Posts tagged: Travel in Italy

There are several brands that epitomize Italian style, one that is known worldwide is Ferrari. Boys of all ages, have visions of racing in the streets of Monaco in a red sports car. Bright red is truly one of the distinctive traits of the Ferrari automobiles, a patented colour, “Rosso Corsa,” or Italian racing red. In fact, red is the international color for all Italian race cars, while the French use blue, and the English defaulted to British racing car green. On a recent visit to Bologna, Ginger and Nutmeg made a small side-trip to Galleri Ferrari, the official Ferrari museum located in Maranello, to experience these magnificent machines up close.
Aside from distinctive color the Ferrari coat of arms, a bright black stallion prancing on a yellow embossed background, is iconic. History surrounds the emblem: the black stallion symbolizing the Piedmonte Reale Cavalleria which World War One, Italian flying ace Francesco Baracca had painted on his fighter plane. Ferrari…

Recipes & Travel:
Ferrari, Maranello, Modena, Travel in Italy

Many years ago, Nutmeg saw a fabulous photo of Venice during Carnevale.  Attending this annual event has been on her “Top 10” list.
What is not to like about this event?:

The beautiful city of Venice
A really big 10-day party through the streets

Fantastic costumes
Italian food

Ginger and Nutmeg checked Jade into the doggie spa close to Aix and told her to be a good girl, as this was not an event for black dogs. They headed to Italy with a hotel room booked, masks in hand, rental costumes organized and tickets to the more affordable Ball of the Grand Duke – Palazzo Pesaro Papafava – The fancier ball was thankfully “sold-out”, as the per person cost was well over 450 Euros.
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Recipes & Travel:
Carnevale di Venezia, Things to do in Venice, Travel in Italy, Venice Carnival

Ginger and Nutmeg chose the Italian Dolimites for some skiing in early March. They were able to schedule their trip just after the winter school break so the crowds were light.  The problem was the snow was ‘light’ as well.  So there was nothing but groomed trails, which suited Nutmeg just fine. They chose the resorts of Cortina and Corvara/Alta-Badia, as Ginger wanted to ski a couple of the classic Olympic and World-Cup pitches.
The Dolomites landscape is incredibly spectacular.  One is struck immediately by the range of colours from pine forests and meadows to rocky spires and limestone walls (some of the highest in the world).  In 2009, the Dolimites were declared a UNESCO Natural Heritage site and it is easy to see why as every viewpoint is more spectacular, than the last. This area is an outdoor playground all year round, attracting skiers, ski-touring, climbers, hikers, bikers and para-gliders, among others. There has been recorded climbing in the…

Recipes & Travel:
Italian Dolomites, Skiing, Travel in Italy

Thus far, the 2011 ski-season has not been stellar in most of Europe.  The majority of resort areas are suffering from lack of new snowfall and warm temperatures (“une tempête de soleil“).  The net result, is crowded slopes and neige-dure (a nice way of saying hard-packed, icy conditions).  Ginger and Nutmeg have been doing some skiing in the past few weeks, and they thought you would want their feedback on the resorts. Here are a few highlights and overviews from the European ski tour:
Ischgl, Austria:
The tiny village of Yscla, was once a remote farming village, it has been converted into a mega-resort with; 238 km of ski trails, 41 cable cars and other lifts and 32 grooming machines. The owners have spent 200 million Euros upgrading the facilities on the hill in the last 10 years, and it shows. The lifts are new, the lodges are well appointed, and in some cases very modern in design. The combined…

Recipes & Travel:
Austria, Road Trip Planner, Self-Guided Travel in Europe, Skiing in Europe, Travel in France, Travel in Italy