Remember this tagline during the 1992 Olympics? If you might recall then you recalled the Olympics that year were held in Spain, specifically in Barcelona. Barcelona is located along the Mediterrenean and is the capital and largest populated city of the Autonomous area of Catalan. The second biggest city in Spain with a large port situated along the Mediterrenean and an International Airport, it is a favorite short vacation spot for Spaniards and other Europeans, especially for nearby French. Barcelona is located on the Northeast portion of Spain.
Along with the Olympic village and its beaches, one of the more famous places to visit in Barcelona is the Church of the Sagrada Family. This church towers through the entire city and can be seen from almost all the parts of the city. The church is designed and worked on by architect Antoni Gaudi has been under construction since 1882 and till this day remains unfinished. Completion is planned for 2026. This church is very unique and is a World Heritage site. There are 18 towers on the church representing Christian symbolism including the 12 Apostles, Virgin Mary, the four evangelist, and the tallest of the towers is that of Jesus Christ. Enjoy the inside but the church only makes part of the interior available for tours and worship. Tickets for the tours can be purchased for the church and all proceeds are used to complete the church. This is definitely one site you don't want to miss while you are in Barcelona.
Montjuic is the place where the heart of the Olympic Village is located and one of the most memorable site of the diving competitions due to the location on top of the hill. Explore Montjuic with its numerous art galleries and parks. It's where a lot of Spaniards go to relax and enjoy the the view of the city from the toop.
For beachgoers, the beaches in Barcelona offers different tastes. For those that want good places to eat on the beach and a good night life scene on the beach, you need to go to Nova Icaria. It is usually crowded, but you get a sense of the urban beach scene. For those that prefer to run or ride bikes along the strand, go to the Bogatell. There are hotels nearby both beaches that is walking distances to the beaches. The beaches there are amazing. However, when you go to Nova Icaria beware of theifs trying to steal your wallet or purses. They are lurking there.
We will discuss more about this Catalan city in more detail covering Montserrat and some of the foods including rabbit. Don't worry, you won't hop around like a rabbit after you have a taste of one.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Monday, April 20, 2009
The Tuscan Sun
There have been many movies made in Tuscany, or in Italian called Toscana. If you've seen the movie "Under the Tuscan Sun" it captures a little bit of Italy. Sure we would love to own a villa in Toscana. Keep in mind, Toscana is a region, visitors sometimes think it is a city in Italy. Rome is NOT in this region, rather another region called Lazio which Rome is the capital for that region along with being the capital for the country. In Toscana, I will eventually cover a few major cities and provinces located in this great region of Italy. We will look at Firenze (Florence), Siena, and Pisa. But first we want to cover the highlights of the region before we dig deeper into those beautiful cities of the region.
Toscana is one of 20 regions in Italy (if you are in the USA, think of a region as a state). Five of the 20 regions are "special autonomous status" where they can enact its own local legislation. Toscana region borders the region of Lazio directly to the South, the Tyrrhenian Sea (part of the Mediterrenean Sea) to the West, the region of Umbria to the Southeast and the region of Liguria and Emilio-Romagna regions to the North. The capital of Toscana is Florence. Toscana is known for its arts and landscape, but it's agriculture consists of the wine and olives. Some of the best wines and olives in the world are grown and processed in the Toscana region. Potatoes, sunflowers, beets, rice, vegetables, and grains for cereals are other staples that are grown here in Toscana.
For people who like wine, you need to travel to the inland area of Toscana where the world famous Chianti wines are found. Chianti wines are the famous red wine in Italy found in the Toscana region. When you are in this region, it is a must to try their red wine with your meal, and it's one of the best tasting red wines in the world. Wine is not that expensive in Italy and you can have it with your meal for lunch or dinner. The wines from the Chianti vineyards are everywhere throughout Toscana, so missing out on it, you will be missing on a big taste of Italy.
Olives here are devine and they are so pure. You need to try olive oil here for they are very pure and they do not put a lot of salt in the olive oil unlike the ones we purchase in the USA. The olive oils that are pure are going to be bitter. Ask for olive oil anytime when you go to restaurants to eat it with your bread. You will get a bitter taste at first bite, but let it linger in your taste buds for a bit and you can see the after taste is much better and taste really good. In other words, don't give up on the taste after your first bite, you never know what you will be missing.
A note about bread when you are at restaurants, they DO charge for the bread at restaurants. It's usually a per person charge. If you don't eat the bread, do let them know so they won't charge you. But becareful also when you sit at the restaurant because they will charge you for just a sitting fee. If you want to avoid all that, just go to your local "cafe" like restaurants where you can see your food at a deli style and you can order it at the counter and take it back to your seat (usually no sit down fee there). Well hope this is making you hungry so it's now time to EAT!
Toscana is one of 20 regions in Italy (if you are in the USA, think of a region as a state). Five of the 20 regions are "special autonomous status" where they can enact its own local legislation. Toscana region borders the region of Lazio directly to the South, the Tyrrhenian Sea (part of the Mediterrenean Sea) to the West, the region of Umbria to the Southeast and the region of Liguria and Emilio-Romagna regions to the North. The capital of Toscana is Florence. Toscana is known for its arts and landscape, but it's agriculture consists of the wine and olives. Some of the best wines and olives in the world are grown and processed in the Toscana region. Potatoes, sunflowers, beets, rice, vegetables, and grains for cereals are other staples that are grown here in Toscana.
For people who like wine, you need to travel to the inland area of Toscana where the world famous Chianti wines are found. Chianti wines are the famous red wine in Italy found in the Toscana region. When you are in this region, it is a must to try their red wine with your meal, and it's one of the best tasting red wines in the world. Wine is not that expensive in Italy and you can have it with your meal for lunch or dinner. The wines from the Chianti vineyards are everywhere throughout Toscana, so missing out on it, you will be missing on a big taste of Italy.
Olives here are devine and they are so pure. You need to try olive oil here for they are very pure and they do not put a lot of salt in the olive oil unlike the ones we purchase in the USA. The olive oils that are pure are going to be bitter. Ask for olive oil anytime when you go to restaurants to eat it with your bread. You will get a bitter taste at first bite, but let it linger in your taste buds for a bit and you can see the after taste is much better and taste really good. In other words, don't give up on the taste after your first bite, you never know what you will be missing.
A note about bread when you are at restaurants, they DO charge for the bread at restaurants. It's usually a per person charge. If you don't eat the bread, do let them know so they won't charge you. But becareful also when you sit at the restaurant because they will charge you for just a sitting fee. If you want to avoid all that, just go to your local "cafe" like restaurants where you can see your food at a deli style and you can order it at the counter and take it back to your seat (usually no sit down fee there). Well hope this is making you hungry so it's now time to EAT!
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Salt in Salzburg?! (Part 2)
There are many different places to see in Salzburg. It is probably best you visit the Old Town first, since you will need to go through the old town to get to Holhensalzburg Fortress. In the Old Town you will see a number of interesting shops with signs hanging from the buildings. Explore Old Town but be sure to look up at the buildings for signs of shops or building signs that has historical significance.
Mozart's birthplace is also located in Old Town, a yellow colored building that is five stories high, but Mozart's birthplace is three floors. It is located in Old Town along Getreidegasse after you cross Hagenauerplatz (The address is 9 Getreidegasse). Be sure to look up or there should be a bunch of tourist pointing their cameras at the sign that says Mozart's birthplace. The birthplace acts a museum that consists of many paintings of Mozart as a young prodigee and his brilliant parents. There are also violins that Mozart played and a pianoforte. Admissions to the Mozart's birthplace and museum is about 5.50 Euros for Adults and 1.50 Euros for Children. It opens from 9am to 6pm daily except from July to August which opens from 9am to 7pm. But the last admissions into the museum is 30 minuts prior to closing time. If you are in the mood for some Eine Kleine Nautchmusik" this is definitely a highlight. Mozart performed throughout Austria and Europe, but Salzburg will always be his first home.
The famous statue of Mozart is NOT actually at the birthplace and museum, rather it is located at Mozartplatz which is also where the Salzburg Tourist Information Center is located and the Salzburg Museum. Definitely get a map here at the to help you navigate through the city and through Old Town.
The beautiful (OK, what is NOT beautiful in Salzburg), Dom Salzburg which is the Baroque style Cathedral. The Cathedral dates back to the 8th Century and is definitely a highlight not to miss out on. When you go in, check out the front entrance of the Dom and look up. It is ornate Baroque style designs.
For a more Roman-Gothic look, you may want to go to the Franciscan church which is the oldest in Salzburg. It is a quick tour but you might want to have a seat and just admire the architecture and the five pillars which reaches to the top. This is definitely a Kodak moment.
More to come on Salzburg. Great places to see and we will focus the next post on the Sound of Music and the outdoorsy side of Salzburg.
Mozart's birthplace is also located in Old Town, a yellow colored building that is five stories high, but Mozart's birthplace is three floors. It is located in Old Town along Getreidegasse after you cross Hagenauerplatz (The address is 9 Getreidegasse). Be sure to look up or there should be a bunch of tourist pointing their cameras at the sign that says Mozart's birthplace. The birthplace acts a museum that consists of many paintings of Mozart as a young prodigee and his brilliant parents. There are also violins that Mozart played and a pianoforte. Admissions to the Mozart's birthplace and museum is about 5.50 Euros for Adults and 1.50 Euros for Children. It opens from 9am to 6pm daily except from July to August which opens from 9am to 7pm. But the last admissions into the museum is 30 minuts prior to closing time. If you are in the mood for some Eine Kleine Nautchmusik" this is definitely a highlight. Mozart performed throughout Austria and Europe, but Salzburg will always be his first home.
The famous statue of Mozart is NOT actually at the birthplace and museum, rather it is located at Mozartplatz which is also where the Salzburg Tourist Information Center is located and the Salzburg Museum. Definitely get a map here at the to help you navigate through the city and through Old Town.
The beautiful (OK, what is NOT beautiful in Salzburg), Dom Salzburg which is the Baroque style Cathedral. The Cathedral dates back to the 8th Century and is definitely a highlight not to miss out on. When you go in, check out the front entrance of the Dom and look up. It is ornate Baroque style designs.
For a more Roman-Gothic look, you may want to go to the Franciscan church which is the oldest in Salzburg. It is a quick tour but you might want to have a seat and just admire the architecture and the five pillars which reaches to the top. This is definitely a Kodak moment.
More to come on Salzburg. Great places to see and we will focus the next post on the Sound of Music and the outdoorsy side of Salzburg.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Salt in Salzburg?!
Salzburg, the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and scenes from The Sound of Music. The city of Salzburg is also famous for its Baroque style architecture and is well maintained and very quaint and lovely. Salzburg sits on the banks of the Salzach River at the northern boundary of the famous Alps. Salzburg means, "salt castle." The city's wealth was due to the mining of salt and transport of the salt on barges that uses the Salzach River, where tolls were collected for the transport of salt. Salt at one point in parts of Europe was a form of currency. There are old salt mines located in the city's outskirts for tourists to visit.
The famous landmark in Salzburg is the Holhensalzburg Fortress, which sits on the highest point in Salzburg. Going up to the fortress is a must as you get a panoramic view of the the city from its "old town" and Baroque architecture (the Old Town of Salzburg was declared in 1997 as a UNESCO World Heritage site). In addition to the view of the town and the Salzach River, you get a clear view of the Alps to the South and the rolling plains to the North. This is a must visit when you are in Salzburg and I strongly suggest you visit the Fortress first as you get the lay of the land. You can use the cable railway located on Festungsgasse. From January to April and October to December the Fortress is opened from 9:30am to 5pm and May to September is opened from 9am to 7pm.
You can easily get around Salzburg on foot or on bicycle. However, keep in mind some places you cannot ride the bike and must get off your bike and push your bike through the area.
Continue to follow my blog for more updates and will cover more on Salzburg tomorrow.
The famous landmark in Salzburg is the Holhensalzburg Fortress, which sits on the highest point in Salzburg. Going up to the fortress is a must as you get a panoramic view of the the city from its "old town" and Baroque architecture (the Old Town of Salzburg was declared in 1997 as a UNESCO World Heritage site). In addition to the view of the town and the Salzach River, you get a clear view of the Alps to the South and the rolling plains to the North. This is a must visit when you are in Salzburg and I strongly suggest you visit the Fortress first as you get the lay of the land. You can use the cable railway located on Festungsgasse. From January to April and October to December the Fortress is opened from 9:30am to 5pm and May to September is opened from 9am to 7pm.
You can easily get around Salzburg on foot or on bicycle. However, keep in mind some places you cannot ride the bike and must get off your bike and push your bike through the area.
Continue to follow my blog for more updates and will cover more on Salzburg tomorrow.
Monday, April 13, 2009
We Like Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of the most vibrants locations in the world. It is a territory located in China and has one of the best Chinese foods in the world. Known for its great food, tall buildings, vibrant shopping and night life, and a financial and business mecca in Asia.
My first time in Hong Kong was October 2007. I regret not having been to Hong Kong prior to the the British handing over the territory to China. I would definitely want to go back to Hong Kong again and explore Hong Kong more. I went to Hong Kong and explored more of Lantau Island and Macau, which I will feature in additional posts.
Hong Kong is very easy to get around and very pedestrian friendly. Yes it does have its traffic but what major city doesn't in the world. No need to rent a car in Hong Kong, they have good public transportation system with buses and subways. Taxis aren't that expensive either, but always check rates with your hotel as to how much fairs are.......cause you don't want to be taken for a ride. There are honest cab drivers, but there are a few checkered ones (no checkered yellow cabs in Hong Kong). It is always best to check with tourist information centers or your hotel (if you say in a "good" hotel) for rates anywhere you are going.
Hong Kong is easy to get around for non-Cantonese speakers. Although some of the older restaurants that are hole-in-the-walls, probably speak more Cantonese and not a lot of English. Gradually the special administrative territory of China is coming to its own with the Mandarin language so if you speak some Mandarin, you can use that there too.
When you go to Hong Kong, you can try fine dining, but I'm the type that loves good foods with good value so I like to go to the hole-in-the-walls, because it's the only way you get to explore Hong Kong's small alleys. Hong Kong has the best wonton dumpling with egg noodle soup and their Gai-Lan there are the best. Roasted duck seems to be another staple and can be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
When I was in Hong Kong, I stayed at a hotel on Nathan road close to one of the Star Ferry stops on the Kowloon side. It's better to stay on the Kowloon side so you can take nice pictures of the high rises from across the harbor, especially at night. The area I was at was called Tsim Sha Shui which I will cover later below.
One of the features I like about Hong Kong are some of the buildings are interconnected with an above ground or underground tunnel system. That way you don't have to walk along the streets that much. Usually these tunnels if they are above ground are on the third floor of the buildings. This will save you time from come downstairs and going to the streets, plus on a humid and hot day, you get to be in nice air-conditioned tunnels.
Tsim Sha Shui area of Hong Kong is popular with tourists and locals. Along the Tsim Sha Shui waterfront has lots of hotels that are on the waterfront. There are pedestrian tunnels in Tsim Sha Shui that connects metro lines of Tsim Sha Shui station to the East Tsim Sha Shui station. When you go outside of the East Tsim Sha Shui station, you will find lots of four and five star hotels along with the famous Ave of the Stars. The Ave of the Stars is a Hong Kong walk of fame similar to the one in Hollywood and have bronze statues of famous Hong Kong entertainers including Bruce Lee
Victoria Peak is a lovely place to go and you can get there easily without taking a cab. You can take the Star Ferry to Central terminal on Hong Kong Island side. From there there is a bus that takes you from the terminal to the foot of Victoria Peak. If you on the Kowloon side the whole trip shouldn't cost that much, probably no more than 10 US dollar for round trip to and front your hotel on the Kowloon side. The bus is usually a double decker bus. At Victoria Peak you can either climb up or take the tram up and it gives you a nice aerial view of the entire Hong Kong territory, including the New Territories (which is a growing suburb of Hong Kong). This is where a lot of honeymooners go to take pictures if they decide to go to Hong Kong for their honeymoon.
Special Notes to Honeymooners: Hong Kong is a bit more open than other Asian nations, where public display of affections is OK to holding hands and occassional kissing consist of quick kissing, not a full make out. Hugging and cuddling in public is OK, so you can do that on Victoria Peak and other modern areas of Hong Kong especially along Tsim Sha Shui.
At night, the streets are bursting with people as people in Hong Kong love to eat late, or eat at any time of the day or night. People there are slim cause they walk so much, and have high metabolisms and they do eat a lot.
Note of Caution:
1) Be careful of pickpocketers at any time. Hong Kong is quite crowded anywhere you walk, inside or outside. Be mindful of your purses and wallets at all times.
2) Water, do NOT drink tap water there in Hong Kong unless you boil it first. Always try to get hot tea at restaurants if they ask you for something to drink, otherwise they will bring it to you, or bottle water. Bottle water there is not that expensive. In restaurants (and this goes for most Asian countries), ask them to bring the bottle out unopened, there are some unscrupulous restaurants that may just bring you a bottle of water that they recycle water from the tap.
3) Always look before crossing the street both ways (even on a one way street.......trust me on that).
4) Always take tissue paper or something to wipe with cause napkins are not necessary available in some dining areas, especially hole in the walls or food courts. But that's where you get the best food.
5) Always carry a passport with you cause police can stop to check your ID to see if you are an illegal immigrant if they suspect so.
6) Avoid buying any electronics there in Hong Kong. Clothing there is good quality so get T-shirts etc... as souveniers. Don't be amaze by the inexpensive price of electronics cause it's not worth it.
7) Don't buy any inexpensive VCDs there and bring it back to the USA, if the US customs checks you, you could get in trouble. Plus some VCDs may not work here in the USA.
8) Rickshaws are something that you might want to take pictures of, but rickshaw drivers will want to charge you.
Enjoy your time there. Kowloon and Hong Kong, as the song says, "We Like Hong Kong, that's the place for me." I would love to go back there again and enjoy this unique metropolis.
My first time in Hong Kong was October 2007. I regret not having been to Hong Kong prior to the the British handing over the territory to China. I would definitely want to go back to Hong Kong again and explore Hong Kong more. I went to Hong Kong and explored more of Lantau Island and Macau, which I will feature in additional posts.
Hong Kong is very easy to get around and very pedestrian friendly. Yes it does have its traffic but what major city doesn't in the world. No need to rent a car in Hong Kong, they have good public transportation system with buses and subways. Taxis aren't that expensive either, but always check rates with your hotel as to how much fairs are.......cause you don't want to be taken for a ride. There are honest cab drivers, but there are a few checkered ones (no checkered yellow cabs in Hong Kong). It is always best to check with tourist information centers or your hotel (if you say in a "good" hotel) for rates anywhere you are going.
Hong Kong is easy to get around for non-Cantonese speakers. Although some of the older restaurants that are hole-in-the-walls, probably speak more Cantonese and not a lot of English. Gradually the special administrative territory of China is coming to its own with the Mandarin language so if you speak some Mandarin, you can use that there too.
When you go to Hong Kong, you can try fine dining, but I'm the type that loves good foods with good value so I like to go to the hole-in-the-walls, because it's the only way you get to explore Hong Kong's small alleys. Hong Kong has the best wonton dumpling with egg noodle soup and their Gai-Lan there are the best. Roasted duck seems to be another staple and can be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
When I was in Hong Kong, I stayed at a hotel on Nathan road close to one of the Star Ferry stops on the Kowloon side. It's better to stay on the Kowloon side so you can take nice pictures of the high rises from across the harbor, especially at night. The area I was at was called Tsim Sha Shui which I will cover later below.
One of the features I like about Hong Kong are some of the buildings are interconnected with an above ground or underground tunnel system. That way you don't have to walk along the streets that much. Usually these tunnels if they are above ground are on the third floor of the buildings. This will save you time from come downstairs and going to the streets, plus on a humid and hot day, you get to be in nice air-conditioned tunnels.
Tsim Sha Shui area of Hong Kong is popular with tourists and locals. Along the Tsim Sha Shui waterfront has lots of hotels that are on the waterfront. There are pedestrian tunnels in Tsim Sha Shui that connects metro lines of Tsim Sha Shui station to the East Tsim Sha Shui station. When you go outside of the East Tsim Sha Shui station, you will find lots of four and five star hotels along with the famous Ave of the Stars. The Ave of the Stars is a Hong Kong walk of fame similar to the one in Hollywood and have bronze statues of famous Hong Kong entertainers including Bruce Lee
Victoria Peak is a lovely place to go and you can get there easily without taking a cab. You can take the Star Ferry to Central terminal on Hong Kong Island side. From there there is a bus that takes you from the terminal to the foot of Victoria Peak. If you on the Kowloon side the whole trip shouldn't cost that much, probably no more than 10 US dollar for round trip to and front your hotel on the Kowloon side. The bus is usually a double decker bus. At Victoria Peak you can either climb up or take the tram up and it gives you a nice aerial view of the entire Hong Kong territory, including the New Territories (which is a growing suburb of Hong Kong). This is where a lot of honeymooners go to take pictures if they decide to go to Hong Kong for their honeymoon.
Special Notes to Honeymooners: Hong Kong is a bit more open than other Asian nations, where public display of affections is OK to holding hands and occassional kissing consist of quick kissing, not a full make out. Hugging and cuddling in public is OK, so you can do that on Victoria Peak and other modern areas of Hong Kong especially along Tsim Sha Shui.
At night, the streets are bursting with people as people in Hong Kong love to eat late, or eat at any time of the day or night. People there are slim cause they walk so much, and have high metabolisms and they do eat a lot.
Note of Caution:
1) Be careful of pickpocketers at any time. Hong Kong is quite crowded anywhere you walk, inside or outside. Be mindful of your purses and wallets at all times.
2) Water, do NOT drink tap water there in Hong Kong unless you boil it first. Always try to get hot tea at restaurants if they ask you for something to drink, otherwise they will bring it to you, or bottle water. Bottle water there is not that expensive. In restaurants (and this goes for most Asian countries), ask them to bring the bottle out unopened, there are some unscrupulous restaurants that may just bring you a bottle of water that they recycle water from the tap.
3) Always look before crossing the street both ways (even on a one way street.......trust me on that).
4) Always take tissue paper or something to wipe with cause napkins are not necessary available in some dining areas, especially hole in the walls or food courts. But that's where you get the best food.
5) Always carry a passport with you cause police can stop to check your ID to see if you are an illegal immigrant if they suspect so.
6) Avoid buying any electronics there in Hong Kong. Clothing there is good quality so get T-shirts etc... as souveniers. Don't be amaze by the inexpensive price of electronics cause it's not worth it.
7) Don't buy any inexpensive VCDs there and bring it back to the USA, if the US customs checks you, you could get in trouble. Plus some VCDs may not work here in the USA.
8) Rickshaws are something that you might want to take pictures of, but rickshaw drivers will want to charge you.
Enjoy your time there. Kowloon and Hong Kong, as the song says, "We Like Hong Kong, that's the place for me." I would love to go back there again and enjoy this unique metropolis.
Friday, April 10, 2009
When in Rome Part 2
Trevi Fountain........why is it called Trevi? The answer to that is the fountain is located at the junction of three roads. The three roads is the ending point of one of Rome's ancient acqueducts.
The Trevi Fountain is famous for tossing coin and making one of your wish for returning to Rome come true. This magnificent Baroque style fountain and the largest Baroque fountain in the city of Rome. Italians love their fountains as a way of gathering and their strong beliefs that you drop a coin in a fountain with a wish, the wish will come true.
The Fountain took 30 years to complete by two designers, Nicola Salvi was the first designer to work on it during a contest which he actually lost but won due to the people at Rome wanted the designer to be a Roman instead of a Florentine (who was named Alessandro Galilei that won). Nicola didn't finish the work since he died 11 years before the completion. Giuseppe Pannini took over the work and completed by adding the Roman virgin Trivia. The latest restoration of the fountain occurred in 1998. It is estimated that nearly 3,000 Euros are collected each day from tourists that toss coins into the fountain.
A good eatery destination is this Trevi Gelato place which is just steps across from the fountain. Enjoy a gelato as you stroll around the fountain area. When you go to the gelato place, go and pay for the ice cream first before choosing your ice cream. The cashier will hand you a receipt which you will show it to the server and then pick if you want it in a cup or a cone and the flavor. You can combine flavors if you like and the flavors depends on the weather. On a hot summer day, go with more fruity flavors. On a cold day, go with coffee, pistachios, or chocolate flavors.
If you walk further down the path, you will hit the Spanish steps. You need to try chestnuts roasted from the street vendors. A little pricey but on a cold day, they are very good.
Becareful again around these areas since there are a lot of people at any given time. You'd be surprise. I went on a weekday and there were tons of folks there even in the late afternoon to evening. Be watchful of any pickpocketers. If you have a backpack, try to make sure you have a lock or at least keep it in front of you. Do not put your wallet in your backpack, and for men, do not put your wallet in your back pocket at any time. Go in groups if possible, its more fun than going alone.
Please post any comments on my blogs. That would be great! Thank you for reading.
The Trevi Fountain is famous for tossing coin and making one of your wish for returning to Rome come true. This magnificent Baroque style fountain and the largest Baroque fountain in the city of Rome. Italians love their fountains as a way of gathering and their strong beliefs that you drop a coin in a fountain with a wish, the wish will come true.
The Fountain took 30 years to complete by two designers, Nicola Salvi was the first designer to work on it during a contest which he actually lost but won due to the people at Rome wanted the designer to be a Roman instead of a Florentine (who was named Alessandro Galilei that won). Nicola didn't finish the work since he died 11 years before the completion. Giuseppe Pannini took over the work and completed by adding the Roman virgin Trivia. The latest restoration of the fountain occurred in 1998. It is estimated that nearly 3,000 Euros are collected each day from tourists that toss coins into the fountain.
A good eatery destination is this Trevi Gelato place which is just steps across from the fountain. Enjoy a gelato as you stroll around the fountain area. When you go to the gelato place, go and pay for the ice cream first before choosing your ice cream. The cashier will hand you a receipt which you will show it to the server and then pick if you want it in a cup or a cone and the flavor. You can combine flavors if you like and the flavors depends on the weather. On a hot summer day, go with more fruity flavors. On a cold day, go with coffee, pistachios, or chocolate flavors.
If you walk further down the path, you will hit the Spanish steps. You need to try chestnuts roasted from the street vendors. A little pricey but on a cold day, they are very good.
Becareful again around these areas since there are a lot of people at any given time. You'd be surprise. I went on a weekday and there were tons of folks there even in the late afternoon to evening. Be watchful of any pickpocketers. If you have a backpack, try to make sure you have a lock or at least keep it in front of you. Do not put your wallet in your backpack, and for men, do not put your wallet in your back pocket at any time. Go in groups if possible, its more fun than going alone.
Please post any comments on my blogs. That would be great! Thank you for reading.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
When In Rome
Rome is one of the traveller's delight. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to go to Rome and discover the ways of the Roman Empire. Rome is beautiful with lots of history and the architects are phenomenal.
This is only a brief overview of Rome and I'm no Rick Steeves. When you go you must be prepared to walk a lot. Plan out your day to see specific parts of Rome instead of just visiting one tourist attraction like the Coliseum, because most of the sites are so close to each other. No need to take the taxi, they have a good and easy subway system in Rome. Try to get your tickets to the attractions in advance to avoid standing in long lines, they do have will call lines. When you go to the Coliseum, make sure you don't stand in the long line to purchase a ticket IF you have a will call. There is an interior "line" that is for those who have will call tickets, this will save you a lot of time. Try to avoid taking pictures with the "Gladiators" outside the Coliseum unless you want to fork over 10 Euros.
When you are anywhere in Rome, DO NOT buy any bags, rugs, souveniers from street vendors. They are mostly unlicense and if you are caught buying them, guess who gets caught holding the bag.....literally YOU if you purchased a bag. The police will fine YOU the tourist who made the purchase and NOT the street vendor. They may be aggressive but the best way is to tell them "NO" or do not look interested at any of their products that they are selling.
You can go on your own to a lot of these places on self guided tours. They have audios that you ask for to be included in your admission fees. Be aware of potential pickpocketers especially in very crowded areas in tourist spots.
Till next time, will do a follow up blog on other destinations in Rome and Vatican and some places to eat. Will also follow up to other areas of Italy such as Siena, Capri, Sorrento, Pisa, and Florence.
This is only a brief overview of Rome and I'm no Rick Steeves. When you go you must be prepared to walk a lot. Plan out your day to see specific parts of Rome instead of just visiting one tourist attraction like the Coliseum, because most of the sites are so close to each other. No need to take the taxi, they have a good and easy subway system in Rome. Try to get your tickets to the attractions in advance to avoid standing in long lines, they do have will call lines. When you go to the Coliseum, make sure you don't stand in the long line to purchase a ticket IF you have a will call. There is an interior "line" that is for those who have will call tickets, this will save you a lot of time. Try to avoid taking pictures with the "Gladiators" outside the Coliseum unless you want to fork over 10 Euros.
When you are anywhere in Rome, DO NOT buy any bags, rugs, souveniers from street vendors. They are mostly unlicense and if you are caught buying them, guess who gets caught holding the bag.....literally YOU if you purchased a bag. The police will fine YOU the tourist who made the purchase and NOT the street vendor. They may be aggressive but the best way is to tell them "NO" or do not look interested at any of their products that they are selling.
You can go on your own to a lot of these places on self guided tours. They have audios that you ask for to be included in your admission fees. Be aware of potential pickpocketers especially in very crowded areas in tourist spots.
Till next time, will do a follow up blog on other destinations in Rome and Vatican and some places to eat. Will also follow up to other areas of Italy such as Siena, Capri, Sorrento, Pisa, and Florence.
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