Jul 31st, 2012 at 6:30PM:
This summer's weather patterns continue to astound me, between heat waves, hailstorms and the mighty Derecho, which was said to be the storm to end all storms before it narrowly missed New York City last week.
Today's Photo of the Day is proof of even more global weirding: leaves changing color in Italy ... IN JULY. As Flickr user Aviv reports from Venice, "One day it's too hot to be ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
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Photo Of The Day: Early Fall In Italy
Jul 31st, 2012 at 6:30PM:
This summer's weather patterns continue to astound me, between heat waves, hailstorms and the mighty Derecho, which was said to be the storm to end all storms before it narrowly missed New York City last week.
Today's Photo of the Day is proof of even more global weirding: leaves changing color in Italy ... IN JULY. As Flickr user Aviv reports from Venice, "One day it's too hot to be ...The Leaning Colosseum Of Rome
Jul 31st, 2012 at 1:00PM:
Rome's iconic Colosseum is beginning to tilt, the Guardian newspaper reports.
The stadium where gladiators used to hack away at one another to cheering crowds has developed a distinct slant, with one side being 40 centimeters (15.7 inches) lower than the other. Archaeologists have been studying the tilt for a year and have confirmed that it is real and could pose a threat to the monument's ...The Price Of Wine Is Too Damn High
Jul 31st, 2012 at 12:00PM: If you were given a blind taste test, could you tell the difference between a $10 bottle of wine and a $20 bottle or even a $50 bottle? Last year, I listened to a Freakonomics podcast, in which Steve Levitt set out to determine if his friends and colleagues could tell the difference between good wine and swill and the results of the experiment confirmed what I've always suspected about many wine ...Why The Cinque Terre In Italy Should Be Your Next Trip
Jul 30th, 2012 at 3:00PM: Once a coastline of sleepy fishing villages, the Cinque Terre, or "Five Lands," has become a popular destination for tourism over the recent years. What makes this Italian destination different from most tourist hot spots, however, is that it has somehow managed to retain its old-world charm and simple style.
Located in the Liguria region of Italy, the five towns that compose the Cinque Terre ...A Reluctant Artist Finds His Way In Florence
Jul 30th, 2012 at 11:00AM:
To say that I'm a reluctant traveler would be to vastly undersell the case. When asked to take a trip out of town my gut reaction is to blurt out WHY? as if I were being threatened with banishment for committing some wrong. So when my parents asked me and my girlfriend to join them in Florence for a week and I agreed, everyone was taken aback...myself included.
My girlfriend is a planner. ...Knocked Up Abroad: Lessons Learned From Traveling With A Baby
Jul 12th, 2012 at 11:00AM:
Long before I became a mother, people told me that the first six months is the easiest time to travel with a baby – before they walk, talk or require children's activities. Others told me to travel as much as possible before you have children, as it's too difficult to go places for the first few years. I can confirm that you don't have to turn in your passport when you have a baby, as my ...Cruise Ship Wreck Removal Underway Amid New Questions Of Cause
Jul 5th, 2012 at 1:00PM: It's been nearly seven months since the cruise ship Costa Concordia grounded off the coast of Italy, leaving 32 dead. After lying on its side since the January 13th grounding, Costa Concordia will next be stood back up, re-floated and towed to an Italian port. But what looks to be a simple operation will involve the coordination of several salvage companies and cost millions.
A big part of the ...Inside The S. Pellegrino Cooking Cup In Venice, Italy
Jun 29th, 2012 at 12:00PM:
VENICE, Italy – Ink-black clouds gather over the iconic Floating City, poised to roll across the lagoon. From our aquatic position, somewhere between the Lido and Giudecca islands, we can see the approaching wall of water.
"Everyone, below decks. Get below decks...Now!"
I'm aboard the Timoteo, a traditional Venetian burchio, a medieval wooden barge owned by fashion ...Growing Number Of Tourists Stealing Artifacts In Rome, Italy
Jun 28th, 2012 at 3:00PM: For those who love admiring ancient artifacts, you may want to visit Rome while they're still there. According to police, there has been an outbreak of tourists stealing mosaic pieces, marble mile markers, cobblestones and other pieces of the city's history.
Luckily, airport security has been vigilant and is on the lookout for the items. In fact, they've been able to return a large amount of ...A Few Mediterranean Sidewalk Cafés Can Make Travel Personal
Jun 26th, 2012 at 4:00PM: In popular cities of the Mediterranean, mobs of tourists come by bus, train, air and cruise ship. Looking to see famous destinations with their own eyes, perhaps fulfilling lifelong dreams, they clamber for the best view. During the summer, many visitors point and shoot only the top of iconic destinations to avoid photos that include the herd. But on a recent trip to the Mediterranean, we found ...Study Shows Travel Can Increase Your Sex Appeal
Jun 15th, 2012 at 4:00PM: According to a study done by Intrepid Travel using the online dating site RSVP.com.au, people who travel a lot are seen as more attractive than their non-traveling counterparts. The study found that daring travelers are seen as the sexiest, while 23 percent say adrenaline seekers make their heart race. Moreover, off-the-beaten-path travelers were most attractive to 22 percent, while culture buffs ...Travel Bloggers Unite: A Profile Of The Conference From Umbria, Italy
Jun 14th, 2012 at 4:00PM:
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Assisi, a small town in Umbria, Italy, stands about a mile south of the city center on a quiet country road. I walked here this morning on the gravel shoulder, declining to take the shuttle service in lieu of some exposure to nature. Now I sit on the back patio of this small resort that plays host to the Travel Bloggers Unite conference, quietly jetlagged with a ...Shroud Of Turin One Of 40 Fakes, Historian Says
Jun 13th, 2012 at 12:00PM: The Shroud of Turin has been causing controversy for centuries now. The linen cloth, measuring 14 feet by 4 feet, has what appear to be bloodstains on it. Also, the image of a wounded man can be seen, an image that becomes clearer when looked at as a photographic negative.
Now historian Antonio Lombatti of the Università Popolare in Parma, Italy, says the Shroud of Turin is a fake, and ...Photo Of The Day: Street Art In Rome
Jun 5th, 2012 at 6:00PM:
Reserve your negative opinions about street art for a moment and consider this image of "Madonna and Child" spray-painted on the side of a who-knows-how-old building in Rome, Italy. Captured in the residential neighborhood of Trastevere by Flickr user AlexSven, the photo summarizes, at least for me, the living organism that is the Eternal City. The ancient and modern, the irreverent and the ...Video Of The Day: Human Towers In Tarragona, Spain
Jun 4th, 2012 at 6:00PM:
Spain has a multitude of novel traditions. While bullfighting and tomato throwing festivals are known worldwide, there's another custom that isn't as widely recognized. Throughout Catalonia, people who create human towers – also known as castellers – compete to see who can create the tallest human pyramids. Only these flesh-and-muscle structures aren't really pyramids at all; ...
The World's 10 Scariest Haunted Castles
Jun 4th, 2012 at 10:00AM:
From a Czech forest castle reported to house the gates of hell to a gargantuan castle right here in the United States, the world's most haunted castles boast histories rich with frightening details. Specters haunt the halls of these old castles and travelers visit to experience brushes with the paranormal. Some of these castles possess secrets darker than a moonless night, and when ...Ancient Curses Uncovered In Two Countries
May 25th, 2012 at 12:00PM:
It's been a good week for ancient curses.
A "cursing stone" has been discovered on the Isle of Canna, Scotland. More precisely called a bullaun stone, they're natural or artificial depressions in a stone that catch rainwater and give it magical properties, usually to heal or to help women conceive a child. A shaped stone is placed in the hole that's turned to make a prayer or curse.
The ...Medieval Frescoes By Giotto Threatened By Construction Project
May 25th, 2012 at 11:00AM:
Priceless frescoes in the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua, Italy, may be damaged by a nearby construction project, experts say.
The frescoes were painted by Giotto di Bondone around 1305 and are considered a high point in medieval art. They depict the life of Jesus and the Last Judgement and were painted for the private chapel of a rich banker. The figures' lifelike style and naturalistic poses ...Eating At Home In Bologna And The Dish That Time Forgot
May 24th, 2012 at 12:00PM:
"I am very pig," Andrea proclaimed in his broken English, having abandoned the etiquette of dishing the meringue onto his plate. His arm was possessively swung around the giant serving bowl, he was digging into dessert with the fervor of man on a mission for diabetes. Then he looked up, his eyes shifting around the table at each of us, a meringue-eating grin on his face. It was the end of a long ...Held Hostage With Bad Music Abroad: 'A Total Eclipse Of The Heart' In Italiano
May 23rd, 2012 at 12:00PM: The words were in Italian but the melody was unmistakable. Unfortunately, I recognized the Italian version of this insidious tune immediately.
Once upon a time I was falling in love, now I'm only falling apart.
There's nothing I can do, a total eclipse of the heart. (Eclissi del cuore)
I was on a bus heading from one small town to another in Puglia, Southern Italy, and it was just the ...
