My fiancée and I were in Rome because I had to get a visa
at the Canadian Embassy. While in town, we managed to
avoid most tourist traps, staying at a reasonably priced hotel
and working a couple of delicious meals into our busy schedule
- all while remaining consistently vague about our nationalities...
And of course, doing as the Romans do...
Read the rest of: "When In Rome, Do As The Romans Do"» 
When (or if) you ever get sick of all those remnants of the Roman Empire and that over-rated Michelangelo and you really want to forget where you are, check yourself into the Zoo in Rome. It's also one place in Rome where you probably won't run into your neighbors from Nebraska, your roommate from the hostel, or anyone other than Roman grandpas with little kids in tow.
The entire Zoo is in a gentle state of decay, and the reptile room was vaguely "under construction" when we visited (that is to say, Not Open). A few peacocks wandering around adds to the general mêlée, and the surrealistic atmosphere is sad but pretty...
Read the rest of: "Monkeying Around in Rome "» 
Monteriggioni is a thirteenth century fortified town
on a hilltop in Tuscany. It was founded to defend the
city of Siena against invaders from neighboring
Florence, hence the high walls interspersed with
towers and only two entry gates.
Read the rest of: "Postcard from Monteriggioni"» 
If you want to understand Siena and its people, you should attend the Palio at least once in
your life. The Palio of Siena is a basically a twice
yearly horse race during which the usual nightlife
trinity of sex, drugs, and rock and roll is replaced
by wine, drugs for the horses, and medieval songs...
Read the rest of: "Palio di Siena: Medieval Tradition Brought to Life"»
On your tour of Italy you may have
reserved a day or two to see Florence. The names are probably already
echoing in your mind: Piazza delle Signorie, Palazzo Pitti, Giardini
di Bobboli, Galleria degli Ufizzi, Il Duomo, Davide, Dante...
But even if you've been running around Italy trying to see and do
everything, I advise you to take it slow once in Florence.
Relax and enjoy the city at the heart of Tuscany...
Read the rest of: "Slow Lane in Florence"» 
Expect the unexpected. This is our mantra when we travel abroad. Lost luggage, misplaced reservations, poor directions, delays at the airport-all are possible, but so are unanticipated pleasures.
It was just an overnight trip, a convenient stop en route to Malpensa Airport in Milano. We had booked one night in the Hotel Excelsior San Marco in Bergamo, but this quick stop turned out to be one of the highlights of our vacation.
Read the rest of: "Bergamo: A City of Surprises"» 
Take a walk around Siena and you will be amazed at every grocery store's
insistence on displaying prosciutto (jambon), wheels of cheese, and many
other buon di dio (as the senese say), meaning "everything good there is".
Naturally, you'll get all euphoric and hungry.
The next logical stop for you will be a restaurant. Unless you're accompanied
by someone who knows the town a little, however, I'd be very careful about where to go.
Of course, since you're in Siena, surrounded by Medieval Tuscan ambiance, everything will
taste good, and nothing particularly bad will happen to you if you choose to eat
any-old-where, but wouldn't you rather avoid the possibility of ending up unsatisfied,
torpid, and irritated with a uselessly inflated check to boot? Wouldn't
you rather have a good experience, leaving the restaurant well-fed and
invigorated? (I hope this is a hypothetical question for you.)
Read the rest of: "Where Not To Eat In Siena"» 
Whoever likes good wine and good food should go to
Siena, a little town in the heart of Tuscany. It has
something magical that you don't fully realize until
you've left the town. Everybody who has been there
once will return sooner or later because of the
medieval spell that follows you as you roam through
the narrow streets lined by red brick walls, giving
you a sense of safety and carefree-ness that you might
have lost.
Read the rest of: "Siena - a Little Town in the Heart of Tuscany"»
Italy  |
