WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO BEGIN?
Four ways into Foodie Goes Travel.
The Journal brings together essays, encounters and observations from Umbria and beyond. Some stories begin with food or hospitality; others with architecture, memory, migration or an ordinary detail that changes the way a place is understood.
There is no single route through it. Begin with what interests you.
A landscape shaped by water
A hotel shaped from within
A restaurant where one becomes many
A life between Umbria and Asia
Seeing Someone Twice
At the Far East Film Festival in Udine, a Singaporean film, an aperitivo at sunset and a conversation with friends became reflections on memory, migration and human connection.
Travel, Pre-Experienced
Increasingly, many travellers arrive at places they already feel they know. From viral cafés and luxury hotels to destinations shaped by films and social media, modern travel is becoming emotionally pre-scripted long before the journey even begins.
The Joy of Aperitivo
Aperitivo became one of my favourite rituals after moving to Italy - not because of the drinks themselves, but because of the feeling surrounding them. A relaxed moment of good company, small bites and evenings unfolding slowly.
The Luxury of Silence
Living in Umbria has made me question what silence, slowness and rest truly means in modern life. On overstimulation, performative travel, il dolce far niente, and learning to sit quietly with oneself in a world shaped by constant movement.
The Performance of Living Well
A reflective essay on modern travel, perfectionism and the quiet pressure to constantly optimise experience - and why perhaps the most meaningful moments are often the least performative.
Colours of Umbria
Beyond the familiar imagery of central Italy, the visual journal explores a quieter Umbria shaped by changing light, seasonal rhythms and the slow discovery of colour through everyday life.
The Craft of Gelato in Spoleto
On a summer evening in Spoleto, a conversation with world champion gelato artisan Alessandro Crispini reveals a philosophy rooted in craftsmanship, family, continual refinement, and the art of making things properly.
The Places We Carry
Moving between Malaysia, Hong Kong, Singapore and Umbria, I began noticing how food, family rituals and atmosphere quietly shape our understanding of home. This is a reflection on memory, migration, slowness and the emotional places we carry within us.
Where Rome Softens
Beyond the monuments and familiar postcards, Rome softens through hidden courtyards, jasmine-covered facades, evening rituals and quiet moments best discovered slowly.
Orvieto: The Ancient Umbrian Town Suspended Between Sky and Stone
Perched atop volcanic stone in Umbria, Orvieto is a town suspended between sky and earth - where cathedral mosaics shift with the light, underground tunnels carved through ancient rocks, and centuries of history remain deeply embedded within the landscape.
Spoleto, Between Stone and Silence
In Spoleto, medieval streets give way to forests, mountain paths and a quieter rhythm of life shaped by stone, silence and seasonality.
Why Umbria Feels Like Italy’s Best-kept Secret
Beyond Italy’s better-known cities, Umbria unfolds through hill towns, long lunches, stone streets and a quieter rhythm of life shaped by landscape, memory and slowness.