On national holidays in Italy, information offices, museums, monuments, etc. are either closed or open for limited hours. Public transportation such as buses and trains may be operating on a reduced holiday schedule.

May 1 (Italian Labor Day) and Christmas Day (December 25) are all major national holidays in Italy. Museums, monuments and many restaurants will be closed. Take these holidays into consideration when you plan your vacation.

In addition to national holidays in Italy, each town has a feast day in celebration of their patron saint. These holidays vary from city to city and town to town.

You know where you want to go; now how do you get there? Walking into a train station in Italy, especially in large cities such as Milan, Rome, Florence, and Venice, is like walking into an airport in the United States.

There is a lot of hustle and bustle. People are in a hurry (yes, even in Italy people rush around train stations), there are many different languages being spoken – it can feel like you have been thrown into a boiling pot of confusion.

So……when you walk through the doors of a train station in Italy take a deep breath and look around to get your bearings. Look for the train schedules which are posted in large glass enclosed boxes. These train schedules will tell you everything you need to know.

There are six snowboard events in the Olympic Winter Games: men’s and women’s halfpipe, men’s and women’s parallel giant slalom, men’s and women’s snowboard cross.

The halfpipe competition takes place on a U - shaped course dug deep into a hill. The competitors use the speed they gain on the slope to come up over the rim of the pipe and perform acrobatic aerial tricks.  Competitors are judged by degree of difficulty and form.

Cesana will be the site of the biathlon events at the Torino Winter Olympics, a sport that in some form dates back as far as 1776. 

Cesana is and ancient village located in the San Sicario region of the Italian Alps, about 50 miles west of Turin.  Cesana with its spectacular views is located under the Chaberton Mountain in what is called the Upper Valley skiing district.  The peak of the Chaberton is dominated by the “Batteria di Torri”, the tower battery.    The village is one of the most beautiful and well-preserved in the valley. 

The Torino Winter Olympic Games are almost here!  Remember the 2002 Winter Olympics held in Park City, Utah in the US? 

That was where we first learned there was a skeleton other than what forms the structure of your body.  This one is a sled that hurtles participants down an ice chute at break neck speeds.  We watched skiers defy gravity by doing pirouettes in the sky, generally landing on both skis. 

Men and women hurtled down mountains at speeds most of us are afraid to drive in our cars.   It was where Sarah Hughes gave a breathtaking free-skating performance that moved her from 4th to 1st in figure skating.    We were witness to short track speed skating which made roller derbies of the past seem tame.

My mother learned to make this authentic Italian recipe when we were living in Italy. The recipe has been perfected over the years. Since the sauce is heavy it is perfect for the winter months.

1 pound hamburger or sausage (you can use more or less, adjust the other ingredients)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic
1 medium onion chopped
1 28 oz (794g) can whole tomatoes
1 10 ¾ oz (305g) can tomato puree
1 6 oz (170g) can tomato paste
1 carrot chopped
2 sticks of celery chopped
Pinch of salt
Pinch of pepper
1 teaspoon chopped basil
½ cup red wine (optional)

Everyone who goes to Italy wants to visit Florence and they should. It is a beautiful city full of art, history and great food.

Most travelers allow several days for a visit to Florence Italy. But there is no need to spend all of your time in one city. There are a number of places that are an easy day trip from Florence. By using Florence as your home base you don't have to keep repacking your bags and moving to different hotels in order to see more of Italy.

The Italian trains go just about everywhere so with a little planning you can see Florence and one or two typical towns in Tuscany and Umbria.

Lucca Italy is an easy day trip from Florence Italy. It is an old city founded a couple of hundred years BC. The Piazza dell'Antifeatro is what survives of the ancient Roman amphitheater. Imagine what the city was like when amphitheaters were still used for sport and gladiators walked through the arches to meet their fate. Today the amphitheater has a number of cute shops and reasonably priced outdoor cafe's.

This Italian Chicken Recipe takes about 15 minutes to make.  It is so easy and good that it can make anyone look like a professional chef.

4 to 8 pieces of frozen chicken tenderloin
2 – 3 tablespoons olive oil
2-3 small cloves of garlic
1 to 2 cups fresh mushrooms

There are many different types of trains in the Italian train system. Don’t let this intimidate you! The following is an easy guide to the types of trains you may encounter in the Italian train system.

A train ticket in Italy can be confusing to read. So take a minute and look at the ticket. All the information you need will be there – your seat number, which class you purchased, where you are going and the scheduled departure time.

Once you figure out the system; travel by train in Italy is a breeze. It is far easier to travel by train than to drive. Since the trains go to most places it is possible to rely on them as your main form of transportation. A few tips to get you started:

In the summer months Zucchini is everywhere – grocery stores, farmers markets, roadside stand.  You can stuff it, make bread with it or fry it.  Here is one of my favorite recipes.  It is both good and easy!

4 medium zucchini
1 small onion sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 fresh tomatoes cut into pieces
1 teaspoon salt
1/2  teaspoon pepper
Several fresh basil leaves