Do you ever feel like you don’t get the whole picture when reading about Italy in guidebooks or on blogs? There are now a couple of websites that go one better than the usual two-dimensional picture.
Expat Peter Ryder, a resident of Sardinia, has two websites that can give you a better picture of the island - www.360sardinia.net and www.360alghero.net. In addition to providing information on where to stay, where to eat, etc., these two sites provide 360° looks at some of the beaches, marinas, and piazze of Sardinia.
Similarly, there’s a newish website called 360travelguide.com that features, according to a press release, the “world’s largest free access panoramic image library.” For Italy, they offer virtual tours from Amalfi to Verona, as well as user reviews and travel blogs. There’s also an ongoing competition for users who provide reviews to win an iPhone. Ooops…gotta go write a review now…:-)
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While everyone awaits the as-yet-unnamed* luxury hotel from native son Francis Ford Coppola, set to open in 2009, a new hotel has opened in Basilicata. The Financial Times reports that La Locanda delle Donne Monache, a sister hotel to Positano’s Casa Angelina, is now open for business in Maratea.
Name: La Locanda delle Donne Monache
Location: Via Carlo Mazzei, 4, Maratea (Potenza Province), Basilicata (see this on a map)
Contact: Phone 0973-876-139; Fax 0973-876-203
Web: http://locandamonache.com
Rates: €115-235
What’s Cool: That this modern, stylish exists in Basilicata is a testament to the fact that this southern Italian region is on the rise, as far as tourism destinations are concerned. La Locanda is located in the stunning town of Maratea, which overlooks the Tyrrhenian Sea. We’re intrigued by the thoughtful design, which includes a bathtub built into mountain rock, pared down, bright rooms, and the collection of whimsical Murano glass art. La Locanda also has several vacation packages, including a three-night spa Body & Soul getaway for €660 through October 31, 2008.
*The New York Times listed the name as Blancaneax, which is actually in Belize.
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I’m always fascinated to learn about Jewish heritage in Italy. So, here’s a Jewish cultural event that will be going on this fall.
September 7 marks the European Day of Jewish Culture, and, according to Ruth Ellen Gruber’s blog Jewish Heritage Travel, “Italy is consistently probably the most enthusiastic country that takes part.” This year’s theme for Jewish Culture Day will be “Music,” and Italy is expected to host events in some 58 towns and cities, including Milan and Mantova.
To see a schedule of events and information about the programs, visit the Giornata Europea della Cultura Ebraica website. Note that the information is in Italian, but the times and locations are pretty easy to understand.
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Savvy travelers have long looked to venere.com, a hotel review and reservations website, to find accommodations on the beaten and not-so-beaten trails of Italy. With more than 26,000 hotel listings in Europe, it’s easy to find hotels from Piemonte to Puglia on the venere site. Now it may be even easier.
CNN reported yesterday that U.S.-based travel website Expedia will buy venere.com and begin adding approximately 1,000 hotels per month to its database. In other words, for Italy travelers, Expedia may just become a one-stop shop - airfare, hotel…and you’re done.
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Bologna, By Area, Campania, Capri, Driving Tours, Emilia-Romagna, Family Travel, Florence, Food and Wine, Lazio, Naples, Out and About, Piemonte, Rome, Sicily, Specialty Travel, Travel Articles, Tuscany, Veneto, Venice
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Unlike Greece, Italy isn’t a land of islands. Sure, there’s Sicily, Capri, and the Tuscan Archipelago, which includes Elba. But there is also a small set of islands in the Tyrrhenian Sea between Rome and Naples that, according to Guy Dinmore of The Financial Times, “offer a safer and saner way to travel” for those who want a “sedate alternative to dashing around packed piazzas.”
In “Escape to ‘Alcatraz’,” Dinmore explores the Pontine Islands, which were once used as prison islands by the likes of Emperor Augustus and Mussolini. You can still take a tour of Santa Stefano, the main prison island, which is today uninhabited, or stay on Ventotene to visit its subterranean dwellings and Roman cisterns or go snorkeling. Dinmore also touches on Ponza, the most popular of the Pontines, and Ischia, which is not exactly a Pontine island but typically grouped with Capri and Procida.
Ponza, apparently, is having its day in the sun lately, as German In Style magazine included it among its round-up of party islands. In Style suggests the following Ponza haunts:
Need more convincing? Check out these spectacular photos from the Pontine Islands on Flickr.
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Those who may have watched CBS Sunday Morning* yesterday probably caught the Allen Pizzey “Postcard: Abruzzi” piece, which profiled a castle in the village of Santo Stefano di Sessania, Abruzzo (or Abruzzi, if you will) that has been converted into “authentic” accommodations for those few tourists who wander off the beaten track to this area of Italy. Pizzey talked to the owner, Daniele Kihlgren, about his method of sustainable hospitality, which meant including very few amenities (no phone, no internet but updated bathrooms), providing locally made linens (some up to 100 years old), and making sure this “boutique hotel” was in keeping with village traditions.
One thing that Pizzey forgot to mention in the piece, of course, was the name of the hotel! But, have no fear - we have found it for you. Sextantio Albergo Diffuso, located in the province of L’Aquila, is located about an hour and 45 minutes from Rome. The website is very handsome, but as of now contains no English translation. So, check out this short profile from the UK’s Conde Nast Traveller. The Times of London, The Washington Post, and The Guardian have also done small write-ups on Sextantio. Note, however, that authenticity has a price - according to CNTraveller, doubles start at €140.
*7/22/08 - I guess we were a little quick on the draw reporting on this. Since then, the video piece has been added to the web. Here it is on truveo.com. Enjoy!
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You know that if you want to catch a glimpse of George Clooney, you’re more likely to find him in Como than in Hollywood. Now Jaunted.com reports that Clooney likes to hit the links at Como’s Menaggio & Cadenabbia Golf Club. Lord knows I’d let him play through… 
Menaggio had its centennial in 2007. And though it appears to be a haughty, members-only kind of place, mere mortals (i.e., people other than Clooney and his cronies) can play here, with weekday greens fees starting at €60.
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This tip comes from Google Earth’s Lat Long Blog, which reports that Italy is one of several European countries to be included in Google Cities in 3D Program. It’s not immediately apparent if any Italian cities have completed the 3D task, though here are models of some buildings and piazze in Florence in the Google 3D warehouse.
Indeed, we’re excited about the tourism potential of the Google Earth tool. Just think - soon you’ll be able to “walk” the streets of Florence from your desktop or reminisce about the routes you followed while on vacation in Rome. Stay tuned to Google Earth for more info.
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In my opinion, Financial Times columnist Jancis Robinson provides some of the best, most accessible coverage of wine anywhere. This past weekend, in the FT Life & Arts Section, Robinson looks at the 2006 vintage of Chianti Classico as “something to celebrate.” Apparently, this is the first year that “white wine grapes have been outlawed” from the making of Chianti Classico. Indeed, up until 2006, Chianti was a blend of white (mostly Trebbiano) and red (mostly Sangiovese) grapes. Robinson gives an interesting primer on the former and current production of Chianti - the wine made in the mini-region between Florence and Siena - and also makes suggestions for the best Chianti buys.
Here are her picks:
Taste of Tuscany: Classic Classicos
RECOMMENDED 2006s
●Badia a Coltibuono
●Carpineto (£)
Fonterutoli
●Collelungo (£)
Montecalvi
Principe Corsini, Le Corte (£)
San Fabiano Calcinaia
●Villa Calcinaia
SUPERIOR 2005s
●Castello di Ama
●Castello di Meleto (£)
●Casanuova di Nittardi
●Fontodi
A GOOD VALUE 2004
●Il Poggiolino (£)
●denotes a particularly traditional, lively style
(£) denotes especially good value
You can learn more about these wines from winesearcher.com and a few are available for purchase from wine.com and mywinesdirect.com.
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