MY IDEAL VACATION…..

ITALY

the Italian Republic (Italian: Repubblica Italiana), is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. Italy shares its northern, Alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia. The independent states of San Marino and the Vatican City are enclaves within the Italian Peninsula, and Campione d'Italia is an Italian exclave in Switzerland.

WHEN YOU GO TO ITALY .. DON’T FORGET VISIT……

Cities: Florence is the capital of Tuscany. Other important cities are Siena, Pisa, Arezzo, Pistoia, Prato, Lucca, Livorno, Grosseto, Massa Carrara.

Art: Tuscany is unrivaled as a cradle of all-time art. One can find examples of every age and style: from the Etruscan civilization (Fiesole, Chiusi, Volterra, Populonia) to Roman monuments and ruins; from the Romanesque architecture to the impressive Gothic cathedrals, to the exceptional artistic explosion of the Renaissance. Florence has preserved its masterpieces and great works of architecture over the centuries.

To be visited: In addition to art, Tuscany offers outstanding nature sceneries, such as the National Park of the Argentario and the Isola of Elba. In Siena there is the beautiful Piazza del Campo. In Florence there are the fifteenth-century shops on the Ponte Vecchio. Pisa has the Campo dei Miracoli, with the famous Leaning Tower.

…DON’T FORGET…

To be visited: Taormina, the Etna and the majestic monuments in the Valle dei Templi of Agrigento, the Eolian Islands.The great ski centers of Sestrière, Bardonecchia, Sansicario; the district of the Langhe and the Lakes Orta and Maggiore

In the Carso area there is the Gian Grotto, near Trieste; on the

sea there are Duino and the Sistiana bay; the Miramare

Castle, built during the nineteenth century by

Maximilian of Austria, looms over the Adriatic Sea.

HotelsThere are about 40,000 hotels in Italy. Every hotel has rates fixed in agreement with the Provincial Tourist Board. Most hotels quote all-inclusive rates, which include taxes, service, heating or air-conditioning.

Hotel ReservationsNo hotel reservations can be made through Italian Government Travel Offices but lists of hotels for any city or area in Italy can be obtained upon request. Hotel reservations for any part of Italy can be made in the U.S. and Canada through travel agencies and hotel representatives. For a list of U.S. or Canadian representatives of Italian hotels, contact any Italian Government Travel Office. Reservations may also be made by writing directly to the hotel.

Accommodation in Religious InstitutionsFor listing of convents, monasteries and other religious institutions offering accommodations, please contact the Arcivescovado of the Italian city concerned (for Rome, for instance, the address is: "Arcivescovado di Roma, Roma, Italia"), or write to the provincial tourist office or local tourist board. A partial list is also available through the Italian Government Tourist Boards in U.S. and Canada.

    Accommodation in Private HomesAccommodation in private homes are available in most cities and towns in Italy. Please contact the official tourist office of the city or town that interests you and request "un elenco di affittacamere" (list of persons renting rooms). Private homes offering accommodations are not official establishments and, as such, are not rated by the tourist office.

  WHAT'S NEW IN ITALYA wide selection of events in Italy. Find out what's going on now in the arts, sports, music and much more.

TRADITIONAL EVENTSInteresting ancient usages, customs and local folklore festivals still survive in present-day Italy, although, inevitably, with the passage of time some part of this picturesque legacy has been lost. Even so, a pride in traditions has kept much of it alive.

OPERA HOUSES, CONCERTS AND BALLETMajor symphonic series and recitals are

organized at all time of the year by music conservatories, associations and clubs with

the participation of world famous artists. Most major opera houses have symphonic

concert seasons and ballet seasons. The famous International Ballet Festival is held at

Nervi, near Genova, in July.MUSIC FESTIVALS & POPULAR MUSIC

List of major music festivals in Italy with links to the official websites. A wide selection of

classical concerts, symphonic music, opera, dance, jazz and pop music.

SPECIALIST IN FOOD AND WINE!!!

Italian breakfast is quite different from American or English. Colazione is usually light: cappuccino (coffee and milk) and a brioche (sweet pastry), or simply espresso (black-short-strong coffee).Pranzo (lunch) is the big meal except in the industrialized cities. It consists of antipasto (starter) a primo piatto (pasta, rice or soup), a secondo piatto (meat or fish) with contorno (vegetable or salad), then frutta ( fresh fruit). Finish with espresso and maybe a grappa or amaro (strong digestive liqueur).Cena (dinner) is similar to lunch. Nowadays there is a tendency of having a light lunch, then dinner becomes the major meal.

Where to eat ? There are thousands of ristoranti (restaurants): the most formal type of place to eat when one is not in a hurry, sometimes a little fancy and pricy and family-run; trattoria and osteria: less formal than a ristorante, where local specialties are served; panineria: a sandwich bar, where a quick meal can be had at any time of the day; pizzeria: is not only for pizza lovers!

Other Italian drinks include aperitifs, blended principally over a base of the world-famous Piedmont Vermouth; dessert wines, such as

Moscato, Marsala and Malvasia from Sicily and sparkling wines from Piedmont, Veneto,

Tuscany and the Islands. Italy also has excellent beers and a great variety of

effervescent mineral waters

WHEN DO YOU TRAVEL TO ITALY .. YOU NEED PACKING…

•A lot of money. Euros.•Diferents kinds of the clothes, It depends the location and the seasons.•Why not a friend or maybe a special person.•And … disposition .

ITALY IS A PERFECT PLACE FOR YOUR IDEAL VACATION!!!!!