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Murano: Live from the Island of the Glass Makers

March 30, 2013 by
Murano Glass Sculpture

Murano Glass is world-famous, but does the island match up to the Chandeliers? Murano’s reputation as a centre for glassmaking dates from 1291, when the Venetian Doge, frightened that the foundries' fires would destroy the city’s largely wooden buildings, ordered the glassmakers to move to the island. Murano glass is still synonymous with Venetian glass, so Tony and Helen Page decided to see what it was all about... "And now we're in Murano, home of, yes, you're looking at it, glass. … [Read more...]

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San Gimignano: Live from its Tallest Tower

March 28, 2013 by
San Gimignano Towers

Don't miss this walled medieval hill town with its famous towers in beautiful Tuscany San Gimignano in Italy is famous for its tower houses, and here, 54 metres up on top of the tallest one, the Torre Grossa, built in 1311, Tony Page gives you a 360 degree panorama of this famous walled medieval hill town in the province of Siena, Tuscany. It's a UNESCO World Heritage Site too and a great place to visit. "Okay, here we are in a sort of wet San Gimignano and I'm on top of the tallest tower … [Read more...]

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Siena – Famous for its Medieval Heritage and the Palio

March 27, 2013 by
Piazza del Campo, Siena

Siena - Home of the Palio and Panforte Capital of Italy: At the heart of central Tuscany lies Siena, a hill town that is famous the world over for its Palio and the Siena cake or panforte. Siena was built on three ridges which converge into the famous scallop-shaped central square, the Piazza del Campo.  It's Roman origin is reflected in the town's emblem - a she-wolf suckling the infants Romulus and Remus. We were dropped off at the north-western fringe of the historic centre and from … [Read more...]

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Assisi: Live from the Rocca Maggiore

March 25, 2013 by
Assisi Rocca Maggiore

See the Basilica of St. Francis from the Rocca Maggiore tower, high above Assisi The Basilica of St. Francis is not the only thing to see in Assisi: high above the town is the mighty castle of Rocca Maggiore, a medieval fortress that was built almost a thousand years ago, and from its Eastern Tower, Tony Page shows you a 360° panoramic view of Assisi and the surrounding landscape of Umbria, Italy. "Well there's the road down that I've just come up and here is the castle, Rocca Maggiore, and … [Read more...]

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Castel Gandolfo: Live from the Pope’s Summer Residence

March 24, 2013 by
Castel Gandolfo

Overlooking beautiful Lake Albano, Castel Gandolfo has both the Pope and Porchetta He missed seeing the Pope, or sampling the famous "porchetta", and was nearly trampled underfoot by pilgrim hordes, but Tony Page enjoyed his visit to this friendly little town occupying high ground on the Alban Hills overlooking Lake Albano, site of the rowing at the Rome Olympics. "Well here we are at Castel Gandolfo and this is the main lake, Lake Albano and the Pope's palace (OK, "Summer Residence"). … [Read more...]

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Cortona, A Medieval Town Under the Tuscan Sun

March 20, 2013 by
Piazza della Repubblica, Cortona

Cortona, Frances Mayes' Town Under the Tuscan Sun Has Very Interesting Etruscan History: Cortona is one of the oldest hill-towns in Tuscany and its history can be traced back to the time of the Etruscans. In the past many writers have written about Cortona, but in more recent times, it was Frances Mayes' "Under the Tuscan Sun" that highlighted the beauty, colours and scents of Tuscany to the world and put Cortona on the international tourist map. Etruscan Heritage Cortona is situated … [Read more...]

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Orvieto: Live From The Moro Tower

March 16, 2013 by
Orvieto: Duomo

A Bird's Eye View of This Famous Etruscan City in Southwestern Umbria, Italy High above Orvieto atop the Moro Tower, Tony Page gives you a bird's eye view of this famous mediaeval city in southwestern Umbria, Italy. Populated since Etruscan times, it's built above almost vertical cliffs and dominates the road from Florence to Rome. "Okay, here we are on the Moro Tower, a long way and a lot of steps above Orvieto. And there you've got the cathedral. I'm just going to walk around this … [Read more...]

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San Gimignano – Famous for its Fine Food and Towers

February 24, 2013 by
San Gimignano

San Gimingano - Famous for its Towers and Fine Food: San Gimignano is a charming Tuscan hill town that's famous for its medieval buildings and towers. Situated roughly halfway between Siena and Florence, it was a perfect place for us to stop as we travelled from Siena to Florence. We also heard that San Gimingano has something to sweeten up travel-weary souls – the best gelato in the world! San Gimignano Towers San Gimignano was on the main pilgrim route from northern Europe to Rome … [Read more...]

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Guernsey – A Little Bit of Heaven in the Channel Islands

February 17, 2013 by
Guernsey rues tranquilles

Guernsey - Explore This Wonderful Hidden Garden Paradise in the Channel Islands Many people don’t even know that Guernsey exists, but the lucky ones who do know Guernsey, love it. Guernsey is an island; one of the Channel Islands, it is situated in the English Channel 50 km away from France's Normandy Coast, but is a British Crown Dependency, self-governing and independent. It really is a little bit of  heaven on Earth. The ancient name for Guernsey is Sarnia, “The Green Land”, and … [Read more...]

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Sorrento – A Town with a Southern Charm

February 9, 2013 by
Sorrento

Sorrento Has Sun, Sea, Good Food and Everything for La Dolce Vita Sorrento is a well-developed holiday resort town that is popular as a package-holiday destination. Although its history dates back to the times of the Etruscans, the Greeks and the Romans, it's not history that attracts visitors to Sorrento. With its ideal location on the Sorrentine Peninsula and overlooking the Bay of Naples, Sorrento offers beautiful landscape, sun, sea, relaxation, good food and easy access to the much … [Read more...]

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