“It’s the Italian tradition of dining as a discussion,” the German author Hans von Trotha commented over dessert. At Santa Maddalena, unhurried meals, served with Monti’s century of stories and the camaraderie of table-side banter, break up the workday. The retreat functions like a sleepaway camp for great writers, its ritual group meals and hoursl... See more

White Lotus showcased one of the most stunning spots in Sicily when it sent Harper and Daphne on a day trip to Noto. In the province of Syracuse, a two-hour drive from Taormina on the southern tip of Sicily, it’s an exquisite example of Baroque-era architecture with its warm limestone buildings, dramatic scalinata and grand Cathedral. And if it loo... See more