Sardinia, Italy

Posted on Thursday, August 25, 2011

In the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, about 125 miles from the Italian mainland, lies the unique island of Sardinia, or Sardegna in Italian.

The island is relatively free of large cities or heavy industry, and its beaches are some of the cleanest in Italy and mostly uncrowded, except during peak season. But Sardinia offers plenty besides sun and sea.

Although not known for its cultural riches, the island does hold some surprises, remains of the various civilizations that passed through here.

The island was ravaged by a succession of invaders over the centuries, each of them leaving some imprint behind: Roman and Carthaginian ruins, Genoan fortresses, a string of elegant Pisan churches with some impressive Gothic and Spanish Baroque architecture.

Perhaps most striking of all, however, are the remnants of Sardinia's only significant native culture. The Nuraghic civilization, named after the 7000-odd nuraghi that they left behind, was unique to Sardinia.

Their mysterious, stone-built constructions are often in isolated places, but there are a few to be seen in the museums of Càgliari and Sassari.

The capital is Càgliari. With good accommodation and restaurants, it makes a useful base for exploring the southern third of the island. The Costa Smeralda is Sardinia's best-known resort area and lives up to its reputation for opulence. 

Alghero, on the western shore, has a Spanish ambience, a legacy of long years in which the town was a Catalan colony, and a wholly different feel from the rest of the island.

Inland, Nuoro has impressive literary credentials and a good ethnographical museum. As the biggest town in Sardinia's interior, it also makes a useful base for visiting some of the more remote mountain areas, in particular the Gennargentu range, which covers the heart of the island. This is where you can find what remains of the island's traditional culture, best embodied in the numerous village festivals.

Charming Sorrento

Posted on Thursday, June 09, 2011

This week we have the pleasure of including posts from a guest blogger who is sailing on a 12 day Crystal Cruise from Venice to Barcelona.

Long a favorite summer play ground for the rich and famous, including Emperors Augustus and later Tiberius, they were followed by artists, writers and then us , the tourists.  The cobblestone streets lead in every direction to unforgetable views, excellent cuisine and of course, sone world class shopping for leather goods, jewelry boxes, fine linens and inlaid wood ornaments and furniture.

But before indulging in all of the above, we hired a car for the famous Amalfi coast drive that offer some incredible views of the area. On other trips we have visited Ravello, Positano and the town of Amalfi, but today we had a date at a restaurant/ farm named Coline di Sorrento– Hills of Sorrento. Here we had mozzarela cheese making demonstration followed by a tasting, some local wines and finishing with Limoncello, both classic flavors ( lemon and creme) and even chocolate, which I didn’ t care for.

Then down the hill, and we lost ourselves in shopping and sight seeing only to realize 8 hours just wasn’t enough and we would want ( need ) to return in the not too distant future !

San Gimignano, Italy - An Adventure of Its Own

Posted on Friday, June 04, 2010

The province of Siena, Tuscany is the home to a small little medieval hill town that is completely walled in known as San Gimignano. It is located in the north-central parts of Italy. San Gimignano has become popular because of its medieval architecture scattered throughout including the towers which people can see kilometers away.

San Gimignano is popular for its white wine, Vernaccia di San Gimignano which has been grown in the area for many years. This is a town that not only has a sweet taste, but also a lot of history behind it.

Back in the 3rd century BC, San Gimignano was founded by the Etruscans. There are records dating back to the 10th century when it got the town name from the bishop, Saint Geminianus, who was the defender against the Attila’s Huns.

Throughout the Middle Ages and Renaissance eras, San Gimignano became the stopping point for many Catholic pilgrims traveling to the Vatican and Rome because the town is placed on the medieval Via Francigena. The city developed further as the years continued by trading agricultural products with the fertile neighbor hills.

Until 1348 the city flourished greatly, but the plague had a massive affect on not only San Gimignano, but many other European towns which in turn led the town to submit to Florence. Not it has become a touristic and artistic hot spot for many people throughout the world and is once again becoming recognized for all the beauty many millions have missed.

Travel deep to the heart of the town where you can experience four town squares which are filled with entertainment, excitement and delicious appetizing delights. The four squares are...

Piazza della Cisterna
Piazza Duomo
Piazza Pecori
Piazza delle Erbe

Make sure that you take the time to visit all the wonders of San Gimignano, especially the four squares if you plan on traveling here. This is one place that truly holds a lot of Italian history and culture, so why not experience it?

Italy Tour Video

Posted on Friday, May 28, 2010

Globus is one of our best travel partners, and you will find their itineraries throughout our 40 websites. We spend a lot of time in our blogs telling you about Globus and their promotions, but for those of you who have never taken a tour, you may find it hard to visualize.

Here is a video of Italy reviewing Globus' various travel options to this amazing country.

We also invite you to visit our Flickr account where you can find numerous photos of some of our favorite places in Italy: Sorrento, Amalfi Coast, Florence and Pisa.

Speak with an Italy travel specialist to help you select the best Italy trip for your next vacation.

New Perillo Sicily Tour

Posted on Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Each year many tour operators offer off-season travel to Italy, which is November through April, however they focus mainly on Rome, Florence and Venice.

This year, Perillo released a 9 day deluxe Sicily trip. Deluxe hotels include three nights in Palermo at the Grand Hotel Wagner and two nights in Taormina at the Grand Timeo. A hearty buffet breakfast starts every day, and evenings bring sumptuous, wine-fueled meals. Accompanied by engaging and knowledgeable tour directors, guests will enjoy day trips to Sicily's fascinating sites

Highlights include a wine cellar visit in Marsala, where guests will taste the fortified wine first introduced in 1796. Also on the itinerary is the ancient Greek city of Selinus, an acropolis of majestic temples overlooking the sea. On the road to Taormina, the tour will stop at the aristocratic fourth century Villa Romana del Casales in Piazza Armerina, famed for its intricate mosaics. A morning trip from Taormina will reveal another World Heritage Site, Noto, built in the Baroque period.

Each departure is limited to 40 guests traveling in deluxe motor coaches with extra legroom. Tour price covers airport transfers in Italy, hearty daily buffet breakfast, five dinners and one lunch including wine and beer, Marsala wine tasting, baggage handling, hotel service charges and taxes, professional tour directors and local guides. Plenty of free time is allowed for independent explorations, shopping and relaxing. The Deluxe Sicily Tour is offered at $2,690 per person double occupancy for three departures in January, with the top price of $3,290 offered in April.

For this and other off-season Italy tour, click here