Italy Travel
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Italy Travel Information
A leader's perspective...
As an Australian-Italian I am proud to call Italy my second home. What I love about Italy is that it has something for everyone. From the hustle and bustle of cities rich in history and fashion, to quaint villages in awe-inspiring locations. Feed your soul in the home of pasta, pizza, gelati and vino and nourish your spirit in one of the most romantic countries in the world. Let your emotions and senses guide you as you experience Bella Italia for yourself! Salute!
Italy Travel Information
real life experiences...
Jonathan's Angels
In a cobblestone backstreet, behind Piazza Navona deep in the heart of Rome, I discovered Jonathan's Angels. This quirky little late night bar - adorned with an eclectic mix of paintings, antique statues, mosaics and grandma lamps, all immersed in ambient light - is mesmerising. So much so that it is only after a while that it dawns on you – every painting and most of the mosaics are actually of Jonathan. There's Jonathan the gladiator, Jonathan the Roman god, Jonathan the fruit-seller. If one of them moves it is likely to be Jonathan himself, silver-haired and dressed in black leather, perched high on his stool like a king, overseeing his own private party.
Riding gondolas on the cheap
It is a real shock to get to Venice after years of longing to go, be serenaded by a handsome Italian gondolier, and then have your dreams crushed by the 85EUR price tag. But there is a hope for those on a budget. There are only three bridges across the Grand Canal, which is the main thoroughfare in Venice. It is a real art to navigate your way around to cross one of these bridges to get to the other side. So to make it easier, especially for the bewildered and lost, there are traghetti, which are large gondolas that make the crossing from one side to the other. And it only costs 1EUR! So there's no need to give up on your dream - there is a cheaper alternative to the standard gondola ride.
A terrace with a view
One of our hotels in Florence is in a beautiful old building. It has one of those cage elevators where you can see the atrium all around you as you ascend. The plumbing isn't the best and the furniture is a little dated, but it has loads of charm! The most amazing thing about this hotel, however, is the location. It is one block from the Duomo and Giotto's Bell Tower. And from the hotel's rooftop terrace, you get the most spectacular view. I had been to Florence many times and struggled to get a great view of the Duomo because the square in front of it is so small you can't move back far enough to full appreciate it. But checking out the spectacle from the terrace is so amazing. There are tables and chairs up here and a popular place for our groups to meet and share a pre-dinner Chianti.
House of liqueur
In Alberobello, which is famous for it white conical houses called Trulli, there is a tiny shop in one of these that you can go inside and climb to the roof for a panorama of the town. But the best part about it is the shop sells local liqueurs of every flavour imaginable. You can't leave the store without tasting one or two, or all of them if you are brave enough. My favourite is the chocolate liqueur, but you're sure to find your own.
Enoteca experience in Spello
Spello is a small medieval hilltop town in Umbria, one of the provinces in Italy famed for fine wine, fine cuisine and truffles. We spend time in Spello for a wine-tasting with a difference. We try several whites, some reds and a desert wine as well as local bread, cheeses, vegetable, salamis, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Some of the wines that we try are limited edition vintage wines where only 2,000 bottles are produced every year. The balsamic vinegar is worth 120EUR for a small bottle. All our food and wine is delivered and the origins explained by a professional sommelier. The cheeses were my highlight - six different varieties, mostly pecorino, with the subtle flavours of truffles, honey and one of them with the not-so-subtle taste of red hot chilli.
Fish restaurant in Sorrento
There is a small marina under the in Sorrento where all the fishing boats pull in to unload. Some restaurants have moved in to take advantage of the fresh catch and serve it to those who make the journey down to the waterfront. The fish are so fresh, the prices are reasonable and the view, across the Bay of Naples with Mount Vesuvius looming in the background, is glorious.
Florence in a box
There is a tiny shop near the Ponte Vecchio in Florence that sells paper products - notebooks, envelopes, bookmarks, writing paper and wrapping paper - all beautifully designed and made in a local Florentine paper factory. Some are floral and others are geometric. They also make tiny boxes. Some are small enough to fit only a pair of earrings. Others are more practical - big enough to perhaps fit two pairs of earrings. But the boxes are covered in this Florentine paper and are made by hand. They are only about 1EUR each and make great gifts. I recently bought about 20.
Palermo Picnic
Sicily's capital, Palermo, has such great markets it is hard to resist a picnic lunch. I like to take my groups to the local market on a mission to buy different cheeses, cuts of meat and salami, bread, fruit and vegetables. Armed with nothing but a Swiss army knife to chop up the ingredients (and open the bottles of local wine), we head to a great spot on the waterfront and admire the Mediterranean while munching on fresh food. The botanical gardens are nearby and afterwards I like to walk it all off and work up an appetite for dinner by strolling through the manicured park.
Positano with pasta please
Positano is only a short trip away from Sorrento on the Amalfi Coast. From where the bus drops us, most tourists head to the beach but I like to eat up on high. So, after navigating my way down to the village, I make my way up the hill on the other side to my pick of restaurants. Here, I enjoy the view of the town while eating my yummy pasta. After lunch I indulge in the local specialty, Limoncello, which is a lemon liqueur produced in the Amalfi region. And stop to take a few photos of course.
Sicilian Puppets
There is a great shop in Sicily where you can watch an old man carving wooden puppets. When he has the shape he carefully glues on the hair and puts on the outfit. Around the walls are puppets in various stages of production. And of course you can buy a puppet as well. The puppet theatre is a tradition in Sicily and while we are in Syracuse we visit a theatre and watch the drama with the puppets. The show is in Italian but it does not take too much imagination to work out what is happening. The puppets make a great souvenir and I think they are best if you get to meet the craftsman first.
Something Fishy
When I go to Catania I like to have brunch in the fish market. Sounds like a strange place to have brunch but it is such a colourful and sometimes funny experience. In the mornings in Catania all the fishermen and fruiterers converge in the market and try to sell their fresh wares. It is loud and busy with salesmen yelling to get your attention, customers haggling over the price, holding the fish up for close inspection and people making hand gestures. A good deal can draw a huge crowd to try and bank on the price. My favourite spot is a small cafe on the edge of the market where I can sit and watch the action and the drama unfold. It is a bit smelly but the strong Italian coffee will fix that.
The Best Pizza is in Venice
I know pizza comes from Naples and everyone says that the Neopolitan pizza is the best, but in my opinion the best Pizzeria in Italy is in Venice. It is near the Grand Canal and yet far enough away from the tourist trail to be missed by the hordes. With the thinnest pizza base ever, and tangy tomato sauce and stringy mozzarella it tastes divine. I go there every time I am in Venice. My pick is the Pizza Diavola which also has hot salami on it. And the best part about it is that is only costs 4EUR for a big pizza. I know I shouldn’t but I can eat a whole one to myself but for that price, I can justify it.
Capri View
In Anacapri on the Isle of Capri, which is just off the coast of Sorrento, there is a cable car that whisks you up the hill in about 12 minutes. From the ground you have little idea of what to expect when you get to the top, but when you do, the view will take your breath away. You can see most of the island from up here - the town of Capri, the unique rock formations of the island and in the background is Mount Vesuvius rising up from the mainland. You can also walk to the top - it takes about 1.5 hours but the view is worth the effort.
Village of Smurf Houses
Remember the cartoon 'The Smurfs' and their little mushroom-shaped white houses? Well, in Alberobello in Puglia there are houses that will surely remind you of the Smurfs. They're called 'trulli' and this small town with winding cobblestone streets is full of them. They are surprisingly spacious inside and cool in the summer and many house shops and restaurants so they're open to the public. This province sees significantly fewer tourists than the north of Italy, which makes it a great place to escape the crowds and enjoy the spectacle of these unique buildings.
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