Solo Travellers
My Favorite Airbnb: A Panoramic Penthouse in a Medieval Tuscan Town
In a country with as much rich and easily accessible history as Italy, it can be hard to know where to start. Early this summer, my girlfriend and I planned a week-long Italian jaunt, beginning in Rome and winding our way up to Verona, with a stop in the medieval city of Siena to see the Palio—a famed, centuries-old biannual horse race. In search of a window into a different (less crowded) side of Italy’s history, I took to perusing Airbnb listings in Pitigliano, a southern Tuscan town a Pisan friend had recommended. I stumbled across the Attico Panoramico Nell’antico Borgo—a panoramic penthouse in the ancient city. Lying halfway between Rome and Florence, this apartment was supposedly in one of the most beautiful spots in the region. Looking at photos had me giddy with excitement, but nothing could have prepared me for the sight that opened up before me as our tiny rented Fiat whipped around the hairpin turns of the Tuscan hills and Pitigliano came into view.
While the archaeological record shows evidence of a pre-Roman Etruscan town on the same site, the current incarnation of Pitigliano has existed since around the 11th century, when it quickly rose to prominence as a regional cultural and political capital. Known as the “Citta del Tufo” in reference to the ubiquitous volcanic tuff stone used in its construction, Pitigliano is perhaps the quintessential Tuscan hilltop town: a labyrinth of clifftop walls, towers, houses, and churches that could easily have been ripped from the background of a Bellini painting. After parking outside the city walls—no cars allowed in the centro storico—we traversed the ancient stone bridge that led to the old city, which is perched on top of a rocky outcropping (a strategic decision dating back to the days when the town regularly found itself at war with its neighbors). Despite (or perhaps because of) its imposing defensive exterior, the inside of the town is peaceful; its tiny size concealing a seemingly endless maze of winding alleys and idyllic squares, strewn with marble fountains, pots of flowers, and stray cats.
After picking our way through the stone streets to the central Piazza della Repubblica, we spotted the ancient stone building we were to call home. Inside, under the huge beams of the gabled ceiling, the apartment seemed as labyrinthine and storied as the town itself, with each of its cozy rooms containing a treasure trove of tasteful, eclectic decor, from original oil paintings to Etruscan-style pottery. Small, quirky, and full of life, it’s the kind of space that could easily feel cramped or cluttered if it weren’t so thoughtfully designed at every turn. A wealth of south-facing windows filled the home with warm Tuscan sunlight, from the delightfully spacious king bedroom (there’s also a charming daybed in the adjoining room that sleeps a third traveler) to the compact but attractive kitchen. As pleasant as the interiors were, we spent most of our time at the highlight of the penthouse: its two (two!) clay-tiled terraces. Stepping outside, I understood why they called it the “panoramic penthouse”, with views across the entire town and down into the forested ravine below.
The scenery and 24-hour sun on these Norwegian isles are no longer a secret
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Solo Travellers
The Best Ear Protection for Kids to Wear at Concerts, Fireworks, and Sporting Events
There’s a reason your child covers their ears every time you walk past a construction site. Little ears are sensitive—and they’re especially vulnerable in the presence of fireworks, race cars, and screaming Taylor Swift fans. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, prolonged exposure to noise above 85 decibels (dB)—the typical volume of a hair dryer—can cause permanent hearing damage, even for adults. Now imagine your child at a Fourth of July firework festival, where pyrotechnics displays can top 150 dB, and you understand why packing ear protection is just as crucial as sunscreen and snacks.
“Our ears are always on,” says Dr. Brian J. Fligor, a pediatric audiologist, author of Understanding Childhood Hearing Loss, and president of Tobias & Battite Hearing Wellness in Boston. “Hearing is crucial for our language development and navigation of the world. That’s why we must protect children’s hearing from birth.”
The good news? Today’s earmuffs—over-the-ear headsets that help block noise—are lightweight, comfortable, and stylish enough that most kids won’t put up a fight over wearing them. They’re also designed to lower the decibel level without muffling or distorting sound entirely. (The goal is volume reduction, not total silence.)
Dr. Fligor advises using protection any time an event is loud enough to startle a child or requires shouting in order to be heard. He also recommends it when riding ATVs, snowmobiles, or other powersport vehicles where engines are not particularly well-muffled. And while hearing protection is not necessary on commercial flights, he absolutely recommends muffs for smaller bush and prop planes, or when attending a jet flyover show. If you’re not sure how to gauge the noise risk in any given situation, there’s an app for that: Decibel X sound meter for iOS and Android offers a real-time frequency analyzer for spot checks.
We asked Dr. Fligor, a father of four, along with other travel-savvy parents about the muffs that work best for their kids and why. Below, the best kid-approved picks for the ultimate ear protection.
FAQ:
What should I look for to find the best ear protection for kids?
Aim for a minimum noise reduction rating (NRR) of 22 to 27 dB for general use, says Dr. Fligor. For especially loud environments—like fireworks shows or racing events—higher is better.
What ages need ear protection?
Exposure to loud noise—anything over 85 dB—can cause permanent hearing damage in children and adults alike, which is why it’s so essential to protect our hearing from birth onward. Proactive protection for kids is especially important because they are less likely to self-regulate and move away from noise if it gets too loud.
Which type of ear protection is better for kids: earplugs or earmuffs?
For babies, toddlers, and grade schoolers, over-the-ear muffs are the safest and easiest option. They’re more comfortable, stay in place better, and don’t pose a choking hazard the way earplugs might. Dr. Fligor advises against using earplugs for children until they are old enough to report accurately on their comfort and effectiveness, typically around age seven or older. For tweens and teens, high-fidelity earplugs like Loop or Etymotic work well because they dampen volume without distorting sound (ideal for concerts).
How can I tell if the ear protection fits correctly?
“Earmuffs should form a snug but gentle seal around the ears without any gapping,” says Dr. Fligor. That means the cups are large enough to fit around the entire ear— including the flap of cartilage around the edge, called the pinna—and sit along the jaw. If they slip forward or the ears poke out, it’s not tight enough. If they leave indentations or the child complains about pressure, it’s too tight. To double check the fit, ask your child to shake their head while wearing them: If the earmuffs shift easily or slide off, they’re too loose.
For Jo Piazza and Nick Aster, a camper van trip through the national parks of Colorado and Utah wasn’t just a summer escape—it was a way to reconnect with the adventures they loved pre-kids. “It was time for a trip out west,” Jo says. “We’d visited a lot of these national parks when we lived in San Francisco, but now it was about showing our kids—Charlie, 5, and Beatrix, 3—what makes these places so special.”
The couple, who live in Philadelphia and were expecting their third child at the time (Eliza, now born), mapped out a 10-day loop that started and ended in Denver. Along the way, they visited Rocky Mountain National Park, Steamboat Springs, Dinosaur National Monument, Moab, Arches, Canyonlands, Black Canyon of the Gunnison, and Breckenridge. “It was a bit of an epic romp,” Jo laughs. Here’s how they spent their family vacation—and how much it cost.
Why rent a camper van?
Pregnant, outdoorsy, and realistic about the physical demands of camping with two small kids, Jo knew she needed more than a tent. “Sleeping on the ground just wasn’t going to cut it,” she says. “A van gave me a good place to sleep—and full disclosure, Nick often slept out in the tent with the kids to give me a bit of luxury.”
They rented their “cabin camper” through Outdoorsy—a fully tricked-out truck with a massive cap in the back that felt like a log cabin on wheels. “People commented on it everywhere we went,” Jo says. “We’d get high fives, people asking to take pictures. At one point, someone said, ‘Hey man, we saw you in Canyonlands two days ago! That thing is awesome.”
Planning a flexible route around national parks
Unlike their usual meticulously planned vacations, this one was intentionally open-ended. “We had a general loop in mind,” Jo explains. “We knew we wanted to hit Rocky Mountain right away since it’s so close to the airport, and we knew Charlie would go bananas for Dinosaur. But the rest we figured out as we went. That’s the beauty of traveling by van—you don’t need to lock in hotels every night.”
This flexibility came in handy during a July heatwave in Moab. “We broke up the camping with a stay at the super-unhip Marriott,” Jo says. “It had a fake red rock pool and a mini water park. It flew in the face of the National Park ethos, but with 100-degree heat and two little kids, we just leaned in. They loved it.”
Top highlights for parents and kids
The kids’ favorite moments weren’t always the ones Jo and Nick would’ve picked, but they rolled with it. “They’re still talking about the pool in Moab and the fossil quarry at Dinosaur National Monument,” Jo says. “Also, they were weirdly into how much attention the van got.”
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