Europe Travel

Lonely Planet | Postcards | Europe worldguide | shop | thorn tree forum | travel services | travel ticker | theme guides | on the road | postcards | travel links POSTCARDS africa Americas & the Caribbean Asia Australasia & the Pacific Europe Middle East Europe Albania Armenia Austria Azerbaijan Belarus Belgium Bosnia Britain Bulgaria Canary Islands Croatia Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Faroe Islands Finland France Georgia Germany Greece Greenland Hungary Iceland Ireland Italy Latvia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macedonia Malta Moldova Netherlands Norway Poland Portugal Romania Russia Serbia & Montenegro Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland Turkey Ukraine Lonely Planet receives thousands of letters every month from travellers who have ventured forth to every corner of the globe. As some paths are more well-trodden than others, some countries receive more feedback than others. However, we put up as much relevant and useful information as we can, so if somewhere hasn't had any new Postcards for a while, it's not that we're not taking care of the pages, it's that we haven't had any feedback lately that we think is of interest to travellers. If you're after a specific piece of information, try asking on the Thorn Tree , where there are tens of thousands travellers to give you the benefit of their knowledge, or if your guidebook needs a little updating with verified information, check out our online Upgrades . Best of all, if you know something that might help other travellers, send it through to us via the web form on the Feedback page and help us fill the gaps! More Resources WorldGuide Explore destinations Thorn Tree Forum Travel talk Shop Guidebooks & more Travel Services Make your booking text & images © lonely planet 2005 about us | privacy | feedback | advertising FAQs worldguide | shop | thorn tree forum | travel services | travel ticker | theme guides | on the road | postcards | travel links

Italy Travel

Vicenza, Italy - Travel Photos by Galen R Frysinger,Sheboygan, Wisconsin Vicenza townsquare Vicenza (ancient Vicentia ), city in northern Italy, capital of Vicenza Province, in Veneto Region, situated at the junction of the Bacchiglione and Retrone rivers. Vicenza is a commercial and manufacturing center. Products include textiles, iron and steel, chemicals, and processed food. The town is noted for its splendid churches, palaces, and other buildings, many of which were designed by the architect Andrea Palladio. Parts of a 13th-century wall that encircled the town are still standing. so-called Basilica, or town hall, of Vicenza. (renovations started by Palladio in 1549) Vicenza was originally a Ligurian town. A free commune in the Middle Ages, it was ruled by Venice from 1404 to 1797 and by Austria from 1797 to 1866. The city was badly damaged in World War II (1939-1945). Population (1990 estimate) 109,333. Palladio, Andrea (1508-80), Italian architect, one of the most influential architects in European history. Palladio was born November 30, 1508, in Padua (Padova), and trained as a stonemason. Originally named Andrea di Pietro dalla Gondola, he received the name Palladio when he joined the academy of the Italian poet Giangiorgio Trissino, who oversaw Palladio's architectural studies. Trissino took him to Rome, where Palladio studied and measured Roman architectural ruins; he also absorbed the treatises of Vitruvius, possibly the most important of the Roman architects. One outcome of these studies was Palladio's Antiquities of Rome (1554), the principal guidebook to Roman ruins for the next two centuries. Palladio's first work of major importance was the renovation (begun 1549) of the facade and exterior supporting structure of the so-called Basilica, or town hall, of Vicenza. In and near Vicenza he designed many residences and public buildings. The best known of these are the Barbarano, Chieregati, Tiene, Porto, and Valmarana palaces and the Villa Capri, or Villa Rotonda. From about 1560 to 1580 he built several churches in Venice, notably San Francesco della Vigna, San Giorgio Maggiore, and Il Redentore. His last great work was the Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza, completed after his death (in Vicenza) in August 1580. Villa Rotonda Although the historical antecedents of Palladio's style are the classically Roman-influenced High Renaissance works of architects such as the Italian Donato Bramante, Palladio's own use of classical motifs came through his direct, extensive study of Roman architecture. He freely recombined elements of Roman buildings as suggested by his own building sites and by contemporary needs. At the same time he shared the Renaissance concern for harmonious proportion, and his facades have a noteworthy simplicityalmost austerityand repose. Palladio was the first architect to develop a systematic organization of the rooms in a house. He was also the first to apply to houses the pedimented porticos of Roman templesformal porches defined by a shallow triangular gable supported by a row of columns. Both these features are exemplified in the Villa Rotonda. Palladio's buildings were highly functional, often ingeniously so. In the facade of the basilica, for example, the arches are supported on slender columns; between the columns and the vertical piers that separate the arches are narrow rectangular spaces. (This pattern of an arch flanked by rectangular spaces was so widely imitated that it became known as the Palladian motif.) The arrangement allows the piers between the arches to be narrow, rather than wide and massive, and it allows more light to pass into the main building while giving the facade an open, harmonious appearance. Palladio was the author of an important scientific treatise on architecture, I Quattro Libri dell'Architettura (1570, 2nd ed. 1580; trans. The Four Books of Architecture, 1571), which was widely translated and influenced many later architects. Its precise rules and formulas were widely utilized, especially in England, and were basic to the Palladian style, adopted by Inigo Jones, Christopher Wren, and other English architects, which preceded and influenced the neoclassical architecture of the Georgian Style. Text by Microsoft Encarta building facade Fortress in Soave entrance courtyard carved stair post Return to Italy page Return to Europe page Return to People and Places

Ski Vacation

Whistler Blackcomb - Official Ski Resort Website - Whistler, BC, Canada -- Skip Navigation Accommodation Getting Here The Mountains Things to do Tickets & Passes Rentals & Lessons Groups Weather & Cams Official Site for Whistler Blackcomb Ski Resort in Whistler, BC Canada. Plan and book Whistler vacations including lift tickets, ski and snowboard rentals, ski school and Whistler hotels. Plus Whistler web cams, photos, snow reports, live weather and everything else to help plan your Whistler escape. WHAT'S HAPPENING North Pole Central New Year's Eve in Whistler showcasesnowboards.com Photo taken December 28, 2005 image gallery Deals & Packages HOT Holiday Season Package - Dec 24 to Jan 1, 2006 Whistler Accommodations & Lift Ticket Packages can save you money! 2 Nights/ 2 Days - From $395 CAD ($329 USD) Last Minute Whistler Hotel Deals Hotel Room - From $99 CAD ($83 USD) Discount Airfare See our best rates - Flights to Whistler from $169 CAD ($140 USD) Kids Fly FREE with United & Alaska Airways! Find out how your kids can fly for FREE! Travelling from the US? What you need to know before entering Canada View all Whistler Hotel Deals & Packages Last Minute deals Rooms Starting From $99 CAD ($83 USD)! Take advantage of our Last Minute Deals and SAVE! See All Last Minute Deals PARKS & PIPES Check out the latest in Whistler Blackcomb's world renowed Parks & Pipes We wish to thank our corporate partners As the "World's Best Way to Pay", Visa is the leading credit card payment brand in Canada and around the world. Whistler Blackcomb - 4545 Blackcomb Way, Whistler BC, Canada V0N 1B4 french spanish german japanese Privacy Policy Employment Media Real Estate About Us Contact Us Site Map x Deals & Packages Last Minute Deals A-Z Accommodation Listing Accommodation Maps Whistler Hotels Condominiums Homes & Chalets Small Mountain Inns Free Vacation Guide About Whistler Flights to Whistler Buses & Taxis Car Rentals Airport Transfers Maps & Directions About Vancouver Road Report Entering Canada What's New - Winter Trail Maps Hours of Operation Mountain Stats Parks & Pipes Safety Bike Park Environment Alpine Hiking & Sightseeing Events Calendar Winter Activities Apres & Nightlife Dining Shopping & Services Families Teens Kids Summer Activities Winter Lift Tickets EDGE Cards Season Passes Summer Lift Tickets Deals & Packages Rentals Adult Lessons Teen Lessons Kids Lessons Ski Groups & Clubs Meeting and Incentive Groups Weddings School & Youth Groups Travel Agents Contact Group Sales Snow Report Web Cams Live Temperatures Lift Status Weather Forecast Grooming Maps Avalanche Advisory Weather Statistics Recent Photo Gallery Video Clips Virtual Tours

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London Vacation Packages Hotels

VirtualTourist.com - Vacation Deals and Specials - London Vacation Deals and Specials around the world. Check prices and availibility from a selection of the best providers. member log in | join for free! | help Home Travel Guides Hotels Flights NEW! "Deals NEW! Members Meetings & Events Do It Yourself Guides Forums Vacation Deals and Specials - London Travel Guide | Hotels | Flights | Forum | Top 5 Pages | Deals | Members | Meetings & Events Home » Europe » United Kingdom » England » Greater London » London Vacation Packages Hotels | Flights | Cars | Cruises | Vacations Top 5 Results for 'London Vacation Packages' Fly British Airways Experience the real London. Go with those who know. Special Vacation Package Visit Atlantis, Paradise Island - a unique resort experience. London Travel Build your Dream Vacation now! More Choices, Flexibility & Savings London Hotel Packages Discover The Savoy, London. History and Luxury in the West End. London Vacation Packages Shop and Compare Vacation Packages. Save up to 40% more at Priceline. More Results for 'London Vacation Packages' London Vacation Package Book Your London Flight and Hotel and Save with Travelocity! Fully Escorted Tours $995 Costa Rica, Mexico, USA, Canada 51 Years. Smart Shoppers Compare. Classic Vacations Fly First Class & Stay at Luxury Resorts. Design the Ultimate Trip Find Vacation Deals Fly From: (city or airport code) Fly To: (city or airport code) Stay In This City: (optional) Departure Date: Anytime Morning Afternoon Evening MIDNIGHT 01:00 AM 02:00 AM 03:00 AM 04:00 AM 05:00 AM 06:00 AM 07:00 AM 08:00 AM 09:00 AM 10:00 AM 11:00 AM NOON 01:00 PM 02:00 PM 03:00 PM 04:00 PM 05:00 PM 06:00 PM 07:00 PM 08:00 PM 09:00 PM 10:00 PM 11:00 PM Return Date: Anytime Morning Afternoon Evening MIDNIGHT 01:00 AM 02:00 AM 03:00 AM 04:00 AM 05:00 AM 06:00 AM 07:00 AM 08:00 AM 09:00 AM 10:00 AM 11:00 AM NOON 01:00 PM 02:00 PM 03:00 PM 04:00 PM 05:00 PM 06:00 PM 07:00 PM 08:00 PM 09:00 PM 10:00 PM 11:00 PM Travelers: 1 2 3 4 Vacation Search by OneTime.com Find: Destinations Members Keywords Matching: Advanced About VT | Contact Us | Site Tour | Advertising | Merchant Login | Travel Tools | VT Chat | VT Gear | Help User Agreement | Privacy Statement Virtual Tourist® ©1994-2005 VirtualTourist.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved.