Rome, Italy: The Splendor of the Eternal City
By: Eric Alexander Hamilton Without a doubt, Rome, Italy, is one of the world’s most majestic, beautiful, and unique cities. Nicknamed “The Eternal City”, it has been around for a long time, as far back as 500 B.C. Rome is a fascinating place to visit. It is not like most European capital cities that have a uniform style of architecture, usually either 18th or 19th century, that are so well laid out that they seem to have been artificially designed and planned. Rome evokes a sense of being “real, unplanned”. The city is so old that it has many different styles of architecture interspersed throughout it: classical, medieval, gothic, renaissance, baroque, modern, etc. There is no orderly plan to this city: it’s a virtual kaleidoscope of history. One...
Read MoreTop 10 Best Cities to Visit in Italy
Steeped in history and culture, featuring some of the world’s most important art and architecture, Italy is understandably a country at or near the top of many travelers’ lists. Obviously, for most visitors famous cities like Rome, Florence and Venice will be part of the itinerary. However, these cities are but a taste of what this majestic country has to offer. In compiling this list of the top 10 best cities in Italy my goal is to enlighten travelers about some of the other highlights they can see if they take the opportunity to venture out of “the big three” and some of the lesser known destinations. Italy has an extensive train network, and the cost of traveling from city to city is relatively inexpensive. This, in my...
Read More3 Top Romantic Places to Visit In Europe When You Only Have Two Weeks
By: Susan Gerle You have decided to take your sweetheart on a romantic trip overseas to Europe but you only have 2 weeks. Neither of you has ever been before. What are the best places to visit in Europe, to really get a sense of old world history and the romance associated with it? Don’t forget wherever you go to give yourself a day to travel and then a day to relax when you reach your first destination. Remember, this is a romantic journey, not a marathon race around the continent. Paris, the city of romance and love, is a great place to start. What could be more romantic? The history and architecture and the shopping in the city is a wonderful way to start a vacation. Probably the most difficult decision-making you will have on your trip will be what to...
Read MoreTips for Safe European Travel
By: Susan Gerle While vacationing in Europe, we were warned by seasoned travellers to pay attention to the people around us at all times. Pickpockets will especially target women and it is necessary to be aware of what is happening. The main Termini (railway station) in Rome, Italy is an active area for pickpockets. We had just arrived from Greece and we were trying to determine the best way to get to our hotel. Two of us watched the bags while the others went in search of information. It wasn’t long before we noticed a couple of men approaching us. We looked them directly in the eye and let them know we knew they were there and they backed off. Shortly after that incident we were outside of the train station waiting for a taxi. A group of gypsies were...
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