, March 16, 2007

Podcast #4 - Francesca Tosolini comments her eBook about the Italian culture


In this show, my wife Francesca Tosolini reviews the new 2007 release of her eBook Italy From The Inside: The Definitive Survival Guide for travelers. She explains why this eBook is different than traditional guidebooks and what triggered the effort to write this unique publication.
We welcome your feedback and suggestions for future shows. Please write to paolo@tosolini.com.

Labels: ,

Podcast #3 - Friuli Venezia Giulia region


This show is about my region, Friuli Venezia Giulia. I interview Sabina Basile of Pansepol Travel, an agency specializing on local theme tours, including excursions in the nearby Slovenia and Croatia.


Listen / Download this episode in MP3 format
(8.8Mb - 13 mins)

We welcome your feedback and suggestions for future shows. Please write to paolo@tosolini.com.

Labels: ,

Friday, February 16, 2007

Our podcasts are now featured in iTunes


Enjoying our audio podcasts and videos? If you own an iPod, you can now subscribe to our episodes directly in iTunes. Just click the button below to launch our feature page. And if you like the shows, please leave us a brief iTunes review too!

Labels: ,

Wednesday, February 07, 2007

Podcast #2 - I Trulli of Alberobello


In this show, Lusi De Carlo of TrulliHoliday.com talks about the famous Trulli of Alberobello, a small town in Southern Italy enlisted in the UNESCO World Heritage list.


Listen / Download this episode in MP3 format
(4.5Mb - 10 mins)

We welcome your feedback and suggestions for future shows. Please write to paolo@tosolini.com.

Labels: , ,

Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Podcast #1 - Practical tips to travel in Italy with trains

We're happy to announce our first episode of the Italy From The Inside podcast series. In this show we cover:
- Introduction of this podcast series and your host (Paolo)
- A few practical tips to travel in Italy with trains
- Overview of a market research by the Italian Trade Commission
- A two-minute Italian lesson on purchasing a train ticket


Listen / Download this episode in MP3 format
(6Mb -12 mins)

We welcome your feedback and suggestions for future shows. Please write to paolo@tosolini.com.

Labels: , , ,