We are starting a new series and a new way of discovering the beauty of Italy – through images and colour.

And our first selection is
The Pantheon by night through the eyes and lense of Trey Ratcliff

Photograph by Trey Ratcliff

Feel free to comment and to send us your best images of Italy

We know Italy is really two countries in one and to experience a real taste of Italy Naples and Sorrento are your destinations.

Naples

Naples is a city with a reputation, and not a very good reputation. For many some words that come to mind when thinking about Naples include unmentionables like dirty and crime infested. While these descriptions may be true, it is also true that Naples is a very colorful city. Yes crime is a problem, but you will be fine if you employ just a little common sense.

Photograph by Trey Ratcliff

Naples is all about truth. When in Naples you won’t get that odd tourist feeling like you get in some of Italy’s other cities. Naples is about living. It’s people can be a bit gruff, but are also a heck of lot more colorful than you find elsewhere throughout the country. It’s also been said you get in trouble in Naples, all you need do is bring up the subject of soccer and you’ll suddenly have friends for life.

The best way to experience Naples is just to explore it. The action is on the street, not in museums. If you’re hankering for picture opportunities, the glass dome over the Galleria Umberto I is a good spot. You can also climb above the city to take scenic pictures of the coast and madness of Naples.

If you are really pining for a tourist fix, Pompeii and the looming Mount Vesuvius are close by. Pompeii, of course, was buried in a Mount Vesuvius explosion, literally freezing everything in place. Ah, you already know the story.

Sorrento

If Naples overpowers you, you should make your way around the bay in Sorrento. Sorrento is quite similar to Naples only with one very notable exception. That being where Naples is not, it is all about tourism. It’s a city that works to make tourist comfortable. Frankly, it is difficult to see how Naples and Sorrento can coexist but they certainly do. In Sorrento, you can stay at ancient resorts where service is the name of the game. The beaches aren’t so hot, but you can rent jet skis and such to invoke your inner tourist.

Southern Italy often gets a bad rap as a rough place riddled with crime and to some extent this probably true, but seeing this region of Italy is worth it.

Author Info:

www.lifeinitaly.com

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We are starting a new series and a new way of discovering the beauty of Italy – through images and colour.

And our first selection is
Ravello – Italy through the eyes and lense of RayDS

Photograph by RayDS

Feel free to comment and to send us your best images of Italy

Florence, Italy October 2, 2007 –

Every travel to Italy is mainly an artistic and historical immersion inside the world of artistic treasures characterizing past and present of this magnificent country which vaunts one of the biggest artistic heritage in the world.

Photograph by RayDS

Italy counts an immesureable cultural tradition of very well known figures, who made the Italian grandeur by working in all the artistic fields, from painting to sculpture and architecture, from music to poetry and literature, and whose works are source of constant attraction for both tourists and academics. Some of them are known as the world’s greatest exponents of artistic genius and have become icons of culture itself in the course of the time, famous names such as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo Buonarroti, Masaccio, Botticelli, Piero dela Francesca, Mantegna, Donatello, Raffaello, Bramante and Tintoretto. But, it is also important to remember the great names of the Renaissance time, who created real masterpieces and tried to revolutionize the Italian thought: philosophers like Giordano Bruno and Tommaso Campanella, scientists like Copernico and Galilei, scholars like Machiavelli, poets like Ariosto or musicians like Palestrina and Monteverdi.

Entire Italy is a long path of signs – painting, statues, churches, buildings, palaces and fountains – through which the visitor can ideally reconstruct a civilisation that really changed the world.

Spend a period of time in Italy, to study Italian as a second language, could be the best and funniest way for discovering this unique path of art and cultural tradition which always attracts lots of tourists from all over the world.
Italy is in fact a small country with a great concentration of language schools engaged in the spread of Italian culture through the learning of Italian language, from North to South the main cities host accredited cultural institutes teaching Italian for foreign students of any age, which regularly arrange leisure activities, organized with the aim of making students’ travel vacation even more funny and unforgettable!
Now you have the chance of studying a second language while travelling abroad. On Learn Languages Abroad you will find a wide choice of high quality courses, both standard and specific, suitable for students of all ages and with any degree of Italian language knowledge. Come to visit our language schools located in Florence, Milan, Rome, Siena and Viareggio and discover the variety of courses offered.

For more info write to: webmaster@learn-language-abroad.co.uk

Author Info:

Diletta Tonelli is one of the webmasters of Learn Languages Abroad. Learn Languages Abroad is a project started in 2003 with the goal of connecting foreign schools and people who want to learn a second language. Our website includes the best language schools in Italy, Spain, France, Austria and Russia. We provide a wide variety of courses, from beginners to professionals, from children to adults, from intensive courses to summer camps.

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We are starting a new series and a new way of discovering the beauty of Italy – through images and colour.

And our first selection is
Vesuvius from a yacht port in Naples through the eyes and lense of Trey Ratcliff

Photograph by Trey Ratcliff/a>

By Ken Snow

Rome is an enchanting place that has been attracting tourists for its rich cultural heritage and brilliant historic monuments. In the ratings of Conde Nast Traveler’s 2004 Reader’s Choice Awards, Rome grabbed the coveted second spot on the list of top ten European cities.

Photograph by John Semple

Some quick helpful facts about traveling to the city. You need to have a valid passport to enter Italy though you do not need a visa if the duration of the stay is less than 90 days. However, there is an exception to this rule for some specific countries. Since the summers are hot and dry, you should visit Rome between October and March. Book yourself at a hotel that is close to the historic district. The ideal place would be Hotel de Russie, situated between the Piazza del Popolo and the Spanish Steps that are worth seeing.

Plan your itinerary well in advance, especially the places you definitely want to visit. The ideal mode of discovering Rome’s heritage is on foot, as it gives you the flexibility of covering the locations at your own speed. The other option to save cost is to use the Tram Bus system that links the entire city and also the nearby areas. And if you are looking at convenience, you can always opt for a private tour. Make sure you have taken a pair of comfortable shoes. Carry minimum weight while going around the city. The city has many eating joints around the tourist attractions so you can appease your hunger pangs any time you want.
The city is full of tourist attractions and it is a real tough task to decide which of them are a must see. Your local sightseeing plan for a given day could look like this. Start with the Coliseum that is a popular tourist attraction. Since the visiting hours change through the year, make sure that you confirm the timings beforehand. To make this awesome experience more realistic, they have an hourly conducted tour by guides in the guise of gladiators. The next important stop, the Roman Forum or Foro Romano, is just across the street. The Roman Forum, the heart of the Roman Empire, is standing tall even after 2000 years! You would be fascinated by the involutions of the Roman architecture. There is no entry fee here and you can also avail the facility of guided tours.

The next stop, The Pantheon or ‘The Temple to all Gods’, was built around 125 AD and is one of the best-preserved buildings in Rome. Built by Emperor Hadrian, many famous personalities like Vittorio Emmanuel II and Umberto I (the kings of Italy) and the one and only Raphael are buried here. There is a nine meter opening in the concrete dome which the only source of light in this monument. It takes you back in time to the glorious days of the Roman Empire and you cannot stop imagining being a part of the Romans, as it existed then. You would get goose bumps dreaming of the kind of clothes they would have worn, their language, gestures etc. You can have this extraordinary experience through the year except Christmas when the Pantheon is closed. By the end of the day, there is just one more place to see that cannot be missed. You can easily spend three hours visiting The Vatican and its collection of artifacts that chronicle the Catholic Church’s history. If you have time, you should let Michelangelo’s Pieta, which is housed in St Peter’s Basilica, amaze you. The Vatican museum has even more splendid antiques, including the Egyptian mummies. You should not miss Sistine Chapel that has The Bible painted on the ceiling by the legendary Michelangelo himself.

Well, whatever you chose to do, get to befriend your hotel concierge first since he can be the best source of updated information.

Author Resource: For more travel and vacation tips and guides visit http://www.comprehensive-travel.com

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By Simone Ficozzi

Florence is a city full of history, where it’s easy to be charmed by what surrounds you and do not notice some little corners, minor ones, that make you rediscover the city and the character of Florentine people.

One of these is in Borgo Ognissanti at number 12, where is located the reversed balcony. Admiring it is a pleasure especially if you think about the legend that surrounds it, not because it was object of peculiar tales but because it reflects very well the city and its inhabitants, reflection where I see myself too.

The reversed balcony that is located on the first floor, was built by assembling counter wise the classical elements of a regular balcony: the supporting corbels, its volutes and the balustrades where capitals are in place of the base.

Its building dates back to the 16th century, and it seems to have been built in such a curious way as per a request of the stable’s builder, due to some spites with the Duke Alessandro de’ Medici.

Looks like, that at the moment of the project proposal, this was rejected by the Duke, cause the balcony was too prominent. Then the builder presented the project a second time modifying a few things but leaving the balcony almost unchanged, of course the Duke Alessandro denied it again. At a third instance, trying to be salacious, the Duke wrote “yes on the contrary”.

The builder, applying the answer to the letter, ordered to his architect to build the balcony upside-down.

Perhaps the Duke Alessandro would have liked to punish the irreverent constructor, but as a Florentine…I think he appreciated and approved his presence of mind.

Powered by: Hotel Sempione, Florence hotel accommodation resource

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We are starting a new series and a new way of discovering the beauty of Italy – through images and colour.

And our first selection is Sorrento Coast (Italy) through the eyes and lense of RayDS

Photograph by RayDS

Feel free to comment and to send us your best images of Italy

by Enrico Forte

If you need to find a complete travel guide about the Sicily island, then have a look on this easy guide on the Sicily island.

Here some useful tips about Sicily and top fun things to do during your trip in Sicily.

A tour around Sicily offers you different types of experiences and emotions: beaches, volcanoes, natural parks and a trip across its millenary history made by ancient Romans and Greeks.

Where is the Sicily island?

Sicily is the biggest island in the Mediterranean sea, at the south of Italy.

How to reach the island?
There 3 possible way to arrive in Sicily: By airplane: There are 2 main airports in the cities of Catania and Palermo; By Boat: Use the strait of Messina in Calabria; By train: Use the trains that link Rome, Milan and Naples with the cities of Sicily (Catania, Syracuse, Palermo, Messina) The name of the train is Eurostar.

How to get around the island?
You can get around by train, that connect the main cities (Messina, Palermo, Catania, Syracuse); By car, using the freeways, A18 Catania-Messina, A19 Catania-Palermo, A20 Messina-Palermo; By bus, the have departure centers in the main airports and the railways stations

What are the best things to visit?
* The city of Agrigento, on the southwest coast, with its Greek temples
* The beach resort of Cefalu, seaside town at the east of Palermo
* The city of Enna, 1000 meters high city…the highest of Europe
* The village of Erice, a little medieval town
* The mountain Etna, the tallest active volcano in Europe
* The town of Marsala, the heart of wine-production
* The city of Palermo, the capital of Sicily
* The temples of Segesta with some excellent Greek ruins.
* The city of Syracuse, on the southeast coast, with its Greek theatre.
* The little village of Taormina, with a beautiful Roman-Greek theatre
* The Alcantara Gorges, a natural park in a volcanic river
* The Nebrodi Park, a natural reserve full of forests
* The Aeolian islands, 7 little island of Volcanic origin
* The city of Catania, a mix of historical evidences, churches and museums

What are the best beaches to choose?
* Mondello Lido, near Palermo
* Mortelle, near Messina
* Spiaggia Sabbie Nere (Vulcano island), a “Black Sands Beach” in the Aeolian islands
* Lido Mazzarò (Taormina), the best summer resort of Sicily
* Marina di Ragusa, on the southeasters Sicily

What are the best activities to practice?
You can practice different activities like Trekking, Wine tours, Bicycle trips, Sight-seeing, Winter sports on the Etna mountain, horseback ridings, scuba diving and much more…It depends on your budget and the period you choose. i.e. in the summer months the best things to do are swimming the in the waters of the coast; in the autumn months the best activities are trekking on the Sicilian natural parks and in the winter the queen is Mount Etna where practice Skiing, alpine skiing and much more…

How to find the best accommodations?
There are different types of lodging services to choose, it depends on your budget, the period and the activity you want to practice. You can choose between a great selection of like Hotels, Bed and Breakfast, Camping, Farm, Villas, Apartments and Resorts. The best ones are situated in the cities of Catania, Palermo and Taormina

Enrico Forte is the editor Volcanoetna.com and he is an expert about trekking trips in the Sicily island.

Enrico is one of the expert writer ItalyTravelNotes is very happy to collaborate with. This article was written to be first published in Italy Travel Notes.

If you need a travel guide to Sicily Holidays we do heartily recommend that you visit Volcanoetna.com for this expert advise.

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By Elena Farinelli

Florence, Italy, like any international tourist destination, needs a little “know how to get around without spending more than what you wish.

Generally speaking tourists are considered an easy target for those merchants who are lucky enough to have their stands and shops on the tourist routes.

On the other hand, when we`re touring around we may loose the correct “money per value ratio. Or we “like to muchthat particular souvenir to start questioning about the price or try to negotiate it or to look around for better prices. The best thing would be to have a local friend (trustworthy enough) to help us around.

First of all: Art! Art and art history is the main reason to come to Florence. But here we can start giving you good news: the State Museums such as Uffizi Gallery the Galleria del Accademia where the David of Michelangelo is the Pitti Palace, and the Boboli Garden, or the Medici Chapels are not expensive, specially if you consider the incredibly rich patrimony of the Florentine museums and if you compare them with the average prices of Northern European and USA Museums. Uffizi gallery ticket costs only € 6,50 (if there aren`t special exhibitions, otherwise it costs € 9,50). The same price for Galleria de Accademia. The Medici Chapels only 4 euro

Problems may arise if you want to visit them during “high season which means from March to October. You`ll probably have to stand queuing up for a long while. A good alternative is booking in advance, but if you want to book a museum ticket through the Internet you may find very different overcharges depending on the website you`re on.

And remember to get inside the Uffizi Gallery at least a couple of hours before closing time, because they`ll start pushing you out when it`s half an hour before closing time.
Walking around Florence can turn out to be a very nice experience since the town center is small and you’ll be able to get to the most significant places in minutes.

A glass of fresh water or a cappuccino in one of the fancy bars of the town center may cost you about 0,50 1,00 Euros, if you stand in front of the counter, but it can easily get 3 or 4 Euros (or even more) if you sit down and let them charge you the service. So, unless you really decide to sit down in a nice bar for a drink or two (and be prepared to pay a good overcharge), you`d better look for a supermarket where you can buy a couple of bottles.

There aren`t many food stores (meaning not expensive delis or bars) in the very center, but if you`re near the Galleria dell`Accademia in via Ricasoli, just a couple of steps before iazza San Marco you`ll find a tiny and clean (and almost cheap) Supermarket. Another Supermercato like that is in “via dei Servi, not far from the Duomo square, and very near to a private and very interesting museum dedicated to “Leonardo Da Vinci and his inventions.

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