family cruise vacation ideas

I Love Sightseeing Tours of Italy – Latium Winter Attractions and Events

Filed under: travel — Tags: attractions, events, italy, latium, love, sightseeing, tours, winter — libertees @ 1:03 pm January 6, 2012

Latium is on the Tyrrhenian coast of central Italy. Its capital is Rome, the capital of Italy, and, and, and. I said it before, I’ll say it again. Or more precisely, I quoted before, and I’ll quote again (because I did not coin this phrase) Roma, non basta una vita. Rome, one lifetime is not enough. I just read that you can expect four hours of sunshine a day in the Roman winter. Maybe. But you’re in Rome. Romaeuropa Festival is Rome’s big festival of theater, music, and dance held in venues throughout Rome for more than a month starting in early November. This is Italy’s top contemporary art festival, and one of the major European art festivals. It includes dozens and dozens of shows, many of which are national premieres.

The Feast Day of the Immaculate Conception on December 8 is an Italian national holiday. There are celebrations throughout Italy and churches hold special masses. You’ll find parades, feasts, and music here, there, and almost everywhere. Rome celebrates with floral wreaths and a ceremony at the Spanish Steps presided over by the Pope. Although government offices and banks are closed, many stores stay open for holiday shopping.

Latium is home to a large number and wide variety of Living Nativity Scenes. The town of Greccio presents an unusual one: the Re-enactment Of St. Francis Building The First Nativity Scene (Christmas Eve). St. Francis of Assisi is said to have started things off by building a straw nativity scene in a Greccio cave in 1223. Some of the largest and most elaborate Roman Nativity Scenes are found in Piazza del Popolo, Piazza Euclide, Santa Maria in Trastevere, Santa Maria d’Aracoeli on the Capitoline Hill, and in St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican City. You may choose to attend the midnight mass on Christmas Eve followed by the Pope’s blessing on Christmas Day. The Church of Saints Cosma e Damiano, by the main entrance to the Roman Forum, displays a large nativity scene from Naples all year round. Other towns that host nativity scenes include Bassano, Vetralla, and Chia whose offering on December 26 includes more than 500 participants.

Rome’s traditional New Year’s Eve celebrations are centered in Piazza del Popolo (Square of the People). Huge crowds celebrate with rock and classical music, dancing, and fireworks. The celebration continues on New Year’s Day with festivities for the children. Or you may prefer a classical music concert outdoors on the square in front of the Quirinale off Via Nazionale around 11:00 followed by fireworks at midnight.

In Vatican City, following another Epiphany (January 6) tradition, hundreds of people dressed in medieval costumes promenade along the wide avenue that leads up to the Vatican, carrying symbolic gifts for the Pope. The Pope pronounces a morning mass in St Peter’s Basilica to commemorate the Wise Men visit bearing gifts for Jesus. The town of Velletri celebrates the Festival of St. Anthony Historical Parade and Jousting Tournament in January. At the beginning of February, the hilltop town of Fiuggi honors Saint Biagio by bringing tree trunks in from the forest and lighting them in the main square. That seems to be it for Latium February festivals, with the exception of Carnivale to be covered in another article. And yet, in spite of the weather which may not be the best, I somehow think that you can manage to enjoy yourself in Rome in February.

Levi Reiss authored or co-authored ten computer and Internet books, but would rather drink fine French wine with friends. He teaches classes in computers at an Ontario French-language community college. Visit his Italian travel, wine, and food website www.travelitalytravel.com and his global wine website www.theworldwidewine.com featuring a weekly review of $10 wines and new sections writing about and tasting organic and kosher wines.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/i-love-sightseeing-tours-of-italy-latium-winter-attractions-and-events-1590390.html

Love Guru Gets Your Ex Back – Expert Relationship And Break Up Advice.

Filed under: cruise — Tags: advice, back, break, Expert, Guru, love, Relationship — libertees @ 5:01 pm July 9, 2010

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How To Do Useful Travel Research

A lot of people simply avoid thinking about other aspects than passports and plane tickets when going on an international vacation and such an approach is not correct. Any international vacation will require a lot of research in order to have a healthy and safe trip and you do not want to forget anything so that your trip will be perfect.


First off we would like to emphasize on the fact that you need to be informed when thinking about health. You could start with looking at the Center for Disease Control web site to see if there are any disease or outbreak problems you should be worried about. Any doctor in your area could help you in getting the right prescriptions and immunizations you might require. Always know what you need before actually talking to the doctor. The same thing goes for any possible social or civil problems in the country you are visiting. We do not want there to be any conflicts that could put you at risk so tourist guides and the Department of State are also places you need to put on your prior to the trip research list. Combine this with a good knowledge of the location’s customs when talking about dress codes and legal problems.


The next step would be talking to people about your trip. There is a big chance that you will find someone that was already there. You can obtain email addresses or telephone numbers and you can ask various questions about what you might want to know. Word of mouth travel advice is invaluable when talking about any trip and learning stuff from people that were already there once. This is because these people have already been there and they can tell you what is relaxing and what is not, what is thrilling and what is not and so on!


Think about what you need to know when linked with your personality and plan your trip according to what you like doing. If you are a thrill seeker look for attractions you would love and would get your adrenaline levels to skyrocket. If you are fond of shopping look for the best shopping hot spots and so on. It all depends on the individual or the group of people that is going on the vacation. Make sure that there is a bit of everything for everyone so that the trip will provide a good setting for every single person and this is how you should do useful travel research.

Article first written for the Travel Facts blog. Get the Travel Advice you need for a perfect vacation!

Seven Things You Must Know Before Your Next Cruise (to Have the Best Cruise Ever)

Filed under: cruise — Tags: activities, advantage, advice, air, allow, amp, ana, anywhere, around, art, available, Avoid, away, bars, base, beach, become, bed, before, best, board, boat, book, Border, bring, but, cabin, call, Casino, Certain, chances, Charge, Climate, clubs, come, consider, convenient, cooking, Cost, cruise, cruises, cruising, da, dancing, day, dining, direct, does, during, early, easy, eco, end, enjoy, eve, event, events, Every, Everybody, Everything, experience, experiences, Extend, facilities, fall, few, fill, find, food, forget, four, free, frequent, friends, fun, further, going, good, great, group, has, having, head, Help, here, Here's, high, hot, ice, inc, increase, information, Just, la, land, le, leave, Less, life, light, like, line, lines, long, lots, love, low, mad, made, many, may, Mean, means, Meeting, men, might, mild, minute, Minutes, must, need, next, night, not, ny, offer, offered, onboard, only, Order, pa, part, party, pass, passengers, Port, Product, protection, Proven, Purchase, put, rail, rate, Rates, real, really, recover, red, relax, relaxing, right, rise, roar, rooms, sail, sailing, same, see, self, serious, service, seven, ship, Shop, should, shows, Size, ski, skin, solo, spa, spend, Star, Start, Still, style, sun, sure, System, Tactics, ten, than, thing, things, those, through, time, tip, tips, top, tour, tours, travel, typically, up, vacation, vessel, Want, war, way, Well, where, while, why, will, win, wonderful, world — libertees @ 5:02 pm June 18, 2010

Cruising is fun, convenient, a good value … and easy. Right? Well, cruising is meant to be relaxing, but there are certain things passengers can do to get the very most out of their cruise vacation experience. Here are seven proven tips to maximize your cruise experience (and they don’t cost a thing!)

First – Travel with a like-minded partner or friends. Most cruise ships are like Noah’s Ark: people get on in pairs or in groups. While cruise lines will gladly allow you to cruise solo, it is not the best way to enjoy a cruise. Not only will you sometimes feel awkward during dining or cruise ship activities, you also get slapped with a surcharge since all cruising is based on double (or more) occupancy rates.

Furthermore, travel with compatible people. If you like to party, don’t decide to go on a cruise with a tee-totaler or a recovering drinker. Whether you are a sun bather or a casino denizen, you are going to have your best time if you travel with people who share your interests and values.

Second – Board your ship as early as you can and take any tours of the vessel or facilities that are offered. Most ships allow you to board many hours before the ship sets sail and during that time you may be offered free tours of the ship, the spa, and so on. Although they aren’t going to be the highlight of your vacation, these tours help you get oriented and can give you a glimpse of facilities on-board that you may have not known about.

If you can’t get an official tour, try to walk through the ship systematically. This will help you get your bearings plus you may find out about lounges, snack bars, clubs, meeting rooms, or other areas that you might not have known about.

On a recent cruise, I found out on the tour that the cruise ship had a guarantee program for purchases made in port. If you bought merchandise from certain recognized stores, the cruise line would guarantee them providing you filled out certain paperwork and turned it in to the onboard shopper. It was a great tip, and I never would have known about it had I not taken the pre-sailing tour of the ship.

Third – Do everything. This may sound counterintuitive to most cruise fanatics, who seek unstructured time and the opportunity to just lounge around and do nothing. Actually, most cruise directors will tell you the best cruises are those in which you really attempt to try and do everything offered.

This means you should extend yourself a bit. Sample the dancing, casinos, the pools, on-board games, art auctions, spa services, bingo, shows, and fine dining. Even if you don’t normally do those things, the more you try to take advantage of all that is offered, the more fun you’ll have.

Fourth – Don’t overeat. While some people do take cruises to gorge themselves, this is usually a rookie mistake. It may sound counter-intuitive to avoid overindulging on a cruise ship, since most cruises really emphasize the wonderful food they offer. But here’s how to handle it.

Do enjoy yourself. Order what you love. Chances are that cruise ships will offer it, whether it’s steak or lobster, ice cream or pizza, eggs benedict at sunrise, or chocolate decadence at midnight. Do, by all means, eat the foods you love.

But don’t stuff yourself. You’ll wind up feeling miserable during the cruise and fat after you get off the boat.

When in doubt, pass on food. Why? Because on a cruise ship, you’re never more than a few minutes away from the next opportunity to eat. Do try to sample what strikes your fancy, but don’t overeat and don’t be afraid to say no to many of the things that are offered to you to eat or drink. You really won’t be able to eat and drink everything on board, so don’t even try.

You’ll wind up feeling fitter and stronger and you’ll really enjoy what you do eat.

Fifth – Drink water. That’s good advice anywhere, but most of us forget about it on vacation, particularly on a cruise. Furthermore, if you drink alcohol or spend a lot of time in a hot climate, your need for water increases so you need even more water to avoid dehydration.

Even mild dehydration can cause headaches, aches and pains, and digestive disturbances. Why ruin your vacation? Drink lots and lots of water. It’s available just about anywhere beverages are offered on a cruise ship and bottled water is typically brought every morning to your cabin.

Sixth – Protect your skin. Even if you cruise to Antarctica, you will still need sunscreen. The sun’s intensity is amplified by the water’s reflection, so ramp up your sunscreen protection for a cruise. Put on sunscreen when you go to the pool or beach or even if you’re just sitting on deck in the shade.

If you do get burned, use some of the after-burn products on the market. They should be available on board ship if you don’t bring your own. Whatever you do, protect any burned skin from further sun exposure. If you get a burn on top of an existing sunburn, you can do serious damage to your skin and may even require medical intervention.

Seventh – Don’t be cruise-stupid. That’s a term I made up for a behavior I frequently observe on cruise ships. For some reason, being on a cruise makes some people act foolishly or recklessly and do things they would never normally do. Maybe it’s the unreal experience of being on a cruise ship.

On a cruise ship, people wait on you. Everything is nice and clean. You don’t have to do any work at all. Everybody seems happy. You never have to worry about pulling out your wallet, cooking a meal, or even picking up after yourself. It doesn’t take long before the cruise experience literally becomes “another world.”

Some folks take that as a cue to start behaving irresponsibly and sometimes they get hurt. While I do not want to trivialize bad experiences or say that all bad events are deserved, we should also recognize the fact. People who start acting recklessly sometimes get hurt.

If you decide to pretend you’re a gymnast and balance on the guard rail, you just might fall off. If you leave your purse or wallet unattended in a public area, you can get robbed. If you decide to get roaring drunk in some foreign port of call and act like an idiot, you can wind up in a mess of trouble.

Observe the same good, common sense tactics you use on land or in your everyday life.

For more information on cruising, pick up a copy of Ten Things to Consider Before You Book Your Cruise, available only at http://www.thecruise-shopper.com/sign_up.html . It’s free with our compliments. This article was written by Mandy Karlik, a frequent contributor to TheCruise-Shopper.

Egypt Travel Advice for Faintstarlite and Family


Link to my Cairo Vlog www.youtube.com ** Hotel www.mayfaircairo.com Aziz Osman Street, Zamalek, ? +2 (02) 2735 7315 or 010-6699942 ** Restaurants Abu el Sid Lots of traditional food I HIGHLY suggest the molokhiya with chicken. I have pictures of it in the video I mentioned. A pub called Deals best vine leaves ever! Maison Thomas good pizza you can also take away Cilantro coffee shop with takeaway food. Marriott Gardens at Marriott Hotel. If youre looking for a good lunch or brunch. Its a lovely place to sit and relax also kid friendly. All these three places are in Zamalek and within walking distance from the Mayfair. ** Food + Sweets Theres a street staple called koushari you can buy it for cheap, but theres a risk youll get sick if you buy it from street vendors. LOADED with carbs its pasta, rice and lentils with a special sauce. Feteer widely available at coffee shops in Khan Khalili. Um Ali this is a MAJOR diet buster, but you HAVE TO try it. Its pretty much milk, filo dough, nuts and raisins the best one Ive had is at a sweet stand/resto called Al Malki. Any cab driver can take you to one. Youll likely be standing and eating or taking it to go. You can have this at any restaurant, but I find Malkis so good!! ** Khan Khalili This is one of the oldest market places in the Middle East. Lots of trinkets at a great price make sure to bargain! Sunnyland Papyrus. 68 El Sekka El Guedida +2 589 0647 I believe the guys name I always go to is Waheed. ** Luxor Valley of the

I Love Italian Travel – Carnevale Season In Calabria

Filed under: cruise — Tags: calabria, carnevale, italian, love, season, travel — libertees @ 10:44 pm January 22, 2010

Calabria forms the foot of the Italian boot. This region is in the heart of the Mezzogiorno, the south of Italy. Who would expect to find an Albanian Carnival here? Who would expect to find an African Carnevale here? Keep on reading to learn about some of the most distinctive Carnevales in all Europe.

San Demetrio Corone is a village of under four thousand people in Calabria facing the Apennine Mountains and the Ionian Sea. It was founded more than five hundred years ago by Albanians who were fleeing an Ottoman invasion. Despite the centuries the townsfolk have managed to keep their Albanian language and customs while becoming Italians. On the first Saturday of Carnival they celebrate the “Feste dei Morti.” The poor and children go from house by house collecting alms. Then they march to the local cemetery where food and drink is served surrounded by the gravestones. The food known as “Colivi” is made from boiled wheat and was eaten at Paleo-Christian funerals. In the nearby village of Saracena, population about four thousand, named for the Arabs who formerly ruled this part of the world, the Festa di San Leone (Feast of St. Leon) starts with candlelight procession from the church of that name accompanied by music made with traditional musical instruments. Then comes the “Fucarazzi’” (bonfire) at dusk that stays lit all night long while the inhabitants and guests enjoy the ritual food and drink.

Another Albanian Carnevale in Calabria is held in the village of Lungro many of whose three thousand some inhabitants speak a dialect of Albanian. The villagers celebrate Carnevale by parading in traditional Albanian costumes. In northern Calabria, the city of Montalto Uffugo (population about seventeen thousand) holds an interesting parade of men wearing women’s dresses. They hand out sweets and tastes of Pollino wine. Following the parade, the kings and queens arrive for a night of dancing wearing costumes that include giant heads. Actually cross dressing is a popular Calabrian Carnevale theme for both men and women as are the ancient Commedia dell’Arte farces in which Carnival is dying, surrounded by busy but hopelessly ineffectual doctors. The funeral is grotesque and ends with a huge bonfire.

The town of Castrovillari, population well over twenty thousand on the northern border of Calabria, holds its Carnival of Pollino. The women dress in intricate traditional costumes and both the men and women celebrate the Pollino wine of the region, Lacrima di Castrovillari. But there’s more. This Carnevale now includes a children’s carnival and an International Folklore Festival with Jazz concerts and multiple events devoted to African, Afro-American, and Afro-Brazilian culture. The times they are a’changing.

Levi Reiss authored or co-authored ten computer and Internet books, but would rather drink fine French, German, or other wine, paired with the right foods. He loves teaching computer classes at an Ontario French-language community college. Visit his Italian travel, wine, and food website www.travelitalytravel.com and his wine, diet, health, and nutrition website www.wineinyourdiet.com.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/i-love-italian-travel-carnevale-season-in-calabria-1768062.html

I Love Italian Travel – Abruzzi Carnevale Season

Filed under: cruise — Tags: abruzzi, carnevale, italian, love, season, travel — libertees @ 7:54 pm January 14, 2010

Francavilla al Mare is a city of about 25 thousand located near Pescara, Abruzzi on the Adriatic coast. This carnival is considered so far above and beyond the regional competition that is simply known as the “Carnevale d’Abruzzo” (the Abruzzi Carnival). This seems to be the only such case in all of Italy with exception of Piedmont. Interestingly enough the Carnevale d’Abruzzo dates in its present form back to only 1956 when it greeted a group of Martians in a flying saucer. But of course Francavilla al Mare does not host the only Carnevale site in Abruzzi and you should take a look at several of them.

Abruzzi is home to the most tragic Carnevale in all Italy. Abruzzi’s capital city of Aquila, home to about 70 thousand, is located on a hillside in the middle of a narrow valley. It is partially situated on an ancient lakebed; this factor intensifies seismic activity. On February 2, 1703, Carnival day, a major earthquake struck destroying the city and killing three to five thousand people. In memory of the victims the Aquila Carnevale always take place on February 3, unlike all other Italian Carnevales whose date varies in function of Easter. Aquila’s most recent earthquake took place on April 6, 2009 killing over three hundred people. This was the deadliest Italian earthquake in almost thirty years.

There are many, many Carnevales in Abruzzi. A partial list of the cities and towns includes Civita Castellania, Poggio Mirteto (where it is known as Carnevale Liberato – Liberated Carnival), Lanciano, Citta Sant’ Angelo, Francavilla, and Versila, the sometime home of opera composer Giacomo Puccini, poet, novelist, dramatist, and political Fascist Gabriele d’Annunzio, and Carlo Collodi who wrote Pinocchio. Yet with all this competition Francavilla al Mare’s is still known as the “Carnevale d’Abruzzo.”

Cicerchiata is the traditional Abruzzi Carnevale treat. It looks like peanut brittle but is traditionally made from small beans known as Cicerchie, which unfortunately are getting harder and harder to find. Increasingly the beans are replaced by fried dough. Besides the beans (or dough) the recipe calls for butter, sugar, eggs, and white wine and for the frying, what else but olive oil? Note to dieters, the traditional recipe calls for frying the mixture in one inch of olive oil. This delicious dish is held together by a mixture of honey, sugar, and minced candied fruits. Accompany Cicerchiata with a Verdicchio white wine from the neighboring Marches region or even better, a Falanghina white wine from the Campania region to the southwest.

Levi Reiss wrote or co-authored ten computer and Internet books, but would rather drink fine French, German, or other wine, accompanied by the right foods. He teaches classes in computers at an Ontario French-language community college. Visit his new wine, diet, health, and nutrition website www.wineinyourdiet.com and his Italian travel website www.travelitalytravel.com.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/i-love-italian-travel-abruzzi-carnevale-season-1722173.html

Fall in Love All Over Again

Filed under: cruise — Tags: fall, love — libertees @ 9:48 am January 12, 2010

Treat your special someone to something totally unexpected this Valentines day, book a romantic escape to Costa Rica today! Costa Rica is the ideal location to spend a long and memorable weekend with your loved one.

At Los Sueños Resort located on Costa Rica’s magnificent Pacific coastline, we can help you plan the holiday getaway of your dreams. Our Diamond Concierge Service caters exclusively to the resort’s guests. Let us arrange your stay, you can choose from any of the condos or villas on our lush, landscaped grounds. We’ll take care of all of the details and extra touches in advance so you can relax fully and enjoy every moment with the one you love. Ask for rose petals to adorn your bed upon arrival in a room stocked with chilled champagne and chocolates, or have one of our private chefs prepare and serve a gourmet dinner for you in the privacy of your own room.

You can spend hours, or even days, at our full-service spa located right on the resort premises. Indulge in a sensual couples massage or any of our other beautifying and detoxifying packages, including facials, scrubs, hot stone therapies, and hair designs. Mentally re-balance and connect with your partner during a private yoga lesson right on the sand.

Drinks will be delivered to you in between dips and as you soak up the sun oceanside. Don’t forget to take advantage of the Los Sueños Beach Club amenities, jacuzzis, outdoor pools and swim-up bar, everything scattered throughout the resort grounds.

With five internationally flavored restaurants to choose from, you and you’re loved one might just not ever want to skip a meal. Contemporary, exotic, and freshly prepared courses are often served overlooking the spectacular Costa Rican sunsets. Go casual at our classic American pub or spice things up with Bambú’s Asian-inspired menu. Also known as a popular nightlife spot, you’ll often be treated to live local music and can dance the night away hand in hand without ever having to the leave the resort.

You and your special someone can even spend quality time together on the green. Take advantage of La Iguana Golf Course during your stay at the resort, with a day of 18-holes on a stunning nature backdrop of monkeys, sloths, pizotes, toucans, macaws, and lush green native fauna. Nearby Los Sueños Marina is also very popular among guests. Chartered luxury boats and fishing vessels leave continually from the marina and are an excellent way to explore the country’s clear blue waters with your true love by your side.

We can also help you plan a complete itinerary of activities and tours off the grounds. Costa Rica is known for its wildlife preserves, national parks, and adventure opportunities. Whether you and your partner are nature lovers, looking for an interactive cultural experience, or are thrill seekers, your trip will be packed with fun. Rainforests, cloud forests, colorful birds, volcanoes, horseback riding, surfing lessons, waterfall hikes, these are just a few of the ways you can spend your vacation together.

Time is running out. This year find a new way to celebrate your love in Costa Rica.

CR Luxury Rentals is the premier choice for the discriminating traveler who expects and demands 5 star luxury and customer service, plus we offer fantastic Costa Rica condo rentals that are perfect for any type of vacation.
Costa Rica Condo RentalsArticle Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/fall-in-love-all-over-again-1706301.html

I Love Italian Travel – Southern Italy February Attractions

Filed under: cruise — Tags: attractions, february, italian, italy, love, southern, travel — libertees @ 5:56 am January 11, 2010

So you are hankering to visit southern Italy in February, but just aren’t sure what to see and what to do. Don’t despair; there are lots and lots of special events that simply aren’t available in the good old summertime. Here are a few of them. Get rolling; February is almost upon us. We start our virtual counterclockwise tour in Apulia, the heel of the Italian boot. Then it’s northwest to Campania on the Tyrrhenian Sea and then south to the island of Sicily.

On February 13th, the coastal city of Barletta, Apulia hosts the Commemoration of the Challenge of Barletta. This event recalls the historic challenge between 13 Italian horsemen and 13 French horsemen first held on February 13th, 1503. This is one beautiful traditional ceremony. The small town of Vico del Gargano whose nickname is “The Village of Love” celebrates The Feast of Saint Valentine by decorating its main church and statue of Saint Valentine with bay leaves and literally thousands of oranges. You won’t be surprised to learn that this area is known for its oranges.

The city of Mugnano di Napoli is home to the headquarters of the Pirotecnica Snc or Schiattarella fireworks firm. Can you guess how Mugnano di Napoli celebrates its Patron Saint Biagio? This family-run firm has won many national competitions so you may expect a real blast. For a complete change of pace visit Today’s Spouse in the regional capital of Naples, especially if you are planning a wedding. This event is held starting on the second Saturday of February in the spectacular Twelfth Century Castel dell’Ovo overlooking the harbor in romantic but sometimes dangerous Napoli.

On February 4 Sicily’s second largest city Catania situated on the island’s eastern coast facing the Ionian Sea honors its patron saint, Saint Agatha with a festival that boasts what may well be the world’s second largest religious procession. Saint Agatha’s statue is placed on a “fercolo”, a 40,000 pound silver carriage, which is pulled up Monte Sangiuliano by an unbelievable 5,000 men. This great festival lasts for two days and two nights and culminates in a monster fireworks display. Don’t forget to taste some of the marzipan specialties. Across the island on the western (Mediterranean) coast lies the town of Agrigento whose Almond Blossom Fair spans the first two Sundays in February. The ceremonies include an International Folklore Festival complete with music, singing, parades, puppet shows and open-air performances. You’ll enjoy traditional Sicilian sweets based on almonds and other goodies.

Levi Reiss wrote or co-authored ten computer and Internet books, but would rather drink fine French, German, or other wine, accompanied by the right foods. He teaches classes in computers at an Ontario French-language community college. Visit his new wine, diet, health, and nutrition website www.wineinyourdiet.com and his Italian travel website www.travelitalytravel.com.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/i-love-italian-travel-southern-italy-february-attractions-1696813.html

I Love Italian Travel – February Attractions Of Central Italy

Filed under: cruise — Tags: attractions, central, february, italian, italy, love, travel — libertees @ 7:58 am January 9, 2010

So you are planning a visit to central Italy in February, but just aren’t sure what to see and what to do. Don’t despair; there are lots and lots of special events that simply aren’t available in the good old summertime. Here are a few of them. Get rolling; February is right around the corner. We start our virtual counterclockwise tour in Latium. Then it’s east to Abruzzi, northwest to Tuscany, and finally northwest to Umbria.

At the beginning of February, the small hilltop town of Fiuggi, Latium honors Saint Biagio. The townsmen transport “stuzze” (big) tree trunks from the forest on their shoulders and lighting them in the main square. The first Sunday of the month the village of Cineto Romano honors its patron saint, Saint Dorothy. This celebration is accompanied by the “Sagra della Polenta” honoring the popular, and I am told delicious, cornmeal dish by that name. You will definitely enjoy the music and other festivities even if you don’t indulge in polenta.

The Abruzzi village of Taranta Peligna also celebrates Saint Biagio’s Day. Saint Biagio is known as the protector of the throat; according to tradition he saved a child who had a thorn in his throat. A major feature of this solemn commemoration is the local specialty called “panicelle”, small hand shaped rolls that transported to the ovens by a procession of traditionally dressed young girls. The freshly baked rolls are blessed and freely distributed to the waiting crowd.

Then it’s on to the famous region of Tuscany. The little town of Vernio is host to a Chestnut Polenta Festival at the end of February or the beginning of March. This “Festa della Polenta” or “Pulendina” commemorates the 1512 famine, which ended when the local count distributed chestnut polenta, cod, and herring to the people. If you sleep in you will miss the medieval pageant of more that 500 participants who parade along the town streets starting at 9 in the morning. And don’t forget that Tuscany is home to some fine wines including Chianti, Brunello di Montalchino, and Vino Nobile de Montepulciano. But not at 9 in the morning.

The Umbrian town of Terni celebrates their patron saint, Valentino, with a jewelry exhibition and contest and a torchlight parade. Can you guess the day of the month? On the third Sunday in February the city of Spello hosts an Olive and Bruschetta Festival. Then February celebrations end with the Norcia Fair devoted to the Norcia Black Truffle and typical specialties from the surrounding area. In addition to the food you’ll like the music, dancing, crafts, folklore, and sports events.

Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten computer and Internet books, but prefers drinking fine French wine with by the right foods. He teaches computers at an Ontario French-language community college. Visit his Italian travel website www.travelitalytravel.com and his global wine website global wine website www.theworldwidewine.com with a weekly column reviewing $10 wines and new sections writing about and tasting organic and kosher wines.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/i-love-italian-travel-february-attractions-of-central-italy-1686358.html

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