Info About Pickpockets in Italy

Here are some links about pickpockets in Italy:

BLOG POSTINGS

• How to Avoid a Pickpocket – Posted July 9th, 2007 – Source: Ms. Adventures in Italy
  
• Naples: capital city of pickpockets – Posted by Bambi on May 03 2008 – Source: Thiefhunters in Paradise – "or, High and Dry on the Streets of Elsewhere"
• Theft Thwarter Tips – "Strategy for travel safety:" – Posted by Bambi on Feb 19 2008 – Source: Thiefhunters in Paradise – "or, High and Dry on the Streets of Elsewhere

FORUM DISCUSSIONS

• slow travel talk Italy
• Topic
  
• train in Rome – Posted 08 April 2008
• Hop on hop off bus in Rome - worth it? Advice? – Posted 03 April 2008
• Pickpockets in Italian Cities – Posted 08 June 2007
• Pickpocketing update – Posted 03 May 2007
• How to avoid Rome pickpockets? – Posted 23 January 2005

PICKPOCKETS

• Italy Travel Tip - How to Safeguard Your Money – "Avoiding Pickpockets and Petty Theft" – Source: By Martha Bakerjian in the Italy Travel section of About.com
• petty crime in rome – "precautions to avoid thieves and pickpockets in rome" – Source: rome buddy.com – "we know what's bugging you ..."
  
• Pickpockets in Italy – Phyllis from NY – Source: slow travel Italy

MISCELLANEOUS

• SEE ALSO:
• Info on Personal Safety in Italy *, dated Thursday, December 01, 2005

* = Blog entry has been updated.

The above links are current. If anyone has any suggestions for other sites, please feel free to post your comment and I'll update this blog entry. For your specific interest, please search the web for further information using .

Please note: If you want me to reply by email to your comment or request for further information, please include your email address in a separate comment. I will NOT publish any comments with an email address in it.

That's it for Tuesday, 16 December 2008: martedì, 16 dicembre 2008.

Ciao, Ben

Moving2Italy2 – The #1 source of links About, For or On Italy for those individuals moving, traveling or already living in Italy.

Today’s quote is a Neapolitan proverb, author unknown.

"A chi pazzèa cu' 'o ciuccio nun le mancano càuce."
"Who keeps bad company has to bear the consequences."

Please read my wife blog about our life in Italy:

Friends and Family in Italy

Going to Spain, read my new blog:

Info About, For or On Spain – a source of links About, For or On Spain for those individuals traveling or already living in Spain.

Please note: The time listed below for this posting is Central European Time (CET)/ GMT+1.

Info About Fare Watcher Web Sites for Flights to and/or from Italy

(LAST EDITED/UPDATED: 26 April 2009)

Here are some links for Fare Watcher web sites for flights to and/or from Italy:

FARE WATCHER WEB SITES (AKA PRICE COMPARISON)

(Please note: Usually, the registration of your email address is required. Also note: most of these sites are "free" unless otherwise specified.)

• FROM USA ONLY
• airfarewatchdog.com – "when fares are low, we'll let you know"
• DealWatch – Source: WebFlyer
• PRICEBREAKERS – "GREAT TRAVEL DEALS DELIVERED FRESH EVERY DAY" – Source: priceline.com
• FROM ANYWHERE TO ANYWHERE
• cFares – "Your lowest cost connection for cheap flights"
  
• DEALDETECTOR™ – Source: Orbitz
  
• Fare Alert – You MUST have a KAYAK account and be logged in to utilize this function – Source: KAYAK
• Farecast® – Source: Live Search
  
• FareCompare.com – "The Cheapest Days and Times to Fly and Other Tips from Travel Insiders"
• FareWatcher Plus℠ – "Start watching your favorite destinations with FareWatcher Plus today. It's free!" – Source: travelocity
• SideStep® – "The traveler's search engine™"
• vayama™ – "international travel solved"
  
• yapta – "your amazing personal travel assistant"
  

ARTICLES

• Airfare Debate: Buy Now or Wait? – By MICHELLE HIGGINS – Published: April 26, 2009 – Source: Travel section of the New York Times
• Bidding Online for Better Deals – By MICHELLE HIGGINS – Published: April 12, 2009 – Source: Travel section of the New York Times
• Booking a Flight With A Down-to-Earth Price – By Carol Sottili, Sunday, February 1, 2009 – Source: Travel section of washingtonpost.com – registration of email address may be required to read this article
• Deal or No Deal: Evaluating Airfares – Written: 01/26/09 – Source: The Independent Traveler

TRAVEL DEALS

• Subscribe to some newsletters or weekly notices from:
• AOL Travel Newsletters – Enter email address to subscribe
• bookingbuddy™ – Enter email address to subscribe
• cFares – "Your lowest cost connection for cheap flights" – Please note: There is a free newsletter and a membership offering
  
• Destination360 – Destination360's Newsletter – "Get Destination360's travel newsletter for tips and deals."
• faredetective – Enter email address to subscribe – In multiple languages
  
• Frommer's® – Click on "Deals & News" to subscribe
• The Independent Traveler – Click on "Newsletter" to subscribe
• MSNBC Travel Newsletter – Enter email address to subscribe
• QIXO -"Quest for Impossibly eXcellent Offers" – Enter email address to subscribe
• smarterTRAVEL™ – "information and inspiration" – Subscribe to "Deal Alert newsletter"
  
• TRAVELZOO® – Subscribe to "Top 20®"
• Travel Deals – Source: SideStep® – "The traveler's search engine™"
  

TIPS/SUGGESTIONS

• FareCompare.com – "The Cheapest Days and Times to Fly and Other Tips from Travel Insiders"
  
• Best Time to Buy Airfare and More
• Top Tips for Air Travel Emergencies
  
• Travel Guide
• Travel Budget Calculator – Source: IndependentTraveler.com
  

MISCELLANEOUS

• SEE ALSO:
• Info on Travel Web Sites: Italy, Europe and wherever *, dated Friday, September 12, 2008
  

* = Blog entry has been updated.

The above links are current. If anyone has any suggestions for other sites, please feel free to post your comment and I'll update this blog entry. For your specific interest, please search the web for further information using .

Please note: If you want me to reply by email to your comment or request for further information, please include your email address in a separate comment. I will NOT publish any comments with an email address in it.

There are very few bargains fares these days. If any attractive fare and/or relatively affordable fare comes up that is offered by an airline, it's there for only a very short period of time (read hour(s) not days). I cannot vouch on how good one of the above fare watcher web sites is over another.

Since the air fares to Italy and other countries in Europe are at their highest, one must be on the lookout for the best fare possible. By utilizing a fare watcher option from one of the above, you work smarter not harder to find the best fare possible. This is just one way that I am using the web. Some other ways are subscribing to newsletters and telling friends and family that I am looking for an affordable and reasonable airfare back to the States next summer.

Presently, I am using some of the above link to look for an airfare from Italy back to the States next summer to visit with friends and family on the East Coast and Kentucky. I also subscribe to some newsletters or weekly notices. Please note: you may want to unsubscribe after you found the airfare you want for your trip.

So to the readers of this blog, I wish you all the best and hopefully, you find and get the right airfare to Italy or Europe or in my case, back to the States for a long overdue visit.

That's it for Tuesday, 25 November 2008: martedì, 25 novembre 2008.

Ciao, Ben

Moving2Italy2 – The #1 source of links About, For or On Italy for those individuals moving, traveling or already living in Italy.

Today’s quote is an Italian proverb from Abruzzo, author unknown.

"Chi nasce asino non può morire cavallo."
"Who's born as a donkey can't die as horse."

Please read my wife's blog about our life in Italy:

Friends and Family in Italy

Going to Spain, read my new blog:

Info About, For or On Spain – a source of links About, For or On Spain for those individuals traveling or already living in Spain.

Please note: The time listed below for this posting is Central European Time (CET)/ GMT+1.

(LAST EDITED/UPDATED: 26 April 2009)

Info about Florence/Firenze in Video

(LAST EDITED/UPDATED: 19 October 2008)

Here are some links about Florence/Firenze in Video:

FLORENCE/FIRENZE

• Florence Video – Source: lifeinitaly.com
• Florence – multiple videos – Source: travelistic – "videos for travelers
• Florence, Italy – "Travel Videos and MP3s" – Source: TravelPod® – "The web's original travel blog."
• Florence Videos & Pictures – "Videos & Pictures in Florence" – Source: zoomandgo – "experience your world"
• Italy: Arts and Culture in Florence – Source: Videos section of howstuffworks
• LISTS
  
• Source: blinkx – "is the world’s largest and most advanced video search engine."
• Firenze Italy – search results
• Florence Italy – search results
• Source: travelistic – "videos for travelers" – "the best travel video site on the web"
• Firenze Italy – search results
• Florence Italy – search results
• Source: You Tube – "Broadcast Yourself™"
• Firenze – search result – Please click on "See more videos near “Firenze”"
  
• Florence – search result – Please click on "See more videos near “Florence”"
  

If anyone has any suggestions for other sites and links for reference, please feel free to post your comment and I'll update this blog entry. For your specific interest, please search the web for further information using

Please note: If you want me to reply to your comment or request for further information by email, please include your email address in a separate comment. I will NOT publish any comments with an email address in it.

That's it for Saturday, 18 October 2008: sabado, 18 octobre 2008.

Ciao, Ben

Moving2Italy2 – #1 source of links About, For or On Italy for those individuals moving, traveling or already living in Italy.

Today’s quote is a Sicilian proverb, author unknown.
"Matrimoni e viscuvati, di lu celu su mannati."
"Weddings and spiritual matters are heaven sent."

Going to Spain, read my new blog:

Info About, For or On Spain – a source of links About, For or On Spain for those individuals traveling or already living in Spain.

Please note: The time listed below for this posting is Central European Time (CET)/ GMT+1.

(LAST EDITED/UPDATED: 19 October 2008)

Info on conversion charts: clothing, temperatures, shoes, etc. for Italy

Here are some links for conversion charts: clothing, temperatures, shoes, etc. for Italy:

CONVERSION CHARTS

• CLOTHING/FOOTWEAR
• European Clothing & Footwear Conversion Chart – Source: Italiansrus.com
• Clothing Sizes and Size Conversions in Europe – By James Martin – Source: Europe Travel section of About.com
• MULTIPURPOSE
• Conversion Tables – Source: Angloinfo® tuscany – "Life in Tuscany, in English!"
• KITCHEN
• Baking & Temp Conversions – Source: Expats In Italy
• Translation of Measures to Metric – Source Anna Maria Volpi - A Passion for Cooking

MISCELLANEOUS:

• SEE ALSO:
• Info on Using Metric Versus US/English Measurements for Baking and Cooking in Italy *, dated Friday, March 10, 2006

* = Blog entry has been updated.

The above links are current. If anyone has any suggestions for other sites, please feel free to post your comment and I'll update this blog entry. For your specific interest, please search the web for further information using

Please note: If you want me to reply to your comment or request for further information by email, please include your email address in a separate comment. I will NOT publish any comments with an email address in it.

That's it for Tuesday, 16 September 2008: martedì, 16 settembre 2008

Ciao, Ben

Moving2Italy2 – #1 source of links About, For or On Italy for those individuals moving, traveling or already living in Italy.

Today’s quote is an Sicilian proverb, author unknown.
"Amatu nun sarai si a tia sulu pinsirai."
"You will not be loved if you only think of yourself."

Please note: The time listed below for this posting is Central European Time (CET)/ GMT+1.

Info on Travel Web Sites: Italy, Europe and wherever

(LAST EDITED/UPDATED: 8 February 2009 AM)

Here are some links for Travel Web Sites: Italy, Europe and wherever:

TRAVEL WEB SITES

• Best Travel Web Sites for Cheap Transportation Abroad – Source: Transitions Abroad
• KAYAK™ – in multiple languages
• opodo – "is a leading pan-European online travel company specialising in worldwide travel." – in multiple languages
• QIXO -"Quest for Impossibly eXcellent Offers"
  
• realtravel™ – "Real People. Real Advice. Real Experience.™"
• SideStep® – "The traveler's search engine™"
• AIR FARE SEARCH
• United States Air Travel Super Link – Source: TravelSuperLink.com
  
• CHEAP FLIGHTS TO USA
• USA flights and travel guide – Please note: You are only give 3 choice for where you live: UK & Ireland, Canada and USA – Source: cheapflights.co.uk
• Cheap Flights to the USA – Source: travelsupermarket.com part of moneysupermarket.com – "the price comparison site"
  
• MISCELLANEOUS
• tyzo. com – "Daily Travel Deals & Tips!"
• PRICE COMPARISON SITES
• bookingbuddy™ – "TRAVEL SEARCH MADE SIMPLE™"
• EscapeWizard.com – "So easy it's Magic" – "This is your ONE STOP trusted source to Search ALL Travel Sites!" – "Compare fares from THEM and then buy DIRECTLY from the one that fits your needs."
• FareCompare.com –
• eDreams –
• MYTravelGuide℠ –
• One Time – "Compare, Book, and Save"
• skyscanner – "flight search"
• wegolo – "We Fly Low Cost" – "All the cheapest fares on budget airlines" – In multiple languages
  

ARTICLES

• New Tools on the Web's Best Travel Sites – Scott Vogel – Sunday, February 1, 2009 – Source: Travel section of washingtonpost.com – registration of email address may be required to read this article
• Top 25 travel Web sites – By Xander Kaplan, Nina Willdorf, Tanvi Chheda, Jessica Shaw and Jennifer Welbel – From September 2007 – Source: Travel + Leisure

BLOG/DISCUSSION

• Useful travel web sites – Source: scobleizer

DIRECTORIES

• The Travel Web Sites Directory – "World Vacations Travel Directory"

LISTS

• 50 Travel Sites - You've Probably Never Heard Of – Written and compiled by Brooke Dowd – Source: Luggage Online – "Packed with over 150 brands. Priced to move."
• Five Best Travel Sites for Cheap Tickets – By Adam Pash, 9:00 AM on Sun Nov 2 2008 – Source: lifehacker – "TIPS & DOWNLOADS FOR GETTING THINGS DONE"
  

REVIEWS

• Online Travel Sites – "Services Review" – Source: TopTenREVIEWS™ – "We Do the Research So You Don't Have To™"
• Top 5 Best Reviewed – "Travel Sites: Reviews Updated (January 2008)" – Source: consumersearch – "love what you buy"
  

TIPS/SUGGESTIONS

• 2009 Way to Go Guide – "The smart way to get from the Washington area to just about anywhere." – Source: Travel section of washingtonpost.com – email registration required to read this article
• Super Tips – Source: TravelSuperLink.com

MISCELLANEOUS

• SEE ALSO:
• Info About Fare Watcher Web Sites for Flights to and/or from Italy *, dated Tuesday, November 25, 2008
  

* = Blog entry has been updated.

The above links are current. If anyone has any suggestions for other sites, please feel free to post your comment and I'll update this blog entry. For your specific interest, please search the web for further information using

Please note: If you want me to reply to your comment or request for further information by email, please include your email address in a separate comment. I will NOT publish any comments with an email address in it.

That's it for Friday, 12 September 2008: venerdì, 12 settembre 2008.

Ciao, Ben

Moving2Italy2 – #1 source of links About, For or On Italy for those individuals moving, traveling or already living in Italy.

Today’s quote is an Italian proverb, author unknown.
"Tutto fumo e niente arrosto!"
"All smoke and no fire!"

Please read my wife blog about our life in Italy:

Friends and Family in Italy

Going to Spain, read my new blog:

Info About, For or On Spain – a source of links About, For or On Spain for those individuals traveling or already living in Spain.

Please note: The time listed below for this posting is Central European Time (CET)/ GMT+1.

(LAST EDITED/UPDATED: 8 February 2009 AM)

Info about the Guest House at Podere Covivole in Italy

(LAST EDITED/UPDATED: 10 October 2008)

Here are some photographs and comments about our Guest House at Podere Covivole in Tuscany (Toscana), Italy:

Photograph #1 - The Guest House at Podere Covivole is a separate and free standing structure.

Photograph #2 - 1 Bedroom for 2 (two) people. The bed can be configured as an oversize double or 2 singles beds.


Photograph #3 - Bathroom with shower, no bidet


Photograph #4 - A place to sit and eat. There are no cooking facilities in the guest house but there is a small refrigerator behind the door.


Photograph #5 - Just one of the many Tuscan sunsets to be viewed from the Guest House and Podere Covivole

The guest house is located next to the farm house that is called Podere Covivole. Both houses are on 23 hectares (50 acres) of land with fruit trees, plants and fields. There are window screens on all the windows and a screen on the front door. Podere Covivole is 8 kilometers (5 miles) from the town of Monte San Savino in the province of Arezzo in the region of Tuscany.

We are located off of the SS 73 between the towns of Palazzuolo and Monte San Savino. The distances that Podere Covivole is from various cities, airports and the Autostrada (major north/south toll road) are the following:

• Autostrada (A1) - Monte San Savino exit - 13 kilometers (8 miles)
• Monte San Savino - 8 kilometers (5 miles)
• Region of Toscana (Tuscany)
  
• Airport
• Aeroporto di Firenze (FLR) – Florence (Peretola) - 112 kilometers (76 miles)
• Pisa International Airport "Galileo Galilei" (PSA) - 174 kilometers (108 miles)
• Arezzo - 16 kilometers (10 miles)
• Cortona - 32 kilometers (20 miles)
• Firenze/Florence - 94 kilometers (52 miles)
• Lucca - 168 kilometers (104 miles)
• Pisa - 176 kilometers (109 miles)
• San Gimignano - 83 kilometers (52 miles)
• Siena - 32 kilometers (20 miles)
• Volterra - 91 kilometers (57 miles)
• Region of Umbria (Region)
  
• Assisi - 107 kilometers (66 miles)
• Perugia - 85 kilometers (53 miles)
• Region of Lazio
  
• Roma/Rome - 220 kilometers (137 miles)
• Airports
• Ciampino Airport (CIA) - 222 kilometers (138 miles)
• Leonardo da Vinci Fiumicino Airport (FCO) - 238 kilometers (148 miles)

For further information about the Guest House, rates (in dollars or Euros), availability and any questions, please leave a comment with your email address. Please note: No email addresses will be displayed when you leave a comment.

Here are some links about or on Tuscany that you may find of interest:

• Info on the Toscana (Tuscany) Region of Italy - Part 1 * , dated Tuesday, June 19, 2007
• Info on the Toscana (Tuscany) Region of Italy - Part 2 *, dated Tuesday, June 26, 2007
• Info on maps for Tuscany (Toscana) *, dated Friday, September 05, 2008
• Info on Golf in Tuscany *, dated Saturday, July 12, 2008
• Info on Events and Festivals (feste or sagre) in Tuscany * , dated Tuesday, May 13, 2008
• Info for Guests Staying in the Guest House at Podere Covivole * , dated Tuesday, February 05, 2008

* = Blog entry has been updated.

That's it for Tuesday, 9 September 2008: martedì, 9 settembre 2008

Ciao, Ben

Moving2Italy2 – #1 source of links About, For or On Italy for those individuals moving, traveling or already living in Italy.

Today’s quote is an Italian proverb, author unknown.

"Per niente non muove la coda nemmeno un cane."
"Not even a dog moves its tail for free."

Please note: The time listed below for this posting is Central European Time (CET)/ GMT+1.

(LAST EDITED/UPDATED: 10 October 2008)

Info on maps for Tuscany/Toscana, Italy

(LAST EDITED/UPDATED: 24 February 2009)

Here are some links on maps for Tuscany/Toscana, Italy

MAPS OF TUSCANY/TOSCANA

• CITIES
• FLORENCE/FIRENZE
• Map of Florence - Tourist Attractions and Hotels – interactive map – Source: Mapping Europe – "Maps for Travelers, travel junkies and armchair travelers"
• LUCCA
  
• Map of Lucca, Italy – interactive map – Source: Mapping Europe – "Maps for Travelers, travel junkies and armchair travelers"
• REGIONAL
• Map of Tuscany – "Italy maps from knowital.com" – Source: knowital.com
• Map of Tuscany – "Interactive Map of Tuscany" – Source: ITALY Magazine – "THE NO.1 MAGAZINE FOR LOVERS OF ALL THINGS ITALIAN"
• Map of Tuscany, Italy – Source: Your Way to Florence
  
• Tuscany Map – Source: TUSCANY section of Concierge.com
  
• USEFUL MAPS – Source: Welcome Tuscany
  
• SPECIALITY
  
• The Castles of Tuscany – "CLICKABLE MAPS" – Source: Castellotoscani.com – In English, Italian
• Tuscany Rail Map and Distance Calculator – Source: Italy Travel section of About.com
  

GOOGLE MAP/GPS COORDINATES

• GOOGLE MAPS
• Tuscany
• – Enter the word "Tuscany" and press ENTER on you keyboard
  
• SAGRE E FESTE IN TOSCANA
• Toscana e Tirreno – a listing of the 10 provinces of Tuscany with a tourist blurb and the respective weather forecast by province – In English, Italian – Note: Events: In Italian Only

NOT A MAP

• 360° – "A new way to explore Tuscany" – Source: Italy Travel Guides Ltd
  

MISCELLANEOUS

• SEE ALSO:
• Info on restaurants/ristorante in Tuscany/Toscana, Italy *, dated Tuesday, February 24, 2009
• Info on the "Top Ten" for Tuscany/Toscana, Italy *, dated Tuesday, February 17, 2009
• Info on walks/walking in Toscana/Tuscany *, dated Tuesday, February 10, 2009
• Info about day trips in Tuscany/Toscana, Italy , dated Tuesday, February 03, 2009
• Info on the Toscana (Tuscany) Region of Italy - Part 2 *, dated Tuesday, June 26, 2007
• Info on the Toscana (Tuscany) Region of Italy - Part 1 * , dated Tuesday, June 19, 2007

* = Blog entry has been updated.

If anyone has any suggestions for other sites and links for reference, please feel free to post your comment and I'll update this blog entry. For your specific interest, please search the web for further information using

Please note: If you want me to reply to your comment or request for further information by email, please include your email address in a separate comment. I will NOT publish any comments with an email address in it.

That's it for Friday, 5 September 2008: venerdì, 5 settembre 2008.

Ciao, Ben

Moving2Italy2 – #1 source of links About, For or On Italy for those individuals moving, traveling or already living in Italy.

Today’s quote is a Italian proverb, author unknown.
"Del male non fare e paura non avere."
"Do no evil and have no fear."

Please read my wife's blog about our life in Italy:

Friends and Family in Italy

Going to Spain, read my new blog:

Info About, For or On Spain – a source of links About, For or On Spain for those individuals traveling or already living in Spain.

Please note: The time listed below for this posting is Central European Time (CET)/ GMT+1.

(LAST EDITED/UPDATED: 24 February 2009)

Info about the grape harvest in Tuscany

Here are some links about the grape harvest in Tuscany (Toscana):

GRAPE HARVEST (VENDEMIA)

BACKGROUND

• Chianti Grape Harvest Festival Tuscany News – Source: Tuscanweb
  
• September the month of the Vendemia: Grape harvest in Tuscany – Source: Tuscany Journey – "your guide to the less travelled paths of Tuscany" – In English, Italian
• Taste of the Tuscan wine harvest – Source: cheapflights.co.uk

BLOGS/ARTICLES

• Article
• Harvest time & grape picking –Susan Glasspool – Source: vivifirenze – "WHAZHOT · MADE IN FLO' · ONLY IN FLO' · DISCOUNT COUPONS"
• Blog Entries
• Harvest time in Tuscany – Wednesday, October 24, 2007 – Richard J. Michelli – Italia Living Blog – "Celebrate the pleasures of "Italia Living" and share our passion for all that is Italian by living the lifestyle of Italy in America" – New Jersey, USA
  
• I Heard It On The Grapevine – Wednesday, August 22, 2007 – Rebecca Helm-Ropelato – foreign remarks – Lazio region, Italy

WORK/VOLUNTEER

• Wine Harvests in Europe - Working and Volunteering in the Vineyards – "Picking Grapes as a way to get to know Europeans" – By James Martin – Source: Europe Travel section of About.com
• Hosts in Italy – Source: helpexchange.net – "bringing people together"

MISCELLANEOUS

• SEE ALSO:
• Info on Events and Festivals (feste or sagre) in Tuscany * , dated Tuesday, May 13, 2008
  
• Info on Events and Festivals (festa or sagra) in Italy * , dated Friday, January 18, 2008
• Info on the Toscana (Tuscany) Region of Italy - Part 2 *, dated Tuesday, June 26, 2007
• Info on the Toscana (Tuscany) Region of Italy - Part 1 * , dated Tuesday, June 19, 2007

* = Blog entry has been updated.

If anyone has any suggestions for other sites and links for reference, please feel free to post your comment and I'll update this blog entry. For your specific interest, please search the web for further information using

Please note: If you want me to reply to your comment or request for further information by email, please include your email address in a separate comment. I will NOT publish any comments with an email address in it.

That's it for Tuesday, 2 September 2008: martedì, 2 settembre 2008

Ciao, Ben

Moving2Italy2 – #1 source of links About, For or On Italy for those individuals moving, traveling or already living in Italy.

Today’s quote is an Sicilian proverb, author unknown.
"Accatta caru e vinni mircatu."
"Buy good quality and sell at the market price."


Please note: The time listed below for this posting is Central European Time (CET)/ GMT+1.

Info about tipping in Italy

(LAST EDITED/UPDATED: 20 February 2009)

Here are some links about tipping (leaving or giving a gratuity) in Italy:

TIPPING IN ITALY

• BACKGROUND
• Italy Tipping & Etiquette – Source: tripadvisor® – "get the truth. then go.™" – In multiple languages
  
• Italian money, banks, ATM's and tipping in Italy – Source: knowital.com – "STAY INITALY"
• Tipping in Italy – Source: Italy Guide section of Avventure Bellissime – "ORIGINAL & BEST Tours of Italy"
• Tipping Tips from Europeans – Source: Travel Tips section of Rick Steves' Europe
• To Tip or Not to Tip: That is the Question – Source: ItalyLogue – "Italy Travel Guide" Part of the BootsnAll Travel Network
• What you need to consider when tipping in Italy – Source: Italy section of Just Landed – In multiple languages
• FORUM DISCUSSIONS
• Frommer's – "The best trips start here"
  
• What is the protocol for tipping in Italy?
  
• Graffiti Wall – Source: Rick Steves' Europe
  
• Tipping Tips
• slow travel – Slow Travel Talk TRAVEL italy – "Forums for the Slow Travel community"
• FAQ: Tipping in Italy
• FAQ: Tipping Car services
  
• tipping in Italy
• Tipping the Driver

If anyone has any suggestions for other sites and links for reference, please feel free to post your comment and I'll update this blog entry. For your specific interest, please search the web for further information using

Please note: If you want me to reply to your comment or request for further information by email, please include your email address in a separate comment. I will NOT publish any comments with an email address in it.

That's it for Saturday, 30 August 2008: sabato, 30 agosto 2008.

Ciao, Ben

Moving2Italy2 – #1 source of links About, For or On Italy for those individuals moving, traveling or already living in Italy.

Today’s quote is a Neapolitan proverb, author unknown.
"'A mosca dinto 'o viscuvato."
"A fly in the ointment."

Please read my wife's blog about our life in Italy:

Friends and Family in Italy

Going to Spain, read my new blog:

Info About, For or On Spain – a source of links About, For or On Spain for those individuals traveling or already living in Spain.

Please note: The time listed below for this posting is Central European Time (CET)/ GMT+1.

(LAST EDITED/UPDATED: 20 February 2009)

Info about parking in Florence/Firenze

Here are some links about parking in Florence/Firenze:

BACKGROUND

• Parking in Florence – Source: www.firenze-online.com – In English, French, German, Italian, Spanish
• Parking in Florence – Pauline Kenny – Source: slow travel italy
• Parking in Florence – Source: LODGING.IT
  

FIRENZE PARKING AUTHORITY

• Firenze Parcheggi S.p.A – In Italian Only

FORUM DISCUSSIONS

• Slow Travel Talk TRAVEL Italy
• Driving into Florence

MISCELLANEOUS

• Florence Transportation - Airports - Buses - Trains - Florence Italy – By James Martin – Source: Europe Travel section of About.com
• SEE ALSO
• Info on the Toscana (Tuscany) Region of Italy - Part 2 *, dated Tuesday, June 26, 2007
• Info on the Toscana (Tuscany) Region of Italy - Part 1 * , dated Tuesday, June 19, 2007

* = Blog entry has been updated.

If anyone has any suggestions for other sites and links for reference, please feel free to post your comment and I'll update this blog entry. For your specific interest, please search the web for further information using

Please note: If you want me to reply to your comment or request for further information by email, please include your email address in a separate comment. I will NOT publish any comments with an email address in it.

That's it for Tuesday, 26 August 2008: martedì, 26 agosto 2008

Ciao, Ben

Moving2Italy2 – #1 source of links About, For or On Italy for those individuals moving, traveling or already living in Italy.

Today’s quote is an Italian proverb, author unknown.
"Chi al caso s'affida, prende un cieco per guida."
"He who relies on chance takes a blind man as a guide."

Please note: The time listed below for this posting is Central European Time (CET)/ GMT+1.

Info on "time is flying by" in Italy

The following was written by Martha S. Taccarino. It is just one of her many weekly email MSGs (messages) that she sends to friends and family.
________________________________________________

July 10, 2008

We went to a sagra [blogger comment: food festival] tonight near Arezzo. On the way home I started to think that what I like about Italy so much is the way it satisfies all your senses. I should list them and make sure I cover them all. Sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch. That is five. Have I missed something?

Sight - OMG Italy is such a visual country if you just open your mind, SLOW DOWN and look. There it is. The sunrise. The strong sun at mid-day. The setting sun. Which if you have read my emails I am totally enchanted by. Tonight at 9:45 as we drove home I didn’t take any pictures. You will have to rely on my words. As we came from the east heading towards the west I could see the strong outline of the hills and the trees lining the tops of the hills against the slowly fading light. I could see each tree outlined. I could see a blue of the sky that all my reading can not describe. It is a blue lit from behind, not light or dark or turquoise but sunset blue. Only the almost half moon shone. No stars yet. A perfect cloudless sky to showcase an ending to a very nice, not too hot day.

Hearing - today I realized I was no longer hearing the cricket choir. Their booking must have ended. Now it is the ciaciada ( I have not spelled that correctly. And I don’t know if they come every year or only occasionally). Besides hearing them there is our ‘entertainer bird’, the owls, the church bells and least we not forget, the bicycle riders chatting and the motorcycles.

Smell - Okay I won’t talk about food first. Just grass cutting. When I cut the grass I am overwhelmed by smells. These are plants I mow down every time I cut the grass. Wild thyme, Fennel, honeysuckle, clover, rosemary, and a couple others that I don’t know the names of but have very distinct smells. When we ride through the country I will often say to Ben, “Do you smell the fresh mown hay?” or “Ohhh very FARM!” (You can imagine what smell that is) Walking through towns it is “Do you smell that? Let’s go there. It smells like truffles…meat cooking on a spit… all kinds of things” He has learned to trust my sense of smell.

Taste - I can’t even begin to write about taste here. We are so bad. I feel like all I write about is whining about missing eating Thai or Asian food of some sort. Like we have been eating one level above dirt. In the 10 months that we have been here we have had such good food. We are so spoiled. And yet I miss trash. SEND ME CHEETOS PLEASE!

Touch - It comes every day. When I walk outside and see this great piece of property that I live on. I walk across terra cotta, marble and stone floors. I touch the earth that my plants are growing in to see if they need water. I touch my plants that I have wanted for years to be flourishing and lush and (until the hail) they are. I touch butterflies, lizards, and bugs that I have never seen before in my life. I touch laundry hanging out in the sun to dry. Every day I touch the earth and at night after the sun has finally set and I walk outside I feel like I can almost touch the sky….the stars are that close and so many.

So please come for a visit. But not to check list off this monument or museum but to check list off each one of your senses as you realize that life is about enjoying the minute, the moment, the now! We are lucky enough to have found that. And we don’t mind sharing.

We are very lucky people. But we will only be here in this great location with a guest house 2 years and 1 month more. Plan your trip now.

Photo #1 - Sunset



Photo #2 - Glass of wine
________________________________________________

That's it for Saturday, 26 July 2008: sabado, 26 luglio 2008

Please note: If you want me to reply to your comment or request for further information by email, please include your email address in a separate comment. I will NOT publish any comments with an email address in it.

Also, if you would like to be added to Martha's distribution list to receive her weekly email MSGs to friends and family, please post a comment with your request and email address.

Ciao, Ben

Moving2Italy2 – #1 source of links About, For or On Italy for those individuals moving, traveling or already living in Italy.

Today’s quote is an Italian proverb, author unknown.
"Roma non basta una vita."
"Rome a lifetime is not enough,"

Please note: The time listed below for this posting is Central European Time (CET)/ GMT+1.

Info on car sharing in Italy

Here are some links on car sharing in Italy:

CAR SHARING PROGRAMS

• ITALY
  
• Car Sharing in Italy – Please note: While this section is in English, more information and details are In Italian Only – Source: ICS - "Iniziativa Car Sharing" – In Italian with a limited English version
• Carsharing.org – In Italian Only
• EUROPE
• Car Sharing – Source: eartheasy – "Ideas for environmentally sustainable living"

Info on Golf in Tuscany

(LAST EDITED/UPDATED: 22 July 2009)

Here are some links for golf and golfing in Tuscany (Toscana):

GOLF IN TUSCANY (TOSCANA)

• GOLF CLUBS
  
• Golf Clubs in Tuscany – Source: Welcome Tuscany – In English, Italian
• Golf Club Toscana Il Pelagone – Source: 1Golf.eu – In English, German

• GOLF COURSES
• Courses in Tuscany – "Golf Today Course Guide" – "Details on Thousands of Golf Courses" – Source: Golf Today – "Home of Europe's Premier Online Golf Magazine"
• Golf courses Tuscany – Source: CC - Villas – In English, German
  
• Golf Courses - Tuscany – Source: Course Master Golf Holidays
• Golf Courses in Tuscany – Source: 1Golf.eu – In English, German
• Tuscany Golf Courses – Source: Internet Golf – "Save Time & Money"

• LIST OF GOLF COURSES IN TUSCANY (TOSCANA)
• Sport - Golf – Please select one of the Tuscany (Toscana) provinces listed under "Province" for a listing of golf courses for the specific province in Tuscany (Toscana) – Source: intoscana.it – "Official Website of Tuscany" – In multiple languages
• Golf courses in Siena and Tuscany – Source: SIENA Online ® – "tourist guide to the city of Siena" – In English, Italian

• GOLF/GOLFING
• GOLF – Source: Agency for Tourism Maremma (APT Maremma) – In English, German, Italian
  
• Golf & Golfing in Italy – Source: Angloinfo® tuscany – "Life in Tuscany, in English!"
  
• Golfing – Source: Tuscan Dreams
• Tuscany Golf – Source: golfingtrips.co.uk

• GOLFING EVENTS
• Golf Toscana Open Italian Federation Cup – Prato, Italy – Source: EuropeanIrish.com – "...for the Irish in Continental Europe"
  

• ARTICLE ON GOLFING IN TUSCANY
• Golf a great way to experience the lovely Tuscany countryside – By John Samuel, Staff Writer – Source: GolfEurope

If anyone has any suggestions for other sites and links for reference, please feel free to post your comment and I'll update this blog entry. For your specific interest, please search the web for further information using .

Please note: If you want me to reply to your comment or request for further information by email, please include your email address in a separate comment. I will NOT publish any comments with an email address in it.

That's it for Saturday, 12 July 2008: sabado, 12 luglio 2008.

Ciao, Ben

Moving2Italy2 – #1 source of links About, For or On Italy for those individuals moving, traveling or already living in Italy.

Today’s quote is an Italian proverb, author unknown.

"Siccome la casa brucia, riscaldiamoci."
"Since the house is on fire let us warm ourselves."

Please read my wife blog about our life in Italy:

Friends and Family in Italy

Going to Spain, read my new blog:

Info About, For or On Spain – a source of links About, For or On Spain for those individuals traveling or already living in Spain.

Please note: The time listed below for this posting is Central European Time (CET)/ GMT+1.

LAST EDITED/UPDATED: 22 July 2009)

Info on Market Days - Outdoor Markets in Tuscany

Here are some links on Outdoor Markets, Market Days in Tuscany (Toscana):

MARKET DAYS - OUTDOOR MARKETS - OPEN AIR MARKETS

• Florence Markets – Source: World Guides to Florence
• Open-Air Markets in Florence – Source: In Italy Online!
• Markets in Tuscany – Source: AngloINFO Tuscany – "Life in Tuscany, in English!"
• By province (Please note: Sometimes the name of an Italian city listed below is the same name for the province it is located in.)
  
• Arezzo
• Florence city
• Florence province
• Grosseto
• Livorno
• Lucca
• Massa-Carrara
• Pisa
• Pistoia
• Prato
• Siena
• Local Tuscany markets taking place today
  
• Markets in Tuscany – By Province in Tuscany – Source: Tuscany Net
  
• Open air markets – Source: Cortonaweb
• Pisa Markets – Source: World Guides to Pisa
• Street Shopping: Outdoor Markets in Tuscany – Source: In Italy Online!
• Tuscany Italy Markets – Siena – Source: Turismo Verde
• TYPICAL MARKETS in FLORENCE – Source: StudentsVille.it
  
• Weekly Markets in Tuscany – Source: slow travel italy

MISCELLANEOUS

• SEE ALSO:
• Info on Market Days/Antique Markets in Italy *, dated Saturday, November 19, 2005

* = Blog entry has been updated.

The above links are current. If anyone has any suggestions for other sites, please feel free to post your comment and I'll update this blog entry. For your specific interest, please search the web for further information using

Please note: If you want me to reply to your comment or request for further information by email, please include your email address in a separate comment. I will NOT publish any comments with an email address in it.

That's it for Friday, 16 May 2008: venerdì, 16 maggio 2008.

Ciao, Ben

Moving2Italy2 – #1 source of links About, For or On Italy for those individuals moving, traveling or already living in Italy.

Today’s quote is an Italian proverb, author unknown.
"Non tutti quelli che hanno lettere sono savi."
"Not all those who are learned are wise."

Please note: The time listed below for this posting is Central European Time (CET)/ GMT+1.

Info about Toilets in Italy

(LAST EDITED/UPDATED: 2 September 2008)

Here are some links and comments and observations about toilets in Italy:

VARIOUS LINKS

• 50 Ways to Flush a Toilet – "A Bewildering Variety in Italy" – Source: Deirdré Straughan's blog, Countries Beginning with I – "Living in Italy, India, the Internet, and the World"
• finding a clean public toilet in Rome – Source: romebuddy.com – "we know what's bugging you..."
• Italy ... Bathrooms – Source: NotAMall.com
• Plumbing in Italy – Source: slow travel italy
  
• The Toilets Of Italy – Source: poopreport.com
• Tour the Amazing Toilets of Italy – "Modern European Plumbing" – Source: Mrsedivy.com – "What you need, when you need it"
  

FORUM DISCUSSIONS

• slow travel – Slow Travel Talk TRAVEL italy – "Forums for the Slow Travel community"
• public bathrooms in italy
• Turkish toilets
• FAQ: Things about Italy I don't understand - CAUTION: Toilet and Bidet Talk
  

COMMENTS AND OBSERVATIONS

• The words for men’s room is uomo and women’s room is donna (or some language variation) or there are international symbols on the door or they are unisex. Yes, Virginia, that means a man may be standing outside the door waiting to enter the facilities.
  
• Many toilets (WC or bagno) in Italy are NOT free! You will usually need a 50 cent piece for entry.
• The toilets on the Autostrata toll roads (read Interstate) are usually free but the attendant leaves a plate for tips, you can leave a 10 or 20 cent piece or nothing.
• While we are talking about toilets, they come in all shapes and sizes.
  
• To flush an Italian toilet, there may be a small push-up metal rod or a string located above the toilet seat on the bottom of the water tank or to the side of the water tank or there is a metal, rubber or plastic button next to it on the wall or on it but you will need to look for it.
• Usually, there are no handles on the water tank or foot levers.
  
• You may run into some toilets without running water and/or toilet paper.
  
• Be prepared and bring a few packages of Kleenex or something equivalent. A waterless hand sanitizer is nice to have with you.
• PLEASE NOTE: There are a large number of toilets in Italy without seats. You may have to squat.

If anyone has any suggestions for other sites and links for reference, please feel free to post your comment and I'll update this blog entry. For your specific interest, please search the web for further information using .

Please note: If you want me to reply to your comment or request for further information by email, please include your email address in a separate comment. I will NOT publish any comments with an email address in it.

That's it for Friday, 29 February 2008: venerdì, 29 febbraio 2008.

Ciao, Ben

Moving2Italy2 – #1 source of links About, For or On Italy for those individuals moving, traveling or already living in Italy.

Today’s quote is a Sicilian proverb, author unknown.

"Si frivaru nun frivìa, marzu nun erburìa."
"If February doesn't do its thing, the March landscape its green won't bring."

Please note: The time listed below for this posting is Central European Time (CET)/ GMT+1.

(LAST EDITED/UPDATED: 2 September 2008)

Info about the Autostrade per l'Italia

(LAST EDITED/UPDATED: 30 April 2009)

Here are some links about the Autostrade per l'Italia:

OFFICIAL WEBSITE

• Autostrade per l'Italia – National toll road system in Italy – In English and Italian

TOLL PAYMENT

CAVEAT: Drivers without a passenger in right hand drive (RHD) vehicles will have difficulty paying their respective toll unless their vehicle is equipped with a TELEPASS transponder. At the Autostrade exits, the toll collector's booth or toll payment machine is on the left side of the vehicle!

• TELEPASS.IT – an electronic toll collection system in Italy using a wireless transponder usually placed on the windshield of the vehicle – In Italian Only
• Toll Payment – In English, Italian – AISCAT (Associazione Italiana Società Concessionaire Autostrade e Trafori) – Primarily in Italian, English version of some sections of this website
  
• TOLLS
• ENTRY
  
• There are separate and restricted lanes for entry onto the Autostrata. There are two types of lanes. One lane is marked either with a sign or with the word, “Biglietto” (ticket) and you take the toll ticket from the machine. The other lane is exclusively for clients utilizing the “TELEPASS” system. This lane is marked with a large yellow sign with the words in blue: “TELEPASS”.
• If you are in the lane marked “Biglietto” (ticket), please lookout for the cars using the “TELEPASS” system. They do NOT stop or slow down as they enter the Autostrata.
  
• Due to the amount of traffic entering the Autostrata behind you, it will be extremely difficult to back up out of the wrong lane.
  
• EXIT
• There are separate and restricted lanes for payment when exiting from the Autostrata. You can pay by credit card, by cash (sometimes there are unattended booths) and by prepayment: TELEPASS or VIACARD – a prepaid card system for the Autostrata. There are 3 types of payment exits on the Autostrata:
  
• One lane is exclusively for “TELEPASS”. This lane is marked with a large yellow sign with the words in blue: “TELEPASS”.
  
• Another lane is for “VIACARD” and credit cards. This lane is marked with a large blue sign with the words in white: “CARTE”.
• The last type of payment lane is marked with a large white sign with a picture of coins and bills on it. Usually, there is an attendant. However, this lane at some exits may be an unattended booth but it will accept coins, bills and credit cards.
• Please approach and enter the correct payment lane. While exiting from the Autostrata, you may only have just a few seconds to decide which lane to choose. If in doubt, choose the lane with a large white sign with a picture of coins and bills on it.
  
• Please note: Depending on the size of the actual entry points or exits for the Autostrata, there may be multiple combinations of lanes.
  
• Please do not enter the Autostrata without some change or some small denomination of bills or a credit card because some of the exits off the Autostrata are unattended.

TRAFFIC CONDITIONS

• Infoviabilità – Real Time Traffic – In Italian Only
• Info - mobility – Listing of various sources for traffic conditions – In English, Italian – AISCAT (Associazione Italiana Società Concessionaire Autostrade e Trafori) – Primarily in Italian, English version of some sections of this website
  
• ISORADIO – From RAI – In Italian Only

MISCELLANEOUS

• ARTICLES
• The Autostrada – Pauline Kenny, 2003 – Source: slowtrav italy
• Tourist Survival Guide TRANSPORTATION On the Autostrada – "Transportation by Roberta Corradin and Colleen Stricker" – Source: DolceVita – "The insider's guide to Italy"
• SEE ALSO:
• Info about Telepass.it (electronic toll collection system) in Italy *, dated Friday, March 09, 2007
  

* = Blog entry has been updated.

The above links are current. If anyone has any suggestions for other sites, please feel free to post your comment and I'll update this blog entry. For your specific interest, please search the web for further information using .

Please note: If you want me to reply by email, please include your email address in a separate comment. I will NOT publish any comments with an email address.

That's it for Friday, 15 February 2008: venerdì, 15 febbraio 2008.

Ciao, Ben

Moving2Italy2 – #1 source of links About, For or On Italy for those individuals moving, traveling or already living in Italy.

Today’s quote is an Italian proverb, author unknown.

"Sfortuna al gioco, fortuna in amore."
"Unlucky at cards, lucky in love."

Please read my wife's blog about our life in Italy:

Friends and Family in Italy

Going to Spain, read my new blog:

Info About, For or On Spain – a source of links About, For or On Spain for those individuals traveling or already living in Spain.

Please note: The time listed below for this posting is Central European Time (CET)/ GMT+1.

(LAST EDITED/UPDATED: 30 April 2009)