An Italian Temptation

With reference to my previous blog on Spanish flirtation, now comes Italian temptation.

Another soccer nation, Italy is also one of the soccer strongholds in Europe. My fave Italian team is AC Milan and they beaten Liverpool last Champions League. Unfortunately, they are drawn against Arsenal, my soccer first love, in the second round of the UEFA Champions League 07/08. Hence, I can only support Arsenal to win and go through.

Italy is soaked full with history, culture and monument which attracts a lot of tourists and couples to take their wedding photos there. Hence, tourism is one important economy pillar to Italy also. Hence, hotels in Italy is easy to find, from cheap stays, such as backpackers' inns to luxury resorts like 5 stars hotels. With high competition, it is easy to find last minute and year round discount prices with free inclusions often included, eg such as cheaperthanhotels.

As Italy is rather big, compared to the size of Singapore, you probably need to have accommodation in various places, such as hotels in Rome, hotels in Venice, hotels in Milan, etc, to travel to each location for their places of interest and tourist attractions.

At Milan, you can join in the Festa del Naviglio on the first ten days of June which has a potpourri of parades, music and various performances. In November, there is the Milan Jazz Festival for the musically inclined. Slightly later on 7 December, there is the Festa di Sant’Ambrogio with services, offerings and fairs around the Fiera di Milano. If you are interested in Opera, Milan’s renowned opera house La Scala opens its season opens on the same day~!

For Rome, it is drenched in history and weighted with monuments famous the world over - the Vatican and the Colosseum.

For transportation, the Leonardo da Vinci (Fiumicino) airport is 16 miles southwest of the city with the Stazione Termini direct train running hourly into the city. The main bus station is located outside the Stazione Termini. The Rome Metro service has two lines, both of which go through Termini. It runs from 5:30 a.m to 11.30 p.m. and 0:30 on Saturdays.

In Rome, during Holy Week (Easter), Catholics from all over the world arrive on pilgrimages to visit the city’s churches and to hear the Pope at the Vatican. On Good Friday itself, a procession of the Cross goes from the Colosseum to Capitoline Hill. For free entertainments, free concerts, street theatre and outdoor cinema are available during the Estate Romana (Roman Summer) from June to September. Those more culturally inclined can visit museums, galleries and shops in September as they stay open all night from 8pm to 8 am on the occasion called Notte Bianca (white night). It’s also a time of free concerts and other happenings all over the city.