Tuula Rampont, Author at Travel Belles

Beach Hopping in Sardinia

A visit to Cala Gonone, Sardinia If anyone would have told me a few years ago that I’d be taking a trip to Sardinia (Sardegna), I’d surely have laughed at them and then probably inquired what they’d been drinking. As far as travels go, I’d always…

Piedmont,Italy: Food Lover’s Tour of the Region

Take two ex-Italy dwellers who have a healthy curiosity about regional cuisine, who happen - no surprise - to be major Italian food lovers. Toss in a great itinerary in Italy's Piedmont region, add a very compact European car, and you have the makings for a pretty decent road trip.

Sunday in Rome:Mixing Art & Brunch at the Chiostro del Bramante

Ahh, bella Roma. Perhaps no other European city is as much a delight for the senses as this sprawling Italian capital. Enough art, beauty, and culinary wonders can be found within the square-mile that constitutes the city center to make any well-intentioned traveler’s head spin; and as the old Italian saying goes, “Roma, non basta una vita” – Rome, a lifetime is not enough.

Place de la Concorde and a Chic Breakdown in Paris

As I was ambling through the Tuileries Gardens one vaguely hot summer afternoon last August (crumb-filled patisserie bag in hand), I was more than delighted to come across this “breakdown” scene smack-dab on the Place de la Concorde. Of course not so delighted for the poor men who were stuck in the sun with their now-defunct car, but delighted that I was having one of those fabulous travel moments that allows us to escape reality for even a split second…and dream.

Chocolate Festival In Italy: Eurochocolate Festival In Perugia

Forget the sweeping views of the Umbrian countryside, the exquisite architecture, and the inspired regional dishes. People flock to this decidedly chilly hill-town for one thing and one thing only: chocolate.

Living in the Slow Food Lane in Bra, Italy

We wondered strongly if all this fine-living was accessible to the average traveler, so packing up our wondrously-small Renault Clio, we hit the road with only our trusty Lonely Planet, and pasta-loving appetites, to guide us. Unfortunately, the truffle pig had to stay at home.

Galeries Lafayette: Food And Foodie Heaven In Paris

Galerie Lafayette + Food = LOVE! More than scarves and perfume await you here: I wouldn't really consider myself a serious shopper. I usually have a get-in/get-out game plan when I go to department stores that used to see me hitting the 50% off rack…