I Love Touring Italy – Western Sicily

If you will be touring Europe, why not consider the island of Sicily, a region of southern Italy? Depending on your particular interests, this beautiful island can be an ideal vacation spot. You can get eat really great Italian food, and wash it down with fine local wine. And several parts of Sicily are yet to be discovered by tourists. This article presents western Sicily. A companion article presents eastern Sicily. Another companion article presents Sicily's capital, Palermo. We'll start our western Sicilian tour in Monteale on the Tyrrhenian Sea just west of the capital of Palermo. We'll meander east and south to the city of Marsala on the Mediterranean Sea, and then head southeast along the Mediterranean Sea to Agrigneto. Monteale, is a city of about thirty thousand, is situated a few miles southwest of Sicily's capital Palermo. It is best known for its Duomo (Cathedral), which like so many other Sicilian churches is a product of the Norman conquest. This Cathedral was built from the years 1174 to 1185. The Monteale Duomo is often considered the finest example of Norman architecture in all of Sicily, and believe me there are a lot of competitors. Can you believe that the interior of this magnificent building contains much more than an acre of gold mosaics? Everywhere you look there is plenty to see, for example, the bronze doors contain over forty biblical scenes, while the north door has over forty panels of evangelists and saints. Make sure to visit the nearby cloister surrounded by beautifully decorated glass mosaics. Finish your tour on the belvedere with its magnificent view of the Conca d'Oro (Golden Conch) Valley. The town of Erice whose population is less than thirty thousand lies about one half mile above sea level. You'll love its two castles, Pepoli Castle dating from Saracen (Arabic) times and Venus Castle dating from Norman times, built on what some say was the most famous Greek temple dedicated to the goddess Venus. The city contains the remains of walls from the days of the Phoenicians and the little known Elymians, perhaps descendants of the Trojans. Erice holds many scientific conferences. Capo San Vito is a cape situated approximately twenty-five miles (forty kilometers) northeast of Erice. It claims to have the most beautiful beach in all of Italy. Every September it holds a five-day international competition for couscous, a North African semolina-based dish. The abandoned city of Segesta, about an hour's drive southwest of Sicily's capital Palermo, is home to one of the best-preserved Greek Temples, built by Elymians under Greek rule around 430 B.C. Legend has it that they built the temple to impress the Athenians of their wealth in order to enlist Athens against a nearby city supported by Siracuse. Once Athen's envoys Segesta left work on the temple stopped. The temple remains incomplete, but magnificent. Segesta also boasts the ruins of a Greek amphitheater that presents classic Greek theater (in Italian), a Norman castle, and a small church. The city of Marsala whose population is about eighty thousand was the major Carthaginian base in Sicily during its wars against Greece and Rome. The city name comes from the Arabic words for great port or Ali's port. Marsala played an important role in Italian history as the landing point of Italian national hero Garibaldi's one thousand red shirt combatants who fought for the reunification of Italy. Today Marsala brings to mind the wine much loved by the British (and others) for well over two hundred years. Should you visit this city make sure to see the Museo Archeologico Baglio Anselmi (Baglio Anselmi Archeological Museum) with its warship and artifacts believed to date from the First Punic War in 241 B.C. You may also want to make reservations to visit the Donnafugata Winery in downtown Marsala. Yes, they do give samples. We have reached the western tip of the island and now head south and east. Selinunte was the site of a Greek colony founded in the Seventh Century B. C. This colony prospered for hundreds of years until destroyed by the Carthaginians in 409 B. C. Thousands of its inhabitants were slaughtered and most who weren't killed were enslaved. The city's seven temples were destroyed; only one has been restored but the ancient market has been excavated. We terminate our virtual tour of western Sicily at Agrigento, historic city and site of Valle dei Templi (Valley of the Temples) arguably the finest Greek ruins outside of Greece. The classic Greek poet Pindar called it "the most beautiful city built by mortal men." Prepare your trip carefully, summers in this part of the world are very, very hot, and while you don't want to get sick, you don't want to rush through the site which contains several buildings worth visiting. Each one of the Valle dei Templi temples is unique. We'll briefly examine five of them, going from west to east. The Tempio di Castore e Polluce (Temple of Castor and Pollux) is somewhat messy. It was reconstructed well over one hundred years ago by people who didn't know what they were doing. They slapped together elements from diverse ruins on the site. The Tempio di Giove (Temple of Jupiter) was never completed. At more than 330 feet (about 130 meters) long it was one of the largest Greek temples ever built. The Tempio di Ercole (Temple of Hercules) is the most ancient of these temples. It was partially reconstructed over eighty years ago. The Tempio della Concordia (Temple of Concord) is said to be the best-preserved Greek temple on earth. In the Sixth Century it was converted into a Christian church and restored in the Eighteenth Century. Everything is still there except for the roof and the treasury. Not surprisingly, you are not allowed inside but you can appreciate it from a reasonable distance. The Tempio di Giunone (Temple of Juno) offers a spectacular view of the valley below. Believe it or not traces remain of a fire that burned over twenty-four hundred years ago. Across from the Temple of Castor and Pollux are several small temples that you may want to see as well. The Hellenistic and Roman Quarter consists of four ancient streets paved with mosaics and a few Roman house foundations. Right nearby is the Museo Archeologica Regionale (Regional Archeological Museum) with lots of antiquities. What about food? Sicily's great food goes back as far as its beautiful buildings and ruins. Every conquest, and there were several, brought new foods to this island. Sometimes new foods such as tomatoes made their way peacefully to Sicilian tables. Organic food has become fairly popular in Sicily. Of all the Italian regions only the neighboring island of Sardinia produces more organic food. Certified Sicilian food products include olives, olive oil, cheese, tomatoes, oranges, table grapes (I prefer them fermented), and pears. Let's suggest a sample menu, one of many. Start with Macco (Fava Bean puree). Then try Involtini alla Siciliana (Meat Roulade stuffed with Salami and Cheese). For dessert indulge yourself with Sgrappino (Whipped Lemon Sherbert with Spumante). Be sure to increase your dining pleasure by including local wines with your meal. We'll conclude with a quick look at Sicilian wine. Sicily is number one among Italy's twenty regions when it comes to the acreage devoted to wine grapes and to the total annual wine production. And an independent Sicily would be the world's seventh largest wine producer. It may be surprising but only slightly more than fifty percent of Sicilian wine is red. Sicily produces nineteen DOC wines. The term DOC stands for Denominazione di Origine Controllata, which we can translate as Denomination of Controlled Origin, presumably a high-quality wine. Only about 2% of Sicilian wine carries this sometimes prestigious classification. But there are many Sicilian wines without the DOC classification, sometimes by choice.

I Love Touring Italy – Latium East of Rome

If you are in the market for a European tourist destination, you should consider the Latium region of central western Italy on the Tyrrhenian Sea. Latium, also known as Laszio, is the region that includes Italys capital Rome, the Eternal City. Because it is so easy to find articles describing the multiple pleasures of Rome, we are going to write about the lesser-known attractions of Latium. This article focuses on Latium east of Rome. A companion article describes Latium west of Rome. Well start our tour Tivoli about 22 miles (35 kilometers) northeast of Rome. Well head northeast to Subiaco. Well double back to Palestrina, which is south and a bit east of Tivoli. Then it is south to Ninfa and Sermoneta before heading southeast to Sperlonga on the coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea. Well head back northwest along the coast to finish our tour at Anzio. You may want to continue northwest along the coast to Ostia Antica, Ancient Rome’s port city, which is not described in the present article. Tivoli is famous as the site of Hadrians Villa, a not so little getaway retreat for one of Romes most famous emperors, built in the early Second Century. During the latter years of his rule ran the empire from this villa. The site exceeds a square kilometer (over 250 acres) and contains more than thirty buildings, some of which are yet to be excavated. A large part of this villas decorations and statues can be found in the Vatican Museums. Hadrian liked the dome on an Egyptian temple called Serapeum and transplanted the design to his villa. A prominent architect of the day begged to differ, comparing Hadrians design to a pumpkin. Can you guess how this story ends? Hadrians Villa is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Unfortunately part of the site is on the World Monuments Watch 100 Most Endangered Sites list. You may recognize this villa from the HBO film series, Angels in America. Villa dEste is another UNESCO World Heritage Site in Tivoli. It is a beautiful water garden, reminiscent of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. This villa was founded in the mid-Sixteenth Century by Cardinal Ippolito of dEste, son of Lucrezia Borgia, after not being chosen as Pope during a lengthy conclave. His loss was the worlds gain. Just to give you an idea of its scope; one of the pathways is called the Avenue of One Hundred Fountains. Make sure that you visit the Fontana di Rome, a scale model of Ancient Roman, demolished but partially rebuilt. The city of Subiaco, population about ten thousand, is the site of the Roman Emperor Neros villa, said to compete with Hadrians villa, constructed decades later. However, Neros villa is in ruins. You can see these ruins on your way to the cave in which St. Benedict lived for several years and founded his Sixth Century Monastery, which is still standing today. The Monastery contains numerous frescoes, some over one thousand years old. The nearby abbey was the site of Italys first print shop, founded in 1464. You can well imagine the contents of its library. Palestrina, whose population numbers some 18 thousand, was settled in the Seventh or Eighth Century B. C. under the name Praeneste. Like many cities near Rome, its graves often contain Etruscan artifacts. About two thousand years ago this area was a favorite summer resort for wealthy Romans who mocked the uncultured local inhabitants. The ancient city of Praeneste contained the Temple of Fortuna Primigenia, one of the largest temple complexes in the ancient world. Fortuna was the goddess of fertility, abundance, and success. People came from near and far to pray for her good graces. Youll also want to see the Seventeenth Century Palazzo Barberini (Barberini Palace) housing the Museo Nazionale Archeologico di Palestrina (Palestrina Nation Archeology Museum) with its collection of Roman and Etruscan pieces and a two-thousand year mosaic that depicts the flooding of the Nile River. And theres a model of the temple in its full glory. The town of Ninfa was once owned by the Popes. During the Fourteenth Century Pope Clement VII destroyed the town in an internal war. For about six hundred years it lay in ruins, largely because of the malarial mosquitoes in the nearby marshes. And then in 1920 an aristocratic English artist, Ada Wilbraham, married a member of the Caetani family that had been given the city way back in 1297 by Pope Boniface II, another Caetani. Wilbraham began the restoration that has continued to this day. The site includes a bridge and seven churches from Roman times, a castle, and the city wall, all in a state of arrested decay. The restored medieval town hall has hosted famous writers including Ezra Pound, Henry James, and T.S. Elliott. Its visiting hours are quite restricted. The little town of Sermoneta also belonged to the Caetani family who built a castle to defend it in the Thirteenth Century. Pope Alexander VI, the father of Lucrezia Borgia, drew the line dividing Portuguese South America (Brazil) and Spanish South America (everywhere else). He seized the castle in the Fifteenth Century and transformed it into a fortress before giving it to his son Cesare. Later it returned to the Caetani family. Besides the castle you should see the Cathedrale and the wall paintings in the ruined San Giuseppe (St. Josephs) Church. Sperlonga was a resort in the days of the Romans. The Roman Emperor Tiberius built a villa called Grotta di Tiberio, but it was more of a palace than a grotto. The dining room was situated on an island in the villas pool. As luck would have it, the grotto collapsed during an imperial party, but a government official saved Tiberiuss life. The site now is home to a museum, Museo Nazionale, which displays statues and artifacts from the villa. Make sure to see the massive statue of Odysseus blinding a Cyclops. The beautiful beach south of town is great for strolling and for swimming. We head northwest along the Tyrrhenian Sea to finish our tour at Anzio. This city of about 45,000 people was the birthplace of Roman Emperors Caligula and Nero, who built a magnificent villa long since destroyed. Anzio is a resort area with high-quality beaches. Between January 22 and May 24, 1944 Anzio and neighboring Nettuno were the site of a major World War II battle, Operation Shingle. The Allied invasion was said to be one of the most complete surprises in military history. However, the battle itself was quite deadly and proved to be controversial. The city contains the Anzio Beachhead British Military Cemetery and a Beachhead Museum. The American Military Cemetery is in Nettuno. What about food? Latium cuisine is one of abundance. The best cuts of meat were reserved for the rich and the poor had to make do with the rest, including feet, heart, kidneys, tongue, and tripe. Lets not forget the pasta, which is said to be among the best in Italy. Fettuccine Alfredo comes from this region. Lets suggest a sample menu, one of many. Start with Provatura alla Salsa di Acciughe (Provatura Cheese with Anchovy Sauce). Then try Saltimbocca alla Romana (Veal and Ham Rolls). For dessert you can indulge yourself with Crostata di Ricotta (Ricotta Tart with Candied Fruit). And remember to increase your dining pleasure by including local wines with your meal. Well terminate this article with a quick look at Latium wine. More than four out of five bottles produced here are white. There are twenty five DOC wines. DOC stands for Denominazione di Origine Controllata, which may be translated as Denomination of Controlled Origin, presumably a high-quality wine, twenty of them white. However, only about 6% of Latium wine is so classified. Frankly, the region is not known for its wine. It once was; in the distant past Falernum, a Latium red was the hit of Ancient Rome. Who knows, perhaps some day this region will regain its former glory when it comes to wine. In the meantime, theres lots to see and to eat. And plenty of fine Italian wines are available. North of Latium is Umbria, and north of Umbria is Tuscany. Boncompagni Ludovisis Fiorano Rosso is a Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot blend from Latium that comes highly recommended but I have yet to taste it.

I Love Touring Italy – Campania West of Naples

If you are looking for a European tourist destination, consider the area west of Naples in the Campania region of southwestern Italy on the Tyrrhenian Sea. You will find several small towns and two islands. While the area is not undiscovered it tends to be less touristy than many other parts of Italy including Campagnia on the other side of Naples, namely Sorrento and the Isle of Capri described in companion articles in this series. If youre in the neighborhood, be sure to visit Naples, described in another companion article in this series. Well start our tour in Solfatara just west of Naples. Then we will head west to Pozzuoli and southwest to Baia. Well pop up north to Cumae. We finish our tour with some island hopping, first south to Procida, and then southwest to Ischia. The entire area is called Campi Flegrei (Fields of Fire) because it sits on molten lava. There is no reason to believe that volcanic eruptions are a thing of the past. And remember, the area is not far from Mount Vesuvius on the other side of Naples. Solfatara is a semiextinct volcano whose most recent eruption was in 1198. Its name comes from the Latin sulpha terra for land of sulphur so you know what to expect. Solfatara is hardly attractive, unless you like to look at boiling mud. But as long as you stick to the path you should be safe. On the positive side the escaping vapors have been used for medicinal purposes since Roman times. Pozzuoli is a fishing town that has become a suburb of Naples, hardly suprising given its proximity. The Greeks founded it in the Sixth Century B. C. Formerly the home of affluent Romans, its famous residents include St. Paul and Sofia Villani Scicolone better known by her professional name, Sophia Loren. Pozzuoli was damaged by volcanic eruptions during the Middle Ages and again in the 1970s. Youll want to see the Anfiteatro Flavio (Flavius Amphitheater), Italys third largest, that held 40,000 spectators. It hosts evening concerts in the summer. Baia was perhaps the greatest Ancient Roman resort of them all. All the big shots including Caesar, Nero, and Tiberius had a home away from home in Baia. Cleopatra was visiting when Julius Caesar met his untimely end. For many people part of Baias attraction was its thermal, mineral waters said to have healing powers. Local excavations include the Temple of Mercury, the Baths of Mercury, the Baths of Sosandra, with the semicircular Theater of the Nymphs and a statue of Sosandra, the Temple of Venus, and the Baths of Venus. Cumae was perhaps the first Greek colony on the Italian mainland, founded in the Eighth Century B. C. Youll want to see Antro della Sibilla (Sibyls Cave) considered by many people to be the most romantic classical site in all Italy. This cave, almost five hundred feet (one hundred thirty one meters) long, was carved out of solid rock. According to legend Sibyl was a prophet granted almost eternal life (as many years as the grains of sand in her handful) but she sadly forgot to request eternal youth. As she aged she shriveled so much that her body fit into a bottle that hung from a tree. In between uttering prophecies she begged for death. Most present Cumae is underground. Make sure to see Lago dAverno (Lake Avernus), a volcanic crater lake that the Romans considered the entrance to Hades (Hell). According to legend, birds flying over the lake would die from the poisonous fumes. It was on these shores that Virgil wrote The Aeneid. Lets assume he didnt inhale. Right near the coast you'll find Procida, a densely populated island with about eleven thousand people jam packed into two square miles. This is about one third the population density of Hong Kong but Procida is the most densely populated island in all Europe. In spite of all that, Procida is beautiful and relatively undiscovered compared to the other islands off the coast of Campania. Try not to miss the Good Friday procession, an annual event since 1627. The island and its small fishing village Corricella were featured in the films Il Postino and The Talented Mr. Ripley, filmed in many Campania locations including the island of Ischia, described next. We will finish our tour of this sometimes lovely area west of Naples at the island of Ischia, probably inhabited for thousands of years. Its almost sixty thousand inhabitants including thousands of German citizens live mostly from tourism with an estimated six million visitors a year. No, this is not one of the undiscovered gems that pop up from time to time. Over the millennia Ischia endured many conquests. Among the worst was in the mid-Sixteenth Century when the pirate Barbarossa devastated the island, taking four thousand prisoners in the process. The Castello Aragonese (Aragonese Castle) is Ischias most heavily visited monument. It was built on a rock near the so-called mainland somewhat less than 2500 years ago. In 1441 the castle was linked to the island by a stone bridge. The nearby beach is fine and its waters may heal your ailments. The La Mortella gardens belonged to the British composer William Walton and his Argentinean wife Susana, 23 years his junior. It is home to several thousand rare Mediterranean plants. After visiting the garden you can climb the long dormant volcano, Monte Epomeo, bathe in the Giardini Poseidon Terme (Poseidon Gardens Spa), or take a short boat trip to the village of Sant’Angelo on the southern coast. What about food? Volcanic soil makes food tasty and plentiful and gives wine a special zest. The focus here tends to be on vegetables and fruits. Tomatoes are served every which way, including pizza and spaghetti of course. Try to taste the mozzarella cheese, made from the milk of water buffalo. Lets suggest a sample menu, one of many. Start with Nero di Seppia (Spaghetti with Black Squid Ink). Then try Coniglio allIschitana (Rabbit simmered with Tomatoes). For dessert indulge yourself with Strufoli (Honey Balls). Be sure to increase your dining pleasure by including local wines with your meal. We conclude with a quick look at Campania wine. Campania ranks 9th among the 20 Italian regions for both acreage devoted to wine grapes and for total annual wine production. The region produces about 64% red and and close to 36% white wine, as there is little ros?There are17 DOC wines. DOC stands for Denominazione di Origine Controllata, which may be translated as Denomination of Controlled Origin, presumably a high-quality wine. The G in DOCG stands for Garantita, but there is no guarantee that such wines are truly superior. Only 2.8% of Campania wine carries the DOC or DOCG designation. The G stands for Guarantita, and youll find three, the red Taurasi, the white Greco di Tufo, and the white Fiano di Avellino. I have tasted the Fiano and found it to be top of the line. A single DOC wine is produced west of Naples; the Ischia DOC whose region covers the entire island of Ischia and is made from a variety of local grapes. This wine may be red or white. The red may be dry or sweet, while the white may be still or sparkling. Frankly, Id go with the Fiano di Avellino.

I Love Touring Italy – Small Town Lombardy

If you are looking for a European tourist destination, consider the Lombardy region of northern Italy. Depending on your interests, this beautiful area might be an ideal vacation spot. You can get classic Italian food, and wash it down with fine local wine. There are even some parts of Lombardy that are relatively undiscovered by tourists. This article presents Lombardy outside of its capital Milan or the beautiful Lake districts, which are described in companion articles in this series. Over the millennia Lombardy has been in the hands of numerous invaders including the Etruscans and the Gauls, then the Romans, Franks, and Goths, and finally the French, Spaniards, and Austrians. Did we forget the Lombards? These invaders all left their mark, some more and some less. Keep local history in mind as you tour this impressive region. We begin our tour at Pavia about twenty-five miles (forty kilometers) south of Milan. Then we proceed southeast to Cremona. We continue east to finish this short tour at Mantua near the Veneto border. Once upon a time little Pavia (population about 70 thousand) was a major rival of nearby Milan (city population about 1.3 million and metropolitan population over 5 million.) Its defeat by the Barbarians in 476 commonly marks the end of the Western Roman Empire. Almost nine hundred years later the internationally known University of Pavia was founded, based on a law and divinity school established by the year 825. Count Alessandro Giuseppe Antonio Anastasio Volta was the most famous individual associated with this university. It was Volta who discovered methane gas and invented the electric battery. Whenever you think about volts and voltage, you should think about Pavia. Arguably the most famous native of Pavia was Benedetto Cairoli, the 13th and 15th Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Italy. He was somewhat of a hero during Risorgimento (the fight for Italian independence) but had a relatively undistinguished career as Prime Minister with a single exception. Cairoli risked his life and was severely wounded when he successfully protected the unpopular King Umberto I from assassination early in his reign. Now let's consider Pavia's sights. Pavia is home to many other churches worth seeing. The Lombard-Romanesque San Michele Maggiore Church was constructed on the site of a preexisting Lombard church. Initially destroyed a few years after the turn of the first millennium it was rebuilt during the Twelfth Century. The Basilica of San Pietro in Ciel d'Oro (St. Peter in Golden Sky) actually originated in the beginning of the Seventh Century. Its name refers to gold leaf mosaics that formerly decorated parts of the ceiling. This basilica was featured in Bocaccio's Decameron. You may also want to see the Thirteenth Century brick Santa Maria del Carmine Church and the Renaissance Santa Maria di Canepanova Church. Head about five miles (eight kilometers) north of town to see Pavia's number one attraction, the Fifteenth Century Certosa di Pavia (Charterhouse of Pavia) monastery. This complex, which took over a century to build, is considered an excellent expression of Gothic and Renaissance architecture. It includes a great collection of paintings and stained glass windows. The church was meant to house the tombs of its owners, the noble Visconti family but only one family member is actually buried there. His tomb took over sixty years to build. Nearby is the tomb of another Duke and his wife Beatrice d'Este, a real Renaissance woman and a beauty as well, who died in childbirth at age 22. You may have heard of her sister-in-law, Lucrezia Borgia. The city of Cremona, population about seventy thousand, was first settled well over two thousand years ago. The famous Roman poet Virgil went to school there and owned a family farm in the vicinity. Another name is indelibly linked to this city, that of Antonio Stradivari, the world's greatest violinmaker. His masterpieces are simply the world's best-known and most expensive stringed instruments. As they say about yachts, if you have to ask the price, you can't afford it. It's not sour grapes, but frankly what would I do with a Stradivari violin, or mandolin? Perhaps trade it for vintage wine and Champagne. The violin as we know it was invented in Cremona around 1564 by Andrea Amati who died more than sixty years before Stradivari was born. The Guarneri family created world famous violins here and elsewhere in Italy. Today more than 50 violinmakers hang their hat in Cremona. The Piazza Roma square near Stradivari's house and workshop contains his tombstone and grave. The city includes the Scuola Internazionale di Liuteria (International School of Violin Making) and the Museo Stradivariano (Stradivarius Museum) Our next and final stop is the city of Mantua whose population is slightly under fifty thousand. Mantua may have been founded about four thousand years ago. The great Roman poet Virgil was born in a nearby village. In the Twelfth Century Mantua adopted a novel means of protection against invasion, by constructing four artificial lakes surrounding the city. Three of them exist to this day; the fourth dried up during the Eighteenth Century. If you remember your Shakespeare, Romeo fled to Mantua after killing Juliet's cousin in a swordfight. Talk about a family feud. Mantua's Palazzo Ducale was built between the Fourteenth and Seventeenth Centuries and boasts some 500 rooms. Its centerpiece is the Camera degli Sposi (The Wedding Chamber) room that took Andrea Mantegna about seven years to paint. When you see it, you'll know why. Since you're only allowed ten minutes to admire this marvelous, unique room you should familiarize yourself with the painting before your allotted time slot. Don't forget to look up, the ceiling is beautiful. Finish your tour at the suburban Palazzo Te built in the Sixteenth Century. Unlike many other historic Italian buildings this one was completed in only ten years. In fact its shell went up in eighteen months. In spite of its speedy construction it is considered one of the greatest Renaissance palaces. Don't forget to tour the Camera di Amore e Psiche (Cupid and Psyche's Room) showing a wedding with quite interesting and unusual guests and the Camera dei Giganti (Room of the Titans) in which Jupiter expels the Titans from Mount Olympus. The walls are peppered with Seventeenth Century graffiti. Please don't add your own. What about food? Of Italy's twenty regions Lombardy trails only Emilia-Romagna in food production. A lot of the food is of foreign origin, not surprising given the frequency with which Lombardy fell under outside domination. But there are also local specialties. For example, Cremona is known for Mostarda, mustard flavored candied fruits that accompany Bollito Misto, mixed boiled meats. A local version of this treat calls for calf's head, veal tongue, and pig's foot among others. Cremona also claims to have invented ravioli. Let's suggest a sample menu, one of many. Start with Zuppa alla Pavese (Soup with Bread, Butter, Eggs, and grated Parmesan Cheese). Then try Bollito Misto (Mixed Boiled Meats). For dessert indulge yourself with Colombe Pasquale (dove shaped Easter Bread with Candied Fruit). Increase your dining pleasure by including local wines with your meal. We conclude with a quick look at Lombardy wine. Lombardy ranks 11th among the 20 Italian regions for both acreage devoted to wine grapes and for total annual wine production. The region produces about 62% red and rose and 38% white wine, but there is little rose. There are 15 DOC wines. DOC stands for Denominazione di Origine Controllata, which may be translated as Denomination of Controlled Origin, presumably a high-quality wine. The G in DOCG stands for Garantita, but there is absolutely no guarantee that such wines are truly superior. Over 47% of Lombardy wine carries the DOC or DOCG designation. There are three DOCG wines: the sparkling Franciacorta said to compete with French Champagne and priced accordingly, the red Sforzato di Valtellina, and the red Valtellina Superiore. Lambrusco Mantovano DOC is a red or rose dry or sweet fizzy wine produced southeast of Mantua from local grapes. The San Colombano al Lambro DOC is red or white still or fizzy wine made from a variety of local grapes found about halfway between Milan and Cremona. By far the area's best-known wine is the Oltrepo Pavese DOC grown south of Pavia, across the Po River, hence its name. This wine, the favorite of Milan, is made in several styles from multiple grape varieties.

I Love Touring Italy – Bergamo and Lake Como

If you are in the mood for a European vacation, why not consider the city of Bergamo and Lake Como in the Lombardy region of northern Italy? Depending on your individual interests, this beautiful area might be an ideal vacation spot. You can savor classic Italian food, and wash it down with fine local wine. It is hardly undiscovered, but that shouldn't stop you from going. With a little effort you should be able to find some relatively untouched spots. Be sure to read the companion articles in this series that present Milan, small town Lombardy outside of its capital Milan, and the Lake Garda district with its interesting political past. We start our Lombardy tour at Bergamo east of the capital Milan. Then we head northeast to the shores of Lake Como and tour the lake in a counterclockwise direction exploring Bellagio, Villa Melzi, and Como at the southern tip of the lake and then head back up north stopping at the island of Isola Comacina, and then finishing our tour at Tremezzo with its centerpiece Villa Carlotta. If you so desire, continue your tour by heading west to Lake Maggiore and Lake Orta. You won't be disappointed. Bergamo, population about 120,000, was founded by the Celts well over two thousand years ago. It is the only city mentioned here that is not on or near a lake, but really that shouldn't stop you from visiting. This medieval city, tucked behind ancient walls, overlooks or perhaps we should say underlooks the Alps. It is divided into two sectors connected by funiculars (cable cars); the older Bergamo Alta (Upper Bergamo) and the modern Bergamo Bassa (Lower Bergamo). Can you guess which Bergamo I prefer? The large Romanesque Church of Santa Maria Maggiore was started in the Twelfth Century but its construction went on for centuries. The Torre Civica (Bell Tower) was completed towards the end of the Fifteenth Century. The church is right on the Piazza Vecchia (Old Square) in Bergamo Alta. Climb to the top for a great view of the Old City. Bergamo was the birthplace and home of Gaetano Donizetti (1797-1848), composer of some 75 operas including the famous Lucia di Lammermoor, 16 symphonies, and a multitude of other musical works. He is buried in the Santa Maria Maggiore Church. If you like opera visit the Museo Donizettiano (Donizetti Museum.) The Cathedral of San Vincenzo and Battistero are both situated on Piazza Duomo (Cathedral Square), the old heart of the medieval city and in all likelihood the heart of the Roman city way back when. Their lovelier neighbor is the Fifteenth Century Renaissance Capella Colleoni (Colleoni Chapel). Lake Como is a glacial lake shaped like an upside Y. It is about 28 miles (54 kilometers) long and at most 2 miles (3 kilometers) wide making it the third largest lake in Italy. Lake Como is one of the deepest lakes in all Europe. Bellagio, population three thousand, sits at the center of Lake Como's Y. It was a tourist center even in the days of the Romans. The famous composers Liszt and Schubert vacationed here, as did the writers Pliny the Elder (Classical Roman), Longfellow, and Shelley. This town is so special that Las Vegas has honored it with a hotel. I don't need to see both Bellagios to know which one I prefer. Try to get here outside the high season of July and August. Be sure to see the Villa Serbelloni surrounded by acres and acres of gardens laid out in a multitude of styles. It is now an international conference center for scholars and artists. Back in 1801-1803 Count Francesco Melzi d'Eril was Vice-President of Napoleon's Italian Republic. Several years later, perhaps to drown his sorrows over the Republic's brevity, he built the Neo-Classical Villa Melzi in the south end of Bellagio right on the lake. Its garden, the only part of the Villa open to the public, is said to be the first example of an English garden on Lake Como. The spectacular garden includes a Japanese pond complete with waterlilies surrounded by Japanese maples and cedars, Egyptian sculptures, and Roman statues. Como, population about sixty thousand, is situated at the very southern tip of Lake Como. Would you believe that it took Lombardy's capital city Milan nearly a decade to defeat little Como way back in the Twelfth Century? Not very long afterwards, Frederick I, the Holy Roman Emperor, destroyed Milan and built several defensive towers ringing Como. Only the Bardadello Tower still remains. Climb up it and get a great view of the entire lake. Like most Italian cities, Como has a fine series of old churches to tour. Here are some of them: The Duomo (Cathedral) a Fourteenth Century Renaissance-Gothic structure with statues of two of the city's most famous residents, Pliny the Elder and Pliny the Younger from Classical Roman times; San Fedele, an Eleventh Century Romanesque church with a beautifully carved door; and Sant'Agostino, Fourteenth Century Cistercian church proud of its old frescoes and Baroque decorations. Italy produces over 90% of Europe's silk and most Italian silk is produced in the Como region. Italian silk is a billion Euro (far exceeding a billion Dollar) industry. Find out more at the Museo Didacttico della Seta (Silk Museum). You can shop for fine silks at many nearby stores and warehouse outlets. Isola Comacina (Comacina Island) is the only island in Lake Como. Do you remember the lengthy wars between Como and Milan? Well at that time the island residents sided with Milan and there was hell to pay. In the words of the then Bishop "No longer shall bells ring, no stone shall be put on stone, nobody shall be host, under pain of unnatural death." At the start of World War I Isola Comacina was given to the King of Belgium who donated it to Italy after the war. It now hosts artists and scholars. Head north to the resort town Tremezzo, population 1300. Its highlight is Villa Carlotta, built during a fifty some year period starting towards the end of the Seventeenth Century. When you see this villa you'll know why it took so long to construct. The grounds are spectacular including for example more than 150 varieties of azelias and rhododendrons. Its art museum is dedicated to neoclassical art. For a change of pace, visit the Museum of Agricultural Tools located in an ancient greenhouse on the property. While the Villa Carlotta does not rent to tourists, the Grand Hotel Tremezzo is definitely quite classy. What about food? In this part of Lombardy the cuisine is divided into three main sectors. The lake cuisine specializes in fish with some local favorites such as dried shad. The area around Tremezzo is known for vegetables such as asparagus. The mountain cuisine is based on polenta, a sort of corn bread often flavored with cheese or cheese, butter, and garlic. Other mountain specialties include free-range chickens, kid, and game. The third category is valley cuisine based on cattle and cheese, especially Taleggio and various goat milk cheeses. Let's suggest a sample menu, one of many. Start with Fettuccine con Funghi (Fettuccine with Mushrooms.) Then try Agnoni all Comasca (Lake Como Fried Fish with Anchovy Filets). For dessert indulge yourself with Torte Paradiso con Mascarpone (Sponge Cake with Mascarpone Cheese.) Be sure to increase your dining pleasure by including local wines with your meal. We conclude with a quick look at Lombardy wine. Lombardy ranks number 11 of the 20 Italian regions when it comes to acreage devoted to wine grapes and the total annual wine production. The region produces about 62% red and ros?nd 38% white wine, but there is little ros?There are 15 DOC wines. DOC stands for Denominazione di Origine Controllata, which may be translated as Denomination of Controlled Origin, presumably a high-quality wine. The G in DOCG stands for Garantita, but there is in fact no guarantee that such wines are truly superior. Over 47% of Lombardy wine carries the DOC or DOCG designation. There are three DOCG wines: the sparkling Franciacorta said to compete with French Champagne and priced accordingly, the red Sforzato di Valtellina, and the red Valtellina Superiore. Interestingly enough no DOC wines originate in the vicinity of Lake Como, Lake Orta, or Lake Maggiore. However, Bergamo is home to two DOC wines, Valcalepio and Scanzo/Moscato di Scanzo. The Valcalepio DOC is vinified in several styles. The dry red and the dry white come from international grape varieties such as Merlot and Chardonnay. The sweet white wine comes from a local grape and has recently been classified at the Scanzo/Moscato di Scanzo DOC. I have not had the pleasure of tasting either of these wines. I have had the disappointment of tasting the sparkling Franciacorta DOCG wine made not far east of Bergamo.

A Travelling Job Experience

If, like me, you dream of travelling around the globe but without the grim prospect of feeling out of pocket all the time, then travel jobs will be the answer for you. It is all good to spend more or less a year saving up for a long trip around the globe and unless you are super-efficient at budgeting on a daily basis, and have no problem with keeping track of your pennies when you are out abroad then perhaps this option is a safe bet for you. However, if like me again, you want to be able to travel around without having to worry about how much you going to spend on a daily basis but would like to earn some money for the experience, then perhaps looking into travel jobs will be ideal and suited to you. Employment in travel can vary greatly. Some are geared towards going to holiday destinations and acting as a rep for the company. Others can be within a chosen career path as an intern and in a country as far away as India! Most people decide to travel after graduating or during a gap year at university, within that time period they may have decided to take on a small bar work for a bit of extra cash or more specifically have had to apply for a work visa to work for a small company and extend their stay. Other travel jobs can come in the form of acting as a camping counsellor and working with youths abroad. These jobs require more information and experience from applicants; though they are well paid, it requires some skill in communication, arts, crafts, cooking and hands-on manual work. Working in travel may require some language skills, particularly when applying in France, Germany, Morrocco, Italy and Russia. A basic understanding maybe enough for small businesses, but other internship roles will specify a strong understanding of the native language with proven evidence e.g. A-Level or degree in a specific language. These jobs can be offered through a special programme via British Council who is very selective of candidates applying. Another popular form of travelling and working is enrolling onto a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) course, which requires applicants to follow a structured course in teaching English abroad (popular destinations include Italy, China and Korea), gaining an accredited certificate in teaching then being assigned to a designated country for a period of time. Some of the placements offer substantial lodging as part of your salary. One thing that is vital before embarking on a decision like this, always do your research about the organisation you going to sign up for regarding travel jobs and the country of your placement. Having some knowledge about working abroad, your rights, your pay structure and boarding facilities will enable you to be prepared for the worst should anything go wrong. Very often, these programmes rarely face issues but it is always better to be prepared nonetheless. Therefore, if you are thinking about travelling one day, then perhaps a little researching may help. Travelling these days is not as expensive as they used to be, making it easier for people to just go and experience an opportunity that may not rise in the future.

Italy’s Le Marche: Dream Homes for All Tastes and Budgets

Italy is a deservedly popular option for people looking to buy or rent a home in Europe. After all, it offers superb scenery, beaches, all the culture you could want and a fabulous cuisine. It's also the home of La Dolce Vita where the living is soft and sweet. But many are put off by the crowds that throng the tourist haunts and high prices of such places as Tuscany and Umbria. If this is you, don't despair. Italy's best-kept secret of Le Marche awaits. Located in central Italy near Tuscany and Umbria, the Marches (pronounced Lay Markay and locally spelled Le Marche) is a verdant region that slopes down from central Italy to the lovely beaches and harbours on the Adriatic. It's a ruggedly beautiful region with its waterfalls, oak trees, olive groves and vineyards. It also offers towns and cities full of splendours with palazzos, monasteries, abbeys and renaissance churches. Le Marche's cultural charms can rival those of any in Italy. You can visit Urbino, birthplace of the painter Raphael, Pesaro where operatic composer Rossini was born, and admire countless treasures of the renaissance. And unlike overcrowded Florence, you'll be free of jostling crowds and tourist prices. To visit Le Marche is to fall under its spell. And if you then decide to acquire your dream home there, you have a wide range of choices. How about a grand villa with swimming pool? Drenched in history and refurbished for the complete modern lifestyle, such a property is available for just 1250000 Euros. Set on 2 hectares of land and located just 3 kilometres from the beach, the villa features extensive gardens graced with Mediterranean pines, oaks, oleanders, lavenders, and roses. The villa has space to spare. It boasts 3 large living rooms, 5 bedrooms all with bathrooms, and a spacious kitchen with open fire. There's also a playroom for children. Such a property is truly baronial but you'll find many other delightful houses at prices that everyone can afford. Take for example, Cà Lucilla, a rural house set in a delightful country village yet close to a historic town. The house measures 120 by 140 metres and is set an enclosed garden of 1000 square metres. This offers all the privacy you could need. This property needs restoration work but is a steal at 46500 Euros. Buying or renting such a property offers you a taste of the traditional Italian lifestyle but with all the essential comforts of modern life. So how do you go about acquiring your dream property? For a hassle-free procedure, you'll need to contact a local firm that specializes in the sale and rent of properties in the area. The firm should have both the technical expertise to survey and evaluate property along with an intimate knowledge of the legal and administrative procedures that are part of the bureaucratic process that accompanies any rent, lease or sale of property. But before contacting such a firm, you'll have to decide some matters yourself. For example, you have to set your budget and have a clear idea of the type of home you want. Spend some time traveling around the region and get a feel for what kind of houses are available. It’s a large area so this will take some time. Remember, when you acquire a house in the Marches, you're getting more than just a roof over your head; you're becoming part of the whole tradition and lifestyle of this delightful Italian region.

Vintage Travel Posters – A Must-Have For The Travel Enthusiasts

The vintage travel posters are a great way to remember the time which has gone by and also to capture the moment and to preserve it forever. A vintage travel poster is like a medium through which you get to have a look at those places which you cannot visit in reality. The travel vintage posters also remind us of the places that we or any of our loved ones might have visited in the past. Apart form these aspects the vintage travel posters give us an insight of the lifestyle, art form, fashion and the history of the bygone era. The vintage travel posters can be classified according to places as well. So be it about a place of your choice in France, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, Britain or Italy – a vintage travel poster works as a perfect memorabilia of the exquisite beauty of it.Some essential briefs of the artistic specialties of posters made in Italy, Switzerland and France:Some of the most popular forms of the Italian vintage travel posters are from the Art Deco and the Art Nouveau art era. The most famous artists who created the Italian vintage poster are Depro, Terzi, Seneca, Lenhart, Laskoff and many more.A Swiss vintage travel poster highly resembles the French and German posters but the one thing which sets it apart from others is the beautiful display of natural beauty of Switzerland. The Swiss posters display a sense of humor along with some fascinating graphic designs. Some of the noted Swiss artists are namely, Tissi, Matter, Brun, Troxler and Hofmann.A French vintage poster fills life to a dull wall with its classic masterpieces. France is considered to be the birth place of the travel vintage posters and it boasts of some of the most incredible pieces such as the Maitres de l'Affiche. France is known to produce some of the most remarkable artists who are the creators of some of the most precious masterpieces. These creators include Pal, Gruau, Cheret, Mucha, Grun, and Colin. Some of the posters have shown the map of the region, architectural landmarks or the railroad system. You can also own a piece of the travel vintage poster and virtually travel across the world.