Venere Travel Blog» Travel Picks Friday

Olive Oil in Rome and 3 Italian Recipes

MiaBlu — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 16:40:33 +0000

For this week's Travel Picks Friday, we wanted to inspire you with Italian Cuisine and chose three scrumptious recipes for you to try out. These fantastic recipes were brought to you by Raleigh from LoveFromItalia, a superb blog about Italy, food, and travel!

New Oil – just pressed - is a treasure that needs the right dish to be paired with to showcase it in all its unctuous velvety goldenness. Whether the oil comes from Northern Italy, Southern Italy, Central Italy, Sicily or Sardinia, it needs to be presented simply, letting the oil shine (no pun intended!). The Thought: “Tutte le strade conducono a Roma” – every street will take you to Rome – immediately came to mind when I thought of ways to use Olio Nuovo… because, two of my favorite ways are with Roman specialties!

Travel Picks Friday: Live Chess Games in Marostica

Luke & Barbara — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 17:00:46 +0000

Marostica's Live Chess Match is held every 2-years on even numbered years. We were there early to video pre-show preparations and for the evenings 2 1/2 hour performance.

Located about an hour and a half from Venice sits the charming hill town of Marostica. The Upper and Lower Castles are joined by a crenellated wall, and the center of town has a giant Chess Board in the main Piazza. This small jewel of a town is not to be missed on your journeys throughout the Veneto Region of Italy.

Travel Picks Friday: Best Record Stores in Rome

matteo — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 16:51:44 +0000

This week for our Travel Picks Friday column we decided to satisfy music lover's need of "soul food". Check out the best record stores in Rome, Italy.

Italian Cuisine, Fig Tart Umbrian Style

Luke & Barbara — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 16:00:32 +0000

On the first morning of our stay in Umbria, at the Villa Fibbino, Anna made her fresh fig tart as part of our breakfast. It was love at first bite. The freshly baked dough flaked and melted in your mouth as the sweet and hearty figs reminded you that summer was fleeting and that you had to catch it at its peak.

Barbara had the brilliant idea to ask Anna if we could video – from start to finish – how this decadent dessert was prepared. Anna graciously consented, and the following morning we walked down to the fig tree and picked our fresh figs. Once in the kitchen, Anna made the preparation and presentation look so simple that we hope your results will be as spectacular as hers. Here is the Fresh Fig Tart Recipe from Anna.

Harvest Time, Three Great Italian Recipes

matteo — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 16:00:55 +0000

It’s Harvest Time in Italy! Autumn is the season to forage the forests for Porcinis and Truffles; to pick and gather the grapes and the olives…from the top to the tip of the boot and on the Islands, the forests and fields are teaming with activity. Hard work, yes! But, the fruits of the harvesting bring boundless pleasure to all. Fresh porcinis, so succulent and earthy add their velvety texture to soups and sautés. The exquisite truffle, magical and sensuous used in honey, oil and compound butters! So lovely shaved over salads and pastas. Just harvested wine grapes are perfect for the traditional Tuscan Grape Cakes and Breads.

Weekend Escapades: Luxury Hotels & Vintage Shopping

Mireia — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 16:00:11 +0000

Are you a fashion addict and can't avoid to go for a little shopping when on holidays? If you are planning a trip to Sydney, Qantas Spirit of Australia proposes you a guide for select vintage fashion shopping in Sydney.

Budget Travel: Free Water in Paris & Things to do in Daytona Beach

Mireia — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 16:00:45 +0000

Do you remember the last time you went for a city trip on summer? Heat, tiredness, thirst,... You stop at the first bar you find and are forced to buy those tiny and really overpriced bottles of water. Well, it seems that travelers heading to both Paris and Milan will be able to avoid this.

Travel Freebies, Patagonia & Wine, Street Art

matteo — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 15:22:14 +0000

Ever wondered about another thing that Patagonia is famous for except huge mountains? We can tell you: wine. Uncornered market published this comprehensive guide to everything you can visit (vineyards and production plants) to all the different typologies of wine you can try out in one of the most beautiful areas in Argentina!

Travel Blogs, Wine Districts by Bike in USA

matteo — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 14:00:22 +0000

As always, on our weekly Travel Picks Friday Column we try to find the best news, stories and travel resources to make your life easier. This week we want to recommend some blogs in particular that we found useful and interesting.

Best Beaches in Puglia, Travel Apps, and Hot Chocolate

Mireia — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 16:00:07 +0000

Leaving maps and guidebooks behind, we've entered the Internet era and traveling itself has really changed. Far more conveninent than those big maps or huge guidebooks we were used to brining on vacation, the iPhone, the Blackberry or any other android-compatible smatphones can really make our life easier.

Best Pizza in Naples, Italian Countryside, London Travel Tips

matteo — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 15:00:29 +0000

Everybody knows that Pizza is one of the most famous things in Naples, but if you really want to try out the top varieties and quality, you must avoid the tourist places. National Geographic has written an article on Pizza sampling with recommendations to the best places to try out.

Ferragosto in Rome, Backpacking in New Zealand

matteo — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 13:36:10 +0000

If you didn't know, one of the most popular holidays in Italy is surely the "Ferragosto" on the 15th of August. Originally, in Roman times, it was related to a celebration of the middle of the summer and the end of the hard labour in the fields. Before the Roman Catholic Church came into existence, however, this holiday was celebrated in the Roman Empire to honor the gods and the cycle of fertility and ripening.

Newspapers vs iPad, Travelling Solo, Harry Potter World

matteo — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 15:30:00 +0000

The Sofitel chain of hotels has just announced that it will be providing iPads for its guests, instead of supplying daily newspapers. We at think it's a great initiative, it's a further step towards complete digitalization of press and information. However this issue does bring some interesting questions to mind: how many years will it take before handwriting completely disappears?

Moving with Pets and Summer Reading for Children

Mireia — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 16:00:40 +0000

Pet owners may face hard decisions when moving abroad. Are you leaving your little friend with someone you know well or are you taking your pet with you? Matador Network gives you 7 useful tips to travel with your pets.

Street food in Asia, Budget Food Feasts in Europe

matteo — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 15:30:12 +0000

Italy in the past few weeks has suffered the hottest temperatures in years, and we at the Venere.com HQ found very useful Context Travel's guide on how to stay cool while while travelling. Make sure to arm yourself with lots of cool drinks

If you have never been, then you need to know in advance that street food in Asia needs to be taken quite seriously, so it's highly advisable that you read up on where to eat.

10 Best Geek Hotels, BP Oil Spill, Top 10 Bathrooms in USA

matteo — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 15:36:33 +0000

We have all been following very carefully the Oil Spill situation in the Gulf of Mexico, and apparently just today BP has claimed a successful placement of the "Cork" that stops the leakage. However, consequences on nature are huge: here is a must read article on the matter.

Octopus Paul, Summer in Paris & Summer Wines

matteo — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 16:05:03 +0000

Paul, the octopus that has been predicting results for Germany's football team (and never made a mistake) has been kindly asked by Spain's prime minister, Zapatero, to predict the winner from Sunday's World Cup Final - Holland vs. Spain. Apparently Paul has chosen the Iberian side, much to Dutch despair.

2010 World Cup & 2010 Wimbledon

Mireia — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 16:00:59 +0000

Starting today the quarter-finals for South-Africa 2010 World Cup, all soccer enthusiasts are getting prepared to see which team will be the winner this year.

But have you decided to travel to New York these days without being aware that the final will take place on July 11th?

Flying with Pets, London Architecture Festival, Opera in Italy

matteo — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 16:55:56 +0000

Flying with your pet As every pet owner knows full well, flying with a pet is expensive and problematic. This article provides some useful suggestions on how to make travelling with a pet easier, and also provides tips on how to save on travel costs.

World Cup Parties, Mexico’s Most Dangerous Places, Jazz In London

matteo — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 16:20:31 +0000

If like many other football fans in the world, you haven't been able to get tickets to see the World Cup in South Africa, don't despair. Msnbc has compiled a guide to 9 cities that will organize "World Cup parties" to stream the games for thousands citizens or tourists that cannot miss these events.