A beautiful marine pine at dusk! Taken from our rooftop terrace.
Author Archive for Kerri
Posted on April 11, 2012 by Kerri
This picture was taken on a beautiful day in October of 2011. We were on our way to the Island of Murano for a tour of a glass blowing factory. The reflection of the buildings lining one of the canals is off the top of the taxi. Which I highly recommend taking at least once when you venture to the amazing city of Venice. It was a fantastic way to some of the city on our way out to the Island.
Categories : Italy, Photo of the Week, Venice
Posted on April 10, 2012 by Kerri
This weeks random fact of the week comes Courtesy of my friend @MikeSlone
Random fact: there are 170+ tunnels on the road between Nice, France and Siena, Italy. You spend a lot of time in the dark.
To find out more about what Mike is up to check out his blogs
Tune in next week for another installment of Random Fact of the Week!!
Categories : Italy, Random Fact of the Week, Siena
Posted on April 9, 2012 by Kerri
A couple very interesting articles about the miles and miles of underground Rome!!!
Next time you are in Rome you should check out a few of these amazing places.
National Geographic Underground Rome
Go Europe’s Underground Rome tour ideas
Our Rome 7 Day Hardcore Sightseeing Tour includes some amazing underground tours like San Clamente and the Catacombs!
Posted on April 4, 2012 by Kerri
Southern Italy Sightseeing Tour - October 1 - 12, 2012Click here to check out this tour!!
Beautiful Sorrento, Italy in the fall. Sorrento sits on a cliff overlooking the Gulf of Naples. If you look closely you can see Mt. Vesuvius in the background amidst the clouds. The marina, shown in the picture, is down below the town. You can get there taking the stairs or riding the elevator! You can catch the boats to the islands of Capri and Ischia from here too. An amazing town, with beautiful views and wonderful culture… a must for everyone’s Italian Journey.
Posted on March 16, 2012 by Kerri
As any good traveler knows, pickpockets can be a something to think about avoiding when traveling. So how do you keep your purse or wallet safe? Follow these short guidelines and you will significantly reduce your chances of being ripped-off.
1) Remain alert and aware
This may seem simple, but remember you are walking around somewhere new, you may be staring straight up in the sky admiring the architecture of a building, or fumbling with your map and not paying attention to the kid behind you with his hand in your half open purse. That’s not to say you shouldn’t enjoy what you are there to see, just keep an eye out from time to time as to who is near you and look at your map in a more strategic place.
2) Use a money belt or something else difficult to get into
I have traveled with a money belts, backpacks, and thick canvas shoulder bag with heavy duty zipper holding my money and other important documents. All of these work great for making it too difficult to get to your belongings. Money belts are sometimes hard to get into without showing some skin or other embarrassing things. You can opt for one that goes around your neck instead of around your waist. Backpacks have many pockets and some of them are facing backward and easy for pickpockets to get into. If you use a backpack make sure your belongings are not easily accessible or even better use a hidden compartment. For example, I have a pocket in mine that is against my back, that works great.
3) Plan ahead
If you know where you are going and what you want to do, you are much less likely to get stuck pulling out your map and being lost in getting directions. It’s easier to pay attention to whose around you as you enjoy the area. This doesn’t mean you have to have every moment planned or you can’t change your plans and be spontaneous, it just means be aware of where you get your map out and don’t look lost. A tourist with a destination is a harder target.
4) Leave valuables at home or hotel
You don’t need to have every document with you every step of the way. Often times simply carrying a photocopy of some things will be plenty of documentation. Also, you don’t need all your money or your favorite expensive watch. If it’s not on you to be taken, they can’t take it.
5) Watch for signs
So you are alert, you have a money belt, you planned ahead and left unnecessary items at home, now what do you look for to help you avoid a possible pickpocket? Many times pickpockets work in groups. Two or three people will cause some sort of ruckus while another one or two will walk behind people slyly taking things, and you won’t even notice. For example, someone could get “stuck” on the steps getting on or off a bus or train, holding up the line of people so they can grab your things. If this happens, be aware of who is around you and hold on to your belongings closely.
6) Did I mention remain alert and aware
Again, one of the best ways to help you avoid having a pickpocket find their way into your life, is to be aware of who is around you and what’s going on.
Although pickpocketing can happen to innocent, and often naive tourists, it is not a given it will happen to you. Just be careful, remain aware and follow these simple steps you can help save yourself the agony of being pick-pocketed.
Categories : Safety, Travel Tips
Posted on March 15, 2012 by Kerri
Rome, in all its splendor, awe and grandeur, can be an overwhelming city to visit. When planning a trip to Rome, you look for the amazing sites and the tourist locations that can’t be missed, as you should. But how often do you think about how to slow down, people watch and have some fun in the eternal city? Enjoy this list of fun, and even magical, places you should see or do when you visit Rome.
1) Piazza Navona
I can’t say enough about this amazing square located in the heart of Rome. Being lined with restaurants, shops, gelato, and a beautiful church, is only the beginning of what this amazing place has to offer. Filled with musicians, comedians, dancers and artists, every one of your senses has something to enjoy. There are three beautiful fountains designed by Bernini to congregate around, with the center one being the main attraction.
2) Hop On/ Hop Off Bus (open top bus)
Whether you are visiting Rome for the first time or not, the hop on / hop off bus is a great way to have some fun. Just sitting up on the top of the bus is an enjoyable and memory filled experience, not to mention a great place to take pictures from a different and sometimes blurry perspective, but well worth it. Stopping at all major tourist attractions you will quickly be able to get acquainted with the town, and through a set of headphones, you get an informative and at times funny, run down on the history of the major sites you pass by. Usually these buses have a multi-day pass so you can use it to get around town instead of paying for a taxi, driving yourself or managing public transportation (which is also something every traveler should do at some point)
3) Trevi Fountain
If you have some extra time to spend here, you will find this to be a wonderful place to have some fun people watching. During peak season it is slammed with tourists all vying for position to throw their coins into the fountain and get a picture of it in the moment. I love to come here and watch people experience this magical place. During the off season, this amazing fountain is still a happening place, just much easier to find a seat, lean back and enjoy. Make sure to get some gelato and let yourself melt into the experience. Whatever you do, don’t just run in, toss your coin and leave.
4) Roma Termini
Yes I said it! The train station is a fun place to visit in Rome. It’s filled with shops, travelers, commuters and a buzz of human activity. More than likely you will have to come here at some point if you are traveling to places outside of Rome, but make some time to get here early, or come by when you aren’t getting on a train, and enjoy the atmosphere and hubbub of the train station.
If there is nothing else you take away from these fun, magical and awe-inspiring places, please let it be to sit back and take in the surroundings. Experience the feel of the place, the people who are there and the magic these places can fill you with.
Posted on March 4, 2012 by Kerri
Rome, an amazing city filled with culture, cuisine, art, architecture and sights not to be missed. On most people’s list of places to see is the Sistine Chapel, Colosseum, Galleria Borghese, Palatine Hill, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon and the list goes on. What most people don’t always hear about are some more of the strange yet wonderful places that often go unnoticed. These 4 sights should be on anyone’s list of to-see places when they travel to Rome.
1) Cappuchin Crypt
The Cappuchin Crypt is an amazing tiny space decorated with the clean skeletal remains of 4,000 monks. The room, which is located beneath Santa Maria della Immacolata Concezione church, is very artfully decorated with these skulls and bones because they ran out of room to bury people in this once extremely sought after burial ground (due to the soil being from Jerusalem). To fix this problem they exhumed the clean bones and used them as decoration. There is no fee to enter, but a donation is requested. Also, no photographs may be taken in the crypt.
2) Museum of Purgatory
Also known as the Souls of Purgatory Museum, this can’t miss sight is located in Church of the Sacred Heart. In this one small room you will see pictures and actual items that are said to be evidence of contact from those stuck between Heaven and Hell: Purgatory. There is no fee to enter this museum.
3) Rome Crime Museum
Housed in an old prison, the Crime Museum has three different sections to it and is run by the Ministry of Justice. The most commonly visited section is called Punishment and Crimes and happens to be the more gruesome and gory area. It illustrates what criminals had to deal with after they were sentenced. Life size models including the Iron Maiden can be seen here. Entrance to this Museum is 2 Euros.
4) Museum of The Sanitary Arts
Although this museum may not seem to be much when judged by the name, it happens to have some very fascinating things. For example, it has a set of Siamese twins, a large collection of wax models once used for teaching purposes, a basketball sized liver stone straight out of a camel, and several bottles filled with different floating things. Admission is free to this museum.
As you can see there are some strange places to visit in Rome that you have probably never heard about. Do some digging and see what other wonderful and off the beaten path places you can find. Double check the prices and hours of operation on their websites as these can vary dramatically from place to place. Now head out and enjoy the unique side of Rome.
Categories : Italy, Planning, Rome, Travel Tips
Traveling; something almost every person in the world wants to do or does do. Planning a vacation or any other kind of travel arrangement comes with many decisions and almost every one of them comes back to how much does it cost. Things like, where to stay, what to eat, what to see, what to do, where to go and even some strange questions like, do I pay to use a public restroom, will cross your mind when planning. Every one of these questions most people answer by first deciding if they want to do it, then second asking how much will it cost and does it fit in our budget.
Generally, a smaller budget means you have less time to see and do the things you want because you are usually on a shorter vacation. You don’t have a month to travel around one small European country. You probably have only a week and usually at least 2 of those are travel days and if you go anywhere else during the trip, it’s even more travel time on a train or bus.
I bring this all up because even on a small budget you can maximize your time at each stop of your trip. From booking flights to traveling by train you can make sure you are in the seated and upright position as little as possible. Yes, it does cost more to take a faster train or a train that makes less stops and a flight with a shorter flight plan, but just how much more does it cost? In researching flights and travel plans for years now I know that it is well worth the money to save the time. Don’t just look at the price of train or plane ticket. Look also at how long it takes to get from where you are to where you want to be. For example it may be cheaper to fly round trip to and from the same place, but only by a couple hundred dollars at most. If you choose the cheaper round trip flight, you then have to get on a train or bus to get to or from the destination you aren’t at yet, this can cost still less than if you took the plane straight there, but by only a few dollars at the end of the day. And here’s the kicker, you just got off your 20 hour flight to Rome and now you have to hop on your 8 hour train ride to Venice, when for just $50 you could already be where you want to be relaxing and getting ready to start your vacation.
Travel can be very tiring, and it’s really not much more expensive to take a shorter flight or faster train. The time you gain makes for a more relaxed and enjoyable vacation for barely more than you would have spent originally. The money you spend on the attractions and site-seeing will be much better spent when you can take your time and explore thoroughly each of them fully, not rushed and exhausted.
Categories : Planning, Travel Tips
One of the top destinations to visit in the world is Italy. From its picturesque hill towns to its breath-taking cliff towns and everything in between, Italy plays host to just about any kind of vacation you want. But how do you decide what to see? I recommend spending a good amount of time in the Italian Riviera visiting 5 small towns knows as the Cinque Terre and here are the top 3 reasons why.
1) Visually Stunning
Cinque Terre is comprised of 5 very tiny towns clinging to the cliffs along the coast of Italy. Riomaggiore, Corniglia, Manarola, Vernazza and Monterosso al Mare are all distinct quaint towns that offer such stunning views you will never want to leave. The building colors are bright blues, pinks, reds, greens, yellows and more. In true Italian style the buildings in each town are stacked and packed all with their own little harbor and fishing boats on one side and lush mountain cliffs and vineyards on the other side. A must see for the artist, photographer, or anyone wanting to enjoy the beauty of these 5 towns.
2) Off The Beaten Path
Aside from being so beautiful, Cinque Terre is off the beaten path in more than one way. These towns are literally cut off from roads. There are parking sites you can use to get close and walk into the towns, but no tour busses or droves of drivers can or do come to these amazing places. The only way around each town is to walk and there are trains that stop at each town as well as a hiking trail if you choose to walk to each little city. Another way they keep from being overwhelmed is that the villas and hotels are truly Italian in style and comfort. You won’t find those who only enjoy night life, soft pillows and many extra amenities here, just peace and quiet of very small groups, and adventurous solo travelers.
3) Unesco World Heritage Site
Being a Unesco World Heritage Site means that no new buildings can be built and each town is protected from modernization. A blast from the past, these centuries old places hold unique culture, pride and beauty from a time long, long ago. The people who live here are from a long line of families that have lived here from the beginning. They are Italian through and through. The people are not the only part of this amazing place, but the buildings themselves show just how amazing it was to live in the world during this time. A time travel tunnel back to when people sustained themselves on the land and sea around them.
So take the trip of time travel when you go to these less busy, striking towns. Although those happen to be 3 of the top reasons to visit, there are many more, including hiking trails, amazing beaches and all the seafood you can eat!
Categories : Cinque Terre, Italy
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