Sunday, March 28, 2010

Breathtaking Boutique Breaks in Florence

Florence may not be the capital city of Italy, but it is the heart and soul - a place of divine art, outstanding shopping and cobbled streets that seem to breathe romance into the air. As the art and culture lovers' destination of choice, it's not surprising that Florence is also the 'boutique' Italian city! There are some exceptional boutique hotels here, too.
For a wow factor when you come home in the evening, stay at the 16th century All-Suites Palazzo Magnani Feroni. This boutique hotel is a more a landmark than a establishment - the classical grandeur of the architecture and the excellent service leave guests feeling like Florentine aristocrats, and very at home in a palace...
What Not to Miss in Florence
The Duomo
There may be more than a handful of cathedrals in Italy, but Florence's masterpiece has always stood out from the crowd. Unlike so many other plain religious buildings, its a stunning mix of green, white and pink marble - making is resemble an impressionist painting or a giant wedding cake rather than a church.
Stand outside in the piazza and marvel at the colors towering above the crowds of visitors, then head inside to explore an excellent collection of art and artifacts.
The Ponte Vecchio
This historic bridge over the River Arno is famous for more than its architecture - jewelery shops. With little shops lining both sides of the narrow bridge, the Ponte Vecchio sparkles with the glitter of thousands of diamonds in the windows.
Even if some of the items are too expensive for a shopping spree, it's worth coming here just for the atmosphere of jostling tourists and hard sells - and to admire the craftsmanship in the every display.
The Local Vinyards
Florence is situated in the heart of Tuscany - a beautiful rural region which is well known for its wine. Sit down at any wine bar in the city and you'll be treated to a vast range of local vintages that will all taste superb.
The best time for a relaxing glass is during the Italian aperitivo hours - early evening, before dinner. Take a table in a piazza if its a warm evening and enjoy a bottle from the Tuscan hills, along with (often complimentary) plates of appetizing snacks, whilst you watch the dolce vita in full swing.
The Uffizi Gallery
One of the world's most famous art collections, The Uffizi Gallery is housed in a grand palace. But it's the art work within its walls that make this Florence's premier tourist destination - put together over 500 years, it includes work by such art-world stars as Da Vinci, Raphael and Michelangelo.

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Choosing Your Hotel in Venice

Venice is strange in the hotel department, it's one of the most expensive places to stay, but it might just be the cheapest too.
Many various factors will determine exactly how much you pay for your hotel: Hotel rating, hotel view or even what events are currently on.
Before booking there are a few things you should consider
Views over the Grand Canal always comes at a higher premium. Views over any canal or water of any description are also more expensive, so when you ask for a canal view, its definitely best to make sure that the canal view you're getting is a refined view and not one that smells strongly of the outhouse!
Hotel ratings also affect the price you will pay, the ratings have become more reliable and you can expect the number of stars to actually reflect on the price you are going to pay. Keep it in mind that even five stars may give you much smaller rooms than you were expecting for the price: space really is very tight in Venice and you might find your luxury pad won't come with a hot tub. Surprising you might find that a much cheaper hotel with a two star rating might just come with the hot tub you'd expect in the five star.
The biggest factor overall in hotel pricing are the events. A double room at the five-star Centurion Palace could cost almost double the normal price if you are booking in February during Carnevale, by avoiding February Carnevale, Easter, the popular summer months (June and July) and other major events, your stay in Venice will be much kinder to your bank balance.

Friday, March 05, 2010

Shopping in Venice

For hundreds of years, the most popular shopping areas in Venice have been the Rialto area, the Mercerie and the Calle dei Fabbri Attracting the main shopping crowd in Venice. To the west of San Marco, in Frezzeria you'll find some slightly more unusual shops. Lined up from the Piazza to the Accademia Bridge you'll find grander more prominent shops for a variety of different items. For souvenirs, you should head for the streets just north of Campo Santo Stefano.
For cheaper shops which will be kinder to your budget, the best places to shop are the narrow streets from the Rialto area to San Polo, just across the Grand Canal. The shops are really interesting, full of character, atmosphere and often some real bargains! If you want to shop like a local then take a look around the busy Lista di Spagna and Strada Nova, near the station.
You can find plenty of top designer shops and boutiques with the famous names we have all heard of including Armani, Gucci, Laura Biagiotti, MaxMara, Krizia, Missoni, Prada, Trussardi, Valentino and Versace, to name but a few, all near to the Piazza! For more edgy and contemporary designs visit Fiorella in Campo Santo Stefano, here you can find plenty of gorgeous outfits! In the Calle della Mandola and the shops around the Mercerie, you will find an excellent selection of leather, including fabulous shoes bags and traditional Venetian slippers.
Venice is well-known for its amazing masks and costumes; you can get the cheap versions of these which are mass produced throughout the city. However, they aren't quite the same as the genuine masks which make great souvenirs. You can find the real deal at the Laboratorio Artigiano Maschere in Castello, They specialize in traditional mask making, with some truly beautiful and eye-catching designs. You can also find a good selection of masks and some absolutely stunning costumes just off Campo Santa Margherita in Mondonovo, and at Tragicomica near Campo San Polo. Leading up to the main carnival time, Venice mask makers are naturally very busy, but usually they will welcome visitors and are happy to show you their skills - some even hold workshops.
Department stores in Italy aren't a frequent occurrence and Venice is not an exception to this, The main department store is a shop called Coin, here they sell a huge variety of goods and should have everything you could possibly want.
In the San Barnaba area, there are several good art and craft shops selling traditional and more unusual souvenirs and gifts. These include ornaments, toys, tapestries, paper objects, Venice masks and even small model gondolas.