1) The Pantheon

One of the best-preserved ancient Roman buildings in the world, the Pantheon was built as a temple to all the gods (from the Greek “pan” = all, “theos” = meaning “a god”) under Emperon Hadrian in the second century AD. The building’s impressive arches, geometrical symmetry, and gorgeous domes make it well worth seeing, and its location in the heart of Rome’s historic quarter only makes it more appealing.

2) The Roman Forum

The center of Rome’s life was once here – from temples to brothels, law-courts to food stalls. Get a panoramic view of the Forum from the Captioline Hill (behind Piazza Venezia), then visit ruin after ruin for a glimpse of what Rome once looked like, and imagine yourself as one in a long line of purple-togaed Romans (the purple denoting senatorial status) like Cicero, Pompey Magnus, or Cato. And, of course, check out the gruesome history of the nearby Colosseum.

3) The Palatine Hill

Romulus, founder of Rome, was once suckled here by a she-wolf in a hut on this hill, according to Roman legend. While a hut exists here, relics of a less mythic past include the Domus Flavia and Domus Augustana, official imperial residences. Also check out the treasures of the Palatine Museum for more insights into Ancient Roman life.

4) Trajan’s Market

Once believed to be the oldest “shopping mall” in the world, the cells in this multi-level structure are now considered to have been officers for the administrative officers under  Emperor Trajan. Most of the levels are still accessible to visitors, and you will be able to see marble floors and what was once a library. The adjacent museum houses artifacts from all of Rome’s Forums.

5) The Catacombs on Via Appia Antica

Once the major road into Rome, Via Appia Antica is now ten miles of archaeological remnants, from parks to tombs to monuments. VIsit the catacombs near the church of St. Sebastian for a guided subterranean tour of Christian worship in an age where Christianity was punishable by death. The nearby restaurant Cecilia Metella is well worth a visit for a post-sightseeing lunch or dinner.

By Tara Isabella Burton

Sardinia - Photo by cristianocani

When self-exiled British author D. H. Lawrence said that Sardinia was, “lost between Europe and Africa and belonging to nowhere,” he could not have been more accurate.  A distinct dialect of Italian is spoken here that is difficult even for Italians to understand.  The western side of the island is more prone to the qualities that inspired the quote.  Rugged beaches facing Spain and a less densely packed population offer not only a sense of slipping back in time, but also a number of National Parks and protected areas that are fantastic for viewing sea life and having a slowly paced trip. In the northwestern portion of the island both the Cap Caccia Marine Protected area and the Asihara National Park boast amazing natural beauty.  As you slip further down the coastline to the west portion, you come across Piscinas Beach.  The beach is appropriately named because the water is as clear and sparkling as a pool.

The southern portion of the island is the most densely populated and the location of the capital of Cagliari and also home of the busiest of the islands three airports.  One of the most famous areas of the island, not just the south, is the Capo Carbonara Protected Marine Area. With ample beaches and wildlife galore; whether your preference is for soaking up sunshine, swimming with dolphins or donning SCUBA gear and staying submerged; everyone can find something fantastic in what the area has to offer.

If the idea of time away from maddening crowds sitting on an idyllic beach that is backed by limestone cliffs in the region of one of Europe’s only remaining coastal forests puts that far away look in your eye, then head to the eastern coast of Sardinia.  The Gulf of Orosei embraces a peaceful pace of life that focuses on being outdoors, enjoying sports and activities and is off the most beaten tracks. Grottos and caves dot the coast, carved by time out of the limestone cliffs, offering opportunities to explore on land as well as sea.

Sardinia beach with crystal waters - Photo by ezioman

The Costa Smeralda is the crown jewel of Sardinia, with water worthy of the name.  The north eastern portion of the island is hands down the most popular tourist destination, not only for the amazing natural gifts the island has to offer, but for celebrity spotting as well.  The highest concentration of hotels, restaurants and nightclubs is here, overflowing with bronzed tourists famous and normal alike. In the Costa Smeralda, as in the majority of the island, you will notice a scent in the air as you walk through towns, hills and beaches.  Wild herbs grow abundantly and scent the air continuously, adding to the sensation that you are indeed in one of nature’s most perfect creations.

Castle Miramare - Photo by Filip Knežić

SEE: The stunning Piazza dell’Unita is a must for any traveler. The striking Renaissance facades that make up three sides of this central Trieste square are worth seeing in their own right, but look west for one of Trieste’s most beautiful sights; the fourth side of the square drops off directly into the sparkling Adriatic sea, which sprays seafoam intermittently, sweeping salt breezes across the piazza. Take a bus to Duino – the town that inspired poet Rainer Maria to compose his famous Duino Elegies – in order to visit the striking Duino castle, perched romantically atop a rocky craig. Within the Trieste city limits, checkout the Museo Revoltella,  a colection of avant-garde and nineteenth-century art, the Roman theatre – echoing an era when Trieste was known as the Roman Tergeste,  the spectacular San Giusto cathedral, with its hilltop panoramas of the city, and the Miramare castle, a stunning white construction overlooking the water.

EAT AND DRINK: Trieste’s cuisine combines the best of Slavic and Austrian tradition – this was once a Habsburg property, afterall – with the delicious simplicity of Northern Italian food. The restaurants, here called “buffets” have a variety of foods, including Ghocchi, stuffed with goods as diverse as hams and plums, steamy, creamy risottos, sardines, and traditional Trieste Caldaia, or boiled pork. Trieste’s pastry shops also tend to sell variations on Austria’s famed desserts, including “strucolo pomi,” which is a uniquely Italian take on strudel, and chiffeletti cookies made with flour, eggs, and potatoes. Especially recommended is the James Joyce Cafe, a charming and flower-guarded cafe with a fine choice of seafood. Located on the canal, near the statue of James Joycehimself, who once resided here, the James Joyce Cafe also boasts splendid water views. As for drink, check out local wines, including Terrano, Rosso, Malvasia, and Vitovska Garganja, or try the standard Trieste cocktail – Frambua – made with framboise, mint, and tamarind. THe best places to drink are in and around Piazza dell’Unita.

by Tara Isabella Burton

A difficult night can be avoided by verifying what time the hotel you will be staying in closes for check-in.  Coordinating your flight to have a good cushion time in the event of a delay is vital if you are staying in a smaller hotel, especially in the smaller cities. Many of the smaller and boutique hotels do not offer check-in later at night, but with larger hotels this should not be a problem.  A good resource for minimizing flight delays is to check with http://www.bts.gov/xml/ontimesummarystatistics/src/index.xml, which is based on the US Department of Transportation statistics.

After you have settled in to your hotel and are looking for restaurants to satisfy your urges for consuming pasta, pizza and parmagiano until the smile of satisfaction on your face is permanent, check your watch.  While the restaurants that cater to tourists stay open all day, most of the best food will be served in restaurants that have traditional hours.  Lunch is normally served from noon until about 2:30, with most Italians beginning lunch between 1:00 and 1:30 so a 12:30 -12:45 arrival time gets you a good table, good food and good service.  Dinner is served much later than in the US with most restaurants not opening for service until about 7:00, with most Italians not arriving until about 9:00.  Bring cash, cash is king in Italy.

The afternoon shop closure concept is still alive and well in Italy and travelers may want to plan around this.  While the city centers in Milan, Rome, Florence and Naples will have shops open all day, when you walk three steps outside of the tourist zones in the early afternoon long aisles of shuttered shops will greet you.  The frustration that seeing the perfect unique item in a store window that will not reopen for another threes hours can only be soothed by the consumption of gelato.  This rule applies to Sundays as well.  It is actually forbidden for businesses to be open on Sundays without a special permit.  Do not question this, it “is the Italian way.”

For the dreaded Italian transportation strike.  For those that have traveled and experienced this or heard horror stories from those who have, you can avoid falling victim to “il sciopero.” YOU need not be the one stuck in an airport or train station crying on your luggage.  If you head to http://www.commissionegaranziasciopero.it/. And click on the calendar icon and then the “Elenco Scioperi” button below it, all upcoming strikes will be alphabetically listed by the occupation that is striking that week.  Yes, the site is in Italian, but you need only know “aeree” and “trasporti” to avoid any of the misery.  The upside if you do encounter one is that they normally only last between 4 and 12 hours, yes hours.
For many people traveling to Italy is one of the most memorable vacations of a lifetime.  You can make it that much better with just a few precautions that will take less than an hour of your time.  The times it takes to sit back and sip one glass of light sparkling Prosecco to celebrate your trip.

Fresh hand made mozzarella - Allstays.com

In the early spring, when the rains have finished and the hills are even more lushly green than the rest of the year, the crowds begin.  If you have ample time the Italian Sommeliers Association offers a certification program in Florence that could accompany a semester in one of the many culinary institutes of the region.  For the typical person that does not have three spare months to learn the intricacies of Italian cuisine, spring is the perfect time to do a week long cooking jaunt in one of the myriad of villas in the Tuscan hills that have been converted to luxury hotels offering cooking classes and wine tours.  Sleep the night away in a centuries old villa surrounded by vineyards, enjoy coffee and brioche before heading to a farmer’s market and then spend the afternoon learning to make pasta from scratch, a vibrant tomato sauce and artichoke risotto.

When the Tuscan sun is reaching its zenith in the summer and there is nary a cloud in the sky to threaten a sudden brief thunderstorm, the options broaden.  Bicycling tours going from farmhouse to winery to restaurant join their automotive cousins in showing tourists everything from how salami is made to how those grapes become that luscious liquid that should accompany every dinner. Tomatoes are everywhere, strawberries and peaches are abundant and classes and tours will always focus on fresh, in-season ingredients.  August is hot. August is the month to be at the beach in Italy so most small businesses close and it is infinitely more recommended to come to Tuscany in the fall.

Autumn is the ideal time to visit Tuscany for the food and wine addicted.  The grape harvest is coming in and every town from San Gimignano to Siena is awash in fellow aficionados.  In some places tourists can actually participate in the harvest as a portion of the wine touring, which is about more than Chianti.  Autumn is also the time for truffles.  Hunters are taking their dogs out daily, digging up the delectable fungi and bringing them to restaurants and food festivals to be shaved over everything from omelettes to risotto to bistecca.  The most famous area for truffles is San Miniato, and the truffle festival there is not to be missed by the agritourist.  The pungent, earthy aroma lingers over the festival, inviting you to deeply inhale in anticipation of everything you are about to consume.

Peaks for travel for agritourists are in spring and fall, but classes ranging from a few hours to a week are held year round throughout the region.  Booking ahead during these peak times is key to finding availability because the vast majority of the hoteliers that cater to this sector are smaller and tend to have high occupancy rates.  The economic turndown has not affected agritourism in Tuscany as much as it has impacted other areas of travel so while Florence hotels have fairly wide availability for the season, planning ahead for this particular Tuscan dream is recommended.  The lack of turndown also tells you just how fantastic and well appreciated the Italian reverence for food and wine is among fellow travelers.  Mangia.

Photo by Pabo76 (flickr)

Back when I was so very young and impatient I took my very first trip to Italy. Two weeks in Rome, one of the loveliest… and tastiest cities in the world. A dream come true for a country girl like me ready to broaden my horizons. If only I had actually had some real Italian food while there maybe I would have appreciated it more. No pasta, no baked goods, no real taste of Italy. So what did I eat? McDonalds and Pizza that was supposed to be Pepperoni, but ended up anchovies and artichokes (I wish I was kidding) that I got in the food court of the local mall. Apparently “Pepperoni” doesn’t translate well. Who knew?

Now contrary to what you may be thinking I did at least attempt to go out to a local restaurant while I was there. I discovered this adorable little medieval town up in the mountains called Sermoneta which had a restaurant where some of the staff actually spoke English. I’ve been blessed with remarkably bad timing though and found myself standing in front of a closed restaurant with a growling tummy. It’s easy to forget about the Italians’ siesta when you come from a world of 24 hour grocery stores and restaurants that are open until 2am. I promise the next time I go to Italy, I won’t forget.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when planning your dining on your vacation.

• Eat local: Having the opportunity to sample local dishes made by locals is a truly rewarding experience. Have a baguette at a patisserie while in Paris. Try alligator when visiting Florida. Eat things you can’t get back home. No chain restaurants for the real traveler!
• Know the when, the where, and the how: While going in blind can be thrilling it is absolutely essential you have some sort of game plan. Know where a few restaurants that sound interesting are located and the times they are open. Find out about reservations or any special arrangements that should be made before arriving so you don’t show up hungry with nothing you can do about it.
• Play well with others: Plan your meals around your company, not just yourself. You don’t want to make reservations at a restaurant that serves only fish to find out later that your companion(s) are allergic. Be courteous to each member of your traveling party. You all deserve to have a great vacation.

So there you have it! Great location + great food + great company = a wonderful vacation for everyone. When in Rome… eat like the Romans do!

So what do you think? How much does food matter in your vacation planning?