Siena - Italy

Siena – Italy

Post published:7 February 2016
Post category:Europe Italy Southern Europe

Share it with the world

In Legend: Founded by Senius and Aschius, sons of Remus

On the following day of this quick and very busy weekend after being to Cinque Terre, we decided to spend it for visiting Siena. For me this means returning to a city I’ve already visited back in the year 2001 as part of my end of school trip across France and Italy. All I could remember back then, and very briefly, were the beautiful Piazza del Campo with the iconic tower and the cathedral, both of which icons number one in the city. And even knowing this visit right now would also be extremely explicit; it was in fact perfect because it is of small size and for remembering what I’ve already seen so many years ago.

For centuries a rival city of Florence and Pisa, it managed to retain the entire Medieval core in perfect state, nowadays completely restored and imposing to any visitor. The over 7 kilometres encircling fortification walls are still immaculately standing, while the original water tunnels still provide water to the many fountains that embellish the squares and streets. Regretfully, Siena is just a stop-over along the route for majority of tourists, day-trippers, on the same way Pisa is, while Florence in the other hand benefits from the hordes of tourists that stay longer and make that city their preferred choice and base.

In any case, that is correct. A day is well more than enough to see everything, and unless you chose staying overnight in Siena, (or Pisa) rather than the over expensive Florence, then if cost saving is not the reason I cannot imagine any other reason why to stay here longer as you will run out of sights and things to do after the first day. (more…)

Share it with the world

Cinque Terre - Italy

Cinque Terre – Italy

Post published:6 February 2016
Post category:Europe Italy Southern Europe

Share it with the world

The Five Lands

Here we are at the first weekend trip of the year, after a long holiday through Central America, and without counting my quick visit to Madrid some days before as that was not for travelling but to be with my family and friends. And what a beautiful place to start the year, Cinque Terre, So now that it is getting extremely hard to find new appealing flight routes and destinations to go, it appears the weekend trips for 2016 will have to be planned differently; this is, flying somewhere we’ve already been, but to go to the nearby secondary cities and places where you cannot take a direct flight. And of course, there are hundreds of beautiful places still to discover across Europe, with many others always great to return; but from now on, this will have to be plan for most of our future weekend trips.

Starting this trend, a good priced flight to Pisa was then. Not for staying there and re-visit the city I’ve already been twice, but for spending the entire Saturday to visit Cinque Terre at merely 1 hour by train to the first of the villages, Riomaggiore, and the other 4 just a short train ride in between them. Visiting this beautiful region has been on the agenda for quite a while now but always forgotten on behalf of going somewhere else.

The 5 villages form part of the wider Cinque Terre National Park which is in turn, listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO under the name: Portovenere, Cinque Terre, and the Islands (Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto). It is definitely worth to come, see and enjoy the incredible nice landscapes, the rugged coastline and the multicolour ancient and historical villages against the deep blue of the Mediterranean Sea. (more…)

Share it with the world

Pisa - Italy

Pisa – Italy

Post published:6 February 2016
Post category:Europe Italy Southern Europe

Share it with the world

Colonia Iulia Obsequens

The third time in this city, and not the last for now so far. And the reason you might ask? Well, being a great base in the middle of plenty more notorious cities and sites to visit, and a perfect international airport next door to the city centre lowering the cost of the flights to sometimes peanuts. Although it’s now long gone such Ryanair deals where we did pay 1 pence per way per person back in 2009 when we came in a group of 7 friends. Crazy times were these too; and if that’s not enough, that year our plan was in fact visiting Pisa in the morning and Florence in the afternoon, returning at night to Pisa airport for the flight back to London. It was such a summery weather that we enjoyed every moment without feeling any lazy or tired. That’s just an example of possibly a 100 more that fall into the same circumstances during that past years.

With the time all changes of course, and returning to the cities we once saw that quick for a well deserved visit was the key focus on travelling, at the same time that enjoying new places. After all, visiting Pisa will not take you too long due to its reduced size, and reaching the amazing coastal villages of Cinque Terre, Florence, Siena, or San Gimignano are just minute’s away by frequent buses and trains, and so was the aim in the trip planned in February 2016: Cinque Terre and Siena. Now 2 years after and I return to complete what I did not see yet, the masterpiece of San Gimignano, and of course another visit to Florence, thus taking the chance to also properly update the travel guides for Pisa and Florence which I wrote some many years ago and were in much needed state of make-up. But hey! back then I was still new into blogging with just a dozen of guides, while as of today it’s 410 so far for anyone to enjoy and completely free.

So now that you made it to the city, say hi to the other thousands of tourists with the same idea. It’s literally crazy any time between April and October to be here. Absolutely everyone concentrates in the Piazza dei Miracoli where the famous monuments are. You can have a little rest towards the evening when the hordes of tourists on guided tours leave, but the city is more than just this square, and you have the chance to see it for yourself if not being rushed in a tour. The moment you continue to explore around, the streets become empty, just the locals around, and so the more traditional and real restaurants and bars appear.

(more…)

Share it with the world

Cagliari - Italy

Cagliari – Italy

Post published:4 May 2015
Post category:Europe Italy Select by Continent Southern Europe

Share it with the world

Sardinian: Casteddu

Taking advantage of the early May bank holiday and as such giving us a little bit more time at the destination than the usual weekend trips, we decided to book well ahead (and thankfully because this destination popped up at a great price with British Airways, much cheaper than with any other airline) the beautiful Italian island of Sardinia. A very large island in fact where my original plan was starting in Cagliari where our flight lands; then onto the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Su Nuraxi, and end the trip in Olbia in the northern side of the island. Unfortunately due to the long distances in the island and because you will need a bit longer than a day in Cagliari if you want to fully enjoy it, there was no time to drive all the way to Olbia. That will be then for another trip in the future.

Cagliari is the capital and largest city, and the most historical in the island. With traces of being inhabited for over 5000 years from the Neolithic till today, the amount of history can be felt in every corner and at the many sights all around the city.

The city in any case is of medium size and you could potentially visit in one day. Since we had to postpone for another trip the visit to Olbia, we decided to enjoy more time in the city and worked very good. You should therefore plan your stay accordingly and unless you want to just stay here (which is already good enough specially if mentioning the nice 8km long Poetto Beach), then consider visiting other places around the island. There are countless destinations to go to.

(more…)

Share it with the world

Su Nuraxi di Barumini - Italy

Su Nuraxi and Tharros – Italy

Post published:3 May 2015
Post category:Europe Italy Southern Europe

Share it with the world

Nuragic and Punic Civilizations

Our second aim on this long weekend trip was to visit other locations up to a maximum of 100 kilometers or so from Cagliari. Obviously I did some research previously before to have a brief idea on what other nice places were near that could make a great day out. Of course counting with the Bronze Age settlement of Su Nuraxi as the highlight of the day. For the remaining locations to complete the day is the first time I made use of Instagram and searched for images using hashtags. I must admit the outcome has been very successful and will continue with this technique on trips that are similar to this.

Although you can take a tour from Cagliari or other larger cities in Sardinia that take you here and around other archaeological places, specially in what is called the Nuragic Route; the freedom of a rental car gives you a wider flexibility not to mention you will be able to visit way more places than on a tour. But that’s not all, if you are 2 people or more then is more cost-effective renting a car than getting onto a tour.

Driving towards Su Nuraxi was pretty quick and straight forward. Most of the way was on the highway, with the last few kilometer on a more local road. Altogether the distance is around 70 kilometers and since along the way there is nothing of importance to stop and visit, it will take you around 45 minutes from downtown Cagliari to reach here.
(more…)

Share it with the world

Vatican City - Vatican

Vatican City – Vatican

Post published:22 June 2014
Post category:Europe Italy Southern Europe Vatican

Share it with the world

The smallest country in the World

Since The Vatican is a separate country and to follow with the way I do create the travel guides in my blog, here is a standalone guide for it. Although pretty much the same is self-explained in the guide for Rome. Basically, this guide is based upon an older visit and not the most recent, since all the next times we’ve done a trip to Rome we did not return to The Vatican again. Fair enough one will always walk past it and around it, but to be honest having already been twice in the Basilica and gigantic museums, spending countless hours and making the way through the hordes of tourists, I think I have enough for quite some time until I feel the need for repeating in the future.

It takes at least half a day to visit, therefore plan ahead and know the times in advance, trying to avoid the rush hours where the queues build up exponentially. For instance, I would never recommend you to get there by the time they open and the following 2 hours, but coming towards the midday is already a good choice. You can admire the incredible architecture from the outside in the morning, and consider accessing inside after an early lunch. Remember once you enter all you have are some cafes and pricey restaurants, a limited choice.

Two of it’s highlights are why every visitor to Rome come, as otherwise, it’s like you have not visited Rome to be honest: Saint Paul’s Basilica and the Vatican Museums, all of which listed by the UNESCO as World Heritage Sites. Both lie within the Vatican City, also known ad the Holy Sea, the smallest internationally recognized independent state in the world by both area and population. The only such exception to be found in the world where a micro state is within the boundaries of a city of another state. An ecclesiastical monarchical state, ruled by the Bishop of Rome, the Pope. It’s also one of the last seven remaining absolute monarchies in the world, being the others as matter of curiosity and information Qatar, Oman, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Brunei and Swaziland. (more…)

Share it with the world

Rome - Italy

Rome – Italy

Post published:22 June 2014
Post category:Europe Italy Southern Europe

Share it with the world

The Eternal City; Caput Mundi: Capital of the World

Although it is already several times I visit this city, it’s also good time to finally create a proper travel guide for it. I know that a weekend as I have just been is extremely short time not permitting me to see even a quarter of what the city has to offer, but in combination with the previous trips to this awesome capital, it makes a good background of thoroughly sightseeing everything when combining them all. I’m happy to be able to provide you with this very complete guide, easy and ready for anyone to use. And to myself, looking forward to the next time I return which for sure it won’t be that long.

Although we all have a first thing in mind, the Romans and one of the greatest civilization the earth have known in antiquity, the city goes back much more in time to around 14000 years BC as many archaeological finds have proven. In any case, the worldwide importance of the city resides in having been the capital of the Roman Empire, the birthplace of the western civilization.

With such countless richness in architecture and arts it is no wonder that it is the 3rd most visited city in Europe and the 11th in the world (at the time of writing this guide). Of course the 1st by excellence in Italy, therefore expect the hordes of tourists everywhere at any time of the year, being most acute during high season months. Prices for everything, specially accommodation, are of course based on such demand and therefore much higher than anywhere else in Italy.

(more…)

Share it with the world

Verona - Italy

Verona – Italy

Post published:18 May 2014
Post category:Europe Italy Southern Europe

Share it with the world

Fictitious city of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet

Too many years have passed after my first and only time in beautiful Verona, but finally returned, and not only once, but couple more times through the years. Of course much more knowledgeable and appreciative to the architecture and arts than how it was my first time, a rushy few hours stop-over along the way travelling between Venice and Milan on what was the end of high school trip. Nowadays, much more prepared and organised, and adding more notes revamping this guide after the latest trip, although with other plans in mind included: visiting the neighbouring cities of Vicenza, Padua, Mantua and Sabbioneta.

From the very first time I could perfectly still remember parts of the city like the Arena and Juliet’s House, but not much more, and what a surprise that was! The city is so pretty, with so much to see and do that definitely it won’t be long until I book another weekend city break here. There’s always so much more to discover along its large UNESCO World Heritage Site listed old town.

But even with so much history and sights, the city is actually more known for something that it is not even real. Juliet’s House. It has no connection whatsoever with Shakespeare’s fictional characters, furthermore to mention that the balcony was added in 1936 to further emphasise it as a tourist destination. Nevertheless this place will be of course a mandatory stop over along your sightseeing route and believe me, it will pretty much disappoint you. (more…)

Share it with the world