Dec 2005

Two hours from Milan is the Valle D'Aosta where you can see the great Monte Bianco mountain and the San Bernardo mountain which on one side is France and the other side is Switzerland. Just about half hour you can go to either country. Pila a great place for family skiing and fun.

I also found out that the people from this part speak a mixture of Italian and French. Very interesting and culturaly rich. We had an all day skiing adventure where my son learned how to snowboard and I move to another level in my skiing abilities. Below is a write up about this side of the Italy.

Aosta

Aosta is a city rich in Roman and Medieval remains, exhibition centres and museums, and represents the historical and cultural heart of Valle d’Aosta … and it’s only a short walk away from Pila – just 20 minutes by cable-car.

So, the choice is up to you – lodge up the mountain or down in the valley, in any case you know that you can leave your car in the hotel garage (a free skibus shuttle service will take you from the hotel to cable-car) ...

This “Rome of the Alps” (so called due to its huge cultural heritage) is the ideal place for an aperitif, to do some shopping in the old centre or spend an evening until late at a “Saison Culturelle” show – you can chose from cinema, theatre or concerts.

On 30 and 31 January each year, the thousand-year old “Fiera di Sant’Orso” is held along the streets of the old centre, this is the most important and ancient craft fair of the region.

Just a few kilometres away from Aosta are numerous medieval castles and manor houses, the most famous being Issogne, Verrès, Fénis and Sarre which naturally you can visit.

Lastly, for those of you who like a gamble there is the casino in St. Vincent.

As the Christmas morning comes alive I hear bells ringing, and people getting ready to go to early morning mass.

The typical Christmas lunch and dinner meal that is out of this world "tortollini in brodo", my favorite meal when I am here. Besides the traditional soup there other cut meats, assorted bread, wines and the traditional pannetone, torroni and fruits. How fabulous is to eat homemade meals. People here enjoy food and enjoy what food brings around the table.

The spirit of Christmas is alive and for me that is all that counts. GRATITUTE for all I have and all those who bring me joy, love and happiness.

Parma, city of traditional aristocratic cultures, rich with preciouys works of art and a capital city in its past, famous for its most illustrious children and for artists who work within her-from Benedetto Antelami to Salimbene, from Correggio to Parmigianino, from Bodoni to Verdi and . Toscanini , from Stendhal to Proust- is totally unlike any of the many beautiful cities that attract visitors to Italy.

Parma, being the provincial capital, has 170.000 inhabitants. Itis situated in Emilia Romagna, half-way between Milan to Bologna. It is proud of its historical city centre and has monuments of particular importance, from roman to liberty style. In fact, it has been historically marked by the enlightened government of Maria Luigia , the wife of Napoleon,when it was the capital of the Duchy of Parma, Piacenza and Guastalla.
The province counts 400.000 inhabitants;it is characterized by its vast and beautiful mountainous areas and covered by numerous castles.

Parma is famous as the capital food centre of Italy, for its unimitable products and in particular for its Prosciutto of Parma,cured pork meats and its famous Parmesan Cheese.

Its main monuments are:

Palazzo Vescovile
Duomo 11th century
Battistero (the most important, evolved monument during the Medieval period in Italy)
San Giovanni Evangelista 12th century
Church of Steccata - 16th century
Palazzo della Pilotta, with his extraordinary Teatro Farnese 16th century
The Town Hall - 17th century
Teatro Regio (it is one of the most famous in Italy for grand opera)19th century
Church of "Annunciata"
Certosa of Paradigna
Palazzo Ducale
Palazzo del Governatore
Ospedale Vecchio
Italian Museum of Perfumery

Welcome to my new blog, where you can find information on my travels, photos and notes. I created this for those of you who so many times asked information on where, how and when. My plan is to give you the best of "My Worldly Travels". Please check regularly for updates, photos, links and other information.

Right now I am in Milano, and it is freezing cold, but I am enjoying the scenery and the zillions of people doing their holiday shopping.

Milano, the Powerhouse of Italy

Milano is the biggest city of North Italy. The powerhouse of the country and one of the most stylish cities of the planet. If you love shopping in style, it is a must! But it is also a city with many important museums and wonderful monuments. You can see the Castello Sforzesco the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie (which displays Leonardo’s Last Supper) the Brera Museum (Madonna and Child and Pieta by Bellini) and many other museums monuments and churches.

Then, you have the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, a covered and elegant gallery with restaurants and bookstores. If you enter it from Piazza del Duomo, you'll exit in Piazza della Scala where the world known Teatro alla Scala appears. This is the centre of lyric opera and it is not difficult to meet here important artists like Riccardo Muti, who is the conductor of the local orchestra.

Moreover, Milano is a lively city, with several pubs, discos and nightclubs. Being a fashion capital too, you might run into a top model or designer. I saw my favorite perfume designer's boutique Mariella Burani. But, the best chances are in the area around Brera (the artist zone) or the Navigli area. And if you have money to spend, just make a visit in via Montenapoleone and via della Spiga where you’ll find boutiques by Gucci, Ferragamo, Valentino, Armani, Ferre, Fendi and others. Look for other famous designer labels and items such as shoes, camelhair blankets and leather goods.

Near Milan are two must-sees (both can be visited in a day trip): the Carthusian Monastery at Pavia and the 12th-century Chiaravalle Abbey (founded by St. Bernard of Cistercian). Two hours outside of Milan in Pessione is the museum of the history of wine making which has a fine collection of wine-making equipment Imperial glass receptacles and Etruscan and Apuleian ceramics.

For more information on Milano you can go to the following link:
http://milan.arounder.com/fullscreen.html