Europe

We Traveled to Irsina, Italy to Find a Family Home—Here’s What Happened

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As you may know, I have planned numerous Italy vacations, including a few with around 10 people. In 2025, however, I was asked to plan the most important one yet – a 10-person trip to Italy to visit an ancestral home in the tiny town of Irsina, Italy! Challenged accepted.

In this post, I’m sharing how our time in Irsina played out—and how you might plan a similar Italian roots-seeking experience of your own.

The whole family – plus me and Dan – in Irsina, Italia. WE MADE IT!

IRSINA, ITALIA

Irsina, Italy is a tiny, hilltop town in Basilicata. It is about 45 minutes from Matera by car, which is likely the closest city to Irsina that you know. The population is only around 5,000 people, including some ex-pats from the US (Irsina was the subject of an interesting CNN article in 2023 discussing its ex-pat community).

From its hilltop perch, Irsina over looks a sweeping grain plateau, which produces much of the pasta used in Italy(!). Given that fact, the city’s economy is, not surprisingly, largely based on agriculture. Tourism is an afterthought at best. Indeed, I did not see a single tourist-centric shop (or honestly even an open shop) during our time in Irsina.

Some of the grain fields surrounding Irsina. They are quite majestic.

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Best Restaurants in Naxos Town (Chora): Where to Eat in Naxos, Greece

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I spent part of last summer’s Greek vacation on Naxos, an island in the Cyclades, which I absolutely loved. While its popular and certainly on the tourist circuit, I had trouble finding reliable information on restaurants in Naxos town, or Chora. This post details good restaurant finds in Naxos, Greece.

Naxos’ Chora.

THE NAXOS APOTHECARY

The Naxos Apothecary is an upscale restaurant in Naxos town located close to the Portara, evening offering Portara views from most tables. It is also famous as being owned by the people that own the famous makeup and skin care brand, Korres (Naxos Apothecary is its upscale sister company). The Naxos Apothecary restaurant doubles as a beauty store and serves excellent, modern Naxian fare. This was probably my favorite restaurant in Naxos, possibly tied with To Souvlaki Sou Makis. I wrote a whole post on our dinner here. Food was great, as were the wine and views. I would absolutely return.

Portara views from the Naxos Apothecary.

Amazing Naxian salad at the Naxos Apothecary.

An incredible Naxian peach dessert (peaches were in season during our July visit).

Specifics: Naxos Apothecary Portara: Ariadnis 1, Naxos 843 00, Greece. Open for dinner 7:30 PM – 11:00 PM. Reservations recommended. Credit card accepted.

TO SOUVLAKI SOU MAKIS

I found To Souvlaki Sou Makis online and intended to have lunch here on arrival. Unfortunately, the restaurant does not keep us with the opening hours it posts online. Determined to have a great gyro, I returned the following day for a successful lunch. Very inexpensive and with limited seating indoors and outdoors, we lunched on excellent gyro and a perfect saganaki. Come here for really tasty, inexpensive food. We saw both locals and tourists here.

A pork gyro. This was probably the best we had the entire trip.

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Off-the-Beaten-Path Italy: Matera’s Ancient Streets and Delicious Eats

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Matera was the second stop on our 2025 Italian family trip, and one I’d planned with intention. Tucked into the southern region of Basilicata, this wasn’t my first visit. Dan and I had traveled to Matera back in 2021, and I knew it was somewhere worth returning to, especially if you want an Italy experience that feels completely different from the usual Rome–Florence–Venice (or Amalfi) circuit.

Welcome Matera, Italia. It doesn’t look anything like the Italian hotspots. 

We based ourselves in Matera for a special, and specific, reason: it’s the closest city to our friend’s ancestral hometown of Irsina. That made Matera the perfect home base for a day trip to Irsina, which ended up being one of the most memorable parts of our trip. While Irsina was the reason for our visit, we spent a decent amount of time in Matera itself.

Matera’s Sassi.

If you haven’t been, Matera doesn’t feel like anywhere else in Italy. The cave dwellings, the winding stone alleys, the layered views over the Sassi; it almost feels cinematic (and for good reason). This post walks you through exactly how we spent our time in Matera—what we prioritized, where we ate and drank, and how I’d recommend doing the same if you’re following a similar itinerary.

MATERA, ITALY: A [VERY] BRIEF BACKGROUND

Matera is the second-largest city in Basilicata and easily the region’s most visited, but it feels absolutely nothing like the rest of Italy. It’s  one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the world, with roots dating back to the 8th millennium BC. Adding to its ancientness, Matera is carved directly into limestone rock and split between two historic cliffside districts known as the Sassi, plus a modern town above.

Matera against a bright blue background. We had great weather when we arrived…

We stayed in the Sassi, and I’d recommend doing the same, unless you have mobility issues, as the Sassi is where you really experience what makes Matera special. Indeed, walking through the Sassi feels like stepping into another time entirely. It feels older and quieter that Italy’s more popular destiations, and a little surreal. The closest comparisons I can make are Petra in Jordan,  Cappadocia in Türkiye, or Mdina in Malta, with its layered stone buildings and dramatic views carved into the landscape.

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The Naxos Apothecary: A Portara View Restaurant in Chora, Naxos

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For those familiar with the Greek beauty and skin care brand Korres, you may have heard of its owners’ upscale beauty and skin care brand, The Naxos Apothecary. Inspired by Greece’s oldest homeopathic pharmacy, The Naxos Apothecary brand makes lovely beauty products, skin care, and scents. The brand is somewhat difficult to find outside of Greece, so I definitely recommend picking some up when there. In any case, The Naxos Apothecary also has a restaurant and store combination located right in Chora, Naxos. This post reviews my lovely dinner at The Naxos Apothecary in July 2025.

The Naxos Apothecary Restaurant.

First off, The Naxos Apothecary is located at the far end of Chora port’s restaurant row, very close to the entry way to the Portara. It can be a bit difficult to find unless you are walking to the Portara. The establishment itself is both a restaurant/wine bar/tea cafe and a shop selling some of the brand’s most famous products (although the selection was not that great in my opinion). We did not make a reservation and were able to snag an outdoor table just after sunset on a Friday evening, which was pretty lucky. I suggest making a reservation. The restaurant is small and also offers, at least from the outside tables, a slight glimpse of the Portara and an excellent sunset view.

View from our table.

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Christmas Tea at Edinburgh Castle: A Festive Treat or Just Regular Afternoon Tea?

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When we visited Edinburgh for Hogmanay, I could not resist booking a “Christmas Tea” at Edinburgh Castle. It sounded magical. We reserved and paid for the tea in advance, excited for a festive afternoon surrounded by holiday cheer. The experience turned out to be fun and fine—though not quite as Christmasy as I’d hoped or imagined. It ended up being more of a regular tea, just taking place during the Christmas season. In this post, I’ll share all the details of our Edinburgh Castle Christmas Tea and what to expect if you’re planning to go yourself! And side note, I am pretty sure the Edinburgh Castle Tea is very similar to the Christmas Tea year round, so read this before booking any Edinburgh Castle Tea experience.

In front of Edinburgh Castle. You cannot get past the entrance gate without a ticket.

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