ALL ABOUT EUROPE

1 YOUR OWN PRIVATE ITALY

“I didn’t think I’d be able to find a corner of Italy not choked with tourists in high summer, but then I discovered Ponza [pictured], off the coast of Lazio, which is choked with cute fritti shops, pastel paint jobs and trattorias by the water instead, with nary a foreign accent in earshot,” says Sophie McComas, director of creative content studio Buffet. For Ronald van Weezel, general manager of Hilton Sydney, it’s the gorgeous Tuscan town of Lucca that equals the real deal. “It has so many inviting, cosy restaurants and bars with amazing ambience and excellent produce,” he says. “Immersing yourself in that scene, you do not feel the need to go elsewhere. It has everything to offer.”

We might think we know Italy, but there’s always an unexpected delight to discover: whether that’s an under-the-radar spot like Ponza or Lucca or