Only A Bag - An Italy Travel Podcast Podcast By Darcy Melton | Nathaniel Mellor cover art

Only A Bag - An Italy Travel Podcast

Only A Bag - An Italy Travel Podcast

By: Darcy Melton | Nathaniel Mellor
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New episodes every Wednesday! Your guide to Italy travel! Hosts Darcy and Nathaniel—two tourists-turned-locals—offer advice like how to get off the beaten path (such as visiting southern Italy), how order coffee like a local (at the bar), and most importantly, where to find authentic Italian food and gelato. Visit Italy with us every week from home or in the car. Whether you’re planning an Italy vacation or looking to move here, Darcy and Nathaniel guide you along the way. Follow us wherever you listen to podcasts and check out our website onlyabag.com for articles! Thanks for listening!Darcy Melton | Nathaniel Mellor Social Sciences Travel Writing & Commentary
Episodes
  • Carnavale in Italy Part 2: Allegorical Floats and Improvised Poetry

    Carnavale in Italy Part 2: Allegorical Floats and Improvised Poetry
    Dec 12 2025
    Carnevale in Italy doesn't always mean elaborate period costumes and papier-mâché masks, sometimes it means massive floats poking fun at political figures as well as confetti, stuffed animals, and candy being thrown into the crowd. As we mentioned in Wednesday's episode, one thing is for sure at a Carnevale celebration, it's a party.Today we're talking about Carnevale celebrations in eight different towns across the country. Here is a list in case you'd like to look them up for yourself. Under each is a link to the official website of the celebration as well as a hotel suggestion (the hotel suggestion is an affiliate link, and if you book through our link, we receive a small commission).Cento in Emilia RomagnaOfficial Site: carnevalecento.comHotel suggestions: Monteborre (Cento) and Hotel De Prati (Ferrara) Foiano della Chiana in Tuscany Official Site: carnevaledifoiano.itHotel suggestions: Boutique Hotel L'Imperatrice (Foiano) and Vogue Hotel Arezzo (Arezzo)Viareggio in TuscanyOfficial Site: viareggio.ilcarnevale.comHotel suggestionss: Villa Tina Hotel (Viareggio) and Hotel Ilaria or Hotel Palazzo Alexander (in Lucca) Ronciglione in Lazio Official Site: ⁠carnevaledironciglione.orgHotel suggestions: La Canonica dei Fiori - Anna Fendi Country House (Ronciglione)Putignano in Puglia Official Site: ⁠⁠⁠carnevalediputignano.itHotel suggestions: Petrantiche - Albergo Diffuso and Dimora Clementina (Putignano)Acireale in Sicily Official Site: ⁠⁠⁠carnevaleacireale.euHotel suggestions: Baroque (Acireale) and Habitat Boutique Hotel (Catania)Fano in Marche Official Site: ⁠⁠⁠carnevaledifano.comHotel suggestions: Siri Hotel and Hotel De La Ville depandance di Hotel Augustus (Fano)Milan in LombardiaOfficial Site: ⁠⁠⁠comune.milano.itHotel suggestions: Hotel Milano Castello and Palazzo Segreti (Milan) If you enjoyed this episode please leave a review and follow Only a Bag wherever you listen to podcasts! If you'd like to get in touch, you can send us a message on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠onlyabag.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠email⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ at onlyabagpodcast@gmail.com, on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. For more info, check out our articles on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠onlyabag.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and read our Substack ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Letters from the Balcony⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Want to help the podcast? You can check out all of our affiliate links ⁠here⁠! If you book through any of them, we receive a small commission, and it helps to keep us going! You can also donate to Only a Bag on ⁠⁠⁠ko-fi.com⁠⁠⁠ to keep the podcast going! As always, thank you all so much for listening.x Darcy and Nathaniel Only A Bag
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    33 mins
  • Carnavale in Italy Part 1: Masquerade Parties and Orange Fights

    Carnavale in Italy Part 1: Masquerade Parties and Orange Fights
    Dec 10 2025
    Carnevale is just around the corner, so let's talk about it! When is it? What is it? Well, that all depends on where you are. In Venice, Carnevale means Venetian masks, costumes, and comedy. Near Turin in Ivrea, it means historical, and very sticky, orange fights (yep, the citrus fruit). Wherever you are, Carnevale means festive food and a party. The official Venice Carnevale website is carnevale.venezia.it. The official Ivrea Carnevale website is storicocarnevaleivrea.it. To learn more about Carnevale pastries in Venice, check out Darcy's articles Traditional Venetian Pastries for Carnival (or Carnevale) and 7 Best Places to Eat Frittelle in Venice.Looking for Hotels in Venice? Check out Ai Mori d'Oriente in Cannaregio - A great area for restaurants and bars, a little quieter as well.Acca Hotel in San Polo - Convenient, between San Marco and the Santa Maria train station. Aqua Palace in Castello - Near the Arsenale Water ShowHotel A La Commedia in San Marco - The heart of the city around Piazza San Marco (St. Mark's Square) where the main festivities of Carnevale happen. Palazzo Veneziano in Dorsoduro - More residential with lots of great wine bars and places for small bites. Looking for Hotels in Ivrea? Because it's a small town, there are very few, but here are our suggestions. Including three in nearby towns which are drivable to Ivrea.3T Boutique Hotel in Ivrea ReArduinoIvrea in Ivrea Villa Soleil in Colleretto GiacosaIl Talucco B&B in ValdengoHotel Cavour Et Des Officiers in BardIf you enjoyed this episode please leave a review and follow Only a Bag wherever you listen to podcasts! If you'd like to get in touch, you can send us a message on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠onlyabag.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠email⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ at onlyabagpodcast@gmail.com, on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. For more info, check out our articles on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠onlyabag.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and read our Substack ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Letters from the Balcony⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Want to help the podcast? You can check out all of our affiliate links ⁠here⁠! If you book through any of them, we receive a small commission, and it helps to keep us going! You can also donate to Only a Bag on ⁠⁠⁠ko-fi.com⁠⁠⁠ to keep the podcast going! As always, thank you all so much for listening.x Darcy and Nathaniel Only A Bag
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    29 mins
  • Winter in Italy: Off Season, What To Do, and What To Avoid

    Winter in Italy: Off Season, What To Do, and What To Avoid
    Dec 5 2025

    In this episode we're continuing our discussion about visiting Italy in the winter. Today we're talking about how different cities and regions change during the cold months. What cities go along with business as usual and which turn to ghost towns? Are things closed in the winter? Does it get cold in southern Italy? In this episode we'll tell you all about it, so you can plan your trip fully prepared.


    If you're planning to visit Venice this winter, check out Darcy's article When Does Venice Flood?

    Want to learn more about the holiday lights in Salerno? You can visit their website here.


    The cities and towns that we talk about in this episode are:

    Venice (Veneto)

    Florence and Siena (Tuscany)

    Perugia (Umbria)

    Rome (Lazio)

    Naples, Sorrento, Capri, Amalfi Coast (Campania)

    Taranto and Locorotondo (Puglia)

    Palermo (Sicily)


    If you enjoyed this episode please leave a review and follow Only a Bag wherever you listen to podcasts! If you'd like to get in touch, you can send us a message on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠onlyabag.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠email⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ at onlyabagpodcast@gmail.com, on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.


    For more info, check out our articles on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠onlyabag.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and read our Substack ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Letters from the Balcony⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.


    Want to help the podcast? You can check out all of our affiliate links ⁠⁠here⁠⁠! If you book through any of them, we receive a small commission, and it helps to keep us going!

    You can also donate to Only a Bag on ⁠⁠⁠⁠ko-fi.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ to keep the podcast going! As always, thank you all so much for listening.


    x Darcy and Nathaniel

    Only A Bag
    Show more Show less
    38 mins
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We are traveling to Italy soon for the first time and this is a great summary of practical, useful tips!!

practical info

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