After working with Italians for many years, I cannot help but be jealous of their lifestyle. Every time I return from Italy I am determined to try to adapt the same routine that I practiced in Italy. The first week I am motivated and keep it up, only to go into slow decline and by the end of week two, I am back to my old Western habits of a sandwich at the computer and working 12 hour days....

Thank you Gemma and Passion for Italy for a well planned and memorable holiday.

Your selection of accommodation for Florence and Venice was charming, well situated and gave us a good sense of the local lifestyle.

In Tuscany and Veneto we had the opportunity to wind down and savour the beauty, history, cuisine and wine of the regions in shear comfort and style.

A touch of everything Italy has to offer.

Marsha Sept 2011

Nanni Moretti
Franco Piersanti

con
Orchestra Nazionale dei Conservatori

musiche di
Franco Piersanti e Nicola Piovani

Saturday 24/09/2011
Sala Santa Cecilia, h 21 

Auditorium Parco della Musica, Viale Pietro de Coubertin, Flaminio, Roma.
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Dopo il grande successo di pubblico ottenuto nel passato mese di giugno, torna Nanni Moretti in palcoscenico. Un omaggio alla sua città e al suo pubblico. Per una serata, il cineasta che ha rappresentato l’Italia a Cannes, ripercorrerà dal vivo i momenti salienti del suo cammino cinematografico. Sul grande palco dell’Auditorium di Roma, la musica, le parole e le immagini dei suoi film che gli hanno regalato tanti premi, ma soprattutto un ruolo primario nella storia del cinema e del nostro Paese.

E con lui, sulla scena a dirigere l’orchestra che suonerà dal vivo ci sarà Franco Piersanti, uno dei compositori con i quali ha lavorato da sempre. Il regista interpreterà monologhi dei suoi film, mentre le musiche eseguite dall’orchestra accompagneranno i testi scelti per l’occasione e sul grande schermo scorreranno alcune sequenze dei film di Moretti.
Un evento unico, ideato dal regista con la Fondazione Musica per Roma, concepito appositamente per la grande sala Santa Cecilia.

The culture of Food in Italy is different to other countries I have visited.  Bebe Severgnini the famous Italian journalist  writes more humourly  and succinctly about Italians than I do because he is one. He takes you inside the Italian mind and I find myself constantly chuckling while reading them because they are so true. Here are some of his direct quotes from his book “An Italian in Italy” about Italians and their food:- 

“Italians are the consummate professionals of culinary consumption. No one in Europe eats the way we do.”..For centuries, Italians have sought and usually found, consolation at the table. We don’t think that a sauce is tasty or that an olive oil is good. We know it is. We may lie, of course, out of politeness or calculation. But that too is a touch of artistry; if you think about it. Note that I’m talking about all Italians, not just a hard core of gastronomes...Read More....

Bologna Motor Show3rd - 11th December 2011, Bologna 

This year the Bologna Motor Show will take place over nine days, from the 3rd to the 11th December 2011.  Over the years the Bologna Motor Show Racing Area has hosted exceptional high powered cars: From Ferrari F1 to Toyota Camry Nascar Racing, from Le Mans dominant Audi R10 TDi to drag racing with exciting acceleration contests, not to mention the beloved WRC rally cars, the Super Tourist cars, the GT exclusive cars and the Monoposto. 

Venice is a unique city in the world, with more than 20 million visitors every year.

From the 24th of August 2011, all visitors who stay in an accommodation facility within the territory of the Municipality of Venice have to pay the “Tourist tax”. The Venetian council refers to it as an opportunity for you to become one of the city's sponsors, contributing to its safeguarding.

The collected funds will help the City improve the quality of the tourist services (services, museums, events,…) and finance works aimed at maintaining, using and salvaging the city’s cultural and architectural heritage.

THE PER PERSON TAX IS DUE ONLY FOR THE FIRST FIVE DAYS OF STAY.

The tax varies depending on the season (high or low), and the type (5* hotel, b&b's etc) and location (Venice, Lido and the other islands, mainland) of the accommodation you are staying in. For example:

A 5* hotel in Venice - the tax is 5 euro per person per night in the high season, 2.5 euro in low season.

A 4* hotel is 4 euro per person per night in the high season, 2 euro in the low season.

A b&b in Venice in the high season is 3 euro per person per night, 1.5 euro in low season.

The taxes are cheaper for accommodation on Lido and the other islands and the mainland.

When you book accomodation with Passion For Italy we will inform you of the exact amount of the tax for your accommodation.

CHILDREN UNDER 10 YEARS OF AGE ARE EXEMPTED, JUVENILES BETWEEN 10 AND 16 YEARS OF AGE BENEFIT FROM A 50% REDUCTION.

THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES ARE ALSO EXEMPTED: PATIENTS UNDERGOING REHABILITATIVE THERAPIES AT HEALTH FACILITIES IN THE CITY AND THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS; TOUR COURIERS AND TOUR COACH DRIVERS.

IMPOSTA DI SOGGIORNO

Venezia è una città unica al mondo!Più di 20 milioni di visitatori ogni anno si meravigliano davanti allo spettacolo che la Città offre.

Ai fini di tutelarne il patrimonio artistico, dal 24 agosto 2011 il Comune di Venezia ha introdotto un'imposta di soggiorno per i visitatori che pernottano nella cittá lagunare: una piccola somma che contribuirà alla sua salvaguardia. I fondi raccolti saranno infatti utilizzati per migliorare la qualità dell’offerta turistica (servizi, musei,eventi,…) e per finanziare interventi di manutenzione, fruizione e recupero dei beni culturali ed architettonici.

L'IMPOSTA É DOVUTA SOLO NEI PRIMI 5 GIORNI DI PERMANENZA

Il suo importo varierá a seconda della stagione (alta o bassa), del tipo di struttura ricettiva (hotels, B&B, appartamenti) e dell'area in cui si pernotta (Venezia, Lido, altre isole, terraferma). Ecco alcuni esempi:

Per un Hotel a 5 stelle a Venezia, l'imposta giornaliera ammonterá a 5 euro per persona in alta stagione e 2,5 euro in bassa stagione;

Per un Hotel a 4 stelle a Venezia, l'imposta giornaliera ammonterá a 4 euro per persona in alta stagione e 2 euro in bassa stagione;

Per un B&B a Venezia, l'imposta giornaliera ammonterá a 3 euro per persona in alta stagione e 1,5 euro in bassa stagione;

Per gli alberghi e gli alloggi al Lido, nelle isole lagunari o in terraferma, l'importo giornaliero dell'imposta sará inferiore. Prenotando una struttura ricettiva con Passion for Italy, vi informeremo puntualmente sull'ammontare esatto dell'imposta prevista per la vostra sistemazione.

I BAMBINI AL DI SOTTO DI 10 ANNI SONO ESENTI. SCONTI DEL 50% SONO APPLICATI PER I GIOVANI DAI 10 AI 16 ANNI DI ETÀ. SONO INOLTRE ESENTI I MALATI IN TERAPIA RIABILITATIVA PRESSO LE STRUTTURE SANITARIE CITTADINE E I LORO FAMILIARI; GLI ACCOMPAGNATORI TURISTICI E GLI AUTISTI DI AUTOBUS TURISTICI.

Mt Etna Sicily's volcano is currently erupting and has been since May. If you are interested in volcanos it is a spectacular site to see especially at night with the red lava flowing down the side of the large mountain. If you are flying into Catania airport Passion for Italy suggests that you contact the Italian Government tourist bureau for information before you fly as well as your travel agent. 

As Etna regularly errupts the locals are used to it and are rather a tad easy going about it. This is why we recommend that you do not book your own flights yourself in and out of Italy but through travel agents that know what is currently happening in Italy - otherwise you could find yourself stuck in Catania with flights delayed or cancelled. What was the name of that book - "Sleeping under a volcano"!!!

The videos are rather spectacular - have a look!

ERUPTION OF MT ETNA SICILY VIDEO

Travelling in Italy whether you move around by car, train or bus is quite stressful. It is a foreign language country so the street signs are not in English and English and Australian travellers are driving on the other side of the road that they are used to. 

Choose your travelling companion wisely. It is better to travel on your own than with someone you do not know very well as this someone could turn into a monster when faced with stressful situations!!.... 

Florence is one of those cities that you can back to again and again and again. It was the center of art and culture of the world sponsored by the great Lorenzo de Medici, one of the great patrons of the arts of the world who has left a legacy of beautiful buildings in Florence and breathtaking art, paid for by his court.

It is not easy to get quality accommodation in Italy on just last minute bookings. You might strike pot luck but is it worth the risk?  If you wish to be in the historical center- the “Centro Storico”. one needs to book early as you are in competition with the rest of the world. Remember Italy is only one hour flight from Spain, France, Germany, England  so every weekend you have commuters from these countries – a lot of people! There are also a lot of Chinese Bus Tour groups travelling to Italy this year.