These Americans invested heavily in Italian real estate. Here are the rewards and pitfalls

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This week’s travel roundup includes why British Chinese food baffles Americans, a couple who bought a secluded Italian mansion, and a couple staying in a luxury hotel in North Korea.

Vito Andrea Racanelli’s ancestors immigrated to America from Italy in the late 1800s. More than a century and a half later, he and his family made the opposite decision and chose Tuscany as their home. Mr. Racanelli, a Denver-based attorney, spent more than $1 million on the sprawling farmhouse in La Dicondori.

“Purchasing real estate in Italy is completely different,” he told CNN, suggesting foreign buyers hire help to navigate the process rather than trying to tackle everything themselves. Read the full story on the renovation to see what else he learned.

Here are two more stories about buying real estate overseas for CNN subscribers.

Texas couple John Allan and Vicki Ambrose bought the empty shell of a Piedmont mansion for 140,000 euros (about $160,000) without even looking inside.

They then embarked on a three-year renovation, spending a further €150,000 to transform the property into a boutique luxury apartment with two panoramic balconies. This is what it looks like now.

Mussomeli, Sicily, is famous for being one of the towns across Italy where abandoned houses are sold for as little as 1 euro, or about $1.20. While these cheap basement homes require complete rebuilding, the project also includes “premium” homes that require less intervention and are often fully livable, starting at about $12,000.

There are currently around 450 homes for sale in the town, which are transforming the area, with the most popular properties among foreigners being those with hillside views. Locals, both established and up-and-coming, tell us what life is like there.

This Valentine’s Day, we’re pleased to announce that the popular series “Chance Encounters,” which depicts connections through special journeys, will be available in podcast format.

American Kelly Cunningham fell in love with British man Dirk Stevens, whom she met as a teenager during a summer vacation in Europe. They were each other’s first loves, but lived on opposite sides of the Atlantic Ocean. Almost 30 years later, they unexpectedly met again. Listen here.

Mexico was the setting for a summer romance between yacht captain Bob Parsons and librarian Beverly Caribeau that lasted for decades. “Lightning struck” between them in Mazatlán in 1968, and their lives were never the same again, Caribault recalls. Hear it in her own words.

Of course, it’s not just lovers who travel far on Valentine’s Day. That bouquet of roses you ordered probably took a long, cold journey to your lover’s door. This is where they were.

For decades, the name Somalia has been used as shorthand for conflict, piracy and danger. However, contrary to expectations, the East African country is currently experiencing a quiet increase in foreign tourists. This is despite most Western governments still advising against all travel. What is behind the sudden increase in tourists?

Bangladesh, in South Asia, is home to tigers, tea plantations and beaches, but it has never been a mainstream tourist destination. In 2024, there will be only 650,000 international tourists. Here are some of the obstacles standing in the way.

Finally, while North Korea is busy building luxury hotels with top-of-the-line amenities like outdoor hot tubs and ski-in/ski-out lodges, state media reports little about the actual number of guests staying there. With most foreign tourists being prohibited from entering, who will actually stay in this luxurious accommodation? CNN’s Will Ripley explains in this video.