Crossroads of the Mediterranean

Advantages: Cultural diversity, historical interest, weather, food
Disadvantages: Can be difficult to navigate!

...It has been said that Sicily is Italy in concentrated form but that detracts from the many unique natures of the island which has enough of her own charms to win out over any of her mediterranean competitors. Palermo as the capital of Sicily has come down a peg or two over the course of history, being, at one time the capital of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies before the Bourbons transferred themselves to Naples. But the vestiges of a regal past are very much evident in the old Sicilian capital. The most notable site being the Norman Palace at the gate of the Porta Nuova. It is possible to enter the palace to see the Royal Chapel but the opening hours are a little erratic (especially at the weekend) so it is always best to check when to go in advance. Whilst at Piazza Indipendenza (outside the palace), you should get the bus up...

womble 07.06.2004 · Read review
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Review of Palermo (Italy)

A Day In Capri Italy

Advantages: Lots to see and do
Disadvantages: not enough time

...paying Ciao pronounced Chow Hello Arriverderci Aree'veh'dair'chee Goodbye This got a laugh and two very large glasses of chilled white wine (dry and refreshing). The waiter also brought a large bowl of black olives, a bowl of green olives and a bowl of small salted biscuit's (a bit like pretzels) . This cost about £12.00 and even though its pricey it was worth it. We sat for half an hour and relaxed. Capri's little Piazzetta is one of the best known squares in Italy and is a great place to sit and relax and do a bit of people watching. ~ Parco Augosto-The Gardens Of the Emperor Augustus ~ The garden's of the Emperor...

debmercury 18.03.2008 (14.07.2009) · Read review
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Review of Capri (Italy)

  Italy For Beginners

Advantages: it´s nice
Disadvantages: none

...So you´re thinking of travelling to Italy and getting to know the country? If you like shock treatment, fly straight to the South, to Naples or Palermo, and throw yourself into the street life there, if you prefer things to move more slowly, though, it may be a good idea to start exploring the country from the town of Trento, 140 km south of the Austrian/Italian border. It is the first ´real´ Italian town, the area north of it, South Tyrol, is more Austrian due to its history, it only became part of Italy after WW 1. Many people there are bilingual, if they want to become civil servants, they must know Italian and German. The valley of the river Adige on whose banks Trento is situated has been inhabited since prehistoric times it having been one of the main branches of the amber route. The Romans built streets there (The Romans...

MALU 04.03.2005 (30.09.2005) · Read review
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Review of Trento (Italy)

Little Italy, Big Disappointment

Advantages: Dancing is fun
Disadvantages: Dinner overpriced and bland, expensive

...I went to Little Italy a few months ago with my girlfriend and have mixed feelings about the place. Situated on Soho's Frith Street it is the heart of a really buzzy and lively area of London. An area in which you are spoilt for choice for dining, especially with Italian restaurants, you have to be doing something right to survive. Little Italy is a restaurant, bar and club. In the latter two it succeeds, in the former, not so. As a restaurant, the first thing you'll notice is the abundance of staff waiting to wait on you but somehow unwilling to do so or be helpful. Then there is the food itself, which is grotesquely overpriced at about £30 per head excluding drinks. The bruchetta was like oiled cardboard and our main meat dish favouring better but still fairly bland. So much so I can't even remember what meat it was, probably beef...

Nixu1980 19.10.2009 · Read review
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Review of Little Italy, London

The Gate to Italy

Advantages: nice scenery & architecture, fine cuisine, great shops, very relaxing place
Disadvantages: nothing REALLY spectacular in a country full of attractions

...Just a few miles south of the Swiss border, Como is the first town in Italy. Very different in style and culture to Italy's thriving cities, Mediterranean holiday resorts and antique sights, Como exudes the mild charm of Lombardy region. I was a bit surprised myself when I realised that I hadn't written anything yet on Ciao about one of my favourite countries, Italy. So when famous Ciaoer ConnaisseurHaggler said she was going to nearby Milano two weeks ago, I decided it was time I introduced the northern Italian region of Lombardy, and its pearl, Como. Como is two things in one - the city of Como, and the Lago di Como (lake). It is not really a holiday destination for itself, but a place which you shouldn't miss when you are nearby. 1) Como is ideal for a day trip or weekend getaway from Milan, if you want to escape hectic...

From_The_Continent 22.03.2001 (24.03.2001) · Read review
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Review of Como (Italy)

A little bit of Spain in Italy!

Advantages: Busy town in Northern sardinia, good base
Disadvantages: Small airport

...Alghero known in Latin as Algarium, is on the West coast of Sardinia, in the province of Sassari. The name is derived from something, which might be off-putting, as it means "the place of algae"! However, I thought it was a lovely little town and enjoyed my brief stay there. Alghero, the tourism capital of northern Sardinia, is a fascinating town of immense historical interest, which also has excellent beaches. It can be lively, vibrant and cosmopolitan in the holiday season when there are open markets, bars and restaurants, which cater for most tastes. There are quality hotels and apartments, which complement the traditional tourist amenities, which are transforming Alghero into one of the most popular tourist destinations in Italy. Founded on a peninsula facing the Bay of Alghero early in the 12th Century, it was taken from...

jo145 03.10.2005 · Read review
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Review of Alghero, Sardinia (Italy)

Great Big Italy kicked little Sicily into the Sea!

Advantages: Beautiful places, tropical beaches sun in summer, snow in winter! Perfect!
Disadvantages: Not much to do in some places.

... What's it About? Sicily is the largest of all the Mediterranean islands and roughly has a population of about 5 million. It is a volcanic island, the famous of which is Mt Etna. Technically, Sicily should belong to Africa as they lay on the same continental plate (Italy's 'toe' lies on the European plate); however because of the influx of Romans and Italians, they claimed it as their own. The climate in Sicily varies. In summer the heat can be unbearable (last time I was there it topped 47°C! We were sitting in the street with my relatives and this gust of boiling air swept over us! The locals knew this to be the start of the heat wave.) And in the winter it's been known to snow dreadfully. A good few inches were reported 2 years ago. I would advise this: If you're looking for a complete beach holiday to sit...

lauricha 22.03.2006 (23.03.2006) · Read review
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Review of Sicily (Italy)

My favourite corner of Italy!

Advantages: Very friendly and great food!
Disadvantages: I don't go often enough!

...the surrounding hills. Towards the end of August is also worth avoiding as thats when most of Italy shuts down for the summer holidays and it gets very busy. In may and September, the weather has usually been fine. Sunny enough to catch a good tan, but not so hot that you cant get around without feeling very uncomfortable. THE FOOD Good found is to be found all over Italy and Sorrento is no exception. The local cuisine is to die for with plenty of choice of venues to suit all budgets. Italy has a reputaion of being expensive, probably a reputaion which has clung to it since people began straying from the Costa's in numbers. Nowadays, Italy is no more expensive than like for like in the UK. As you would expect, pizzas are fabulous - thin crispy bases cooked in most places in real wood burning pizza ovens on stone slabs. Most things you would...

klofron 22.05.2007 (19.05.2007) · Read review
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Review of Sorrento (Italy)

Sicily not kicked quite so far - weakling Italy

Advantages: Nice people, good food and wine, weather
Disadvantages: Driving is scary

...When you get married it is the job of the groom (traditionally) to arrange the honeymoon, unfortunately for me the husband is rather likely to worry about tickets and passports and arriving on time at the airport so we decided quite early on that in order to save our marriage (by the time we left we would have been married for a grand 48 hours) we would have to arrange things together. What we then decided to do (for we read I) was to take our honeymoon in Italy and I really wanted to go to Sicily and what the wife wants the wife must get, so Monday morning we checked the tickets and passports were to hand (about 15 times) and proceeded to Gatwick, let the adventure begin. Sicily, as we all know has been kicked by nasty Italy, right into the middle of the Mediterranean Sea; to get there you will at some point have to jump on a plane...

josarah 06.04.2006 · Read review
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Review of Sicily (Italy)

The Truth about Italy

Advantages: Tells you about the REAL Italy
Disadvantages: Some chapters can be heavy going

...While television and the internet may have developed the phenomenon yet further, the idea of the armchair tourist is not that new. In the nineteenth century well-to-do young men set off on the "Grand Tour" to see Europe and bring back souvenirs from, in particular, Greece and Italy. It was at this time that many British people found out, through the drawings and paintings executed by these young men, in essence the forerunners of the Inter-railing gap-year student, what ancient monuments and ancient remains really looked like. It became very popular to own picture books full of depictions of famous historical sights around Europe. Those who did not want to travel or could not afford to, could see, albeit in pictorial form, what the pyramids or the Colisseum looked like. Thanks to technology we have live news reports beamed to our...

fizzytom 08.03.2004 · Read review
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Review of The Dark Heart of Italy - Tobias Jones