Archive for 'Activities'

The famous Cinque Terre is a beloved tourist area of Italy known for a series of five picturesque towns located along the coastline. Many who find a vacation rental in the Cinque Terre will drive or even hike between the different towns to take them in and enjoy the various attractions in each. However, we think if you’re really going to explore and make the most of this magical part of the world, then the best way to get around is certainly by boat! 

If you are a perfume enthusiast and you happen to have been browsing our Italy Villas to find a perfect vacation rental in Florence, then you might not know that the city is actually the perfume capital of Italy. So, find your villa with pool in Florence, prepare to indulge all of your senses, and bring home the scent of the birthplace of the Renaissance...

During the height of power and wealth among the Renaissance courts of Florence, patronage of artists and artisans was a key way that nobles could display their discernment and riches. Great sculptures and paintings, iconic buildings, stunning churches, impeccable pieces of jewellery, lush fabrics, and more were all created at the behest of these influential citizens. However, there was also a wealth of patrons paying for the finest fragrances in the world. During this vibrant era, the art of perfumery flourished and the likes of Catherine de' Medici's deep passion and important patronage only futher ignited the city's fascination with fragrance. 

There are certain unbelievably famous tourist attractions that a large percentage of travellers will want to take in if they end up in specific destinations like the Eiffel Tower, Big Ben, the Giant’s Causeway, the Grand Canyon, the Louvre, the Acropolis, the Colosseum, Mount Fuji, the Sydney Opera House, Christ the Redeemer, the Hollywood sign, et cetera. Of course, some will be content enough to glimpse these landmarks from afar and some of these attractions cannot even actually be approached but for those that can and want to visit such places and attractions, a big question quickly arises: when?

The when of it all is extremely important as such spots are often incredibly busy and who wants to deal with stress of crowds and queues on vacation?

Say, for example, you find a villa in Tuscany and you want to see the iconic and world-famous Leaning Tower of Pisa. Well, you don’t want to waste a huge chunk of your trip waiting around, do you? To make the most of your time on vacation in Tuscany and to enjoy an outing to this beloved landmark, here are our tips on the best time to visit the Leaning Tower of Pisa:

Lots of people like to follow their favourite characters on their fictional journeys through destinations and then shadow those footsteps themselves in real life. Think of Bloomsday in Dublin, each summer, that sees fans from all over the globe come to follow Joyce’s protagonist Leopold Bloom around the city. Recently, another Irish author has given us yet another engaging and fascinating protagonist whose journey we can chart with Maggie O’Farrell’s fictionalised novel about the life and death of Lucrezia de' Medici, Duchess of Ferrara, in The Marriage Portrait.

The celebrated and well-loved O’Farrell released the book in 2022 to great acclaim and immediately transported readers all over the world into the life of an incredibly young bride in Renaissance Italy. Certain liberties have been taken with the details of her life but the story is rooted in historic record and real events and places. Those, therefore, who have read and adored the book can pretty easily track Lucrezia’s path from birth to childhood to a rather nerve-wracking young married life in a strange court. In fact, many of the places in the novel are already key tourist attractions that one might already be planning on visiting if booking a villa in Florence and/or a vacation rental in Emilia Romagna. 

If you love horses and beautiful scenery and you were considering a holiday in Italy then you might want to think about booking a villa in Abruzzo. This charming little region of Italy is a place that has remained largely untouched by human hands and, therefore, boasts an unspoiled and incredibly stunning landscape of wide plains, towering peaks, dense forests, gorgeous jewel-toned lakes, and a lush and sweeping coastline, overlooked by romantic crumbling castles and picturesque medieval towns perched on high ground. It is also home to the Gran Sasso, the longest horse trail in the country (in addition to being a national park and part of the country that abounds in hiking and cycling trails), and plenty of horse-riding schools and equestrian centres that take visitors out on guided trips.