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Travel insurance, cheap holiday travel insurance quotes from RAC Skip navigation and go to main content Home Contact us My RAC Sitemap Breakdown cover Car buying Car care Insurance Learn to drive Loans & leasing Motorcycle services Personal injury RAC world Travel services Windscreens Home > Insurance > Travel Travel insurance home Cover options and information Frequently asked questions Full policy wording Summary of cover Areas of cover Leisure activities Winter sports For an instant quote or for more information call free on 0800 051 4543 Mon-Fri 8am-10pm,Sat 8am-6pm,Sun 10am-4pm Calls may be recorded/monitored Travel insurance With RAC Direct Travel Insurance, you can relax knowing that help is just a phone call away. 24 hour Worldwide Medical Emergency Assistance Service Comprehensive cover with wide range of options Choice of annual multi-trip and single trip cover Free UK Breakdown cover through RAC Rescue to help you get to and from the airport or ferry in the UK. Travel advice with the RAC Travel Assistant helpline service Annual travel from just £42.82 a year Single Trip cover from just £14.98 for 4 days (Prices based on individual with no medical conditions, aged 30 with European cover and no optional covers) Prices correct as at November 2005 and based on individuals with nomedical conditions, aged 30 with European cover and no optional covers For an instant quote or for more information call free on 0800 051 4543 Mon-Fri 8am-10pm,Sat 8am-6pm,Sun 10am-4pm Calls may be recorded/monitored For our joint protection and training purposes calls may be recorded and/or monitored. RAC Direct Insurance is a trading name of London and Edinburgh Insurance Company Limited. Registered in England No. 924430. Registered Office: 8 Surrey Street, Norwich, NR1 3NG. Member of the Aviva Group. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. www.rac.co.uk Bookmark this page A to Z listing | Site map | Compliance statement | Privacy policy | Terms & conditions © 2005 RAC Motoring Services - an RAC plc company www.rac.co.uk

Italy Travel

tuscany italian region travel guide accommodation holiday farm villa hotel tuscan holiday italy tuscany holiday travel guide informative tourist accommodation hotel farm apartment direct booking tuscany travel guide tourist tips discount holiday accomodation in Tuscany hotel farm villa attractions tips map weather travel tips places of art charming towns of the best charming italian region. direct contact to accommodations tuscany online brochure natural parks calendar live events last minute offers. Tuscan traveller ideas... Agritourism in tuscany Art cities list tuscan towns tourist info Art city guided tours more about tuscany Wine & food taste tuscan wine roads home-made food olive oil Thermal spas list relaxing places in tuscany Meetings & incentive more... Alternative vacation where to learn in tuscany Active vacation lists biking walking tours in tuscany Schools lists in tuscany learn italian language in tuscany Itineraries in tuscan y: what to see where to go in tuscany Honeymoon travel ? charming romantic ideas for wedding in tuscamy Golf course club tuscany play relax and tuscan charming hills... Shop in tuscany - shopping online Shopping in tuscany: artisans companies producers manufacturers: where to buy the tuscan art Shopping online tuscany : buy books maps travel guides gourmet foods vhs audio tapes cd dvd Having fun in tuscany HOME Where to eat Traditional charming eatery in Tuscany find the best restaurant cheap "family trattoria, your best night in tuscany: Disco pubs clubs Internet Point cafes check your email surf on internet. Free E-cards send e-postcard home Tuscany free ecard slide show: send best charming tuscan places Italy. Leave comments rate photos. publish your best travel photo. > click here Tuscany accommodation direct booking cost effective holiday rentals HOME accommodation farmhouse villa countryside holiday farm agriresidence homestead relais chateaux charming apartment guest house farmstay accommodation hotel & residence direct online discount bed & breakfast downtown beach inn suite accommodation townhouse self catering apartment town-house flat cheap lodging studio hostel accommodation charming historical residence castles convent abbey historical romantic buildings accommodation refuges mountain wild life tuscany charming hils accommodation outside tuscany sleep just outside close to tuscan border. Calendar events special saving home Calendar homepage special offer events festivals tuscany Italy money saving and discounts: last minute tuscany farmhouse apartment last minute tuscany hotel residence last minute tuscany townhouse rooms Best tuscany coast beach sea islands HOME Mediterranean sea Riviera of Versilia beach closest to Florence Coast of the etruscans Maremma area Island of Elba Capraia island Coast outside tuscany ligurian coast Levante Riviera Beach services: bathing establishments Tuscany museums list home Anthropology , Archaeology , Art Art & Archaeology Natural history History Science & Technology Specialized museums Natural paradises home Best charming places in tuscany natural paradises like parks reserves protected areas. best tuscany beaches charming tuscan coast the islands the fine white sand of Versilia beach closest to Florence . 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Taiwan Travel

Andrew and Mei's Taiwan Travel Blog Andrew and Mei's Taiwan Travel Blog Andrew and Mei are in Taiwan teaching English and exploring the island! What fun adventures will they have? Find out here! Monday, October 31, 2005 Asia pictures Hello everyone! I finally finished uploading the 293 photos that are in this album. Again, you'll have to log into Snapfish in order to see the photos. Enjoy! http://www.snapfish.com/share/p=547311130794745666/l=65291688/cobrandOid=1000321/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB posted by Mei @ 17:06 0 comments Thursday, October 27, 2005 First Trickle of Photos... You have to have a snapfish account in order to view the photos. Sorry about the catch (No pun intended)! But it's free and I will be uploading all of my pics onto Snapfish. I'm not sure how Andrew will upload his pics. http://www.snapfish.com/share/p=192271130458320686/l=64809203/cobrandOid=1000321/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB posted by Mei @ 17:18 0 comments Friday, October 21, 2005 What? Who? Where? Luckily, my jet lag has been minimal, so I can discern easily whether that ("What? Who? Where?") is coming from the Nicholas Cage impersonation on SNL or from yours truly. I think that has something to do with the fact that on our last day in Thailand, we had to get up at around 4:30 AM and were only able to sleep minimaly for the next 36 hours. That led to an immediate crash upon coming home. However, I have been waking up at 8 AM (what the hell) and taking long, extended naps during the afternoon. So what now? Ideally, I'll be sitting on my ass for as long as possible. I DO have my movie collection I hope to watch. But in reality, for me now I have to a) find a job, b) find a car, and c) find a place to live. Not neccessarily in that order, either. I need to organize my pictures into a digestible format, but until I get my monitor back (currently on loan) that is an impossible task to do. Oh well, maybe it's for the best. I still need to FIND jobs, APPLY, finish my school apps, get a car, clean my room, organize the boxes that will be coming home, and last but not least, trying to figure out how I'll be seeing my friends. So what do I immediately notice about here compared to where I was? Driving to Wells Fargo, I was just amazed by how big our neighborhoods are. In cities in Taiwan, there are no neighborhoods and there are no noticable zoning regulations. It seems to be everywhere you go there are 4-5 story buildings, with the bottom floor being relegated for businesses and the top floors for people to live. Houses are minimal except in the 'country', and convenient stores are LITERALLY on every corner instead of on every commercial corner. Comparatively, the density of people here to there is non-existent. And it's cold here! Man. This is me, the guy who hates the heat, who withers and dies. But I must have gotten used to it, at least more so that previously, because I'm not enjoying the SJ autumn, I'm wearing jackets and pants constantly, and my hands are nearly frozen off (I have bad circulation in my hands). Well, this may be one my last postings on this blog, since it's not mine. Thanks so much to 6Q for letting us post on here and use this space. Maybe I'll make one of my own for my random thoughts and to provide therapy, if you're remotely interested just let me know. So concludes our trip: now, it's 'back to the real world.' Thanks for taking the time to read this, everyone! I hope I get a chance to see you all soon!! posted by Andrew @ 09:01 0 comments Tuesday, October 18, 2005 Home. Safe and Sound! Hello everyone! We are home, happy and healthy! Our plane was a little delayed and we had some trouble getting our bag (but at least they made it!) The end of our trip was nice, but we got rained on during our trip to see one of the smaller islands, and our canopy trekking was very quick but fun. When I get all of my pics uploaded, I will post a link for you guys to see our pics, and maybe Andrew will get his plethora of great shots uploaded as well. It's been a great ride, thanks for going along with us! posted by Mei @ 22:13 0 comments Saturday, October 15, 2005 Counting Down... Only a couple of days left in our trip! We're enjoying the last few days, doing things like relaxing on the beach and stocking up on last minute supplies. Huh? Supplies? Well, DVDs and PS2 games are extremely cheap here. (Of course they are burned.) The thing is, I don't know if the PS2 games (sorry, they're called DVD games) will work, but I am pretty sure that they will. But as games have gone from $4 to $2.50 to $2 as we have progressed around Thailand, you can imagine that I've been going a little crazy. Like a moth to a flame is a better description. Not as cheap as $0 for unlimited games like Todd can get, but hey, all the (PS2) games I can want for, what, $50? Not too shabby. Now I just hope they work. It's also ridiculous the number of DVD's I have bought here. After leaving America with *2* tapes, I'll return with an infinite number of movies. In fact, I think when I do get home, I'll need a couple of months to get all the games and movies out of my system. THEN maybe I'll start looking for a job. Haha. posted by Andrew @ 16:31 0 comments Friday, October 14, 2005 Koh Samui is a beautiful Island! Super quickly: Made it to Samui safe and sound, our bungalow is about a 15 sec walk to a very quiet, almost private beach. We've rented a jeep to see the island and it is absolutely gorgeous! We have plans to go sea kayaking, snorkeling, and "canopy climbing" which is apparently going through the trees on ropes, like rapelling, but you go horizontally through the air, instead of vertically down a cave or cliff. Yay! posted by Mei @ 17:15 0 comments Wednesday, October 12, 2005 "Bangkok is bitchin'" To quote Jerry, the guy who placed us at our jobs in Taipei, "Bangkok is bitchin'." Well, as it turns out, not really. If you recall, Jerry, the recruiter in Taiwan who placed us at our jobs, is a habitual liar. Some of his other comments include, "Your job isn't far from Neihu." (in fact, on the complete other SIDE of Taipei, a mere 1 1/2 hours away by bus and train), "Teachers have all the leverage.", "Schools have all the leverage.", etc. He has an insatiable thirst for lying. This isn't to say that we went to Bangkok because of what HE said, no, no no no. It's the capital of Thailand, of course we're going to stop by and say hello. However, bitchin' isn't the term I'd use to describe Bangkok. Big? Definitely. Boisterous? Sure. Belligerent? Yeah, you bet. But bitchin'? Eh... Bangkok isn't a bad place, but it is what most large Asian cities tend to be: big, unorganized (aka chaotic), polluted (nasty air and nasty stuff on the sidewalk), crowded, and, of course, there's bad traffic. What with 6 million people here, it's understandable that driving around is a lot like Office Space. But there is some of the stuff that we came here to see: the history, the temples, the art. Today, for instance, we headed down to the river and took a boat up to the Grand Palace and the Green Emerald Temple. The temple is remarkable: typical Thai style architecture ornately decorated. The temples are tall and have many spires seemingly reaching out toward heaven. Inside there is an actual Green Emerald Buddha, who interestingly enough changes clothes every season to reflect the current season (i.e. rainy, hot, cold). We then went to the adjacent Grand Palace, which is currently being rennovated (deja vu to Beijing). The King lived here, I believe, and performs some duties here still. Quite similar to the Buckingham Palace structurally (of course it does, all kings get big, luxurious buildings) but is more green and has elephants. Then we took a tuk-tuk to the National Museum. I think we described tuk-tuks, but if not, briefly they are three-wheeled motorcycle taxis (with a roof). Driver in front, two seats in the back. Perfect to inhale car/motorcycle exhaust, feel the full extent of potholes in the roads, and avoid getting ripped off in. Not my favorite. The National Museum is enormous and remarkably not crowded, considering how close it is to the main attraction in the area (Grand Palace and adjacent temple), which has throngs of people. The first building had the history of Thailand and its kings, and I was amazed by how often Thailand was at war for a Buddhist nation. However, it appears to be all or mostly all defensive in nature, so the museum says (nearly all by Myanmar (ex-Burma), those crazy war-hungry people!). But I am thankful that with the exception of some territorial concessions to France and Britin, Thailand was never colonized, and the evidence is in the language. While many people speak good English, the Thai language is predominant and never adopted roman letters. Instead, Thai characters are used. Anyway, from there, we explored other parts of the museum, including ceramics, ivory, old war weapons, gold figures, etc. It was massive. There was so much stuff. there were also massive chariots used for what seemed to be funeral processions. MASSIVE. I mean, we saw a video, and there were maybe 3000 people carrying the largest chariot ceremonially. To actually carry some of these massive contraptions, 56 people were needed. We are now at our guest house. An hour after we got in a massive afternoon storm came by; it was torrential, but it's eased off a bit now. Looking forward to getting to Ko Samui and relaxing, but I'm not too thrilled about the 4 AM wake up tomorrow! Ack! posted by Andrew @ 17:38 1 comments Contributors 6Q Mei Andrew End #profile -- Previous Posts Asia pictures First Trickle of Photos... What? Who? Where? Home. Safe and Sound! Counting Down... Koh Samui is a beautiful Island! "Bangkok is bitchin'" One night in Bangkok...Well, actually 3... I just ate delicious Thai food, cooked by ME! In Chiang Mai! This blog goes to the end of China, more later! Archives July 2004 August 2004 September 2004 October 2004 November 2004 December 2004 January 2005 February 2005 March 2005 April 2005 May 2005 June 2005 July 2005 August 2005 September 2005 October 2005

Italy travel Ischia -

Ischia guide - Ischia travel guide - Ischia - guide to Ischia - Italy travel Ischia - airport Ischia - Italy Ischia guide - Ischia travel guide - Ischia - guide to Ischia - Italy travel Ischia - airport Ischia - Italy - travel links Wednesday, 28 December 05 - 11:43 pm Top destinations Art Cities Beaches Lakes Mountains Spa Resorts Regions guides Abruzzo & Molise Alto Adige Apulia Basilicata & Calabria Campania Emilia Romagna Friuli Venezia Giulia Lazio Liguria Lombardy Marche Piedmont Sardinia Sicily Tuscany Trentino Umbria Valle d'Aosta Veneto Cities guides Aosta Asiago & 7 comuni Asolo Assisi Belluno & Dolomiti Venete Bologna Bolzano Brescia Bressanone Caorle & Bibione Capri Catania Cervia & Cesenatico's Beaches Chianti, Valdelsa, Valdarno Comacchio's Beaches Cortina d'Ampezzo Courmayeur M.Bianco Elba & Capraia Florence Garda Lake - Eastern Side Grosseto & Maremma Ischia Jesolo & Eraclea Como Lake & Lecco Lucca & Garfagnana Madonna di Campiglio Merano Milan Monte Cervino Montecatini Terme Naples Padua Palermo Pisa Portofino & Tigullio Gulf Ragusa Ravenna's Beaches Ravenna City Rimini, Riccione, Cattolica Riviera dei Fiori: Sanremo & Imperia Riviera del Brenta Rome Rovereto Rovigo e Delta del Po San Martino di Castrozza, Primiero, Val Venoi Siena Siracusa Sorrento & Amalfi Taormina Terme e Colli Euganei Turin Trento Treviso Val di Fassa Val di Fiemme Venice Verona Versilia & Viareggio Vicenza Ischia Hotels Reserve Ischia Hotels: save up 70% on rooms! Compare offers & book on line at hotel's web sites. About Campania Pompei: in search of a lost civilization The city of Pompeii was established in the XII century B.C. and enjoyed great prosperity from the point of view of culture, economy and city planning until 79 A.D. when the terrible eruption of Vesuvius covered everything in lava and small stones... The Cilento, discover its charm and beauty The Cilento is the southernmost part of Campania, before Basilicata, between the plains of the river Sele to the north... The Sorrento Peninsula, between the mythical sea and romantic land. The setting of a scene from the Odyssey and a land crossed by Grand Tour poets and scholars, the Sorrento Peninsula is a magical place... Teatro San Carlo - Napoli In this site you will find the complete schedule of the famous Neapolitan Opera House ... Ischia Guide Italy THINGS TO KNOW Getting there History and culture THINGS TO SEE Churches, Museums and Monuments Places and charm THINGS TO TRY Eating and Drinking Shopping Hotels and lodgings THINGS TO EXPERIENCE Events La Dolce Vita ITINERARIES A tour around the island villages Ischia's best beaches Directories of Web Sites Ischia Italy Ischia Hotels Downloads Ischia Guide in PDF format Ischia, the largest of the Neapolitan islands, with its volcanic origins and its thermal spas, some of the largest in the world: 67 fumaroles, 103 springs and 29 thermal spas that can help to cure illnesses, tone up your body and spirit or simply help you relax. In this charming place, travelers will be pleased with the climate and the fantastic landscape, the hospitality and the strong perfumes you can smell all round the island. Getting there The origins of the largest Neapolitan island: from the first colonization by the Greeks to the boom of thermal spa tourism... >>> History and culture The origins of the largest Neapolitan island: from the first colonization by the Greeks to the boom of thermal spa tourism... >>> Churches, Museums and Monuments The island’s artistic and architectural heritage: Mediterranean churches and fortified castles... >>> Places and charm From Mount Epomeo to the thermal spas: Ischia is full of nature oases... >>> Eating and Drinking Traditional Ischia cooking preserves its simple origins with pride: simple dishes and ingredients all coming from the island... >>> Shopping On Ischia you can satisfy your every desire: fashion boutiques, small craft shops, wine bars and food shops... >>> Hotels and lodgings All kinds of solutions for an unforgettable holiday: Ischia’s thermal hotels , rural country guesthouses, bed & breakfast places, campsites... >>> Events All the island’s festivals: religious celebrations that have a high scenic impact... >>> La Dolce Vita From Hollywood stars from the sixties to the elitist thermal tourism... >>> A tour around the island villages From Ischia Ponte to Casamicciola Terme, going through Brano, Serrara Fontana, Forio and Lacco Ameno... >>> Ischia's best beaches A tour of the best beaches that can be discovered on your tour around the island’s coastline... >>> More guides on: Region: Campania Campania Cities: Sorrento & Amalfi Capri Naples Click to view the map Servizi per le aziende Acquista la tua visibilità su Travel Plan Netplan Travel Network Travel Guides ItalyTravel Guides | VeniceTravel Guide | FlorenceTravel Guide | RomeTravel Guide | MilanTravel Guide | NaplesTravel Guide | Palermo Travel Guide | Taormina Travel Guide | SicilyTravel Guide | Cortina Travel Guide | VeronaTravel Guide | JesoloTravel Guide | Lucca & Garfagnana Travel Guide | Treviso Travel Guide | Ischia Travel Guide | Capri Travel Guide | Sorrento Travel Guide | Amalfi Travel Guide | More Italy Travel guides ... Hotels & Lodging Italy Hotels | Venice Hotels | Florence Hotels | Rome Hotels | Milan Hotels | Naples Hotels | Taormina Hotels | Verona Hotels | Morehotels ... Italy Hotels | Venice Hotels | Florence Hotels | Rome Hotels | Milan Hotels | Naples Hotels | Taormina Hotels | Capri Hotels | Ischia Hotels | More Italy Hotels ... Hotels | Italy Hotels | Venice Hotels | Florence Hotels | Rome Hotels | Milan Hotels | Naples Hotels | Taormina Hotels | Verona Hotels | Mestre Hotels | Treviso Hotels | More Italy Hotels ... Venice Hotels | Cortina Hotels | Asolo Hotels | Hotel Golden Rome | Hotel San Niccolò - Chianti | Hotel Il Granduca Florence | Venice Travel Guide | Venice Booking Center | Venice Hotels Servizi per le aziende - Netplan Travel Network Links A1 A2 B1 C1 D1 E1 F1 G1 H1 H2 I1 I2 J1 K1 L1 M1 N1 O1 P1 Q1 R1 S1 T1 U1 V1 W1 X1 Y1 Z1 AA1 AB1 AC1 AD1 AE1 AF1 AG1 AH1 AI1 AJ1 AK1 AL1 AM1 AN1 AN2 AO1 AP1 AQ1 AR1 AS1 AT1 AU1 AV1 AW1 AX1 AY1 AZ1 BA1 BB1 Italy Travel Guide © 2004 Fatto da: Netplan

Germany Travel

Europe Travel - A European Vacation Travel Guide  You are here: About > Travel > Europe for Visitors Travel Go Europe Essentials European Vacation Planning Map Europe Travel 101 - Before you Go European Distances The Best of Europe European Photo Gallery Articles & Resources Europe Travel Planning What to do In Europe Lodging - Hotels and More European Travel Maps Sex and Nudism Travel Photography Transportation Benelux Countries France Germany Austria Switzerland Greece Italy and Malta Travel Info Scandinavian Travel Spain and Portugal United Kingdom and Ireland Buyer's Guide Before You Buy Top Picks Italy Travel Guidebooks Europe Travel Guidebooks German Travel Guidebooks Product Reviews Forums Help FREE Newsletter Sign Up Now for the Europe for Visitors newsletter! See Online Courses   Search Europe for Visitors From James Martin , Your Guide to Europe for Visitors . FREE Newsletter. Sign Up Now! Antwerp Pictures Antwerp is a fashion and diamond center for Belgium and the world, it has one of the most beautiful train stations in Europe, and it was home to artist Peter Paul Rubens in the 17th century. What's not to like about this Belgian port city? See what it's all about in our latest photo Gallery: Antwerp Pictures . More Antwerp Travel: Antwerp Travel Directory | Antwerp Lodging | Antwerp Museums Wednesday December 28, 2005 | permalink Like to Travel Well? Follow the CIA! I really should have paid attention when the CIA came recruiting at my college. Operatives really get to live it up when they travel, apparently. Imagine, the lucky seven of the "Surveillance Team" sent out to case the joint before kidnapping 39-year-old Muslim preacher Osama Moustafa Hassan Nasr, also known as Abu Omar, managed to spend "$39,995, not counting meals, parking and other services" for a week at Milan's Principe di Savoia ( check prices ), where a room goes for a mere $588 a night, according to Newsday . Once Abu Omar was behind bars in Cairo the CIA folks broke up and went their various ways, some to the renowned Grand Hotel Baglioni ( check prices ) in Florence , a few in cozy pairs to save the taxpayers money, no doubt. Travel Resources: Milan Profile | Florence Profile Tuesday December 27, 2005 | permalink Tapas from Cans? Ok, so you wander into one of Barcelona's most celebrated tapas bars thinking, "wow, I'm gonna down me some fine, fresh seafood this evening--non of that canned stuff like we get at home..." Well, Quimet and Quimet is one of Barcelona's best tapas bars, recommended by just about anyone. Joaquim Perez, owner of Quimet and Quimet, has been called Barcelona's culinary king of canned food. That's right, a tapas king devoted to high-quality goods preserved in metal. I had heard about the increasing interest in vintage sardines , whose flavors are said to increase in intensity and complexity with aging. But Mr. Perez has extended this idea of unlikely gourmet tinkering; he buys "fresh" Galician navajas (clams) from the cannery and sets them to aging for a year or two before serving them (plain) to his customers. And they love 'em. Maybe you should go and see what this canned gourmet thing is all about. There are worse places to spend time on a research expedition. More: Gastronomic Route: Barcelona, a tapas town? Travel Resources: Barcelona Guide | Barcelona Pictures Thursday December 22, 2005 | permalink North Holland: Noah's Ark Redux A pious north Holland businessman took out a 300 000 loan and turned his investment into a "faithful reconstruction of Noah's Ark in scaled down form on the basis of biblical texts," according to the Mail & Guardian . Spring is the expected launch date. No word on where the animals will come from. Travel Resources: North Holland Travel | Holland Map | Benelux Rail Passes Thursday December 22, 2005 | permalink Appreciate Long John Shivers? Head for the Alps I know I frequently extol the virtues of off season travel, but there's a whole bunch of adventurers willing to go the extra mile in their long johns to enjoy icier surroundings than I'd care to experience. Those would be the Ice Hotel People. Word from Vagablond is that "a new ice hotel is being constructed 7,000 feet up into the German Alps." HotelChatter says this ice hotel might well be part of the Iglu-Dorf chain, who specialize in things like Inuit igloos in Switzerland. Like it cold? Get you thrills in the Alps this winter. I'll toast your bravado at the hearth with a steaming hot toddy. Travel Resources: Germany map and Travel Essentials | Switzerland Map and Travel Essentials . Tuesday December 20, 2005 | permalink Europe Travel in the Off Season Why travel in the off season? Well, you know the reasons: fewer tourists, lower prices, and cooler temperatures, to name a few. But there's another reason for me, and that's the warm, slanting light that brings photos alive. See what I mean by taking a gander at: Liguria Pictures - Picture Gallery of Liguria in Autumn . And if you still want to see more pictures of Italy , try out Italy for Visitors Florence Pictures , taken in November. Travel Resources: Off Season Travel Tips | Italy Travel Map Sunday December 18, 2005 | permalink Travel Gifts Ok, you're thinkin' it's too late to post some ideas for gifts at this late date. Hey, you can chalk it up to sloth and indolence, but I don't start burdening my mind with thoughts about winter holidays in May like the rest of my family. The crunch starts now. So I've made up a list of recommended Travel Gifts . Of course, you could buy some of the stuff for yourself as well. Take a look. You've got language help, a deep, inside look at the Vatican, and more, not to mention that Tyrolean Boiled Wool Jacket like you've always wanted. More Stuff You Need: Top Travel Photography Gear Friday December 16, 2005 | permalink Joe Torre carries the Olympic Torch in Florence New York Yankee manager Joe Torre carried the Olympic torch 400 yards to the foot of the Ponte Vecchio in Florence yesterday as part of "American day" in the two-month Olympic torch relay. It was the first time he'd been to Italy in 20 years, despite the fact that his mother was born in the village of Patina near Naples. (Source: Indystar.com ) The torch Joe carried was designed by the folks at Pininfarina , who've banged out quite a few sexy Italian auto bodies in their time. The Olympic torch is designed to work in rain, snow and wind up to 74.56 miles per hour, not to mention temperatures from -4°F to +77°F. According to what I've heard, the torch suffered much less than Mr. Torre during the run. Travel Resources: Florence Travel Directory | Florence Pictures: Views from the Arno | Naples Travel Directory Photo above: Ponte Vecchio, Florence by Martha Bakerjian, Italy for Visitors ; click "read more" to see it larger. Read more... Thursday December 15, 2005 | permalink Sunny Valencia It's cold here in my corner of California, prime time to think of warmer climes. Valencia pops to mind. Host to the 2007 America's cup, the sunny Spanish port city has been spiffing itself up lately, and many travelers have remarked that Valencia seems to be passing Barcelona as Spain's city of tourist choice. What's not to like? The spring La Fallas festival is a not to be missed attraction (plan now if you're going), the City of Arts and Sciences holds 87 acres of fascinating art, science and architecture, and the Barrio del Carmen is chock full of music, restaurants and clubs. Find out more about Valence by taking a peek at our latest: Valencia Spain Travel Information - Valencia Profile , or peruse our Valencia Travel Directory . Wednesday December 14, 2005 | permalink Hey Santa! Take That! Scroogy Musings: So a couple guys in Germany get asked what they want for Christmas by Santa, who happens to be waiting for a train home. They've been out shopping all day, unsuccessfully one assumes, because the next thing you know they've latched on to Santa's sack and "beat him over the head with it, breaking his fingers as he tried to protect himself." ( Santa - Germany's new stress buster ) Santa on a train? in Germany? A bit early, isn't it? Has the Christmas spirit been so commercialized that the little people like us suffer with the stress of plunking down good cash for stuff we think people might like but probably won't? Where is the joy of it all? Everyone remembers the magical experience of visiting Santa in the mall when they were kids and the smile it brought to your face. Unfortunately over the last few years it seems the spirit of Christmas is slowly being lost due to many different reasons including political correctness, busier lifestyles and many more issues. Hold on a sec. Now I'm angrier than a red-nosed reindeer. Everyone doesn't remember. Some of us are way too old to conjure the disgraceful vision of mall Santas in their mothball costumes and fake beards. The statement above comes from Live From Lapland (dot com). For a bit less than 15 dollars they'll make a custom video staring Santa, who'll be talking to your kids using the words you put in his mouth via the web site's control panel. Their Santa evidently lives in a paneled room and wears mall Santa clothes and beardage. It's in the sample flick. He could be in Kansas. Still, where else you gonna get a five minute flick to your specs for $14.95? Travel Resources: Lapland (the real one) | Chrismas in Europe Tuesday December 13, 2005 | permalink Display Latest Headlines | | | Read Archives powered by Movable Type Advertisement Most Popular Europe Map - Distances Between Cities in Western Europe Europe's Best Nudist Beaches Europe Picture Galleries Italy Pictures Europe Travel 101 - Before You Travel to Europe for the Firs... 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