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Italy Travel
Europe's kinky
over-the-knee boot has it all: popes, painters,
polenta, paramours, poets, political puerility and potentates.
Its three millennia of history, culture and cuisine seduce just
about everyone. In Italy you can visit Roman ruins, gawk at
Renaissance art, stay in tiny medieval hill towns, go skiing in
the Alps, explore the canals of Venice and see more beautiful
churches than you imagined could exist in one country. Naturally
you can also indulge in the more elementary pleasures of
enjoying good food and wine, improving your wardrobe and seeking
out la dolce vita.
Italy is at its best in spring
(April-May) and autumn (October-November). During these seasons,
the scenery is beautiful, the temperatures are pleasant and
there are relatively few crowds. Try to avoid August, as this is
the time that most Italians take their vacations, and many shops
and businesses are closed as a result.
The ski season generally lasts
from December to late March; sea swimming is best between June
and September; and July and September are the best months for
walking in the Alps. The further south you go, the longer you
can linger into November and December without feeling the pinch
of winter. Italy's multitude of festivals and traditional events
may be a factor in planning your visit. Easter, in particular,
is celebrated fervently, and every second town has a festive
Saint's day.
Those on a tight budget will
find eating and sleeping in Italy expensive. Prudent backpackers
might squeeze by on around US$35 a day if they stay in hostels,
make their own sandwiches, avoid indulging in alcohol and don't
visit too many museums. A room in a pensione or hotel, one
restaurant meal per day and occasional visits to museums will
cost close to US$50 per day. If you want to stay in comfortable
hotels, eat out regularly in restaurants and visit lots of
museums and galleries, you should budget at least US$100 a day;
hiring a car will double your expenses. Be aware that Italy has
more luxury hotels, expensive restaurants and shops to die for
than you can shake a Gold Amex card at, so be prepared to
stretch your budget if you are easily tempted.
Banks are the most reliable
places to change travellers' cheques, and generally offer the
best rates; shop around for the lowest commission deals and the
shortest queues. Credit cards are widely accepted in Italy. Visa
is the easiest card with which to obtain cash advances from
banks.
Service charges are included in
your restaurant bill, so you are not expected to tip. It is
common practice, however, to leave a small amount. In bars,
Italians will usually leave any small change as a tip, but this
is by no means obligatory. Be aware that prices in Italian bars
and cafes double (sometimes even triple) if you sit down.
Tipping taxi drivers is not necessary, but your hotel porter
will expect a little something.
Rome - St. Peter's
Square and Basilica, with the Colosseum, Rome's main attraction.
It's the largest church in the world, built on the burial place
of St. Peter, who was killed in Nero's circus nearly 2,000 years
ago. Michelangelo himself designed the cupola, and Bramante the
interior and facade, of the building. The colonnades encircling
the square are by Bernini; the obelisk in the center was
transported from Egypt under the Emperor Caligula (he who
promoted his favorite horse to senator), and the two circular
fountains, perfectly shaped, pour water piped from the Castelli
mountains. Main eye-catcher inside the Basilica--to your right,
when entering--is Michelangelo's Pieta (now in a glass case as
protection against people and pollution).
The Vatican Museums and
Galleries ("Musei e Gallerie Vaticani"), at Viale del Vaticano,
a five-minute walk from the square or the metro station
Ottaviano, are actually a combination of ten art galleries,
archaeological and church museums. They house perhaps more
treasures than any other gallery or museum in the world. Among
the most important sites here are the Egyptian Museum (mummies,
statues, busts of Queen Tuia, mother of Ramses II); the
Pio-Clementino Museums (named after two popes, Pius and Clement;
highlights are the Apollo of Belvedere and the famous Laocöon,
fighting with his two sons against sea serpents); the Etruscan
Museum (with spectacular tombs and bronzes); the Raphael Rooms
(formerly a papal apartment, today world's largest collection of
paintings and murals by Raphael; the chief masterpiece is the
painting The School of Athens); the Sistine Chapel, with its
overwhelming ceiling painted by Michelangelo.
The Colosseum is Rome's most
ancient and imposing masterwork of classic architecture, built
in the first century. It could once hold 50,000 spectators who
attended gladiator fights, mock sea battles, and other
spectacular performances. It is open daily, 9am to sunset
