Miss Adventures

Welcome. Please have a look around.

Earthquakes. Forest fires. New Orleans. Iraq. So many natural and man-made disasters are in the news lately that I keep hearing about “evacuation plans.” As serious as such things may be, I couldn’t help thinking about using the phrase in a humorous way on a baby onesie. Click on the photo above to see the finished product. Forgive me for going off on a tangent, but sometimes laughter is the best medicine.

For additional information, please contact me.

I am also available for hire for the following services:

• Content development
• Editing
• Fact-checking
• Travel consulting
• Voiceovers

Please contact me if you have any questions.

Freelance Writing Credits

Please visit my Books page to view my book credits.

Newspapers and Magazines

Istanbul’s Allure
Postcards Magazine, November 2007
The city now known as Istanbul has been called many things: Byzantium, Nova Roma, Constantinople, Stamboul, “The Sublime Porte.” But no one has ever called Istanbul boring.

Rule Britannia!
Saveur, June/July 2006
One of a dying breed of eateries called Iranis – named after the homeland from which the Zoroastrians of India fled – Britannia has been a fixture in Mumbai’s Fort neighborhood since 1923. 

Hail to the Chef
Saveur, November 2004
The Club Des Chefs Des Chefs, a veritable United Nations of cooks who feed the world’s presidents, prime ministers, and kings, meet to eat, cook, and talk shop. 

Go Mushroom Hunting
Washington Post, October 2003
Learn the secrets to tracking and identifying various fungi by venturing out with a mushroom-hunting group.

Online Media

AOL Digital Cities
Dozens of reviews of restaurants, shopping venues, and events in the Washington, DC Metropolitan area, including:
Tryst
Faryab
Doggie Style
Quimper Faience
International Spy Museum Gift Shop
Fourth Estate
Textile Museum
Buck’s Fishing and Camping
and more…

Atevo.com
Online travel guides about:
Amsterdam
Belgium
Berlin
Germany
Liechtenstein
Luxembourg
Netherlands
Washington, DC

Babble.com
Several travel features for the parenting site, including:
Babble Best: Greek Isles
Babble Best: Stargazing
Babble Best: Tuscany

Discovery Travel Online (aka The Travel Channel)
Daily travel tips (”check-ins”) and feature articles, including:
World’s Best: Nude Beaches
World’s Best: Top 10 Mexican Beach Resorts
World’s Best: Places to See Wild Beasts
World’s Best: Hottest Places to Cool Off
and more…

Epicurious
“What’s Ripe?” Farmer’s Market Report for Washington, DC (March to October 2000)

Full Client List
AOL Digital Cities
Atevo.com
Babble.com
Bell’Italia (Beautiful Publishing)
Bridal Guide
Discovery Travel Online
Epicurious.com
For the Bride Magazine
Meetings South
Postcards Magazine
Saveur
The Washington Post

Welcome to the online portfolio of Melanie Mize Renzulli. I have written about travel, food, shopping, and other lifestyle subjects for print and online publications, such as Bell’Italia, The Washington Post, Saveur, Babble.com, Travel Channel Online, Epicurious.com, and AOL Digital Cities.

My specialty is writing about travel to Italy, especially on the website and blog Italofile.com, the Italy Travel Resource. I am the author of The Unofficial Guide to Central Italy (1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th editions) and Frommer’s Irreverent Guide to Rome (1st edition). I am also the primary writer/researcher for the Michelin Green Guide Tuscany.

An avid traveler, I have been blessed by elephants in India, kayaked in Brazil, and island-hopped my way across Greece. My fondest travel memories include winning a limbo contest in Curaçao, feasting on snails in Madrid, spending countless hours in the Vatican Museums, and roaming the Saturday market in Istanbul’s Ortaköy on a perfect sunny day.

As I mentioned before, it’s a little difficult finding your way around Mangaldas Market. But, now after two buying visits and a pit stop to show friends, I have mostly figured out where some of the best vendors are located.

The 6th Lane is the best place to start, specifically at Rangeela. The shop specializes in “Fancy Dress Materials” and for me that meant a shimmering, crinkled crepe in mango orange. Across from Rangeela is another shop whose name escapes me, but from which I bought some light, woven pastel fabric to make a spring jacket. I also picked up some irridescent purple fabric with block-printed silver, gold, and black flowers. That probably sounds hideous, but the sheath dress that I got made with it turned out fabulously.

It’s about two weeks since my last posting and about a week since I got my new clothes back from Master Tailor. I was reluctant to post anything until I saw whether the fabric experiment was successful or not. I am more than just a little excited about my new loot.
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