The walled-city of architectural heritage, this is San Gimignano!

Traveling to San Gimignano lets you take a train to Poggibonsi then a bus ride from the train station to the city. You must worry when you’re already there, the city is small and you can tour it around on foot.

There are only nine noticeable attractions in the city and the most special is the Piazza del Duomo. This is the monumental small squares in Italy, where there are four medieval towers. These are Rognosa, Chigi, Grossa and the twin-Salvucci.

The Collegiata that is situated to nearest Duomo Cathedral is one of those beautiful attractions in the city. If you want to see the various civic paintings, you should get inside the Pinacoteca Civica in Palazzo Pubblico. 

Other attractions include the 200 feet Torre Grossa, the great frescoes at Sant’Agostino, the civic paintings at Pinacoteca Civica and the Old Stone Well at Piazza della Cisterna. 

Food & Restaurants

Various restaurants are scattered all over this small city. The Hotel Restaurant Panoramic is a dainty food dining focusing in perfumes and aromas. Da Pone offers you a medieval setting where traditional recipes are served genuinely. The Restaurant Da Grazano gives you an open-setting in beautiful terraces. Their specialty is focused on fish dishes. 

Da Nisio is a large roof-terrace restaurant that serves you Tuscan wine and food. This is located a kilometer outside the San Ginignano Center. Da Pode is a beautiful mansion inspired in an elegant and comfortable cafĂ©. The Dorando offers just the pleasures of life. This cozy restaurant is fully furnished in accessible elegance giving you the feel of cleverness. The exemplary La Stella allows you to experience the rustic style of excellence. They serve Tuscan dishes such as mushrooms and truffles cooked in coals. 

The Peruca Restaurant is perfect for those tourists who seek for inspired old-wine-cellar-setting. The whole family experience fun and delight in Zaghe & Doicce. Z&D serve nice dishes during lunch and dinner. If you have some extra money, you should try their Pizza Messicana and Bruschetta al porcino.    

The City of Flowers

San Gimignano is known for its numerous and alluring flowers. If you are a romantic person, this is the city you to look at for. You can always search online and order plants in line of the occasion. Get the flower and deliver right in your doorstep whether wrapped in papers, bouquet or just be in the pot.

"I reckon grief tourism is a void filled by a lack of religion or interest in religion. It's the thing that you do when you can't be bothered going to a church on your travels. I think it's still all about entertainment. I don't think it's about actual grief," wrote a reader, Sandy, in response to my posts about Australia's Anzac Day last weekend, here and here. I've been reflecting upon Sandy's comments all week. Anzac Day is a national day of remembrance (as you travel around Australia you'll see the words "Lest we forget" on every war memorial) to honour the 11,000 Australians and New Zealanders who died at Gallipoli, Turkey, during World War 1. Over the years it became a day to commemorate those who fought in other wars serving our country. When I was young it was always a day that was for older people, those who'd fought in the first and/or second world wars and their children (my grandparents/parents), and the grandchildren (my parents/my generation) always seemed to be dragged along reluctantly to parades and dawn services. But for a young generation of Australians, the great-grandchildren of the Anzacs (and younger), participating in Anzac Day, and travelling as far as Gallipoli for 25 April, has become a cool thing to do in recent years. So much so that in 2005, 17,000 people, mostly young Australians, were at Anzac Cove at Gallipoli for the dawn service. What was once a solemn ceremony turned into a day of drunken debauchery with the music videos screened to entertain the crowds creating a party atmosphere fueled by alcohol (officially banned). Following negative media coverage, numbers declined with just 10,000 Aussies present in 2008. However, it was clear that Gallipoli had become a magnet for Aussie backpackers and their behavior had become so bad that in Lonely Planet's recent Turkey guidebook, author Virginia Maxwell urged Aussie travellers to consider their impact as tourists and stay away from Gallipoli on 25 April 2009, and instead visit at other times of the year. (See Gemma Pitcher's story on NineMSN's travel: Lonely Planet: Stay Away from Anzac Service.) Behavior was modified and last weekend's ceremony at Gallipoli was considerably more sober, despite numbers remaining high. But how do we explain the popularity of Gallipoli amongst backpackers who once upon a time would rather have been partying on a beach in Bali, or Goa, or Koh Samui... Has Gallipoli become 'the thing that you do'? Are the tours there a form of 'grief tourism', an opportunity to appreciate what it was really like for those who fought and died at Gallipoli - to feel how cold it could get, to understand how hard it was to climb up those hills - or is it just another key sight for travellers to tick off on a long list that includes everything from the Eiffel Tower to St Peter's Basilica? In the absence of religion, and the lack of knowledge about and disinterest in churches that a young generation must have, are those extravagant European cathedrals now passe? Are war memorials the new churches?


Update: if this topic interests you, you might also be interested in this story "'Drunk, drugged-up Kiwis' treat Gallipoli' as party", published 6 April 09, which was motivated by comments from NZ Herald readers, including one New Zealand traveller on their way to Gallipoli last week who was embarrassed to be part of a group who had no idea what Anzac Day was all about and were simply going to get "hammered".

I recall when the defining image of Anzac Day was a shot of craggy faced old diggers in uniform, slouch hats on their heads, medals on chests, marching with pride, many pushing their comrades in wheelchairs. Now the media is saturated with images of young Australians, standing on the beach at Gallipoli, in over-sized sunnies, hoodies and beanies, 'tattoos' of Aussie flags painted on their cheeks, themselves swathed in the Australian flag, like this image here and here. While we've still seen images of veterans on parade, flags being lowered, hymns being sung, and soldiers playing two-up, pictures of young people participating in Anzac Day services, particularly at Gallipoli, have proliferated in the Australian media in recent days. Admittedly, none of the original Anzac diggers are left, and there are fewer veterans around from other campaigns. But I'm curious as to why we weren't seeing more images of the young Iraqi veterans at Anzac Day events? And why the media wasn't taking the opportunity to tell their stories. Perhaps because Iraq is a war Australia shouldn't have fought in and hence once they want to forget? But Anzac Day had come to symbolize so much more for Australia than just Gallipoli - it was always an opportunity to commemorate the fallen from other wars. So why, I'm wondering, when Australia has fought so many other battles, is there now a focus on Gallipoli and on young Australians making the pilgrimage there? When, how and why did Gallipoli begin to inspire young Aussies?

Some revealing comments come from Australia's politicians who joined the grief tourists in Turkey
- an act itself that's an indication of how important the event - and being seen to participate in the event - has become to Australians. Interviewed at Gallipoli, Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said: "There was a very good crowd of young Australians there, I think reflecting that these days it's both a commemoration of those that lost their lives... but also a celebration of some of our national characteristics and values and virtues." Smith explained what those were: "The great Australian notion of a fair go, of looking out for one's mates, of a sense of humour in adversity, and the sure and certain knowledge that however bad circumstances might be, there was always someone else worse off who needs a helping hand." He said: "Short moments on the beach, and long months in the trenches, in conditions of the greatest adversity have taken on profound significance over time - they now say something about our characteristic as a people and our spirit as a nation." And: "The soil on which we stand today has extraordinary significance for our people and our nation," he said. "It is a place of terrible loss, solemn memory and now immense national pride."

As an Australian who has been away for a decade, I'm struggling to understand when and how
Gallipoli took on this "extraordinary" meaning for Australians. New South Wales Premier Nathan Rees, who was with a school group who travelled to Gallipoli on a Government scholarship, said: "Anzac days at school often had real diggers from the wars come and talk. With the last digger dying 10 years ago that option is not available for the new generation of students." So because the Anzac diggers have all gone, the kids go to Turkey instead? As a travel writer, I'm grappling to understand how a new generation of young grief tourists has formed, but perhaps this statement by Australia's ambassador to Turkey Peter Doyle is the most revealing: "The Anzacs … helped to tell us who we are, we created their legend, and made them our heroes," he said. Ah-huh...

It's the Anzac Day long weekend here in Australia, and as an Australian who has lived overseas since 1998, I'm finding the experience an odd one. While I appreciate the tragedy that was The Battle of Gallipoli and the pointless loss of lives, particularly those of the ANZACs (the Australian and New Zealand Army Corp) who were sent to slaughter, I feel completely disconnected from the sentiment that an increasing number of Australians, especially young Aussies, are feeling. According to media reports this weekend, there was a Big turnout for Anzac Day marches (ABC) and Thousands of young Aussies pay homage at Gallipoli (Brisbane Times). In Aussies keep the faith on Anzac Day, Sydney Morning Herald reporter Doug Conway writes: "A navy chaplain called it "a sacred moment" - dawn on April 25, when a nation remembers the 1.8 million Australians who have gone off to war and the 102,000 who never came back. On the 94th such sacred moment, Australians showed that as the ranks of veterans dwindles, so the numbers of those honouring them swells. In cities and towns around Australia, at Gallipoli and on the western front, in NZ, PNG, Britain and the US, tens of thousands were urged to keep faith with the Anzac spirit." While I'm open to experiencing "sacred moments", this one passed me by. I spent the day at my desk writing, feeling little duty or desire to attend an Anzac service or parade. I'm not even sure what it means to "keep faith" with the Anzac spirit, nor what that 'spirit' is, because the 'national character' it was meant to capture has eluded us on our recent travels here. I'm not so sure that it exists anymore - if it ever existed at all. Perhaps it's because I've lived 'away' for so long and travelled so much that I feel (as pretentious as this might sound) more a citizen of the globe than of one particular nation. And I like it that way. I like being 'globalized', feeling 'international' in spirit. I know what that means. But I don't understand nor do I like the spirit of nationalism that seems to have swept Australia, the ugliest 'ism' of all. It's one that in Australia I associate with the Cronulla riots and many Australians' unquestioning support of John Howard, George Bush and the Iraq War. So while I appreciate the need in human beings for "sacred moments" and I understand how Anzac Day tourism has developed, in the way that any form of dark tourism or grief tourism develops - although to be honest I'm not even sure that's what's happening when Aussie backpackers visit Gallipoli - I am deeply uncomfortable with the revival in nationalism among young Australians.

I receive a lot of emails offering to send me products to review... travel books, CDs, language-learning tools, you name it. I'm halfway through several books which I dip into before I drift off to sleep each night, and I'm trying to learn Italian again. And I will get around to writing those reviews soon, I promise. But there's one special product I received from Singapore yesterday which I couldn't resist placing at the top of the reviewing pile that I'm itching to tell you about - something that appeals both to my fondness for postcards and my constant search (and desire to dabble in) new forms of travel guides...

The Accidental Traveler,
Linzy Q, who blogs at My Impromptu Travel Journal emailed: "I came across your blog about Postcard Stories and I really like what you wrote. I'm wondering if you would be interested in something that I've published. Entitled "A Little Beijing", it is a publication that stitches together photographs, maps and descriptions of quaint destinations throughout the city in the form of 60 postcards + 1 map of the itinerary. Each day, travellers follow pre-determined routes (outlined on a color coded map) and carry with them approximately 10 corresponding postcards. Upon visiting a place, travellers scribble down their thoughts and mail them back home. Once they get back, a complete documentation of their trip should be waiting for them in the post."

Not only is 'A Little Beijing' a novel concept, but it's every bit as enchanting as it sounds! I'm sure I squealed with delight as I opened the packaging. The postcards come in a handy box, the instructions are easy to understand, the off-the-beaten-track itineraries are well thought-out (intriguing neighbourhoods, quirky points of interest, well-paced) and easy to follow, and the postcards themselves are gorgeous - fabulous photography and beautifully designed (Linzy has won awards for the design). They are the kinds of interesting, arty postcards you only wish they sold in Beijing, the kinds of postcards you would buy if you could anyway, indeed, they're the kinds of images you'd happily gaze at on the wall of an art gallery and wish they also came in postcards.

And while I adore Linzy's idea of following the itineraries on the cards and jotting down your reflections of the places you visit and sending the cards home to yourself as a keepsake, I also love the idea of sending them back to your family members or to a close group of friends who can share what you're up to with eachother while you're away, piecing together the narrative of your journey like a jigsaw puzzle. I told you in Postcards to my Mum about my mother's accident a few years ago and how when she was in hospital in Perth and I was on the road researching a book in Greece I used to send her a postcard a day. I can see 'A Little Beijing' having similar uses... how wonderful to share your journey to Beijing with an invalid grandmother or another family member or friend who can't travel but who travels precariously through you... think of the possibilities.

You can buy A Little Beijing at Linzy's blog or bookstores in Hong Kong and Singapore, which she lists on her blog. Well, if anything, isn't it just a great excuse to go to Beijing?

When you say Pienza, it simply refers to a small city in Val d’Orcia in Tuscany, Italy. Actually, the Val d’Orcia is a cultivated hill consisting of beautiful towns and villages. The Pienza is probably the most popular due to its idealism-setting founded by Pope Pius II in 15th century. 

You can’t see a public transit in Pienza. You will more appreciate your tour if you walk. The town is very small and you can even tour it in thirty minutes without stopping and shopping. However, if you want to enjoy your visit, you should drop from one attraction before the other, never in other way round. Pienza is a town of elegance and grand, don’t waste your time by expecting much. 

Start your tour by exploring the Piazza Pio II. The special aspect about the site is the formation of various tall buildings. There’s a cathedral (Duomo) on the south side furnished with fine interiors, the Bishop’s Palace (Palazzo Vescovile) on the east, the Renaissance-inspired Palazzo Piccolomini on the west and the Palazzo Communale on the north. 

If you want to experience the naturalistic landscape, come inside the great home of Piccolomini family. Upon entering the Palazzo’s ground floor, various halls and rooms will meet your way such as the study, the library and the weapons room. The piano room houses antique musical instruments with historic paintings on the wall. 

After Palazzo Piccolomini, visit the Diocesan Museum the next day. The artful side of you will be realized once you get in touch with the array of notable collections in here. There were 12th-17th century paintings that tell the lives of those pious saints.

Touring with an empty stomach can be stressful, right? So, before visiting your next destination, may it be another art work or fun-filled park, eat and drink wine at Pienza’s best fine dinings at Latte di Luna, La Taverna di Re Artu and the elegant outdoor-and-indoor seating at Ristorante dal Faco.

Now, if you want to visit other remarkable attractions in Pienza or be informed with anything you want to understand, you can visit their Tourist Information, just situated in Piazza Pio II.

Erected on a high limestone ridge approximately 13 km. east of Pienza, 70 km. southeast of Siena, 124 km. southeast of Florence and 186 km. north of Rome is the Tuscany’s medieval city known as Montepulciano. This city on a hill is largely famous for its red wine and some food items such as cheese, lentils, honey, pasta and pork.

Such a small city but with its nature-friendly landmarks around, your vacation will still be a grand in here. Your first stop should be the Piazza Grande. The one amazing thing about this piazza is its ancient but incredible walls and buildings. Walking in this piazza feels as if you are in an old-age chessboard with artistic towers all around the corner. The clock tower in Palazzo Comunale is truly a center attraction and a joy to visit. For just a little fee, you can climb the top to see the bird’s-eye-view of the hill city. 

Wines & Architectures

Are you thirsty? Do you think it’s time to drink wine? No problem, Montepulciano offers you the best wines-tasting in the world. Just situated at the basement of Piazza Grande is the 13th-century, Contucci Palace. Here, you’ll immediately notice barrels and cellars full of high-quality wines and olive oils. The most popular being the Vino Nobile.  

After sipping wines, rest a while and pay a visit to museums, churches and restaurants the next day. The Civic Museum in Palazzo Neri-Orselli is probably the most famous in the city where there’s a massive display of Tuscan Paintings, Robbia Ceramics and Etruscan Artifacts. 

You’ll realize how grateful the nature is if you see the San Biago Church at the center of a gardenlike-setting surrounded with tall and verdant trees. Thanks to Antonio da Sangallo for making San Biago Church the home of relish harmony and real serenity.

Let’s Eat!

Two of the stand-out restaurants in Montepulciano are Ai Quattro Venti and Osteria dell’Aquacheta. The former is recommended for its pasta sprinkled with fresh porcini. The latter is known for nice fine dining specializing in pastas and salads for only Five Euros. Other fantastic restaurants in Montepulciano are: the outstanding services in Ristorante Le Logge del Vignola, the highly-impressive ambiance in Osteria del Leone and the fanciful and pleasant dining setting in La Grotta, located just across the San Biago Church.

When the Summer Heat is on, there are millions of beach destinations in the world to visit but please, never forget the Versilia in your list. This is a region in the province of Lucca, Tuscany. 

For you to know--- the Versilia has one of the nicest coastal stretches extending from Liguria to Pisa and the coolest part is; it offers clean sandy beaches, clean water, good production of marbles and cool villages. The largest beach town is being the Viareggio. 

The nicest aspect of visiting Viareggio is its variety of interesting sceneries and fun activities. Once there, you can enjoy swimming and snorkeling at their clear beaches, eat delicious seafood at their restaurants and have the great nightlife till you drop. 

Do you want to visit the marble producing resort? Your destination should be Marina di Carrara. Touring their marble quarries and museum is such a delightful experience and just bathe in their awesome sandy beaches later on.

Another a must-visit attraction is the Forte dei Marmi. This resort targets the affluent Italians who can afford the five-star hotels, designer clothes and expensive accommodations at their bathing establishments.  These are probably the reason why Forbes tagged Forte dei Marmi as one of the World’s Topless Beaches in the world. 

Apart from the mentioned above, you can even appreciate the artistic environment offered to you by Ronchi and the adventures in-stored for you by the five-kilometer-sand-stretch in Marina di Pietrasanta. 

Staying Where

If you have difficulties finding where exactly to stay, you can do a direct booking online and if you want, you can study the map prepared for you there. Perhaps, you can choose to stay at Lerici. This is an attractive village situated near the coastline or get around the little city of Sarzana. Here, you can hop around the restaurants around; one by one per day and if you want, write a blog post about your experience after.  

I'm so busy writing (two books on Australia) that I have little time for blogging. I could easily spend all day every day doing nothing but writing, but I need to cram coffee breaks with things other than travel writing to keep me sane - like trip-planning (Dubai, Venice and Spain next) and reading:
* You know how I find itineraries fascinating (read
this post and this one)... well Heather on her Travels has undertaken an interesting experiment, posting a '36 hours in Berlin' itinerary with a difference. It includes the itinerary she planned before she went to Berlin and what she actually did when she got there. Worth a study for aspiring travel writers.
* In 'Sour Grapes' over at Wide angles, wine and wanderlust, Terry is blogging about a story in the Sydney Morning Herald, 'So fresh, so clean, so not buying', that has us both bewildered. We're not sure what's more objectionable - that the writer proudly discourages readers visiting one of Australia's greatest wine regions to not by the wines (!) at a time when the government and tourism bodies are trying to persuade Aussies to take their leave and do stay-cations to help save the economy. Or the fact that his trip was paid for by the South Australian Tourism Commission.
* At educational travel blog Following the Equator, Eric is enjoying Twitter and has posted a list of 50 Travel Tweepers on Twitter (including moi), while World Hum has posted Twitter Tips from 25 Tweeting Travellers. The latter is being seen by many, including Jessica Spiegel at BootsnAll as a tactic to lure back pro-Twitter travellers who were offended by columnist Rolf Potts' answer to a reader's question "Should I Twitter from the Road?" I'll let you read Potts' response and the heated debate that ensues in the comments, but essentially he likens Twitter users to a former college mate Doug, who he thinks was a "doofus" because he continually updated his answer machine message with mundane details about his comings and goings. Potts believes using Twitter on the road will distract you from amazing local experiences. What he doesn't seem to understand is that Twitter can do exactly the opposite and allow you to connect with (and meet and get advice from) like-minded locals (not only other travellers) in a way that you could never have been before. Jessica writes a fantastic post on the whole twittroversy (?!): To Use Twitter for Travel or Not to Use It: Is That Really the Question? while Vicky Baker at Going Local, also reflects on it. Vicky, who occasionally posts about Twitter, also asks 'Are you a social netsetter?'

Pictured? Camel-trainers exercising their camels in Dubai. That's Terry crouched in between them shooting pics. When we lived at Al Mankhool and before they moved the track, we'd regularly head over there on weekends to watch them train. The second bloke on the camel is on his mobile phone. Most of these guys would either be chatting or texting on their mobiles from the backs of their camels. I wouldn't be surprised if when I return next month I find they're using Twitter.

Technicalities aside (see my previous post on Dubai as 'salad bowl' rather than 'melting pot') I was pleased to read The Dubai Melting Pot Is In the Kitchen Too in the New York Times. After an abundance of Dubai-bashing in the media recently, it was a relief to see a story by a writer who actually enjoyed himself in Dubai, and to read a well-researched piece of travel and food writing that gave such a scrumptious insight into the place. However, often it's the focused, one-subject stories that are more revealing than the all-encompassing pieces that try to do everything and don't end up covering anything particularly well at all. While cuisine, cooking and a culture's eating habits tell a lot about a place, in this case what's heartening is the fact that the story was centered, that it stayed on topic, that it rang true, and that it dug a little (although perhaps not as deep as it could have), rather than staggered all about the place, scratching here and there at the surface, and scraping together nothing but castles in the sand. During his three-day "odyssey across the culinary landscape of Dubai" writer Seth Sherwood samples an array of restaurants featuring cuisine from North Africa to the Sub-Continent, crediting Dubai’s cosmopolitan population for this culinary diversity, and writing "For devotees of food from the Arabian-Islamic world, Dubai may offer the grandest and most concentrated smorgasbord on the planet." Okay, so they're not really 'Arabian' (he probably means Arabic), but we'll forgive him because at least he was there. You see, I still can't get over Brisbane writer Elizabeth Farrelly's nonsensical piece in which she admitted that she had never been there but strangely for six months had "wanted to write about Dubai as a ruin". In stark contrast Sherwood's piece is grounded in reality: "Though the international economic crisis has raged like a sandstorm through Dubai’s office towers, financial markets and construction sites, a January visit found the sprawling restaurant scene remarkably intact." He concludes: "The upshot is a citywide food bazaar in which restaurants, high- and low-end, serve up tapaslike mezes, aubergine par excellence, fluffy couscous, tangy yogurts, endless kebabs, meats stewed with fruit, fiery arrak liqueur and honey-drenched desserts. All you need is taxi fare and a love of spices." I couldn't agree more. Although I don't always agree with his choices. Sherwood covers everything from the chic Moroccan restaurant Almaz by Momo (pictured) to the gritty Pakistani worker's eatery, Ravi, an expat favorite. The challenge of doing a story like this is that the writer only has three days to eat his way around the city and has to rely on his research abilities as much as his skills at discernment whereas we have had 11 years of dining in Dubai, with plenty of time for repeat visits. Another reason I love guidebook writer - 6 weeks in a city allows you plenty of time to return to places, to wander by on different nights, and to talk to locals. But once again - at least he was there.

Dubai is a big delicious bowl of salad. And a fusion salad at that. Don't you think? While the term 'melting pot' gets used a lot, it's not a 'melting pot' in the strict sense of the concept, in that there hasn't been an assimilation or intermarriage of ethnicities to the extent that the original cultures have been lost and the culture as a whole has become homogeneous. Far from it. Indeed, that's not really a desirable thing anymore anyway, is it? For me, Dubai is more of a 'salad bowl' of cultures, where individuals, families and ethnic groups are all enticingly mixed together but they each retain their own unique identities, and the rich traditions and wonderful customs that make them special. Indeed, Dubai, or rather, the United Arab Emirates, is one of the most multicultural places I know, where alongside the Emiratis, the Iranians, Lebanese, Egyptians, Syrians, Jordanians, Indians, Pakistanis, Filipinos, Russians, French, British, and so on are all able to maintain their own cultures, eat at their own restaurants, shop for the same groceries they might buy back home, worship in their mosques, temples and churches, shop for their own music etc - and those of us who relish the opportunity to consume other cultures are able to thrive by living in such a cosmopolitan society that is as rich as the best of them (Canada? Australia?) in terms of its cultural diversity.

Pictured? Foreign visitors (from the UK, Europe, Australia and North America) waiting to try home-cooked Emirati food at the Cultural Breakfast at the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding in Bastakiya, Dubai. This is one the first things I recommend people do when they visit Dubai - it gives them a great insight into the local culture, religion and people, and goes a long way to breaking down stereotypes and misconceptions.

Lucca is a historic city in Tuscany, Italy. This city is best known for its impressive architecture like old churches, art galleries and art museums. 

Speaking of old churches, you must not forget to visit the giant columnar-inspired arcades of the Italian Duomo or the Cathedral of St. Martin

Some reports clam there’s no lucid indications of this basilica but to some, they believed this Gothic-inspired architecture was built in 1063 lead by Pope Alexander II.  The eye-catching façade and three arches were added in 1204 where you can now see the historic painting of St. Martin with the Poor Man. If you go to the left portal, you surely appreciate the works of Nicolo Pisano.

The next attraction to be applauded next to the façade is the bell-tower, which was finished in 13th century. Inside this tower are the hanging arches and single to four-shaped windows and if you stand at the center of the area, you notice its asymmetrical shaped background.

What’s Inside?

Entering inside the Cathedral feels so brilliantly good for first-timers. You can immediately notice its octagonal-shaped temple in the farthest end where lays the relic of Volto Santo di Lucca.  Nicodemus sculptured the wooden corpus.  

Inside the Nave is the cedar-wood appearance of the crucifix, where the Christ wore long sleeveless clothing. The color of the clothing was reportedly changed from red to blue symbolizing martyrdom. 

Take a look at the statue for at least three minutes and you can somehow recognize as if the wooden statue is moving. This sense of imaginary movement is due to the elaborate positioning of the symmetrical lines of the cross. 

Other historic masterpieces in Lucca for you to explore are Tomb of Ilaria del Carretto by Jacopo della Quercia, Madonna and Child with Saint Peter, Saint Clement and Saint Sebastian by Ghirlandaio, Adoration of Magi by Zuccari and of cource, Tintoretto’s The Last Supper.

If you are looking for farm house and villa resorts to stay during the vacation, the Chianti Classico Wine Territory is the place you are looking for. With its panoramic farmland setting, you can surely experience the life in search for peace and true happiness away from the noise and crowd of urban living.

Basically, the Chianti is a small province in Tuscany located exactly in Central Italy. The Chianti Classico is only a zone in Chianti Wine Area and it regularly offers you the best vacation stay at their beautiful farmhouses, holiday-rentals in the hills and tiled-flooring rooms and apartments. 

Talking about the wineries in Chianti Classico, there are various attractions you must visit to taste the wine delight. One of those wineries is the Podere San Cresci that is located in the Chianti Hills just above the Greve in Chianti. Independent winery Sergio Ballini owned this large and clean-surrounding winery.

Another a must-see winery is the Antico Borgo di Sugame, which is ran by Lorenzo and Catrina Miceli. Visiting this winery guarantees a special and caring atmosphere, especially in their 28-year-old vineyard, for your whole family and friends. Sugame offers you delicious wines to taste. They have Sangiovese Grape with small deeps of Cabarnet Sauvignon, the best vintage of Sugame Riserva, the high-quality taste of Sugame IGT Rose and the pure sangiovese and the everyday-drinking Bosco Grosso.

You surely want to go back in Podere Sagna once you went there for the first time. The place doesn’t produce wines but they can give you the best organic olive oil in town. Sunbathing in their water resort is surely a dive. 
Other attractions worth your visit in this town are: Poggio all’Olmo, Villa Saint’Andrea, Le Centnelle, Fattoria Tregole, Le Torre di Melazzano and Agriturismo Patrizia Falcani. 

Don’t worry if you are confused where to go first, you can choose to hire their licensed tour guide. The tour guide will introduce you to hundreds wineries on the area while riding on an air-conditioned minibus. 

Another option to consider blasting your vacation trip to Chianti Classico is the travel incentives. This special winter offer allows you to enjoy a full luxurious weekend at Villa Felceto, delicious meals at Dario Cecchi’s Restaurant and wine-tasting activities at Castello Vicchiomaggio. 

There are various marvelous attractions nearby but still and until now, the City of Pisa in Tuscany is widely known for its Guglielmo & Pisano Leaning Tower.

This freestanding tower tends to lean to the southwest (about 5.5 degrees) due to poor constructional foundation in 1173. If you are going to measure it all up, the Leaning Tower has a height of 183.27 ft on the lowest side while 186.02 ft on the highest side. The whole tower weighs at 16,000 short tons and if your planning to lose weight, climbing its 296 steps thrice a week is probably enough to get fit.

Brief History

The construction began in 1173 with pillars and arches as the ground floor. With plans and designs originally made by Guglielmo and Bonano Pisano. When Pisano died, Giovanni di Simone completed the construction of the tower in 1264. In 1360-1370, the Gothic-Romanesque architectural design was passed to Tommaso di Andrea Pisano, where seven bells are installed inside the tower. 

Further surface restoration from corrosion and blackening continued in 1990 until 200. Seventy metric tons were removed in May 2008 to ensure its deep-rooted foundation that can last for at least two decades. 

What It Feels 

Standing outside the tower while photographing a top-view shot feels like you are the courageous David in front of an immobile Goliath. Going inside the entrance door can really be hair-raising for those first timers but when you see the largest bell on the ground floor (L’assunta), its classic ingenuity is not a disappointment.
 
The narrow and almost shrunken staircase from the seventh to the next level seems spooky at first but as you reach the top, the view from the top is completely a breathtaking experience not to be ignored. Don’t worry, it’s allowed to bring cameras and video cams but refrain from leaning to the protecting balusters around.

Children less than eight years old are not allowed inside the tower and those who suffer from any forms of vertigo are discouraged.    
  
As of the writing of this content, visiting the Leaning Tower depends on the availability of the tour guides and the weather during the visit. An advance booking is necessary at their ticket office or before your visit; you can stay at their nearest hotels nearby. 

Other Attractions in Pisa

Apart from the Leaning Tower, try to tour the City of Pisa with stops at the Romanesque dome known as the Battistero, the art collection of frescoes at Campo Santo Monumentable, the preserves masterpieces at Museo del Opera del Duomo and the incredible murals in Museo delle Sinopie. The ever-first University Botanical Garden of Europe is also a must-visit. 

A collection of SIM cards from around the world, several mobile phones, a Canon G10 (cracked screen and all!) and a swag of notebooks among other things, but you can find out more by visiting Matador. Although I have to admit, I don't really use a backpack unless I'm going on a bushwalk or trek, but I always keep one in my Samsonite. But I won't tell you more here. You can drop by Matador and check out the interview and the gear I haul around with me. Also take a look at their chats with other travel writers, photographers and podcasters as part of Matador's ongoing series: What's in your backpack? And do have a look at Terry's post on his back-up process on the road, which saved me last week when I had to replace my Mac. Back to work for me... busy week ahead.

Cortona is a small town situated in the province of Arezzo, Tuscany. Touring around this town can be more enjoyable if you choose to walk but if you are visiting churches and castles in hills, it is advisable to tour by car especially if you are traveling with little kids.

A pious person can surely enjoy his stay at Cortona due to the various churches surrounding the town. The most beautiful and most popular being the Santa Maria delle Grazie as this is included in the UNESCO World Heritage. Going inside this church, you’ll surely be amazed by its Gothic-inspired Nave. 

What more if you have seen the da Vinci’s famous work of art, The Last Supper. The church is also known for its brilliant semicircular angles known as the apse. The gothic-romanic apse was believed to be made by Donato Bramante.

Other churches you must explore in Cortona are II Duomo that offer free admission, Church of San Niccolo, of Santa Margherita, of San Domenico and of San Benedetto. 

After visiting churches, you need to proceed to museums. The city of Cortona houses two great museums, the Diocesan Museum (in Piazza del Duomo) and the Museum of Etruscan Academy. The former is tagged as the most important in Tuscany and the place you should be when you want to dig the masterpieces during the 14th and 15th century. The latter is of architectural significance due to its historic beginnings in 13th century. Just located on Piazza Signorelli, the Entrusan Academy is a seasonal museum worth your visit in April-October and November-March. 

Shopping is also fun in Cortona. If you know what you are looking for, you can find several large chain stores with rare and affordable goods. Here, gold and jewelry are sold in fair price. As you continue to tour the town, various clothing shops will meet your way. After shopping, you need to taste the city’s best sweet delights in Pasticceria Banchelli or drink a sip in Wine Bar La Casa Gialla. 

Another best thing in Cortona is its hotels and apartment. They are all over the small town and there’s no way why you can’t choose the one that fits your budget and lifestyle. The Hotel Italia and Alberto Ristorante Portole are only two of the fourteen of the most affordable rent-a-house and apartments in the city. There are twelve mid-range hotels and only one in the splurge department. The Casa Portagioia offers excellent services and accommodations at 170 Euros in peak seasons. 

A debate over the Hari article and other Dubai-bashing stories, such as a recent piece in the Toronto Star titled 'Dubai how not to build a city' (this one in the whole "city of superlatives" sub-genre, and equally as bad as Hari's, laced with just as many cliches and factual and historical errors) is raging in the blogosphere, particularly on UAE blogs such as Grape Shisha, who posts about the Toronto story; Secret Dubai Diary (a blogger who surprisingly liked Hari's piece); and the UAE Community Blog, where SamuraiSam posts a hilarious piece titled Dark Side, in which he writes: "Dear international media, You need to write more articles that reference the 'dark side of Dubai', there are clearly not enough." Sam links to 12 articles, including stories by the BBC, The Guardian, ABC News, The Times, Time, and Bloomberg, which all use the 'Dark Side' in their melodramatic headlines. This is exactly why I thought Hari's piece was a parody. There's the 'Dark side of the Dubai dream', the 'Dark Side of Dubai's Boomtown', the Dark side of Dubai’s economic boom..., Carole Cadwalladr explores the dark side of Dubai, and - my favorite - 'The Dark Side of Splendor." What about 'The Dark Side of Journalism'?

Terry has written a particularly fine post on the subject (his last), 'This is my last Dubai goodbye', over at his blog Wide Angles Wine & Wanderlust. Do take a read.

The story 'The Dark Side of Dubai' apparently wasn't the parody I had hoped it to be, however, while I was disappointed to see The Independent (a paper I have written for before - on Dubai) print such an appalling piece, I'm pleased to see that in an effort to provide some balance they have printed Emirati columnist Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi's 'If you think Dubai is bad, just look at your own country' (although Dubai of course is not a country, it's a city-state or emirate). Also see the reprint of the story at The Huffington Post just to read the articulate comment from SAS. You might also want to read Al Qassemi's piece 'Looking at the bright side of Dubai' in Arabian Business. The British government's response to Hari's piece, the BBC's recent Panorama story on Dubai, and a slew of other stories, is also interesting - read 'UK Government distances itself from Dubai criticism', the result of a Foreign Office-organized press conference in Dubai, which has appeared in a number of publications. It will be fascinating to see if the debate continues in the media, especially the news media. We all know media organizations have agendas. Editors carefully weigh up whether and how to run with stories. Essays like Hari's don't slip in accidentally. So it will be interesting to see if and how this discourse impacts the travel media where advertising plays a powerful and pivotal role. Airlines like Emirates and Etihad spend huge dollars on advertising.

A brilliant parody of the Dubai-bashing genre of article of which we've seen a spate recently in the US, UK and Australian media, has been published by The Independent called The Dark Side of Dubai by Johann Hari. (To save me linking to all the stories, see this accurate analysis of the process 'reporters' visiting Dubai appear to go through to produce the trash they've been publishing, by a reader, The Consultant, in the comments at Arabian Business.) A lot of people are getting very upset about this story. Not only Emiratis but expats who have lived in the UAE for a long time who know the place intimately, understand its complexities, and love it for all its flaws. Nobody's dismissing the treatment and hardships experienced by foreign construction workers nor the challenges faced by those losing their jobs that are covered in the stories. They're upset at the ongoing media attacks on Dubai (it's truly baffling) and the lack of objectivity and balance in that media coverage, the publication of factual errors, exaggerations and even lies, and the racist tones running throughout much of the coverage. Dubai is not alone as a developing state and economy, nor is it the only state to experience recession.

Now don't get me wrong, as someone who moved to the UAE in 1998, I also share their frustration
but I don't understand why people can't see that 'The Dark Side of Dubai' is a parody. It's so obvious. Just look at the melodramatic title of the story and the piece is jam-packed with over-used Dubai travel writing cliches ("One Thousand and One Arabian Lights", "Dubai Disneyland", "the architecture of the pharaohs as reimagined by Zsa-Zsa Gabor", a "Neverland built on the Neverland"), gross exaggerations (every expat has maids and whole armies of staff, every expat is a CEO etc), and stereotypical characters (Western expat with a Range Rover, "Filipino girl behind the counter", he meets the Emirati at Starbucks, everyone is drunk and partying all the time, blonde Dutch girl in hotpants... p-lease). It's laden with so many historical and factual errors ("in the mid-18th century, a small village was built here." He should have added 'overnight'!), and racism (just read the thing), that it can't possibly be presented as serious news commentary, certainly not something a high quality paper like The Independent would print as truth.

And it's funny on so many levels. There's a whole parody of the simplistic 90s anti-globalization rhetoric first year uni students might have referenced in a "Modernisation and Globalisation" class: the 'East' being consumed by the 'West' and its junk-food mega-brand pop culture with the references to Starbucks, Pizza Hutt, Nando's... we should be shocked that the Emirati is wearing 'Western clothes' of blue jeans and a Ralph Lauren shirt - and that he drinks a Coke! C'mon, this is 2009! It has to be a joke. We all know globalization is far more complex than that and our understanding is far more nuanced now. I mean, he actually uses the term "third world".


Still not convinced it's a parody? If you were too gob-smacked to notice the dreadful writing the first time around, take another read. An example: "Thirty years ago, almost all of contemporary Dubai was desert, inhabited only by 'cactuses' and tumbleweed and scorpions." And where was John Wayne? The set of a Hollywood Western comes to mind, right? When was the last time anyone saw native cacti in the Dubai emirate? That very sentence is a clue that this is a piece of fiction. And then there's the surrealism: Hari taking notes in Harvey Nichols as he listens to a sales assistant telling him about a £20,000 taffeta dress! And the melodrama: "And I stop writing." This is too funny. Perhaps it was an April Fools joke-story (like the Dubai double-decker boutique hotel bus announcement from Mr and Mrs Smith) and Hari missed the deadline? But I, for one, am hoping it's a series.

Pictured? That's me... looking for tumbleweeds and cactus. I know where to find scorpions.



*** If you see this story and pic elsewhere, it's because the content has been STOLEN. It's appearing on a number of sites without permission, but, trust me, invoices are on the way!

I thought the day would never come so I was over the moon to learn that at last a hotel is offering a full 24 hour stay. You can check in anytime you want - yes, that's right - A-N-Y-T-I-M-E - and check out again a whole 24 hours later! At long last guests will actually get what they pay for, instead of the 20 hours they're typically allowed to stay if they check in at 2pm and check out by 10am, which seems to be the norm these days. So three cheers for The Address, and it's sister-property The Palace, in Dubai, two properties that are part of the new Emaar hotel group. You may recall that this was something Terry and I complained about in the 10 things that annoy us about hotels series, and it's something that has really irked us, especially as we spend around 300 days a year in hotels. So we're looking forward to testing out the service when we're back in Dubai, just to make sure there's no catch. We'll let you know how our 24 hour stay goes. Let's hope this innovation catches on. Pictured? That's the sublime spa suite at The Address.

The country is the home of the international actors such as Hugh Jackman, Russel Crowe and the late Health Ledger. It’s also tagged as the multicultural country in the south where Sydney is the most largest and populous. No need for you to doubt, Australia is one of the leading destinations when you’re looking for fun and pure escapade. 

The goal of the article is to tell you the nicest spots you must visit in the three largest cities in Australia and that include Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne.

In Sydney, series of attractions can be seen. These attractions range from theme parks, sports and recreation, museums, food and wine industries, art etc. A must-visit attraction is the Centennial Parkland. This is a 360-hectare open space situated just minutes away from city’s popular beaches in the east. The whole park is divided into three: The first being the 189-hectare Centennial Park, which is the home of blooming flora and fauna and other tree plantings. The second park is the 26-hectare Queens. It is regularly used for informal recreation and sports like soccer and cricket. The third is the 115-hectare Moore Park houses range of leisure activities and playing fields. Tennis, golf, netball, football, it’s all here!

In Brisbane, one of the most famous attractions is the free admission in South Bank Parklands. Once you’re here, you’ll surely enjoy the various scenes of the formal gardens, explore the insides of historical Nepalese Temple, swim and chill at their lagoon, be wowed with their the tropical vegetation and get roll on the Kangaroo Point Cliffs. You can also experience the Best Land Attractions by visiting the River Tour that allows you to cruise the Brisbane’s historical sites using a riverboat at only $55. The Frasier Island Tour is also a popular getaway among the Aussies and the tourists. For $ 150, you can tour the breathtaking beaches and exotic freshwater lakes and beaches.  

In Melbourne, your itinerary should include the Melbourne Zoo. This is the Parkville with a natural-setting feel. What’s more exciting than seeing those native species of animals like koala, panda etc. You can also attend their weekend event (Jazz at the Zoo) where there is fun-filled music and picnic all night long. Southern’s largest museum is doubtlessly of the best. You can walk through the seven main galleries and exhibits.

Of course, the Melbourne’s Pride is their Rod Laver Arena. This 14,820 seating-capacity Melbourne Park Complex is not only the venue of Australian Open (the first grand slam event of the year) but also hosts of special events like motorbike super-crosses, music concerts and the world wrestling. In fact, the Rod Laver hosted the World Championship Wrestling in 2000. The arena receives over one million visitors each year. 

The first edition of our Calabria guidebook which we wrote for Thomas Cook Publishing is soon to be released. We spent just over a month there last May researching the book and Terry shot the gorgeous images, and we spent another month or so writing it. It wasn't an easy book to do for a number of reasons, which makes us extra proud. And I was glad to find that I still got a little excited today when I opened the package from London. We've worked on more than 40 guidebooks so it's nice to still get a bit of a kick out of the achievement. But first editions tend to do that for you because they're so completely your own - you do preliminary research, write the outline and shot lists, go on the road and do the real research, in our case Terry also shot the pics, you then write the thing up, do your mapping, answer editor's queries, advise on photos, check the proof, and so on. So it's hard not to feel as if it's your baby.

Which is why I always find it curious when writers don't update their own books. With publishers like Lonely Planet you don't always get the opportunity to - editors move around so much, so by the time an edition needs updating someone else is managing the book and they don't know you from a bar of soap and have writers they like to use. But most publishers invite the original authors to update their books. I've already twice updated the DK Top Ten to Dubai and Abu Dhabi which I co-authored. Yet, along with our Calabria books, copies of Crete, Cyprus, Milan and the Lakes, and Sicily also arrived today - all books I updated during our time in Italy last year; all second editions of books written by other authors. Perhaps the timing wasn't right, there were clashes with other projects, or the job just didn't pay enough. Perhaps the challenges we faced on Calabria provide some insight. We haven't taken a close look at our Calabria book yet but already we've noticed a photo we don't recognise of a seaside restaurant in Cosenza. Cosenza, of course, is inland. And that's the reason Terry refuses to look at our published books. Hopefully the person who updates the second edition will pick that one up.

Keen to read more about Calabria? Take a look at my posts from last year:
On the road again... in Calabria!
Is Calabria the new Puglia?
Calabria: Europe's best-value destination
10 Reasons to travel to Calabria: part 1 & part 2
One more reason to visit Calabria: Liquorice!

The city is not a big name compared to London or Paris but thanks to Ana Ivanovic and Novak Djokovic, this White City (as what its name literally means) has been a household name in the tennis circuit. This is Belgrade, the city capital of Serbia. Years after its violent history, its rich culture and diversified architecture become a leading hub in Southeastern Europe.

Belgrade is now known as the rising and energetic city ready to splash out its tourism potential. The mode of living has improved massively. Their flag carrier airline, Jat Airway, now operates in nearly forty destinations worldwide. 

As you visit Belgrade, the number one tourist attraction not-to-ignore is the Kalemegdan Belgrade Fortress Complex. The Fortress is located on the rocky ridge of Sava and Danube Rivers. You can either travel to the Upper Town or Lower Town but don’t ever forget to visit the cakewalk of the complex, the KALEMEGDAN PARK. 

The Insides of Kalemegdan Park

Once you’re in Upper Town, you’ll see the top section of the awe-struck and breathtaking views of Kalemegdan Park. This portion is known as the Gornji Grad. Here, you can have the chance to tour its Observatory and Planetarium, cakewalks in the spaces of The Victor, explores the mysteries in the Roman Well and of course, plays tennis and basketball like a pro in their court stadiums.

The Donji Grad has a slope going down the riversides and the organizers of the Park decidedly created a Greek Museum in it. The eastern section of the park, known as the Mali Kalemegdan, borders the urban part of the city. Here, you’ll see special spots such as the Belgrade Zoo in the northern area and the art pavilion (Cvijeta Zuzoric).

The Great Kalemegdan or Veliki Kalemegdan is the southern part of the park and there are various aspects of gems to explore in this area. If you are want to understand the seeds of yesterday, you must go to Military Museum. If you are into hunting, visit the Museum of Forestry. If you want to see Serbian courageous past, take a glimpse of their Monument of Gratitude to France. 

Other incredible must-see views in Kalemegdan Park are the Despot’s Gate, Zindan Gate, the St. Petka Chapel, the Ruzica Church, the Institute for the Cultural Movements, the Gun, the Orthodox Cathedral and try appreciating the basic elements such as the falling leaves, the trees and the bridges.    

Going to Belgrade to See Kalemegdan?

Booking a travel package to Belgrade is easier said than done. So, better book it online and months before your departure to avoid expensive rates. If you want, you can stay at hotels and inns near the Kalemegdan Park for easier travel.

Churches & Museums

Florence is the artistic and architectural region of Tuscany, Italy. Traveling here allows you to experience the Birthplace of Renaissance. All over the city are the historical museums and galleries. Looking at these amazing masterpieces like The Duomo and the old bridge of Ponte Vecchio can surely mark bliss in your heart. 

Also in Florence are the majestic Cathedrals. If you are a pious person, you surely enjoy hopping to these churches: The Brunelleschi’s Cathedral & Dome, The San Miniato Al Monte, The San Lorenzo, The Santa Trinita and The Santo Spirito. These are only the best five of the many. 

After praying, do you think it’s a good time to explore the work of arts? Of course, yes. Florence houses the two of the most crowd-pleasing art galleries in the world. These are the Uffizi and the Pitti Palace. From there, you can also get in touch with the two of the sculptural collections: the Duomo Museum and the Bargello. Of course you must not fail to forget the Michelangelo’s David, the tomb of Pope Julius 11 (also by Michelangelo) and the Academia. 

Are you in for the adventure of a lifetime? How about climbing the Giotto’s Bell Tower? Being at the top of this 1359 tall attention-seeking building is like reaching for the gems in Heaven. But beware, the smallest bell you can find inside this superstructure weighs 1,000 lbs. Other must-see adventurous attractions are the Piazzale Michelangelo and the church at San Miniato.

Fashion, Beaches and Getting Around

Florence is also known as the hub of fashion. Everywhere you look; there are branded shops and outlets ranging from Gucci, Prada, Armani, Ferragamo etc. The only perceived problem you can have is money, right? But if you are consistently shopping around, you eventually search for good and quality deals. If you are having your first vacation in Florence, you should try the perks in San Lorenzo Market.

Wanting to get wet is no-problem in Florence. Clear-sand beaches and all sorts of coastlines are just around the corner. Having a family escapade is perfect at Marina di Carrara. Seeing the marbles down the quarries is really a must-try at Marina di Massa. Forte dei Marmi was once included in the filming of Oscar’s Best Picture, The English Patient. Elegancy and nightlife are not a disappointment at Viareggio. Enjoying the rocky type of coast is truly an experience of a lifetime in Marina di Cecina. Other great water attractions in Florence are San Vincenzo, Barrati, Piombino, Elba, Il Golfo di Follonica, Punta Ala, Castigliona Della Pescaia and Marina di Grosseto.

Getting around Tuscany can be done through walking, biking, riding a taxi or a bus. There are various travel tours in the city, assisting you with your itinerary. The Driving Guide Tours and Context Florence are only two of the many. If you are comfortable with pedaling, you can rent a bike upon your arrival in the city. Various hotels, on a budget, on a mid-range and on-a-splurge, are also scattered everywhere. 

You see, visiting Tuscany is having your memorable getaway. All the fantastic and the dazzling are here. All you need to do is research it online and do the advance booking to enjoy your stay.