If you are traveling to Umbria, consider attending an Umbrian Festa. Umbrian festivals are joyous celebrations with plenty of good food and music. Many of their larger festivals are focused on the arts. From honoring saints to celebrating chocolate. . . there is always a good reason for a festival.

Some of the most interesting festivals involve medieval contests, such as Gubbio’s Candle Race or Foligno’s Giostra della Quintana. The Candle Race is a 900-year-old tradition and is similar to a relay race across the town. Instead of batons, contestants carry very heavy, 20-foot-high wooden columns. Foligno’s Quintana is a several day festival as the town’s ten districts compete in a jousting contest. In addition, many festival goers wear elaborate historical costumes.

Travel Tip Provided by Homebase Abroad - Homebase Abroad strives to provide discriminating travelers with distinctive, memorable villa vacations. The company customizes trips by pairing estates, farmhouses and villas with insider tips, concierge services, and cultural excursions. Their experts spend up to six months a year visiting villas and working with villa owners to make sure their villas meet Homebase Abroad’s exacting standards. Each client’s specific needs and desires are matched with luxury villas in the most desirable regions of Italy.  For more information vist http://www.homebaseabroad/
 

What do Daniel Craig, Diane Lane and Matt Damon all have in common? They all made movies set in Italy. Visit the cities and towns of your favorite Italian movies.
 

• Quantum of Solace: Beautiful and tranquil southern Tuscany hardly seems like the place to film a dark, action packed James Bond film but it is where at least part of the movie was filmed.

• Under the Tuscan Sun: Whether you like the movie or not the movie is a travelogue for Italy. Filmed in Tuscany and the Amalfi Coast the scenery will make you want to book a seat on the next flight to Italy.
 

• Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones: Partially filmed in the Villa del Balbianello located on an island in Lake Como it would be difficult to find a more beautiful backdrop for a movie.
 

• The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou: The movie shows towns set along the Mediterranean Coast of Italy.
 

• The Talented Mr. Ripley: The movie may be a bit bloody but still it is hard not to enjoy the scenes of Italy, especially Venice where the Hotel Europa Regina (the name was changed in the movie) and Cafè Florian make brief appearances.

This Italy travel advice is provided by Bravo Holiday Residences.   Villa La Guardia, a magnificent, historic Spanish tower on the Tuscan coast, is now the set of the upcoming "007" movie Quantum of Solace.
 

Tucked away in a corner of southern Tuscany close to the Maremma National Park, villa La Guardia (aka Villa Mathis in the film) is a four-bedroom castle with breathtaking views over the Mediterranean. Originally built by the Spanish to protect against Saracen invasions, the castle has recently been renovated. Visit www.hipvillas.com 

Travel Tip # 1 - Enjoy Italian Traditions - If you really want to experience Italy get involved in some of the local traditions. If you are there during the grape harvest, find a vineyard and offer to work for a day. You will learn exactly how the wine is made and you will also get to join the workers and family for their midday meal which is amazing. If you are in Italy in November find someone who is harvesting olives and offer your services. You can then make your own fresh olive oil.  

Travel Tip # 2 - Save on Italy Air Fare -  I have saved lots of money by traveling Aerlingus to Dublin and then taking a Ryanair flight to Rome I also like this because Aerlingus flies direct from LA or Chicago to Dublin. Sometimes when I get to Dublin I will spend a night there to get over the jet lag before proceeding to Rome. It’s also nice to see another European city. The city of Dublin is only a 20 minute bus ride from the airport. 

Travel Tip # 3 -  Italian Country Living - I love feeling like an Italian when I am in Italy and not a tourist so I spend most of my time out in the country with Italian speaking people. There are so many places to stay outside of the big cities and they are priced very reasonably, anywhere from 400-800 Euros per week. You just need to do some work on the internet to find them.
 

Travel Tip # 4 - Save on Italy Car Rentals - Rent a car outside the city and definitely not at the airport where they charge a fortune. I always rent my cars in Gavignano Sabino about 45 minutes outside of Rome. They rent used cars for about 250 Euros a week including tax and insurance. The cars are not the best, but they do fine for traveling around. The place I rent from is called Centro Riparazioni Autoveicoli 0765515744.
 

Travel Tip # 5 -  Eat Local - I try to eat most my meals with the locals. Luckily I have met so many people that I have this opportunity whenever I go to Italy, but anyone can have the experience. Try to find out of the way small restaurants where the locals eat. Watch what the locals are eating and order the same thing. Ask the proprietor, what was made today and order it. Take your time and enjoy. Most Italians take 2-3 hours to eat. They relax and let their food digest.
 

Travel Tip # 6 -  Italy Budget Travel Tip - When I am traveling to the bigger cities and I am on a budget, I stay in the local convents and monasteries. They are reasonably priced and extremely clean. The rooms for the most part are no frill, but very satisfactory.
 

Travel Tip # 7 - Save on Italian Meals - My family and I budget our money by eating one meal out a day. One day it will be lunch. Maybe the next day dinner. For the other meal we will buy charcuterie and cheese at a local deli and have a picnic or we may by pizza from a street vendor. We also love to go to the local farmers markets. Every day there is a farmers market in one town or another. You can always find terrific food here, from fresh cheese to porchetta sandwiches.
 

Travel Tip # 8 -  Become A Regular - I try to become a regular at the local cafe and bar, that way they know you and when you arrive you really feel welcome. I always try to talk with the owners and the workers.
 

Travel Tip # 9 - Save on Your Cell Phone - Since we go to Italy a lot I bought an Italian cell phone. It cost me about 60 Euros. What I like about it is that I can call the States with it using my MCI calling card. The best part is that it doesn’t use the cell phone minutes to make the call. I don’t have to stand at a phone both trying call home and it’s much cheaper than using an international cell phone.
 

Travel Tip # 10 – Travel in Off Seasons - The best tip to save money when traveling to Italy is to travel at off times such as January, April and October. I love Italy in January. It’s cold, but wonderful. Every home or restaurant I visit has a big fire going in the fireplace and everyone hangs around the fire telling stories, drinking coffee and also cooking in the fireplace. It’s a magical feeling.
 

Bill Disselhorst
Italian Country Cooking School
Enjoy Life, Live Like an Italian
www.italiancountrycooking.com

Reggio is a big, bustling city that rises up from the coast along the Strait of Messina. Its waterfront, the lungamare, offers breathtaking views of Mount Etna and the northeast coast of Sicily and the city of Messina.

Reggio is a city with more than 2,000 years of history. Ancient ruins from the Roman Empire are preserved along the waterfront. The Corso Garibaldi, the main commercial boulevard, is lined with beautiful shops, restaurants and cafes.

There are several beautiful churches to visit, including the huge main cathedral, Il Duomo, and  the smaller, stunningly beautiful St. Paul’s Cathedral with its gold mosaics. The modest church of St. Gaetano, in the Santo Spirito section of the city, is also a must-see. There is a museum to the saint’s life in the church’s ground floor, and his remains are encased in a glass tomb in the back of the sanctuary.

But the National Museum in the center of the city down near the waterfront is what draws visitors from around the world. That’s because it holds two of the most precious pieces of art in all the world; the Riace bronzes.

These larger-than-life Greek warriors were sculpted some 2,500 years ago by unknown artists. Yet they lay beneath the water off the coast of Riace until a diver found them both by accident, covered in mud and muck, in 1972. They were recovered, sent to Florence for restoration, and then put on display on earthquake-proof platforms in the museum basement in Reggio. These nude statues, perfect in every way, are astounding examples of artistic achievement, every bit as magnificent at Michelangelo’s David in Florence. The Riace bronzes alone make a visit to Reggio worthwhile.

This travel tip was submitted by Justin Catanoso. Justin is a Pulitzer Prize-nominated newspaper journalist and an instructor at Wake Forest University. He is the executive editor of the Business Journal in Greensboro, NC, and his work has appeared in The New York Times, BusinessWeek and on National Public Radio. He lives with his wife and three children in Greensboro, NC.

Please visit www.justincatanoso.com for additional information.

Want to fit in with the locals when you travel to Italy? You must become an expert at ordering an espresso, the ultimate symbol of being a "Real Italian." Italians are fanatics when it comes to finding the best espresso and will be quick to point you to the right Bar/Caffe in each town.

Whatever their means, Italians believe they always deserve the best. This includes that thick and frothy "caffé."

When you have found the best coffee, you will then need to order like a local. If you hang around a caffé for a couple of hours, you will get very confused over the many ways Italians order their favorite drink. Here are your insider tips on ordering an espresso in 10 different ways:

1.“Un caffé: This is the simplest way of ordering an espresso.  You will get the house classic version of a single espresso.  If you are not a fanatic about your espresso, this will do. In Italy, an espresso comes in a very small amount and is smooth, dark, creamy and delicious.
 

2. Un caffé: “macchiato” (spotted): This is a request for an espresso with a quick shot of frothy milk (in a much smaller amount than that found in a cappuccino).
 

3. Un caffé “corretto” (corrected): This is more popular than you may think, especially among men. It is a request to “correct” the coffee with one’s favorite aquavit or liquor of choice, such as “corretto al rum, corretto al cognac, corretto al …” (you fill in the blanks).
 

4. Un caffé “basso” (low): You are asking for a version of espresso that sits low in the cup (less water) and a stronger result.
 

5. Un caffé” ristretto” (narrow or condensed): This is a condensed version of espresso with less water, essentially the same as a caffé basso (above).
 

6. Un caffé alto (high): This version must appear higher in the cup than a regular espresso hence entails more water than a normal single espresso and is less strong.
 

7. Un caffé lungo (long): This is basically the same as a Un caffé alto (above).
 

8. Un caffé doppio (double): This is similar to what you can order in the U.S. It is the equivalent of two doses of espresso in one cup. A few of these double whammies and you will walk and talk a lot faster.
 

9. Un caffé al vetro (in glass): You are ordering your espresso in a glass rather than in a ceramic tazzina (espresso cup).

10. Un caffé in tazza grande (in a large cup): You prefer your tiny shot of coffee in a large cup. This is very trendy at the moment.
 

L. Serenella Leoni
Founder - Tuscany Lifestyle Expert
Toscana Mia
www.toscanamia.biz

From Ciabatta to Focaccia to the grispy grissini in the little packages set on your table bread will always be there when you sit down at a meal anywhere in Italy.
There are more types of bread in Italy than there are regions and almost as many ways to eat it. There is rarely a meal served in Italy where bread does not make an appearance. In some regions bread is served with butter, other areas would not consider putting anything on their bread and in yet other places bread is dipped in olive oil.
No matter how the bread is served and whether it is crispy or doughy the bread is always fresh. The bread does not always contain as much salt as Americans find in their bread so the taste will be different. It is made as an accompaniment to the meal and should not overpower the main course. It is often dipped in soups and sauces so don’t hesitate to break off a piece and dunk.