La Piazza Della Signoria Florence

Posted on Thursday, October 27, 2011

"What’s the best vantage point to ponder the most illustrious town square in Florence, the Signoria? An outdoor table in the venerable Caffè Rivoire – preferably over a delicious, if not painfully expensive cioccolata con pane, a dark and mud-thick hot chocolate. Late at night, when the crowds have gone, you can search the long shadows and imagine that very little has changed here since the 1400s. The Signoria is the most elegant sculpture garden in Europe. Masterpieces include the splendid Neptune Fountain by Ammannati, Hercules and Cacus by Bandinelli and a precise copy of Michelangelo’s David, all strategically poised in front of the Palazzo Vecchio. This grand public space has been the centerpiece of Florence since the 15th Century, the golden age when the city was established as the most beautiful in Europe. Eminent merchants in their ostentatious finery met here to discuss business in the midst of Florence’s raucous daily life."

Italy Travel Options

Posted on Thursday, September 15, 2011

Are you longing to trace your family tree and visit the birthplace of your ancestors in Italy? We can make your desires happen. Think about a cruise or a tour that departs from or ends in Rome and add a few days to the start or end. We can take you to remote villages anywhere in Italy by private car or train if train access is available. You would be surprised at the local train service Italy offers. Here in the United States we should take lessons from the European train network. Trains leave on time and take you to the most out of the way places.

Money Exchange Italy Travel

Posted on Wednesday, August 24, 2011

I am leaving for Italy on October 1^st and I was wondering if it is still a good idea to exchange money before getting there or afterwards.

The current exchange rate is $1 USD is equivalent to .693424 EUR

So something that costs 1 EUR will cost $1.44 USD, 5 EUR, is currently $7.21 USD, 20 EUR is $28.85 USD and so on.

About the EURO

EURO come in both bills and coins.

Coins include 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 cents, as well as 1 and 2 Euro. The bigger the coin, the more value it has, unlike in the U.S. where the dime is smaller than a nickel, but worth more.

Bills come in 5 (greyish color) 10 (red,) 20 (blue,) 50 (orange,) 100 (green,) 200 (yellow) and 500 Euro (violet.)

Many vendors do not have a lot of change, so we don’t recommend anything over 50 EURO.

Traveler’s checks are difficult to exchange at hotels are shops, so take them to a bank or foreign exchange office.

ATM machines in Italy are known as Bancomat and can be found easily in large cities. Check with your bank or credit card company before leaving to see what their fees are.  IN the past the ATM was the best option to get money in Europe, however many credit card companies now charge 2.5 to 4% for cash advances. If you use your debit card, make sure you know what your daily limit is.  There are ATM machines at the airport, but they are usually quite full, so it is a good idea to have some EURO on hand when you land.

As far as credit cards, please note not everyone accepts American Express, so Visa and Mastercard are better options to take with you.

In the end it is best to have a couple of options with you just in case, so take a debit card and a credit card, or travelers checks and a debit card.  

Remember that your Italy tour guide can assist you with locations to exchange your money.

The Roman Forum

Posted on Friday, May 20, 2011

Visitors can be a little confused by the Roman Forum while on an Italy tour. At first glance, it is a rather lifeless array of marble fragments. But we must remember that in ancient times, this space was far more than the temples and monuments whose ruins we can explore today. It was filled with bustling, noisy life as the popular crossroads of the city—the predecessor, in fact, of the modern Italian piazza.

Every morning at dawn, average Romans would escape their cramped, dark apartment blocks (called insulae or "islands") and spent their days outdoors. The Forum Romanum was the oldest and most crowded of their meeting spots. Back then, it housed structures from Rome's most ancient times, including the small Temple of the Vestae, where the Eternal Flame burned, and the old Curia (Senate House). Like an open-air art gallery, statues loomed haphazardly on every corner. Although these are displayed in museums today as white marble, they were originally painted bright, even garish colors; their lips brilliant red, they had expressively detailed eyes, and their clothing was of bold, striking hues. But far more eye-catching were the live attractions.

As in any piazza today, "people-watching" was a favorite pursuit. Ancient Rome was the world's first great immigrant city, and on a single afternoon you could see beautiful courtesans from Egypt, Syrians in magnificent silks, slaves from the Danube, boxers from Ethiopia, Greek language professors, German imperial guards with braided blonde hair, and Britons in outlandish trousers. Theatrical performers gave the Forum a circus-like ambiance—one could see animal trainers with dancing monkeys, acrobats, fire-eaters, and professional storytellers. "Give me a copper coin," was the standard refrain, "and I'll tell you a golden story." Actors declaimed lines. Poets read verse. Philosophers debated. Strange marvels would also be on display—the first Indian tiger seen in Europe was shown in a cage alongside "giant's bones" (actually dinosaur fossils from the East).

It was impossible to be bored in this tumultuous space. Over the centuries, the emperors would create other more spacious and opulent Forums. Today, we can see the Forums of Augustus, Trajan, and Nerva along the Via degli Fori Romani, but the original cramped and chaotic Forum Romanum would remain the most beloved.

Useful Italy Phrases When Traveling

Posted on Thursday, April 21, 2011

Here are a few useful words to know before you take your trip to Italy.

Yes . . . . . . . . . . . . . Si
No . . . . . . . . . . . . . No
Yes, please . . . . . . . Si grazie
Thank You . . . . . . Grazie
Excuse me, sorry . . Scusi
Good Morning . . . Buon giorno
Goodbye . . . . . . . . Arrivederci

Start planning an Itay tour.