Mythbuster for the Month: Ferragosto
As a break preceding the harvest, Ferrai Agosti - the festival of Emperor Augustus - morphed into "Ferragosto" in modern times. In Italy, Ferragosto is a huge holiday coinciding with 15 August, the Feast of the Assumption.
Provided you stay away from the beach, you will find Italy to be largely free of major crowds all thru' August! There is hardly any rush hour, the major heat of the summer is past and the scenery is at its best! Its not too late for this year (Why not a spontaneous trip?!?) and as you’re getting ready for your 2010 vacation, August is a terrific month to consider.
Mexico is famous for its red tiled roofs, Peru for its cut stone walls, and the region of Puglia, Italy for its trulli. Clusters of these whitewashed conical houses, evocative of stories of long-ago dot the landscape in and around Alberobello. The trulli building method is characterized by ‘dry wall’ mortarless construction using blocks of the limestone found in the surrounding hills. This ancient building method has been in use continuously since the prehistoric era and some of the trulli are still inhabited by the families of the original builders! For a ‘trulli’ authentic experience, why not stay one that has been converted to a hotel? UNESCO Sites in Italy cont'd
The Last Supper and Santa Maria delle Grazie
Milano, Lombardy
Leonardo DaVinci’s world renowned masterpiece, The Last Supper, is so popular that reservations are required months in advance. Housed in the refectory of Milano’s Santa Maria delle Grazie (Our Lady of Grace) convent, the painting is featured prominently in Dan Brown’s novel, The Da Vinci Code. This fictionalized account of the painting’s symbolism has sparked a minor controversy. Was Mary Magdelene in the painting? Whose hand is holding the knife behind Judas? Decide for yourself on your next trip to Milano!!You almost didn’t get to see it: The refectory was hit by bombs in WWII, and despite severe damage, the wall containing this masterpiece survived intact.
Know before you go: Entry to the convent and church is free, but tickets are needed to view the Last Supper. During the high travel season reservations are often filled months in advance. Best to plan well ahead!
What's in a Name?!?
TSA is toying with a 2010 policy requiring full legal names (including middle names) on your airline and cruise documents. Despite what you may have read in the popular press, this is not a current TSA requirement, but might become one in 2010.At Bethesda Travel, our current practice is to simply register first-name-last-name - - - eliminating titles, middle names, middle initials and where possible avoiding Sr., Jr., III, IV, etc. Less is best and this diminishes the possibility of errors. Also, many travelers have mismatched names on drivers licenses and passports - e.g. one may show a middle name and the other a maiden name. Or hyphenated last names... As you can imagine, there are multiple complicating scenarios!In light of the impending TSA policy change, our recommendation for the future, is to verify that your full legal name is written identically on all legal documents: passport, social security card, drivers license - as well as credit cards, bank accounts, airline FFB accounts, insurance cards, professional certifications, etc. Click here for more information on this and other Secure Flight measures.
Creating consistantcy in how your name appears will save you msjor headaches in the future!
Forex Markets
The Dollar had gotten as strong as $1.28, but just recently the Euro is trading in the $1.50 range, (ouch!). The UK Sterling and Swiss Franc have largely moved in tandem with the Euro.
So, for the near-term at least, Americans will see some budget pressure when travelling in Europe! The good news is that prices have dropped for most hotels and airfares, so your budget will go farther despite the exchange rate. Maximize your travel dollar by asking the pro’s at Bethesda Travel for a comprehensive plan based on great services and hotel selection, always with a sharp on eye on good value!
After a Winter and Spring of strengthening US Dollar value, and contrary to the predictions of most talking heads, this Summer the Euro has recouped most of the territory it had lost.
Kodachrome Culture
Looking for a little inspiration for your next vacation? We highly recommend the National Geographic Society’s show of American tourists travelling in Europe in the 50’s and 60’s when the post-war boom enabled Americans to begin to travel extensively. The shot of a typical 1960's family feeding pigeons in St. Mark’s Square, Venice is our favorite. The show entitled Kodachrome Culture: The American Tourist in Europe, is free at the explorers Hall of the National Geographic Museum.
The Museum is located at 17th and M Streets NW in downtown DC, just a short walk from Metro’s Farragut stations.
Hours: Monday – Saturday 9-17h Sundays 10-17h (thru 07 Sept)
BTC Newsletter ed 7: History and Culture in Italy
UNESCO Sites in Italy
Kodachrome Culture
Mythbuster for the Month: Ferragosto
Forex Markets
What's in a Name?
Clay Gets a Makeover
The Met: Live in HD
UNESCO Sites in Italy
More than France, Germany, or the UK... more than ancient India or even China - did you know that Italy has the most UNESCO sites of any country in the world? UNESCO strives to recognize and preserve important natural and cultural sites across the globe. In 186 countries there are 890 sites. UNESCO sites are meant to be traveled to, so why not incorporate them into your plans for Italy?!Some fabulous opportunities:Valle del Templi Valley of the Temples Agrigento, SicilyAgrigento (Acragas to the Greeks) is in southwestern Sicily. This ancient metropolis was one of the richest Greek colonies and changed hands through several empires - Roman Saracen, Berber and Norman to name a few. As a result of its ancient prominence the area has an extraordinarily rich archaeological legacy and is home to the largest and best-preserved collection of Greek buildings outside of Greece, the Valle del Templi. When to go: During the Almond Blossom Festival in early February the region is covered in beautiful white blooms. Mild Sicilian winters make it attractive year-round!
click here for more UNESCO sites in Italy
The Met: Live in HD
Now is your chance to see the Metropolitan Opera in a local theater! Performances from The Met: Live in HD will be shown in select theaters across the US and Canada during the coming year! You can request to bring the shows to your local theater. The Magic Flute is scheduled for 05 August!
For show listings and more information see here.
Clay Gets a Makeover
Ever wonder how art from centuries ago still looks great? Check out this online educational exhibit by the National Portrait Gallery "Henry Clay in the US Senate: Rediscovering an Historic Painting" for a demonstration of how paintings are renovated and conserved.
Commonly, people tell us that their friends recommend against traveling to Europe in August. Quite the contrary, August is an excellent month for travel in Europe! August derives its name from Emperor Augustus (reigned 27 BC - AD 14). During ancient times, the month was recognized as the culmination of Summer (not too different from “Goombay Summer” in the Bahamas).
More UNESCO Sites
The Trulli Alberobello, Puglia
The Villa Adriana (II-c AD) exhibits the best of the classical architecture of the Greek, Egyptian and Roman cities that Emperor Hadrian visited in his lifetime. Among its many impressive structures is the Canopus, a unique example of how the villa integrates buildings with magnificent gardens. The Canopus comprises a long canal surrounded by Greek statues with the temple of Venus at one end and the temple of Serapis with impressive waterfall and fountains at the other end.
The beautiful setting of Tivoli and both villas are sure to enthrall you on your next trip to Rome!
Villa d’Este and Villa Adriana Tivoli, Lazio
You’ll feel like royalty when you visit the lavish palaces and gardens of the Villa d’Este and the Villa Adriana (Hadrian’s Villa) in the suburbs just 34km east of Rome.
The majestic gardens of Villa d’Este (XVI-c AD), known as giardini delle meraviglie (the gardens of wonders) feature a wealth of statues and waterworks – a marvelous display of the genius of Renaissance plumbing. It is considered to represent the “Flower of the Renaissance” and its design has been emulated throughout Europe.
