Travel Italy: Vacation Packages, Tips, Tours of Italy

For those who are visiting Amalfi Coast late June, the St Andrew’s celebration in Amalfi is not to be missed. With the “Festa di Sant’Andrea” — Feast of St Andrew, taking place on June 27, the town of Amalfi as celebrating ist patron saint also commemorates the defeat of Barbarossa’s pirate fleet in 1544.

It’s an occasion to experience the atmosphere of a religious feast in Southern/Neapolitan style, with solemn procession taking the holy statue of the saint through the streets of the town, firework show and tasting of local culinary specialties.

The Feast of St Andrew offers more than a chance to taste seafood cooked in all sorts of ways according to Amalfitan recipes as well as pairing it with the excellent local wines.

when: June 27 (annual)
Where: Amalfi (Amalfi Coast)
(Amalfi Coast’s interactive map).

The town of Montespertoli hosts its annual Chianti Wine Festival last week of May.

The 51st edition (May 24 - June 2) offers visitors a chance to sample the year’s vintage with the ten day fair which features selected Chianti wine makers.
With the many tasting sessions the festival offers, visitors can enjoy wine as long as of Tuscan food delicacies from the Chianti area.

- View (Montespertoli (Tuscany) on the interactive map).

By continuing about things to do in Florence with a two day stay, you could reserve the second day to activities like visits to museums and shopping.

- Museums -
- With just two days, you could not afford to visit most of the many art museums of Florence. However you can’t leave out the Galleria degli Uffizi.

The gallery houses countless masterpieces of Italian and European paintings from a period between the 12th and 18th centuries, exhibited in 45 rooms. Works by Cimabue, Giotto, Duccio da Buoninsegna, Gentile da Fabriano, Beato Angelico, Paolo Uccello, Sandro Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Perugino, Vasari, Michelangelo are among the countless masterpieces you can admire there.
To reserve tickets, you can ask the hotel where you are staying to make these reservations for you. Also you can try these websites: http://www.florence-museum.com/ and http://www.firenzemusei.it/home.html

- Shopping -
Have a look to the many street and markets in the city center, around San Lorenzo or the smaller ones on the way to the Uffizi. You have opportunities to grab some great deals there, especially with leather or silk items. Check the items, you can find quality goods at good prices, along with tourist junk.
If you are looking for designer items at discounted prices, you need to visit any designer outlets malls. A large outlets mall is located outside the city center, about 20 miles north of Florence, in Barberino del Mugello. There is where the designer stores offering discounted items are. You can save 30% to 60% off the regular price. Obviously your shopping there will be more expensive than at the street markets in the city center, but consider you are going there to buy designer and higher quality items.

- Dining -
Hopefully, in these two days in Florence, you’ll take your time to enjoy also fine dining at restaurants. You definitely have to taste the “Bistecca alla Fiorentina“. It’s the Florence’s culinary specialty. This tasty dish consists of a t-bone or porterhouse steak grilled over a wood or charcoal fire, and seasoned with salt, black pepper, and olive oil. With good red Tuscan wines is the best pairing.

Find accommodations in Florence and Tuscany.

Major event for gourmet enthusiasts this week-end in Florence. It’s “Taste“, the fair of tastes and ideas.

A three days journey through Italian gastronomic treasures including a Taste Tour that lets you discover and taste old and new Italian delicacies and a shopping area where you can buy everything that you see and taste during the tour.  Taste Tools is a section of the exhibition featuring utensils and equipment for the kitchen that combine food and kitchen design. The event offers visitors an occasion to know more about the pleasures of the table in Italy.

When: from March 15 through 17.
Where: Florence - Stazione Leopolda in Viale Fratelli Rosselli, 5. (Santa Maria Novella railway station, about 1km far from the fair, is 10 minutes by bus line 1 and 9, with bus leaving on Via della Scala)
Entrance fee: € 8 (including food tasting). Details at http://www.pittimmagine.com/en/fiere/taste/ .

If you are visiting Venice in the early days of March, you can enjoy a major wine event.

A three day of tastings of great wines and delicacies from all over Italy will be held on the Giudecca island, in Venice. Molino Stucky Hilton Venice hotel will be hosting the event, named “Gusto in Scena“, from March 3 through 5.

The quality wines selected for the event, divided into four grape-growing areas, mountain, hill, plain, and sea will be paired with proper regional dishes.

When: March 3 until 5.
Where: Molino Stucky Hilton - Venice (Giudecca island)
Getting there: Venice airport is 10 km away (40 min.ride with Vaporetto); from Venice train station Santa Lucia 20 min.ride with Vaporetto. Molino Stucky Hilton Venice offers free waterbus from/to Piazza San Marco from 7:00 AM to 2:00 AM. Event details at http://www.gustoinscena.it .