SALONE INTERNAZIONALE DEL MOBILE 2012 -INTERNATIONAL FURNITURE TRADE FAIR is on in Milano April 17-22 2012. This is one of the largest international furniture fairs in the world and very popular as Milan is such a big design city. Milan also has a wonderful design museum - the Triennale Design Museum if you love creativity with furniture.
Many Hotels are booked the year before. I suggest if you were planning to go to Milan in this period and you do not need to attend the fair then it is best to stay somewhere outside the city if you need to watch your budget. All the hotels raise their prices because of the extreme demand.
Passion for Italy Travel can help you with avoid the problem areas in Italy - become one of our clients and fill out the Booking Enquiry form and we will phone you.
Not many visitors to the eternal city know that the real Saint Valentine was a Roman priest in the third century AD, during the rule of Emperor Claudius II. (More about Valentine at the end of the blog.)
So to commemorate the city's special connection to love and romance, we thought we would share our perfect Valentine's Day in Rome...
But first, an aside... as you wander the streets and sights of Rome, keep an eye out for padlocks - you'll see them on fences, gates, lamposts - anywhere they can be attached. These have become the modern city's symbol of love, and started after the release of a hugely popular movie in 2006 in which the main characters wrote their names on a padlock, locked it on to a lamp post on one of Rome's bridges and threw the key into the Tiber.
Back to our perfect Valentine's Day in Rome...
- Wake up in one of the city's most romantic guesthouses, our favourite is near the Spanish Steps. Become a Passion For Italy client and choose from our hand-picked selection of romantic b&b's and guesthouses.
- Visit the Pantheon early in the morning, before the crowds - having this amazing place to yourselves is a special experience.
- Wander Via del Governo Vecchio, and let it take you to Via della Pace and then on Via dei Coronari - all lovely cobblestoned streets filled with eclectique boutiques, artisans, quiet churches and cloisters, antiques - our favourite streets in Rome! Stop at one of the gorgeous cafes and restaurants for lunch. Passion For Italy clients get our full list of recommended restaurants, cafes and bars.
- After lunch consider a spot of window shopping in the famous streets around the Spanish Steps.
- Late afternoon walk up to the Pincio, and wander the gardens. These gardens are filled with tree-lined avenues - perfect for strolling - and rose-sellers (the gardens are popular with lovers). After buying a beautiful single rose stop at a romantic bar for a pre-dinner glass of prosecco to watch the sun set over the rooftops of Rome.
- After dinner at one of our favourite romantic restaurants, wander to the Campidoglio for the view over the Roman Forum lit up at night. Such an evocative sight.
- Join the locals for the late evening passegiata and gelati.
- End the night at the Trevi Fountain and throw a coin in - guaranteeing your return to Rome.
To finish the story of Saint Valentine... poor fellow, he had his head chopped off by the displeased Emperor Claudius - legend has it that the priest was secretly marrying young Christian couples which upset the Christian-persecuting emperor - and now you can see Saint Valentine's head on display inside Santa Maria in Cosmedin. (We wouldn't include this on our list of things to do on Valentine's Day, but it is quite interesting nonetheless...)
Happy Valentine's Day from Passion For Italy!
If you're visiting Rome between March and September this year, ensure you visit the Capitoline museums for a not-to-be-missed exhibition.
Called "Lux in arcana - The Vatican Secret Archives reveals itself", the exhibition has on display one hundred original and historically significant documents from the Vatican archives spanning twelve centuries. These documents have never left the archives before, and include
* Galileo Galilei's heresy conviction
* Henry VIII's appeal to the Pope (signed by Cardinal Thomas Wolsey and nearly 70% of the House of Lords) for the annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon
* The dogma of the Immaculate Conception
* The Queen of Scotland's last letter to the Pope (professing her Catholic faith again) before she was executed in 1587 by her rival Queen Elizabeth of England
The Capitoline museums are located next to the Roman Forum. Closed Mondays.
Become a Passion For Italy Platinum client, and let us book your tickets to this unique exhibition.
For more information - http://www.luxinarcana.org/en
WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO VISIT ITALY?
Spring, Summer, Autumn (Fall) or Winter?
Each season in Italy has its benefits and drawbacks – our 4-part blog will give you ideas and information on how best to enjoy Italy, no matter the season.
SPRING – PRIMAVERA
March, April, May
Spring is a beautiful time in Italy. Flowers and gardens are in bloom, and the whole country comes out of its winter hibernation with numerous festivals and events.
Typically these months offer more pleasant temperatures and somewhat fewer crowds than summer, although Holy Week (Easter) in many Italian cities can be crowded and we suggest you book well in advance.
Opera lovers of Puccini will be delighted to attend their favourite Puccini operas in the birthplace of Puccini.
Gran Teatro all'Aperto G. Puccini, Torre del Lago Puccini, Tuscany Italy
20 July -25 August 2012
Passion for Italy Travel Agency books concert tickets for no extra charge for clients who book accommodation through us. We are not a booking agency for the general public. Contact us for Lucca hotels.
To become a client fill out our BOOKING ENQUIRY form
Passion for Italy Travel would like to wish a Merry Christmas to you and yours right around our whole world. We wish for Peace in our global village. Peace begins in our own hearts and at Christmas time with our own families. The holiday period is a good time to try to practice peace with our loved or (not so loved ones) and to heal rifts that can often occur over the years.
The internet has connected us all and allows us to intertwine our cultures and languages. It is a wonderful experience to work with clients from all over the world all wishing to travel to Italy. We have had nearly every country in the world viewing www.passionforitaly.com this year except for maybe Antartica..!!! I guess the internet cables would freeze over down there!!
Wherever you are, whatever you will be eating or drinking or sharing on Christmas day have a peaceful joyful day!!
Passion for Italy Travel will be closed for Christmas from 23 Dec - 9 Jan 2012 to enable all our staff to spend time with our own families and we look forward to organising your holiday in Italy in 2012.
Merry Christmas!
Passion for Italy Travel www.passionforitaly.com
Most little villages have beautiful Christmas markets where all the local artisans can sell their hand made products.One of the nicest I saw when in Italy for Christmas, was in Perugia where they were displayed in an ancient underground building that had been newly renovated and full of nooks and crannies. It was used as a shelter during the war and to escape from the Nazis but now is being put to a joyful use. Perugia is the capital of Umbria and is a beautiful hilltop town with amazing views.
We waited in the cold, wind and rain for midnight mass outside the Catholic church in Grosseto Tuscany. It was a high mass sung in Latin which dutifully put my children and their father to sleep with those wonderful gregorian chants. The presipe or nativity scenes in the churches are very impressive in Italy. They are usually very large with life size statues. Grosetto's was unveiled in a solemn ceremony and blessed at the end of the mass and was enormous.
Most Italians build a new nativity scene in their homes every year and no scene is the same. Lined with moss and lights they are a work of art. The best presepe are found down south in Napoli where there is a whole street devoted to selling all the nativity statues in all varying sizes as well as the stables with accompanying lights. People travel all over the world to see this street and it is very impressive.
One of the churches in the village of Pozzuoli near Napoli had made a presepe that was so huge that it took up three rooms under the church. Four men took four months to construct the village made out of pottery with all the people in the village represented. A delightful way to spend one's creative time but a lot of work. These guys need more recognition. They are artists in their own right.
Ravello is one of the most magical towns in Italy. It had been four years since my last visit, so returning in September this year was a delight - and it reminded me just what I love about Ravello... its quaint piazza, pedestrian-only streets, the quiet and calm found nowhere else on the Amalfi Coast, beautiful villas and gardens, breathtaking views.
Unfortunately the Ravello Festival had finished a week before my visit, so I wasn't able to enjoy the incredible music this town is famous for. For anyone visiting in July and August attending an open-air performance during the festival is an absolute must-do, contact us for accommodation and festival ticket bookings. The festival is also known as the Wagner Festival, as his music is at the core of each year's programme (Wagner found inspiration in Ravello for his opera Parsifal).
Another Ravello highlight is Villa Cimbrone. For me, nothing can compete with the views from its Terrace of Infinity. Simply stunning. It is very easy to lose track of time here as you wander through the gardens - often you will see weddings in the cloisters and gardens. Ravello is a very romantic place.
Whether you choose to spend a number of relaxing days in Ravello, or just visit for the day, Ravello is a Passion For Italy highly recommended destination.
Click here to see our beautiful Ravello hotels. Click here for our Ravello cooking class.
During my visit to Italy last month I spent 4 days in beautiful Taormina. From the terrace in the main square there is a fabulous view of the ever-present and, for this year at least, the ever-active Mt Etna… 18 eruptions in 2011 and counting!
On the afternoon of October 8th, Etna had a brief but violent eruption. The next morning my travelling companion and I decided to “play tourist” and drive out to Etna to take the cable-car to the top.
Travelling Through Italy from Top to Bottom with Two Children by Kym Piero
You have chosen Italy for your family holiday. What a great decision and a wonderful experience for young and old. It is a beautiful country full of folklore, culture, history and fine food and wine. For all of you who are contemplating taking an overseas trip with children, a little forethought will go a long way. It is not such a daunting task although I’m sure you will ask yourself the same questions I asked myself. How will my children react to such a long journey? How will they adopt to new surroundings where everyone speaks another language? Let me put your mind at ease and allow me to give you a few tips that my husband and I found useful for our trip...
I travelled to Rome, Amalfi Coast, Tuscany, Venice and Sicily on my recent visit to Italy in September and October. Over my 5 week stay, my travelling companion and I spent, on average, 40 euro between us when eating out for lunch or dinner.
We ate only in local trattoria (no fine dining experiences or Michelin Star restaurants), and normally ordered
- a pasta or main each
- a salad to share
- a large bottle of water to share
- a quarter or half litre of house wine to share (which in most cases was very enjoyable)
- a dessert to share
and more often than not the bill came to just under 40 euro, 20 euro per person – we would then normally round up the bill to leave a small tip.
Of course we sometimes splurged a little and had a dessert each, or if we were starving after a big day of sightseeing we may have had a pasta and a main each, or we had to order a second bottle of water (the weather was unseasonally hot during our visit – click here to read our blog entry for more details on travelling in Italy in Autumn), which meant the price was closer to 50 euro for the two of us.
A note on tipping:
Tipping is certainly not compulsory in Italy, although if the service and food has been good you may choose to. That said, you may see written on some menus that service isn’t included and in that case you should tip as much as the service warrants based on your dining experience.
We hope this helps with your trip planning and budgeting. When you become a Passion For Italy client we provide you with travel guides and restaurant information for all the destinations you are visiting.
TOURISTS TO STAY AWAY FROM CINQUE TERRE
The villages of Vernazza and Monterosso, Cinque Terre in Liguria have been inundated by terrible flooding and mudslides with six people dead and now the villages are filled with mud and much damage. If you have planned a holiday in Cinque Terre in these coming weeks Passion for Italy Travel advises strongly to cancel and perhaps go to the Amalfi coast instead.
If you wish to donate money to help with the clean up please see the bank accounts to donate to on this blog site: www.littleparadiso.com
I just have to show you these three videos of my favourite Italian comedian, actor and performer - Gigi Proietti! He is very very talented in all areas and very popular in Italy and has been for 30 years. Un grand Uomo!
Click on the links below: this first one they are asking as you can see 'What is the time?" then "How can you tell the time by lifting the cow's udder?"
It says it all about Italian humour - I think it is hilarious and it is this humour that I love about the Italian people. They always make me laugh. I think I laugh more in Italy than any place in the world.
Gigi Proietti - Le Barzellete Proietti
Gigi Proietti singing Nun me Rompe Ca'
WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO VISIT ITALY?
Spring, Summer, Autumn (Fall) or Winter?
Each season in Italy has its benefits and drawbacks – our 4-part blog will give you ideas and information on how best to enjoy Italy, no matter the season.
WINTER - INVERNO
December, January, February
My first visit to Italy was in January 1995. I came in to the country by car from Austria and within minutes I was being overtaken by a speeding Italian driver on a blind alpine bend! Benvenuti in Italia! I eventually made my way to Rome – isn’t that where all the roads lead? – and even in wet, cold mid-January, the eternal city won me over.
Winter in Italy is captivating in its own way. There are very few tourists (except those who have come for the skiing), and with the Christmas lights, festivities and traditions December can be a lovely time to visit. January is normally the coldest month in Italy, and it can be a quiet month as the festivities of Christmas, New Year and the Feast of the Epiphany (see our Festivals In Italy - January) are over and life goes back to normal – unless you like winter sports and it’s all systems go!
WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO VISIT ITALY?
Spring, Summer, Autumn (Fall) or Winter?
Each season in Italy has its benefits and drawbacks – our 4-part blog will give you ideas and information on how best to enjoy Italy, no matter the season.
Having just returned from 5 weeks in Italy it seems appropriate that we start the blog with Autumn (Fall)…
AUTUMN (FALL) – AUTUNNO
September, October, November
Traditionally these months offer pleasant temperatures and significantly fewer crowds than summer, however my visits in recent years have proven to me that September and October can sometimes be just as hot and as busy as summer...
Do you have a whale of a problem organising your trip to Italy?
Researching a trip to a foreign country is very time consuming. If you are time poor and your time would be better off making money in your work then that is why Passion for Italy Travel is here to do this for you.
On January 5th, the Piazza Navona opens up to a fair of toys, sweets, and other presents among the beautiful Bernini fountains. Nearly two weeks after Christmas, celebrations are still in full swing as the Piazza becomes a huge open air market for stocking fillers for La Befana (the Italian equivalent of 'Santa Claus') when she visits on the night of the 5th January.
"To live content with small means; to seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion, to be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not rich; to study hard, think quietly, talk gently, act frankly, to listen to stars and birds, to babes and sages, with open heart, to bear all cheerfully, to all bravely await occasions, hurry never. In a word, to let the spiritual unbidden and unconscious grow up through the common. This is to be my symphony."
William Henry Channing (1810-1884)
Naples, Italy, has agreed in principle to host two stops on the America’s Cup World Series; the first will be in April 2012, the second in May 2013. Designed to expose millions more people to the sport of high-performance racing, the new professional circuit was created to bring the America’s Cup experience to top international venues.
After working with Italians for many years, I cannot help but be jealous of their lifestyle. Every time I return from Italy I am determined to try to adapt the same routine that I practiced in Italy. The first week I am motivated and keep it up, only to go into slow decline and by the end of week two, I am back to my old Western habits of a sandwich at the computer and working 12 hour days....
