Martha Bakerjian has travelled extensively in Italy for 25 years. She currently spends summers in her house in northern Tuscany and hopes to retire there. She has also been a teacher in California for 30 years. Martha is passionate about Italian food and culture and enjoys sharing her vast experience with others.

Experience:

Martha's Italy travels have included every region of Italy. She enjoys going to traditional festivals and learning the native folk dances, talking with the locals, and sampling the regional cuisine.

Martha spent 5 summers in Sardinia, where, as a member of the staff, she helped plan the logistics for an archaeological project, cooked traditional Italian cuisine for the crew, and managed the dig house. She also participated in an archaeological survey in the region of Puglia, walking a considerable area of the heel of italy's boot while stopping occasionally to interview locals about possible ancient artifacts in the area. She is a co-author on the Wandering Italy blog and has published in International Travel News.

Education:

Martha has a bachelor's degree in social ecology and is a credentialed educator. She studied Italian language and culture at the University for Foreigners in Perugia, Italy. While working as the cook in Sardinia, she also gained experience with Italian food by cooking in a local restaurant.

From Martha Bakerjian:

Italy for Visitors will introduce the first time traveller to the joy of independent travel to Italy, from the top destinations to off the beaten track experiences. For the experienced traveler we'll feature off-beat festivals and volunteer oportunities for a deeper travel experience.

Italy for Visitors offers suggestions for what to do and see on your vacation, descriptions of the regions and major cities of Italy, hotel and restaurant recommendations, transportation options, and general travel information.

Ci vediamo in Italia!