Attractions in Italy

It is quite natural when you think of holidaying in Europe and your mind without thinking for a second starts dreaming of Italy. Why not? Italy is a place of dreams, a city known for its ethnic beauty. While planning a trip to Italy, you must see the beautiful region Tuscany which is specially known for its landscapes and artistic legacies. Surrounded by hills, mountain chains and a few plains, Tuscany is a relief to visitors traveling from all parts of the world.

While you are holidaying in Tuscany, don’t forget to look in for wide selection of accommodation choices ranging from farmhouse and villas to apartments, vacation homes and luxurious hotels. Tuscany is a small city filled with the air of purity and love. Tuscany’s capital city Florence is another attraction as it is called the most romantic city in the world filled with artistic, architectural and cultural beauty.

It is always suggested to stay in a self catering accommodation so that you can find ample time to visit the beautiful city of Tuscany and Florence. Some of the best museums can be seen in Florence namely the Galleria Delgi Uffizi, The National Museu of Bargello and the Accademia Gallery. These museums have the finest collection of arts in the world. You can see the Mannerist and Renaissance sculptures in the Bargello, while the Accademia Gallery highlights some of the unfinished carvings by Michelangelo.

Tuscany is one of the popular cities of Italy with varied attractions for its visitors. It is known for its beauty and grandeur. The renowned leaning tower of Pisa is perhaps the most famous and attractive place for the visitors. This great masterpiece is located at the square of the miracles and will render you absolutely speechless with its splendor and magnificence.

Self catering accommodation is the best option to recharge your body and provide you complete relaxing experience. The overlooking olive groves, vineyard, and sunflower plantation are the perfect picture when you wake in the morning and peep outside your rented self catering accommodation.

Farmhouses are also available on rent that provides you with all modern amenities to make your stay a memorable one. Families traveling to Tuscany find it very soothing to stay in such rented accommodation as they can cook according to what they feel like as and when required. It’s a complete home feeling for large groups and families. To add more to its charm, these have all the latest entertainment facilities in each house-for-rent.

There is no need to worry for travelers who are budget conscious as Tuscany provides ample opportunities to stay in cheap rental apartments and houses.

All you need is to explore the city of Tuscany to its maximum. Tourism being the back bone of economy of Tuscany, offers great attractions to its varied visitors. Be it art, music, landscapes, national parks, castles, museums, you find endless views with world class wines and food fiestas.Self catering accommodation is the best option to recharge your body and provide you complete relaxing experience. The overlooking olive groves, vineyard, and sunflower plantation are the perfect picture when you wake in the morning and peep outside your rented self catering accommodation.

Farmhouses are also available on rent that provides you with all modern amenities to make your stay a memorable one. Families traveling to Tuscany find it very soothing to stay in such rented accommodation as they can cook according to what they feel like as and when required. It’s a complete home feeling for large groups and families. To add more to its charm, these have all the latest entertainment facilities in each house-for-rent.

There is no need to worry for travelers who are budget conscious as Tuscany provides ample opportunities to stay in cheap rental apartments and houses. All you need is to explore the city of Tuscany to its maximum. Tourism being the back bone of economy of Tuscany, offers great attractions to its varied visitors. Be it art, music, landscapes, national parks, castles, museums, you find endless views with world class wines and food fiestas.

Once upon a time, women and men lamented getting glasses, but today, glasses can be worn by even the fashionably elite. Rock stars, and popular statesmen wear eyeglasses now, making them trendy and hip. Since the stigma has been eradicated, many well known companies have branched into creating spectacles that are becoming as much a staple to the wardrobe as the belt or handbag.

So, who are the names that people are wearing on their eyes nowadays? The list is quite extensive, but if you wish to play in the big leagues, you need to purchase the most fashionable eyeglasses around. Below is a list of the top five eyeglass lines that are the must have styles for winter (or really any season). As per usual, the price tags are pretty hefty, however, you c an acquire these fairly reasonably via online shops and wholesalers.

Prada eyeglasses

Prada, a name that is synonymous with classic style, has joined the ranks of many well known and famous designers by creating their own line of fashion spectacles. Based in Italy, Prada decided to make their mark in the field of eyewear with outstandingly flawless masterpieces that embody the class and sophistication of the label.

Gucci specs

Gucci takes it eyeglass line very seriously, even devoting an entire web spread to their eyewear on their site. They offer a variety of styles as well, from aviator, to gender specific male and female frames. The most popular appear to be rimless and shield forms, which a lot of movie stars and celebrities are currently wearing. If you like to shop for deals online, Gucci even offered exclusive web based steals on some their hottest styles. Still. the price of these shades will set you back a pretty penny, even with the discounts.

Fendi

You have been living under a rock if you don't know the name Fendi. The high couture fashion house has consistently put out designs that are contemporary, glamorous and classical simultaneously. These elements appear to fit the eyeglass line to a tee. Also made in Italy, many of the glasses display squared plastic frames and metal accents. They also come in a variety of styles and colors.

DKNY

DKNY's recent motto is, it's not about clothes it's about lifestyle. They apparently feel the same way about their glasses, which incorporates the DKNY sense joie de vie. A stand out amongst an industry that is dominated by Italy, Donna Karan's eyeglasses are light, fun and less pretentious than other offerings. Innovative styles, creative designs, sleek sophisticated lines dominate the eyeglass line giving consumers what they want---fashionable frames that are functional and great for everyday use.

Christian Dior

Christian Dior has made an art out of franchising the name, and thereby, the company knew just how to market their one of kind brand of eyewear. The most sassy and beautiful of the eye wear lines; CD eyeglasses offer style and comfort. Women cannot help but fall in love with the svelte and gorgeous lines of the women's collection. Men's eyewear was also stylish and masculine; complimenting the more rugged features of a male while giving a crisp air of refinement.

For those of you who can't afford the name brands, 'legal knock offs' can be obtained at reputable retailers. These items don't have the name of the designer on them; all they seek to do is emulate their given style. Still, investing in the real thing may be worth it. Designer styles tend to be classic ones, staying in vogue long after trendier lines have come and gone. As a fashion staple, they will stay the same as clothing styles and designs evolve.

Tuscany is a distinctive region of Italy perfect for all manner of holidays, with so many sites and places to see holidays in Tuscany are a truly enjoyable experience. Historical monuments are at every turn and for those with a love of the arts Tuscany has many attractions to fulfil your artistic needs. With rustic villages giving a unique view of country life and great cuisine and wine the region can be described as quintessentially Italian.

Most holidays in Tuscany will include a visit to Florence, as one of the art and renaissance architecture centres of the world, an enthralling experience is guaranteed. The famous Piazza Della Signoria is visited by many people on holidays, subsequently it is bustling and manic but is a vital component of any itinerary. With fine medieval buildings surrounding the square it is little wonder that so many tourists visit this part of Tuscany. The art galleries of Florence hold some of the seminal works of the renaissance period, paintings from great artists such as Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and Raphael are all present in the city and can be considered a must see for all discerning art lovers.

Siena should also form a part of the majority of holidays in Tuscany, a hill town that is full of medieval architecture; it has an enormous fan-shaped piazza. The town also holds a horse race annually that is one of the major festivals in Tuscany. Lying in the centre of the Chianti region, wine tasting is a pursuit that should be undertaken by all on holidays near this fascinating city. The surrounding countryside of Siena is unique and beautiful, small villages dot the hillsides with striking clay hills walling the shallow valleys.

For those on holidays in Tuscany an underdeveloped tourist attraction is San Gimignano, known colloquially as the city of towers it has fourteen surviving towers from the medieval period. This is quite a feat when considering the other cities in Tuscany that have lost the majority of their towers through wars and natural disasters. Along with the awesome towers of varying heights there are many fabulous churches that allow the traveller to step back in time and get a grasp of life in medieval Italy.

The city of Lucca is perfect for holidays, once again, as with much of Tuscany the architecture is heavily medieval. It lies close to the coast so family holidays are a real possibility with such a short drive to the beach. The city itself is famed for its walls, the majority of which are still intact despite the city expanding beyond their curtain. Once for military purposes, the walls now offer the tourists the chance to promenade along their tops to gain unique views of this historical city.

As stated before, Tuscany is the heart of the Chianti wine making region; easily the most famous of all Italian wines all holidays in Tuscany should include a tasting experience at one of the many vineyards. The cost of the wine varies greatly from low end bottles to rather expensive premier vintages, you do not however have to spend a fortune to enjoy the wine, low end bottles are of remarkable quality considering their price and make the perfect accompaniment to the cuisine of the region.

Holidays in Tuscany are full of unique experiences that you will be pushed to find anywhere else in the world. The renaissance style of Florence and its accompanying artwork makes it a cultural capital while the smaller cities offer an insight into the turbulent past of this region of Italy. History surrounds you at all times and amazes all comers. With fine wines to choose from and some unique cuisine all travellers will leave Tuscany satisfied, relaxed and recuperated.

"The green heart of Italy", this is how Umbria is called and, to be honest, this title does not give enough justice to this enchanting region that never ends to amaze. Umbria is so rich of history, culture, succulent cuisine, nature and a multitude of jewel-like medieval hill-towns that no one can deny that it is one of the most beautiful regions of Italy.

All these characteristics alone already make owning a home in Umbria very attractive to anyone, but there is a lot more to be said about it. For instance, 30% of Umbria's territory is made up of woodland and with only 900 thousands inhabitants in total and a bit more than 106.4 inhabitant per square Km, its population density is the country's lowest, about half of the national average, leaving anyone with enough space to live peacefully.

Another reason why Umbria is so attractive is that it doesn't have neither a coastline nor an international border, this has helped it keeping its traditions and has given to it a further sense of mystic.The demand for properties in Umbria as you can expect is quite strong. Because of all the reasons already mentioned and for many other reasons not listed for space problems, Umbria has seen its allure and its property value rise steadily over the last twenty years, making it reach one of the top positions in Italy's high end markets. Nevertheless, the majority of people that buy a property there consider Umbria still worth it, as it preserves a truer charm than the close by Tuscany.

The property type that attracts more interest is still the typical stone house or farmhouse, mostly favoured by people searching a quiet place to live in, with some land or a garden to enjoy the peace of the nature and relax, better if there's a swimming pool, or to set up a business such as a B&B. Many buyers prefer to invest in a property to be restored so they can customize their home as they want it. The high number of requests for these properties has made its prices rise and for a country house to be restored prices start from 120/130 thousand Euros and from about 250 thousand Euros for the same type properly restored maintaining original features.

A fairly new trend is the increasing interest for town houses and apartments set in one of the many wonderful hilltop villages. Many people don't feel like staying in an isolated home, thus they discover the convenience of staying close to shops, services and to other people, having so more contacts with locals and being an inner part of a community that offers the real flavour of true Italian lifestyle.

There are many buyers that think of properties in Umbria as a great investment opportunity, and they think right. For instance Perugia, other than being the Capital and hosting an international airport that well serves all the region, it is also an important university city, well known around the world for its "Università per Stranieri" (University for Foreigners). The income potential in this city is very high as there'll always be a strong need of rental from students and, as it is a very lovely city that attracts big crowds of tourists, it is a very appealing market also for short term and holiday rentals. Another city that attracts many investors is Assisi; the home town of San Francesco is one of the most visited worship places in the whole world, hence one of the most sought after places for property investments.

Umbria is a true jewel and never ends to enchant its many visitors. The word of mouth spread by satisfied and happy owners will always attract home buyers from all over the world, this is mainly why buying a property in Umbria is currently one of the safest and enjoyable place where to invest your savings.

I recently celebrated my 21st birthday in Italy. I have to be honest and admit that I was sceptical about it; for several reasons. My parents and my grandmother both made the trip across the sea to visit me and my friends that I have met here, in Rome, joined my boyfriend and I for the celebrations.Had I been at home in the rather rainy UK, it would have definitely been a party. I mean capital P.A.R.T.Y. I know for a fact that my family, the length and breadth of the country, would have flocked to Scotland to join us and it would have been great to see everyone, but for reasons I chose not to divulge, (No I'm not in an Italian Prison, I just have "short arms and long pockets" as they say. LOL), we decided to celebrate here.

This of course meant that there would only be 7 people at my party and I wasn't going to get my usual Victoria sponge iced birthday cake, or would I get the restaurant staff singing happy birthday to me, but I was going to be sharing it with people I loved and cared about very much, (and my mother had bought me gorgeous silk dress), so I was happy.Now I don't know about you, but I find birthdays to be emotional and often tearful days anyway. And why is it that something always seems to go wrong on your birthday? But it didn't! This year, everything went perfectly. 

If I ignore the fact that, I woke up at 6am because I felt like I was about to over-roast and split in half, (thanks to the wonderful July heat-wave that Italy has been experiencing this year), and that It took me until 12pm to finally get my boyfriend awake, (by now I had walked to the hotel where my family were staying, had breakfast, opened the mountain - yes 21 and everyone I know seemed to go crazy with presents like I was 5. It was amazing and you can't imagine how grateful I was that everyone, even distant relatives, remembered - walked the dog - who decided to get "the runs" that day thanks to my mum feeding her fettuccine fungi (mushroom pasta) the night before - and walked back to the house with the family in tow.

But he made up for it. He gave me a birthday card, telling me he was taking me on the holiday of a life-time for new year and then drove me and the family to an unnamed swedish furniture store and a huge Italian shopping mall, so that I could spend some of my very unearned new cash.Shopping, gave me even more of a shock. Never before in my life, have I gone shopping on my birthday, with a pocket full of cash and actually been able to find something to buy, but that day, I found plenty and found myself, becoming long-trousered again and tearing myself away from things; (I had a holiday to save for).

That night however, was the "creme-de-la-creme" of shocks and treats. We chose a beautiful Italian restaurant, set up in the mountain hillside north east of Rome, in a very small town called Stimigliano. With fountains in the patioed garden eating area, just footsteps from your table, light and airy music and the smell of delicious in-door bbq'd foods, fruity wines and sweet smelling deserts passing your nose; how could I not be in my element.But of course, I underestimated people and how secretive they can be. Upon sitting down at the table, my mum produced a party bag, full of streamers, bubbles, poppers and balloons. Our friends had gotten lost on the way and were running late, but that wasn't a problem as it gave us, the family, a chance to take some group pictures and blow up the balloons etc.

The food was amazing. The company fantastic. The staff... brilliant and friendly, even though over 90% of the table spoke no or basic Italian. They didn't speak English of course, but between having one Italian at our table and lots of bad menu reading, poor pronunciation from bad phrase books and hand gestures followed by si, no, no, si, si... we got there in the end. I doubt they would be reading this, but I would like to say a huge Thank You to the staff at the Restaurant.

But then It came. The moment that I had not been waiting for. As I walked away to take pictures of my dad with our friend Colin, in his very smart Scottish Kilt, I was soon called back to the table. "Happy...Auguri... to... te." The mixture of Happy Birthday with the Italian Tante Auguri was fantastic. The cake looked amazing, covered in huge letter candles spelling out 21, with pink candy striped candles round the outside and "Auguri Ami" written in the center. I was pleasantly surprised. Our friends hadn't been lost, they were late from picking up my cake.

So there it was. A typically British birthday in the beautiful warm, Italian mountains. And I would do it again. Of course I missed home as I opened cards from friends and relatives that day, but I will seem them later in the year and I will perhaps even have myself a smaller party next time I see them all.So for anyone thinking about celebrating birthdays in Italy. Go for it! You can everything as you would at home, cakes, singing, candles and friends; but at least you can sit outside until 2am!

The Burnett family had lived in central London since Mr Burnett became involved with 'The Firm' fifteen years previously. They organised a place for the family to live, they even organised a removal company for them. Mr Burnett had to admit, they had been good to them many times but it all came at a price and he'd been in this game for too long now. He wanted to get out but the boss wasn't keen.He makes all the right noises. Oh yes, no problem, he says, you can leave whenever you want. They will organise the removal company again but the foreboding Burnett feels at this statement says he will probably be removing his head rather than his furniture before he lets him leave.

On top of this Burnett has a wine collection that has been obtained through his contacts at the firm. Any removal company he uses will have to have specialist knowledge of how to handle this treasure of Burnetts.There are men watching the house. Burnett know this because he tried to organise his own removal company. For some reason he felt it would be best if the boss didn't know where he was moving to, just for the family's peace of mind. The removal company called the next day to say how sorry they were but they didn't have the time or resources to help him move. Ever.

The boss paid Burnett a visit yesterday, with his heavies in tow of course, just to enquire after the family's well-being. He didn't directly say anything threatening but it made burnett shiver when he was stroking his young daughter's hair while giving him 'the look'. After asking to check out his wine collection, Burnett was horrified when he dropped the most vintage bottle in the collection. Seeing claret all over the floor left him in no doubt that he wasn't happy about his plans.

The boss likes to think he's a big shot in the world of protection rackets but there are bigger fish than him and during Burnett's time with them even he managed to work out there are areas of the world that even the boss won't go, due to the gang wars over territory.Burnett and his family choose one of these areas and using a complicated method of getting someone else to track down a property for them without the bosses knowledge, a deal on a house has been secured in Italy. A family friend also has connections in the underworld and they know a rival gang that would do anything to get one up on his boss.

They have their own controlled removal company who are willing to help their rivals for a small fee. It has all been arranged via secret telephone calls and an escape plan has been set.This rival gang are setting up a red herring to lure the bulk of The Firm into a distraction. They will then go in, pack up Burnett's home including his precious wine collection, and ship it all over to Italy in an apparently untraceable operation.The rival gang have laid on a private jet and in the dead of night the family are whisked away to start their new life. After a few cautionary diversions, they arrive at their new home to find the removal company had beaten them to it and everything is set up to just move straight in.

Six months later the Burnett family are completely settled and adjusted to their new way of life with no contact from 'The Firm', much to Mrs Burnett's relief. That's when he gets the call from the removal company that helped them on their way. It seems it's time to pay back that favour and, with a sinking feeling, Burnett realises he has gone from frying pan to fire.

Learning Italian is a fantastic opportunity. Speak Italian with people you meet while traveling, as well as those in your community. Communication opens doors to: work abroad, expand your business, expand a curiosity to full blown Italian fluency, discover your roots, find romance, a chance travel, and most importantly - expand your communication.

1. The Godfather Would Approve

Rent Italian classics. As Italian movie director Federico Fellini said, "A different language is a different vision of life". With all these reasons and more, in the following are a few ideas on how to incorporate learning Italian into your daily life.

Some great internationally successful flicks are: "La doce vita", "The Garden of the Finzi Contini", "Ladri di Biciclette" (Bicycle Thieves) and movies from the Taviani Brothers, Visconti, Antonioni and Fellini.

2. Go on a Mental Adventure

Head to your local library or bookstore and pick up a couple Italian books. Reading is essential to learning how language structure works. Check out travel guides, novels, and other books that describe Italy, to enrich the learning process. Learning more about the culture is a great motivating factor. Not only are you learning Italian, but also you're immersing yourself in a new culture and understanding a people.

3. TV Time

Watch TV. Yes, in the name of education, turn on your TV and veg out for a few hours; just make sure they're speaking in Italian. With all the choices of satellite and cable channels we have no excuse not to find programming in different languages. Just listening to the programs, the Italian will begin to subconsciously sneak into your brain . Soon you'll be sputtering out Italian in your sleep. If you don't find any programming you really dig, there is the option to rent popular TV shows in Italian versions. This way you'll still be able to enjoy your favorite programs and learn at the same time.

4. Italian Itinerary

Search out Italian music online, in your local music store, or library. Inside the liner, the lyrics of the songs should be included. Skim the words along with the music, and try to figure out what they're saying. Shortly you'll be singing along and perfecting the lofty vowels of the Italian language in minutes.

5. Have Fun

Learning a foreign language doesn't have to be a snore. You can easily spice it up by incorporating some of your favorite games and activities. Try playing Italian bingo, Italian family feud, Italian crosswords, basically anything that helps you learn vocabulary and forces you to practice Italian.

6. Creative Renaissance

Fuel your ingenious side and learn creatively. Create your own Michelangelo and label his body parts in Italian, draw a house and label all the rooms and furniture, post up your artwork where you can see it – on the refrigerator, your bathroom mirror, on the dashboard of your car.

7. Self Teach

Try the Pimsleur Approach if you're just starting. Pimsleur is great for beginners to learn Italian. This program doesn't ask you to memorize lists of vocabulary or grammar. Basically, it teaches you the same way you learned your first language —audibly. Listen to the CDs in the car or on your lunch break. Repeat the phrases and soon you'll be speaking like a native.

8. Phrase Your Words Wisely

Express yourself by learning phrases in Italian. One big mistake beginners make is trying to learn everything at once. According to the Pareto principle, 20 percent of the input contributes to 80 percent of the output.

9. Explore Your City

Get online, check your local bulletin boards, and visit community centers to find out about Italian programs. Find Italian speaking residents in your community and join a conversation group or learn more about heritage societies. Speaking a new language helps you understand another culture and its people. Language and culture are interwoven; in many ways, language defines our reality. By learning Italian you are opening your mind to new ideas and ways of seeing the world.

10. Vacation in Italy

Wander the bella vineyards of Italy on a picturesque wine tour. Everything will be more enjoyable if you can understand Italian. Speaking their language illustrates a respect for Italian culture. In almost every country, people prefer it when tourists at least make an effort to speak their native tongue, even if it's just Per favore (Please) or Grazie (thank you)!

The fastest way to learn Italian is to be immersed. When you visit Italy, not only will you enjoy delicious food and beautiful sights, but you'll also absorb the Italian language so naturally you won't even notice it.Learning Italian is like learning a new way to think. You must immerse yourself into the culture; learn to speak and write a different way from your native tongue. Fall in love with the language. If you love the Italian language then everything will come easily to you.

Although France is a signatory to the European Charter for Regional Languages, it has failed to ratify it because to do so would be in contravention of the current French constitution. In any event, it has been official French state policy since 1539 to promote French to the detriment of the other regional languages.This primer only focuses on languages native to France so it excludes languages such as Portuguese and Arabic (in all its forms) spoken by large but more recent immigrant communities.

Some of the languages are spoken by very small minorities (such as Franco-Provencal, Ligurian, Picard) whilst others (such as Alsatian, Basque, Breton, Catalan, Corsican, Dutch, Luxembourgish, Occitan) are more or less dominant in their respective regions. Given the relative importance of the latter group of languages, some of them are the subject of separate primers and are not directly covered here.

Alsatian: It is an Alemanic German dialect spoken in the Alsace region. Whilst closely related to other Alemanic German dialects, such as Swiss German, Swabian and Badisch, it is not readily intelligible to speakers of standard German. A 1999 survey found that over half a million people spoke Alsatian in France. As is typical of declining languages, the bulk of the speakers are adults and fewer and fewer children are both learning and using it.

Corsican: It is a Romance language spoken on Corsica. Classed as a southern Romance language, it has more in common with Sardinian and Italian than it has with French. According to UNESCO, the language is currently in danger of dying out and whilst official figures put the number of active speakers at around 400,000, 100,000 would probably be a more realistic number. Although the French government has promised to provide greater protection for the language as part of increased autonomy, for various political reasons nothing has been done.

Franco-Provencal: Not to be confused with Provencal, which is a variant of Occitan, Franco-Provencal is a Romance language (also known as Arpitan) born in eastern France and Switzerland now spoken to varying degrees in France, Switzerland and Italy. Franco-Provencal never achieved the importance of French, Italian or Occitan and has little official protection outside the Aosta Valley (near Turin) in Italy. However, in recent times the language has declined significantly and is on the UNESCO endangered list. Official figures put the number of speakers at around 100,000 but some studies have indicated that it is significantly lower and declining at such speed that the language could become extinct in the coming decades.

Ligurian: The language is a Romance language that is very distinct from the other Romance languages spoken in France and has definite Italian features. In addition to being spoken along the Southern Mediterranean Coast of France (near Nice), it is spoken in pockets of Northern Italy (Liguria, Northern Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna), on the islands of Corsica and Sardinia and in Monaco. Indeed the local variety, known as Munegascu, has been adopted as an official language. It is, however, very difficult to come up with reliable statistics as to the number of active speakers and all signs point to the language being in a very precarious state.

Picard: Closely related to French, and often mistakenly taken for a French dialect, Picard is spoken in Picardie, the Pas-de-Calais as well as in parts of Belgium (it should not be confused with Walloon, which is a separate Romance language). Due to its geographical proximity, Picard has been heavily influenced by modern French but is nevertheless very distinctive, in particular phonetically speaking. Although it has no official recognition in France, Picard has been recognised as a regional language by Belgium's French Community since 1990. Although by no means extinct in the sense that it is very present in regional culture, the language is being increasingly confused with regional French and ever fewer people are able to speak it. How bad the situation actually is remains unclear as reliable statistics are very hard to come by.