About Ashley ...................................................

In June 1990 I arrived in Rome. With no Italian heritage and speaking
not a word of the language, I was completely unprepared for what was to
happen next. The minute I stepped out of the taxi I fell in love. Not
with a person but with a people and their country. Italy became my one
true passion (I had no husband or children at the time) and from that
moment I have dedicated my professional life to sharing this passion
with others. I studied in Florence for 6 months, lived in Rome for 5
years and worked throughout Italy as a tour guide. As a guide it was a
thrill to me to be able to introduce the beauty, culture and lifestyle
of cities like Assisi, Florence, Padova and Venice to travelers. I
spent 10 years in a travel office designing trips and itineraries to
Italy for large groups and have finally realized my dream to bring
authentic Italy to travelers who want to get more out of a trip than
just photos in front of monuments.

My goal is not only to show you Italy and its art, history and
beauty, but to show you the Italians - who they are, why they do the
things they do and what it means to live in a country that holds 70% of
the world's cultural goods. I want you to come home with a greate understanding of la vita italiana
(the Italian style of life). Experience the joy of gathering around a
table for hours, of relishing life's small details and of appreciating
the genius of Italian artistry in everything from shop windows to
Michelangelo's masterpieces. By doing so I hope you return home with a
feeling that your life has been enriched by this experience and maybe,
just maybe, you will incorporate la dolce vita into your own everyday life.

To read my regular musings about Italy and things Italian, check out Live It Italy's blog.