Wednesday Wanderlust and A Winner!

 

The winner of the lovely mother/daughter travel memoir We'll Always Have Paris is...Marsha from Splenderosa!!! Congratulations, Marsha...send me an e-mail with your address and I will ship the book to you today!

 

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Today's Wednesday Wanderlust transports us to a part of Italy not often visited by tourists...and to a hotel owned by none other than famed movie director,

Francis Ford Coppola.

 

 

Palazzo Margherita is located in Bernalda, Italy (halfway between the toe and the heel in the "boot" which is Italy). While the nearby region of Puglia has become more popular recently, Bernalda is one of a few beautiful towns where the food and wine have remained authentic and untouched by mass tourism. The townspeople welcome visitors with a genuine hospitality that makes every guest feel like a local.

 

 

Built in 1892 by the Margherita family, Palazzo Margherita is a true 19th century palazzo. The town was the birthplace and home to Agostino Coppola, Francis Ford Coppola's grandfather, who always referred to it affectionately as "Bernalda bella." Francis purchased the Palazzo in 2004 with the desire to transform it into a small, luxurious Italy boutique hotel, believing it was time to introduce visitors to this stunning and still undiscovered region.

 

 

 

One of my "bucket" list trips is to take a cooking class in Italy...Palazzo Margherita offers daily classes and demonstrations in the Palazzo Kitchen.

 

 

What is on your travel "bucket list"? Have you ever taken a cooking class while traveling? I would love it if you would share your own travel dreams and personal experiences!

 

(All photos via Virtuoso and Palazzo Margherita)