Category: Italy

  • Shopping heaven in Milan

    Shopping heaven in Milan

    Shopping in Milan has got to be the ultimate female shopping experience and perhaps male experience too!  I’m just back from two days in Milan, one of the shopping capitals of the world. If you are looking for high-end designer purchases this is the place to be. Quadrilatero della Moda is the place to head…

  • The Vatican Museums – How to beat the queues

    The Vatican Museums – How to beat the queues

    When in Rome, everyone eventually heads for the Vatican City and this is where you will find St Peter’s Square and The Vatican Museums. Pope Julius II founded the Vatican Museums in the early 16th century and the museums contain many works of art that the popes have collected over the years. Most people visit…

  • Lake Maggiore – What to do and where to stay.

    Lake Maggiore – What to do and where to stay.

    I’m a big fan of the Italian lakes and I’m just back from a visit to Lake Maggiore and have previously visited Lake Garda and Lake Como. Lake Maggiore is in the northern Italian region of Piedmont and I arrived into Stresa, on the west coast of Lake Maggiore, by train from Milan, which took…

  • How to see Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper painting.

    Leonardo da Vinci’s painting of The Last Supper is one of the world’s greatest pieces of art. On a recent visit to Milan I visited this amazing masterpiece and I’ll share with you my top tips on buying tickets and information about this world-renowned work of art. About Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper The Last Supper…

  • Take a short break in Venice

    Valentine’s Day may be a while off yet but impatient lovers who can’t wait to get away for a short break will find no better hide-out than the charming waterways and cobbled streets of Venice. So, why take a short break in Venice? Many famous couples take a short break in the historic city of Venice. Elton John…

  • Cruise ships in Venice

    Venice is one of my favourite cities. Where else in the world can you get lost in a cities streets and not have to worry about finding your way back to your hotel?  Which other city has no roads so you stand more chance of drowning than you do of being run down by a…

  • Tirano Italy. Start of the Bernina Express Rail Journey.

    We arrived in the busy Italian town of Tirano in northern Italy by train from Menaggio on Lake Como. Tirano is actually on the Swiss/Italian border and it is the start of one of the most amazing train journeys in the world. The Bernina Express starts from Tirano and travels through the streets of the…

  • Parma – Things to do and where to stay in Parma, Italy.

    Things to do and where to stay in Parma, Italy.   I have just returned from a trip to Italy and one of the places I visited that I had never been to before, is Parma. Famous, of course, for ham, Parma also has many reasons to visit. Parma has one of the oldest universities…

  • Indulge in a love Trieste

    Whilst the quaint city of Trieste is technically within the borders of Italy, those who visit tend to agree that its ‘feel’ is far from Italian. Located between Venice and the Istrian Peninsula, at the north end of the Adriatic Sea, the city has suffered a turbulent history that has left it with something of…

  • Venice – Enjoying getting lost

    I have been to Venice a few times and I can honestly say that it is probably the most unique city I have ever been to. Here is my advice for anybody thinking of taking a holiday or short break in Venice. For many the joy of Venice is spoilt by the huge numbers of…

  • The towering beauty of Pisa

    I have been to Pisa in Italy many times. My daughter lived there for a year so I got to know the city quite well. Last year I wrote an article about The San Gimignano Towers versus The Leaning Tower so I have now written an article about the town of Pisa itself. Pisa, though famous…

  • Venice – just amazing ! – Holiday Review

    Venice – a unique place that makes it a place that will inspire you for a lifetime. I had heard lots about Venice before I finally decided to spend a short break in the city. I had this picture of Venice in my head; a picture of over commercialism and dirty smelly canals. How wrong…