taly is often called a romantic destination. In the context of travel guidebooks, brochures and websites, I tend to bristle at “romantic” as an accolade. It evokes the chintz and cheese of a cheap restaurant on Valentine’s Day, all pink balloons, teddy bears and crap chocolate. But despite these associated clichés, “romantic” is a dangerously evasive target, a nebulous concept which if you aim for, you will surely miss – whether you’re a restaurateur or a
