Itineraries in Rome

November 19th, 2008

Plan your trip to Rome with this Travel Guide, featuring the best hotels, places, museums, shopping, bars and more in Rome; advises and reviews on Hotels in Rome.

Planning an Itinerary to Rome can be difficult if you are unsure of what to visit: sometimes it’s better to take a Rome Tour. This article gives some insight to some must places of Rome, the so called “Eternal City”.

Must see places in Rome:

Santa Susanna
The baroque in its most comely form: the two little churches tell their history through the work of two great artists: Carlo Maderno and Gian Lorenzo Bernini.

Palazzo dei Conservatori
The frescoed room, the courtyard with its imposing statues, the pictures and the sculptures of the capitoline collection, make of this place one of the most interesting in Rome for history and culture.

Arco di Costantino
When Christianity become the official religion of the Roman Emperor by the will of Costantino, this triumphal arch was erected, the last example of an architecture destined to die togheter with the remains of the pagan age.

Castel Sant’Angelo
A perfect structure in its form and function, From the tomb of the Emperor Adriano to the Papal prison, rich in splendid pictoresque decorations and intersting museum relics.

Città del Vaticano
A State within a State, a city whithin a city. This is the small but precious Vatican Sate. The piazza is like a symbolic embrace to Christians, an enormous concave circle whih has welcomed the faithful for centuries with the same emphasis carried out by the Popes of the Baroque.

Check on our site Reserver.it a wide selection of the best hotels in Rome, Rome bed and breakfast, guests houses and apartments with the best Deals for accommodations in Rome, listed by area and providing rates and online secure reservation. Since 2004, more than 20.000 satisfied customers.

Locations to travel to When vacationing in the Southwestern United States

November 19th, 2008

Vacationing in the Americas Southwest on a culinary tour? You don’t have to look for a travel guide to tell you where to go and which food establishments to enjoy. In fact, if we already know the great places to eat, and if you already have decided where you want to stay, all you need to do is get in your traveling mood and do your visiting yourself! There are many places to experience in the Southwest, and going on a food tour will allow you to enjoy the cuisine while skipping from destination to destination.

If you’re for the big cities, then go on a city tour while on your food tour of the Southwest. You can visit the stars in Hollywood and simply go shopping on the luxury streets of Beveryly Hills. You just can’t beat California vacations.   While you are in California, you can go to the local museums, Disneyland and Universal Studios, and have a lot of fun, especially if you are bringing children along. You can also see the sights in Fort Worth and San Antonio, where a whole lot of history can make your food vacation all the more exciting. If you’re going on a romantic holiday, try Las Vegas or Reno for some gambling fun.

Food tours don’t just happen in the big cities: the Southwestern US has a picturesque vista that has a whole lot of beauty, not to mention diversity. You can travel through the wine valley of California, with its rolling landscape and lush vineyards. You can go through the canyons and mesas of Colorado and Arizona, climb through the rocks and go whitewater rafting on the rough rivers. You can hike the mountains of New Mexico and discover the culture of the American Indians. You can vacation by the countryside of Oklahoma, and go through the highways of the Southwest as if every experience were a lazy Sunday afternoon.

If you are planning a culinary trip through the Southwest, first to check all particulars so that you can go through your tour smoothly. First, if you are sensitive to spicy foods, you may need to ask your tour operator if they are offering non-spicy alternatives that you can still try while on the food tour. Second, ask about lodgings and payment and what amenities are included in your vacation package. Third, ask about the weather: although the Southwest is relatively temperate, temperatures can be high at different times of the year.

There are numerous breath taking national parks in the American Southwest. You can visit the Grand Canyon in Arizona, or even walk under a forest of redwoods in their nationally protected region of Sequoias in California. You can visit old army forts in Texas, or go through pueblos in New Mexico. There are thousands of places that you can visit, and many places that you can eat at. In fact, if you desire to leave with more knowledge about the cuisine, you can enroll in any of several culinary schools in the region, which also offer short courses that include trips through mountains and tours through the surrounding cities!

These are but a few destinations that you might want to experience when you go on a culinary vacation through the American Southwest. For more information, talk to your tour operator or to a local travel agency about what other choices are available to you. With a little research on your part, you can certainly enjoy your food vacation through this historic area of the United States.

Navigate Your Way Through Italy with Hand Gestures

November 19th, 2008

learn to speak Italian

You don’t need to speak Italian to travel through Italy. Italian hand signals, an outgoing personality, and a genuine smile are everything you need. Before you know it, you’ll be able to conquer Il Bel Paese.

Still, before you go, you are better off learn to speak Italian. To guide you, though, you can use these Italian hand gestures.

Un momento!

“One moment, please” is the correct translation for this. You can do this by pointing your index finger upwards, which essentially looks like the number one. “May I speak, please?” is another message you can convey with this hand signal, though you will need to learn Italian then.

Ho fame

This translates to ” I am hungry”, a plea to your hosts to feed you. To send an obvious message, use the side of your flat hand to hit your stomach. But you will find yourself sick of pizza and pasta if you do not know Italian food words to understand Italian food. You’ll understand the difference between pollo and polipo if you learn Italian. Who knows what allergies these foods might bring to you?

Ehi tu, vieni qui

This is one hand signal you’ll do well to apply with caution. It can look sexually inviting or obnoxious as it means “Hey! Come here, you!” It’s made by a come hither signal also used by numerous Americans. When you want someone to come and assist you, you’re better off learning to say “Prego, potete aiutarli?”

Silenzio

This uses the universal gesture of pressing your index finger to your lips for “silence.” If you want to explain why you want quiet, however, you will have to learn Italian.

Idea!

Put your hand on your head and look happy, and you have successfully conveyed that you have an idea. When you tell them about this idea, though, learning Italian will be useful.

Perfetto

This looks like the American gesture for “okay” - the thumb and index fingers making a circle. This is very useful if you can’t speak Italian and wish to compliment somebody.

Scusi, devo andare al bagno

Meaning “I must go to the bathroom”, this is a very important gesture. You will be directed to the closest rest room by putting on a pained expression and holding up your index and middle fingers. For the diarrhea-prone traveler, this is very handy indeed.

Indeed, Italian hand gestures are true poetry. To read Italian street signs and speak with the locals, though, learning Italian is still useful. Choose to have the best of both worlds, instead.

Rome B&B in the surroundings of Via Veneto

November 19th, 2008

The apartment is situated in the surroundings of Via Veneto, in a town house end of ‘800, it is totally restructured with elevator.
We have well-lighted, large rooms and the entire house has wi-fi access. Breakfast is included in the price, and the reception area is open 24 hrs

This Rome apartment consist of six wide rooms that can become triple or quadruple; two rooms have a private bathroom and the other four rooms share others two bathrooms.
The furnishing is particularly careful, and the furniture are in anallergic material.
If your room is not ready when you arrive, or if you would like to make a final tour of Rome on the day you leave (check out from 10 to 11 a.m.), we will hold your luggage until your room is ready or until you leave.

We also have Wi-fi so you can connect to the internet with your own portable computer. 
Our goals are cleanliness and happy guests. We are always available to give you advice, suggestions and useful information for visiting the Rome that is most famous, unusual, and authentic, and to meet all of your needs!

The service included a great breakfast served in the common room, and it is inclusive in the price: cleaning of the rooms and change of bed linen and towels.

NO CURFEW and NO LOCK-OUT you can stay out as late as you want, sleep in as long as you like.
You can leave your luggage at the b&b after you check out (between 10 and 11 am) and pick up it before you living as this place is not far from termini station

If you are coming from the main Airport of Leonardo Da Vinci you can take the special train called Leonardo Express that runs from 6.37 in the morning to 11.37 in the evening.
Once you are in termini railway station take the metro A and stop in Via Veneto or take bus number 910 and stop in Via Piemonte (it is the parallel of via romagna, 4 stops from station Termini).

We are close to:
Piazza Barberini, Via Veneto, Piazza di Spagna, Fontana di Trevi, Villa Borghese

Hotel Il Granduca in Florence, Italy

November 19th, 2008

Il Granduca is a affordable 3 star hotel in Florence, located in Via P. Capponi, 13

Hotel “Il Granduca” in Florence is a cozy hotel with 21 rooms, recently completely renovated, with the typical exterior of the city’s buildings. Its name and atmosphere are reminiscent of the epoch of Pietro Leopoldo Grand Duke of Tuscany in the second half of the eighteenth century.

Starting in 1785, Pietro Leopoldo succeeded his father as ruler of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany and the interior of the hotel contains, paintings, sculptures, coats of arms and announcements from that period which tell of a happy period for Florence and Tuscany, under the rule of one of the most illuminated sovereigns of the era, who sponsored advanced reforms and ensured prosperity for the region.
When you enter the hotel the functional reception is right in front, leading to an elegant lobby, a suitable spot for reading a magazine, equipped with nineteenth century style couches which combine esthetic taste with great comfort. The lobby is connected to a pretty parlor with green armchairs, where guests can invite their friends for a chat or a tea in complete serenity.
The first floor also contains a bar and breakfast room which is spacious and light ensuring guests the best possible wake up.

To meet the tastes of our increasing international and demanding clientele, "Il Granduca" proposes an original and plentiful breakfast buffet. During the summer breakfast is served in the garden, where guests can experience any even more pleasant way to wake up into contact with the cool morning air.
The hotel is family run focusing highly on the relationship between guests and staff, always with an eye to those small details which raise the quality of our guests’ stays.
In addition to the interior garden, there is a reservation system parking lot and a private garage with special rates. It is also possible to rent an electric car for visiting the city and nearby historical center.

Some of the 21 rooms at Hotel “Il Granduca” are decorated in elegant Venetian style, others with valuable furniture from the late 1800’s - early 1900’s, all with top quality accessories and carefully selected pieces which make a pleasant stay esthetic as well. The perfect combination of functionality and carefully planned details gives guests a feeling of well-being and comfort which further improves the quality of their stay in a hotel in Florence.

Each room is equipped with a private bathroom, air conditioning, personal phone, satellite TV with radio alarm clock, hairdryer and safe for valuables. Everything has been designed to ensure top comfort for guests. The ultra clean spaces that the Hotel “Il Granduca” in Florence offers its guests are enhanced by the lack of carpeting and, even more importantly by the professionalism and dedication of its staff, who are constantly committed to making guests’ stays as pleasant as possible, in keeping with the unique sensations the city offers at all times.

COMFORTS
Air conditioning
Heating
Minibar
Satellite TV
Direct dial telephone
Internet connection
Safe

Santa Maria Novella train station is 2 km from Hotel Il Granduca.

Planning a trip to Italy? The top 3 destinations in Italy are Rome, Venice and Florence, but you can also consider other destinations in Italy: check our page for Hotel Deals in Italy and check wikitravel to get more information about your destination in Italy.