travel

THINGS TO DO

Enchanting Taormina

Taormina has long been Sicily’s most favourite resort town.  Situated in the northwest of the island, it is perched on a coastal escarpment that looks out onto the Tyrrhenian sea between Messina and Catania. Its ancient narrow streets are full of small specialist shops, cafes, and restaurants,

THINGS TO DO

Grado

Whether you are looking for a historic festival, Roman ruins, great wine and seafood, or one of Europe’s top beaches, little known Grado has it all.  And the perfect time to go there is the first weekend in July, when, each year since 1237 Grado honours the

THINGS TO DO

Low-cost ‘Airlining’

Low-cost airlines have revolutionised the way we travel around Europe. If at all possible we will take a flight rather than catch a train or a bus, and in many cases, the choice is made based on the fact that these days, a plane ticket can cost much less. &

THINGS TO DO

Cinque Terre

1. Monterosso 2. Vernazza 3. Corniglia 4. Manarola 5. Riomaggiore   There are those who will testify, cursing certain guidebook writers in the same breath, that not long ago Cinque Terre was a secluded haven known only to Italians and few other Europeans. The five villages, as the tale goes,

THINGS TO DO

Things to do in Lucca

There is nowhere quite like Lucca, the charming, quiet Tuscan town which Henry James described in 1909 as ?overflowing with everything that makes for ease, for plenty, for beauty.? It is the perfect antidote to the hustle and bustle of Florence, and given its close proximity, also a perfect day

THINGS TO DO

Carrara

The sculpture of David by Michelangelo is globally recognized as one of the finest pieces of Renaissance art in existence. Once a metaphor for the invigorated and developing Florentine Republic, youthful, defiant, and brave, Il Gigante ‘The Giant’ as it was known by Renaissance contemporaries, has in modern

NEWS

Tuscany region president meets with U.S. Ambassador

In the face of a serious economic crisis for Tuscany and Italy, President Martini and Ambassador Sembler met last week to discuss Tuscan – U.S. relations and the numbers of American visitors to the Tuscany region.   In Florence alone, universities host six thousand students each year. The total

ART + CULTURE

The Palio problem in Siena

For most of the Divine Comedy, the pilgrim Dante trots after the Roman poet Virgil, who solemnly responds to his wide-eyed questioning. A similar dynamic was at work when I ...

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