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3 Unique  Experiences of  Art and Culture in Italy

If you are in Italy and you are looking for unique art and culture, it would be impossible to miss it. Italy is a open air museum and everywhere you go the ghosts of the past are all around you enhancing your experience. One not to miss.

Lets start:

1) Architecture. Art and Culture

The essence of art and culture. It’s everywhere, but sometimes overlooked or taken for granted, even the one dating back from before Christ.

From Roman ruins to Longobards Castles to Etruschian catacombs. The visual experience is endless when you travel throughout Italy, from one part of the country to another, based on who was the ruler or the invader at that time.

Italy architecture constantly changed with unique and refreshing art and culture.

Trieste, for instance, a city reminiscing of Vienna since it was under Austrian-Hungarian control until almost the end of the  18th century, contrasts from Torino with its French influence.

Torino Mole italiabound.com
La Mole Antonelliana di Torino

Torino was seized by Napoleon until its fall, or Napoli, which was contested between  the French and Spaniards dynasties basically up until the Risorgimento or unification of Italy in 1861.

What is amazing about Italy is the uniqueness of its architecture. It is worthwhile to pay close attention to all of its beauty as you travel across the landscapes.

To me a must see is the Reggia of Caserta. Royal Palace from the 18th century and now a UNESCO Heritage Site. Once the home of  Carlo III, Duke of Bourbons and King of the Kingdom of Naples. It’s the largest Royal residence in the world. Need I say more? A must see. reggiadicaserta.beniculturali.it

2) Museums, Art Show and Galleries.

It is well obvious that Italy itself is an open air museum yet you will find something under a museum roof that will excite and inspire you to search for more unique beauties in this amazing country. Italians thirst for art and culture allows for hundreds and hundreds of museums, art galleries and theatres to instil knowledge and entertainment. The museum choices are endless, whether it’s affreschi, paintings, sculptures, modern or antique furniture, or… Yes! Even racing cars. 

Museums are everywhere. And you need not be in a big center to take in any of that.

Uffizi Florence italiabound.com
Uffizi Museums in Florence

A must is the Uffizi in Florence   . And one of my favourites, ( although it has nothing to do with Italy) is the Museo Egizio di Torino. It’s the largest Egyptian museum outside Egypt. I need to go back there again. I just love it.

3) Archeological sites

In a Country rich of past civilizations it isn’t hard to find archeological sites to explore. Naturally the ones that come to mind are Pompei,  pompei.it , Ercolano ercolano.beniculturali.it and of course Rome itself.

colosseo roma italia bound
Il Colosseo in Rome

In Tuscany or Umbria there are many  archeological sites of the mysterious Etruscan civilization. Particular the Necropolis of Cerveteri and Tarquinia  not to be mistaken for the Necropoli della Banditaccia also near Cerveteri. If you  have the time, you should see both.

Sicily, and  Calabria on the other hand are home of many Greek ruins such as  in the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento, where The Temple of Concordia reigns over the Sicilian island. A must see.

Aquileia, founded in 181 BC, in Friuli is rich in Roman ruins, ancient crypts and most recently a newly found Roman port buried under thousand years of dirt grasses and trees. Further north, but by only 40km,  is Cividale, founded in. 53 BC by Julius Cesar.

Ponte del Diavolo in Cividale del Friuli.

You can discover the history of the Longobardi. It’s path through different civilizations. Amongst many things you must visit the 3rd Century Celtic burial crept –Ipogeo Celtico- www.cividale.com deep in the undergrounds of the town. ( get the key from the restaurant next door or at the travel information center ).

What’s is amazing is that all are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

These among many others, are museum, cities and sites that I personally visited and enjoyed, but thousand more are there waiting  to be discovered by you. That is Why You Should  Go to Italy… It’s An Experience Not Just a Holiday.  And if you decide to head over to this wonderful country, I can help.

“Til then…Buon viaggio.

Are  you travelling to Italy and are interested in my assistance, or would like to comment on my post?  Just drop a line below or contact me privately at info@italiabound.com.

 

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Why Spending Time On a Beach in Italy is a Must

Life is a… Beach. Italian Style

So, you want to go to Italy and take advantage of the beautiful summer weather to soak up some sun and swim in the blue warm waters of the Mediterranean. You are hoping to find a nice secluded beach where the only sounds are the waves crashing on the beach.

San Nicola Arcella in Calabria
San Nicola Arcella in Calabria

Unfortunately more often than not, these places are rare to find, as most beaches are often crowded by beachgoers. If tourists flock the scogli (reefs) of Sardegna and Campania or maybe Liguria too between October and May, then that may be the case. In the summer months, on the other hand, Italians live for the beach and water, so they tend to crowd them.

You Wonder Why?

Italian beach culture is a love triangle between Italians, the sea and the sweet life of doing nothing.

21 million Italians will hit the Italian beaches between July and August. Add a “couple” of foreigners, too.. well more like several millions.

Italians rush the beaches for at least 10 days but many will extend their holidays for the whole month.

Many are willing to work extra weekends, save on dinners, sacrifice make-up and fashion purchases so that they can add extra days to their beach holiday.

No other country has a need to be at the beach and under the sun like Italians do. They justify all of this because it’s the only time that they can completely detach from the day to day stress of work, kids, traffic, crowds and everything else that drives them crazy during the year.

54% of Italians will be going on a beach holiday during the year.

85% will go in July and August.

60% of them will stay at least 10 days.

So What Do Italians Do at the Beach?

A typical beach holiday to Italians consists of the following:

  • wake up
  • have breakfast
  • pick up all possible newspapers
  • walk to beach
  • sit under the rental umbrella on their rental loungers until noon
  • head back to hotel or apartment for lunch
  • back down to the beach at around 3 PM, and stay till 6 PM.
  •  shower at the hotel or apartment,
  • go to dinner and then for a passeggiata (stroll) and have a gelato.
  • They do this everyday that they are on holiday.
Don’t Worry… Be Italian

Italians’ only worry is about how dark of a tan they want. This is the time that the saying “il dolce far niente” (the sweet doing nothing ) comes in to play and they bare no excuses for it. During their holiday, each Italian will read 5000 books and newspapers. They even have libraries on the beaches to help with their choices.

Add a few walks down the beach, build a half a dozen sand castles. If you really want to feel Italian, build a sand race track with bent turns and tunnels, get yourself some plastic marbles and race for the ultimate prize…A ghiacciolo al limone ( lemon icecicle).

Now you are set!!

Library on Italian beach
Library on Italian beach

Conversations with umbrella-neighbours centre around politics and soccer or,  more recently, about food and recipes.  Recent surveys show that these are now the most talked about topics on beaches.

Ongoing arguments with their kids about getting in the water too soon after having had a snack are also often overheard.  Italians believe that one should not enter the water for at least three hours after having had food (joking, not joking!).

You Pay for the Convenience

All this doesn’t come cheap of course as the bagni or beach rental sites charge a fair amount for those umbrellas and chairs. In Rimini for instance, one umbrella and 2 sun chairs in the first row in some bagni  will cost around €25 per day or €124 per week. Expect to pay a lot more in more popular places such as Tuscany, Sardegna and Liguria. Even up to €4000 for the season.

Italian beach holiday
Endless umbrellas in Rimini

Public beaches are hard to come by and they are not so… convenient. Italians like convenience, and don’t mind crowds. So to pay for an umbrella or access to a caffè/ bar/ ristorante right on the beach to them is worth the cost. In the evening, life gets even better as the town is invaded by the beachgoers as are the nightclubs, discotheques and restaurants.

Where to Stay

Many Italians like to rent apartments. Hotels are popular, but only because Italians opt for a pensione completa, where all three meals are included in the price.

More often then not, they also tend to go back to the same seaside town, same bagno and even the same row and spot year after year. So their umbrella neighbours are the same every year, making their holiday more familiar as it is a sort of reunion.

I remember as a child spending the whole summer in Lignano Sabbia d’Oro with my grandma and uncles. Every year the same people from Rome would be our neighbours. I remember them always commenting how much I grew from the previous year and over the years they became sort of surrogated relatives. As an adult I even visited them in Rome.

If you are looking for that quiet secluded beach, Italy has plenty throughout the peninsula and you’ll be mesmerized by their beauty, tranquility and cleanliness. But, at the same time, spending a couple of days in a crowded one that defines Italian living, is something special too. At least once in your lifetime you should enjoy the “dolce far niente”. 

Italian invented it and are masters at it. Why not try it.

 

Five Beaches Where You Must Go to Experience il Dolce Far Niente

–Rimini or Riccione in the Emilia Romagna region are probably the most famous beaches of Italy amongst Germans and most European tourists. Endless miles of silky sand and lightly sloped coastline with perfectly tempered water. Ideal for adults and children alike.

–Lignano Sabbia d’ Oro is just one hour east of Venice. This golden sand town has beautiful beaches and reasonable rates.

–Senigallia. Further south from Rimini by 100km and closer to Ancona on the Adriatic side of the Italian coast. Great beaches, great food all with warm southern hospitality.

–Versilia. You are in Tuscany and the beaches of Versilia stretch from Forte dei Marmi to Viareggio. Lido di Camaiore probably has the best beach, but anywhere along this 30km stretch you can’t go wrong. Prices in Tuscany tend to be one of the highest in Italy.

–Alassio. This is a small stretch of beach in the Liguria region in the province of Savona. Stupendous small town on the Ligurian Sea rich of entertainment, restaurants and shops.

BONUS Beaches…

Don’t forget the real south, Calabria, in particular Roccella Ionica. The many Islands including Capri, the Emerald Coast in Sardegna and of course Taormina in Sicily

This is Why You Should Go to Italy… It’s An Experience Not Just a Holiday and see for yourself why millions of tourists flock the Italian peninsula every year.

“Til then…Buon vaggio

Are  you travelling to Italy and are interested in my assistance, or would like to comment on my post?  Just drop a line below or contact me privately at info@italiabound.com.

 

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Why You Should Go to Italy… It’s An Experience Not Just a Holiday

 “We are going to be in Rome, on the Amalfi Coast, in Tuscany, and near Siena. What other interesting places are there to see?”  This is one of the most asked question to me by friends or clients travelling to Italy.

That question carries a lot of weight. Italy is not a place that has a hundred  interesting things to see nor a thousand. Italy may have its name to claim monuments, but the reality is that on your way from one monument to the next there may be 600 more interesting places and towns to see, and often more beautiful or interesting than what you were on your way to see originally.

Duomo in Milan, Italy
Milan’s Duomo

You could be in a small town station waiting for a train to Rome, for instance, and just by looking around you notice unique architectural delights.

Italy’s Cultural Pride

Italy and Italians over the century had and still do have lots of pride in their everyday work. The buildings were never built with only practicality in mind. They were built to reflect the culture, the people, therefore the times. Nothing says more about an architect, than the style of building that he or she builds. Fountains were designed with grandeur ideas and looks in mind. The “big square box” North American style buildings are never considered even in today’s Italy. Fortunately, laws are in place to prevent that. Milano Centrale, as an example, was finished in 1931 by Mussolini. Its grandeur reflects his ego yet creates pride amongst Milanesi, even if most of them never were or no longer are fascists. It’s a mixture of Art Nouveau, Art Deco and fascism. Oh yes! and trains are supposed to stop there as well.

 

Architecture wonder in Cuneo, Italy
The marble floors and ticket wicket in Cuneo
Small Places as Interesting as…

Cuneo train station, to remain on the rail stations theme, is a beautiful architectural wonder that mesmerizes the average train user. It looks more like a museum. The restoration is meant to recreate what the original designers envisioned.

Details in train station in Cuneo, Italy
interesting details of the brass stairs handle by marble stairs

Cuneo is a town of just around 56,000 people nestled in the southwester area of Piemonte and hardly has the volume of tourists that Milan has. Nonetheless, when you come upon this town and its train station, you will be impressed.

To this day, Italians are leaders as they pour their pride in fashion, automotive, furniture design, and culinary delights, and that’s only the tip of the iceberg. This pride and artistic creativity is represented in everyday living. It makes for a more inspiring environment, therefore everyone benefits from. The way they dress, what they eat, how they socialize and how they live represent centuries of rich traditions, history and pride.

When asked “what else is there to see?”, the only answer that I can give is this: Keep your eyes, mind and senses always open and everywhere you go will never cease to amaze you. Italy is to tourists what a candy store is to a child.

And if you enjoy food see my post 5 things to Know About Dining in Italy because how and when to eat is as much as an art as the food itself.

“Till then…Buon viaggio

Are  you travelling to Italy and are interested in my assistance, or would like to comment on my post?  Just drop a line below or contact me privately at info@italiabound.com.

 

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3 Easy Hikes at the Foot of the Italian Alps in Northern Italy

Alagna to Rifugio Pastore

An easy hour-long hike  through the Parco Naturale Alta Valsesia in the shadow of the Monte Rosa in Piemonte. Monte rosa is Italy’s second highest mountain, after Monte Bianco, in the Italian Alps. Here you criss-cross rivers and creeks on wooden bridges until you reach at 1575 metres in altitude the refuge. www.rifugimonterosa.it

Relaxing at the Rifugio Pastore

 

 

The hike stars in Wold, one kilometre passed the town of Alagna. You will continue for three kilometre or so on a paved road till Acqua Bianca. At this point you enter trail number 6 and head to the rifugio. There are two ways to get there, both start in Wold and both take the same amount of time. This one just happened to be my favorite.

The rifugio, is  a rock and shale hut built in 1973 to commemorate an avid mountaineer Francesco Pastore who had past away in an automobile accident. It’s purpose is to protect and give refuge to hikers and trekkers during storms, and rest for those continuing on. It’s also a restaurant and shelter for overnight guests.

Stay for lunch, or a merenda ( snack ). But whatever you decide, you must have their homemade cake (torta del rifugio) and a hot chocolate, Italian style. Well deserved treat for accomplishing the climb.

 

Pella to Santuario di Madonna del Sasso

Hike above the breathtaking Lago d’Orta. One and a half hours of easy strolling and hiking but once there, the view is magnificent. Visit the sanctuary before enjoying lunch at the Hotel Ristorante Panoramico. If you do, try the Strangozzi al Ragoût di Cinghiale (wild boar sauce). If the hike is too long, drive most of the way and maybe just walk the last 30 minutes from Artó. It certainly would give you a reason to work off the pasta.

Later, drive back down to Orta, stroll the town and take the boat to l’Isola di San Giulio. Stroll the short pathway around the Benedictine monastery, pick up a souvenir and then have a cioccolata calda in Piazza Motta back in Orta.

Piazza Motta in Orta with the Island of San Giulio in the bachground and the Sanctuary above and behind
An UNESCO Site

If you have the time, the Sacro Monte di Orta is a UNESCO site worth visiting. It’s only 5 minutes by car from any parking lot in Orta. A unique sanctuary with  20 Franciscan chapels and 375 terracotta statues, depicting religious stories.

One of the 20 chapels with terracotta statues.

The construction started back in the late 1500’s and were terminated in 1788. The art work is remarkable and its also free. The whole site sits on top of the mountain with a gorgeous view of the lake. At the very least, if you running short of time you must try to make it back an other day. or do quick visit, it’s certainly worth strolling through. I have spent many of my visits to Italy discovering this beautiful small lake rich of secrets. I don’t know why, but I just love this lake in particular when it’s raining…call me crazy.

 A hike on Lake Como

This is a longer hike but the terrain is plenty easy and the sights are amazing. You’ll need about three hours, but wow! it is certainly the most scenic of the lake of Como. Start the trek at the train station in Dervio. Why the train station? Simply because when you arrive in Bellano‘s train station you can catch any of the local trains back to your point of origin.

Leave Dervio station and head to the church of San Quirico e Giulitta facing the lake. Here is where the actual trail starts and although sometimes it’s paved, you are actually on ancient roads that were used to connect Como and Switzerland. Throughout the hike you will see ruins, mulattiere (mule trails) that date back centuries, and lots of farmland and farm houses, in particular the Cascine dei Ronchi, where you’ll have a marvellous view of the lake.

You’ll walk through the Valle dei Mulini, cross over stone bridges and visit the Santuario di Lezzeno and the church of San Bernardino or the one of San Rocco.

This trail is a wonderful testament to history and earlier civilizations. You will reach the Orrodo gorge, an amazing natural wonder with suggestive waterfalls and gollies. Soon after that you’ll see the church of the Saints Nazaro e Celso before heading to Bellano where the trail actually ends at the train station.

Easy Train Ride Home

Relax a bit, have a cappuccino or lunch pending what time you get there and afterwards take the easy way back to Dervio. Since the train ride is only 6 minutes, yes 6 minutes, and costs about €1,50, you can spend some time just visiting that town.

If you don’t want to hike the total distance, and since the two towns are only six minutes by train, you could hike a few kilometres in each place.  You will get a good feeling about the area and still see some great panoramas, and at the same time you have given yourself a good pat on the back for having done at least somewhat of a good nature walk. Any amount of time amongst nature is time well spent. Good for the body, the spirit… and the appetite.

“Till then…Buon viaggio

Are  you travelling to Italy and are interested in my assistance, or would like to comment on my post?  Just drop a line below or contact me privately at info@italiabound.com.

 

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Welcome – Benvenuti to Italia Bound!

I thought I would start a blog about travel. Not so much because I do a lot of travelling but because I’m constantly asked by clients, friends and acquaintances questions about traveling in Italy. I figured, if all these people are constantly asking for help and advice, there must be many more out there that could use the same.

Italy Should not be Cookie Cutter Holiday

There are a lot of travel agents out there and many more websites, and travel bloggers that do a great job telling you what to do, where to go. Often they target the masses, and if everyone does the same thing, well, you hardly will do anything unique or different. Fortunately for me…and for you I bring a different angle that focus on the topic but comes from an insider’s point of view. I lived in Italy, travel often there, speak several of its dialects and am passionate about my homeland.

Unique Personal Experience

I like to think of myself as more of an insider with valuable information rather than a travel savvy person or agent. The people that I’ve helped over the years always seem to be looking for the same information. Yet have different interests and tastes. They want to know where to find the things they need and what to do that is out of the ordinary. I realize that helping my clients not only saves them money but more importantly saves them time. This allows them to enjoy new things that were not in their original plans. It also puts them at ease about where they are going and the uncertainties are alleviated if not completely eliminated.

Diversify Your Visit in Italy

Although I’ve traveled alone as well as with my family all over Europe, Canada, US and Japan, I give my advice only about my homeland, Italy, because I know it well. I no longer live there, but did grow up in Novara in the Piemonte region and traveled intensely throughout it as well into Friuli where my grandmother lived until she was 99 years old. I would never miss visiting that beautiful region and its hidden treasures.

We also skied in Val D’Aosta and sunbathed in Liguria and Tuscany, so all of Northern Italy in particular is like my own backyard. I lived it and loved it as a child, teen and young adult and enjoy bringing my family there as well. All three of my children and my wife (who doesn’t have an Italian background) have been there many times.

Holiday Like Italians Live

What makes these regions so wonderful is the simplicity of how people live and enjoy life to the fullest. It’s how in Novara at ten o’clock at night, we meet friends in the piazza for a gelato or drive 60 kilometres to Monferrato to have a fabulous lunch that takes three or four hours to consume. And, while we eat the children play outside in the gardens. You can’t go more then 10 kilometres without experiencing a new site, whether it’s monasteries, churches, castles, villages on the many picturesque lakes such as Orta, or ferrying off to an island on the Lago Maggiore.

You can travel from Novara to Udine, for instance, and experience completely different sceneries. Here the dialect, which I know, is a mix of Slav, Italian and Austrian. The piazza has the same architectural designs as Venice, although there is no water to be found. Udine was once part of the Serenissima, The Venetian Republic. Do you want great wine. Great food. Friendly people. Breathtaking panoramas, mountains or white sandy beaches,? Then it’s all in one package in Friuli region.

All these regions offer everything a traveler would want for a complete Italian experience. Different from many other touristy areas, in Friuli you will experience and live more like the Italian way. Foreign tourists are scarce and few. I like to promote more areas such as these because in many ways they reflect more of the true Italian lifestyle.  Often these areas are overlooked and not incorporated in travel plans.

Expand Your Horizons and Explore Italy Landscapes

Individuals that spend their money traveling often want to go where they know they won’t be disappointed. In doing so, they often miss great opportunities to experience new sites. Not everyone is a Lonely Planet type of traveller. Sometimes if an individual only travels once a year for three weeks, they want the best bang for their buck. And who can blame them. Traveling these days can be expensive and time consuming. Why then waste time figuring out what to do once you have already landed. Planning is essential, but at the same time one must leave something for the unexpected.

So, join me in the blogs to come as I explore Italy and give some insights about places, people, food and culture, and I’ll help you discover places that you should visit but often wouldn’t have otherwise considered or better, never even knew existed.

“Till then… Buon viaggio.

Are  you travelling to Italy and are interested in my assistance, or would like to comment on my post?  Just drop a line below or contact me privately at info@italiabound.com.

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