Guest Post by Laura Thayer

The beauty of the Bay of Naples, with its blue waters and lush landscape, has been beckoning travelers from around the world for ages. The island of Ischia, know as the Isola Verde (Green Island), has been appreciated for its beauty since Ancient Greek times. Just a short ferry ride from Naples, Ischia makes a wonderful island escape from the Italian mainland.

1. Castello Aragonese -When arriving into Ischia’s port, you’ll first pass the Castello Aragonese, dramatically situated on a rock outcropping. Built in the 15th century by Alfonso of Aragon, King of Naples, the castle is one of the picturesque symbols of Ischia. Walk across the 15th century bridge to visit the castle area, where you can also explore churches, convents, the Museo delle Armi (Weaponry Museum) and take in the fine views of Ischia of the nearby island of Procida.
   
2. Monte Epomeo -Hikers and nature lovers can experience the rugged and verdant beauty of Ischia by climbing to the top of the island’s highest point, the dormant volcano Monte Epomeo (788 meters/ 2,585 feet). The panoramic views of the Bay of Naples from the peak make the steep uphill climb worthwhile.
3. Church of Santa Maria del Soccorso – Near the village of Forio on Ischia’s western coast is the little, white church of Santa Maria del Socorrso, beautiful in its simplicity and striking setting overlooking the sea. Inside you’ll find models of sailing ships given as ex votos to the church for safe journeys.
   
4. Giardini Poseidon – South of Forio lie the beautiful Giardini Poseidon, or the Gardens of Poseidon, stretching out on the mountainside down to the sea. With 21 pools offering thermal baths, mud baths, saunas and a beautiful white sandy beach, this garden and spa is a wonderful choice to spend a day relaxing your mind and body on Ischia.
5. Sant’ Angelo – Escape away from Ischia’s crowds to the beautiful village of Sant’Angelo on the quieter southern coast of the island. This chic, car-free village is an ideal spot to get away from the crowds and enjoy the peace and natural beauty of Ischia.
   

Laura Thayer is an art historian and freelance writer living on the Amalfi Coast in Campania, Italy. She writes about travel for MNUI travel insurance and blogs about life on the Amalfi Coast at her own site Ciao Amalfi.

p/s: Photos © Laura Thayer, Ciao Amalfi!

Guest Post by Cherrye Moore

Over the last few months I’ve shared some of my favorite sites in my adopted southern Italian hometown, Catanzaro and five of my favorite things to do in Calabria-the toe of the boot. However, if I can expand just a bit more, I am pretty sure I could rustle up five great travel attractions south of Rome.

Let’s see … .

1. Amalfi Coast (Campania) – The Amalfi Coast might be the worst-kept secret in Italy-it’s chic, it’s trendy and everyone loves it. Still, it is worth mentioning. I prefer to base myself on the Amalfi Coast when I’m in that area because you can spend your days exploring many of the smaller, less touristy villages, you can dine daily on freshly caught seafood and you can easily get to Capri, Pompeii, Herculaneum or other tourist hotspots that surround the coast.
2. Matera (Basilicata) – In 1993, Matera was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site for the Sassi cave dwellings that are spread throughout the old part of the city. With more than 120 chiese rupestri, or rock-cut churches and buildings to explore, as well as numerous hotels and restaurants that are housed inside a cave, Matera is a once-in-a-lifetime and often unforgettable experience for travelers.
   
3. Alberobello (Puglia) – Known as the “trulli” capital, Alberobello is located just an hour east of Matera in the province of Bari in neighboring Puglia and is an UNESCO World Heritage Site of its own. Famous for the conical “trulli” limestone dwellings, the trulli in Alberobello are referred to by UNESCO as remarkable examples of this prehistoric building technique. Many visitors enjoy dining in trulli restaurants or staying overnight in a trulli hotel.
   
4. Reggio Calabria (Calabria) – Reggio Calabria, often referred to as Reggio, is thought to be one of the most beautiful cities in the region and features two of Calabria’s most beloved monuments-the Bronzi di Riace, that date back to 460 BC. The Riace bronzes were discovered in 1972 by a diver off the coast of Riace, Calabria and are thought to have been buried at the bottom of the sea for thousands of years.  In addition to seeing the famous Bronzes, visitors to Reggio can have a passeggiata along “the most beautiful kilometer in Italy” and enjoy views of Mt. Etna in nearby Sicily.
   
5. Palermo (Sicily) – I am yet to find an Italian city that can rival Palermo in terms of rustic, old World energy. The streets are a’bustle with an eclectic hodgepodge of Arab, Viking and Italian influences-to name a few-and the generations of foreign invaders have left their mark on Sicily’s cuisine, making it one of the most preferred regional fares in the country. Stroll along Corso Vittorio Emanuele to see the famous Duomo, the Quattro Canti (four corners) and the Fountain of Shame, then settle in for a Sicilian cannolo or cool off with an icy fruit flavored granita.
   

Cherrye Moore is an American freelance writer and Calabria tour organizer living in Catanzaro, Calabria. She writes about travel for MNUI Travel Insurance and about traveling in Calabria on her site, My Bella Vita. You can also visit her at her Bed and Breakfast in Catanzaro, Il Cedro B&B.

Guest post by Lisa Fantino

Edinburgh, Scotland is one of the oldest cities in the U.K., with so much present-day accessibility to the Scotland of yesteryear.  The Scottish people are friendly and helpful and always willing to share a pint if you stop to ask a question or for directions to any of these Top 5 attractions:

1. Guide Friday tours are a great way to get a good perspective on any new city and Edinburgh is no different.  I suggest starting your day on the bus and taking a once-round tour of the whole city for an overview.  Then you can hop on and off as you please, while making stops throughout the day.



2. Edinburgh Castle – Upon arriving in Edinburgh you can’t help but notice the presence of the fortified castle which towers over the city atop the Royal Mile.  Edinburgh Castle is ever-present and should be the first stop on your itinerary.  Give yourself sufficient time because it’s expansive and the panoramic views of the city are well worth the climb.
3. The Royal Mile – heading east from the Castle and down the long hill, you’ll have plenty to do.  There is something for every age group from the 3D Loch Ness Experience and The Museum of Edinburgh to Parliament Square and the High Court of Justiciary.  There are also numerous shops and places to eat for every budget.  It’s a full day’s walk so take your time heading downhill.



4. Holyrood Palace – is where the Royal Mile comes to an end.  It is the Queen’s official residence in Edinburgh and the palace is open to the public.  The property is also home to the ruins of the old 12^th century Holyrood Abbey.  It’s kind of nice, even tranquil to get lost in for a bit.
5. To top it off, no visit to Edinburgh would be complete without an evening ghost tour of the underground city.  In the 1600s, Edinburgh became so overcrowded that the city was forced to build underground tenements.  Today you can tour them by torchlight for a spooky, historical perspective.

Lisa Fantino is an award-winning journalist and attorney and the creative force behind Wanderlust Women Travel and the recently launched Wanderlust Weddings.  She also writes travel features for MNUI Travel Insurance and blogs as Lady Litigator.

Guest post by Katie Greenaway

Florence has many upon many of famous attractions.  Living in the city of wonderment, a plethora of churches with souls and posti (places) that you can only see in Florence.  I feel that there are much more than 5 famous attractions in Florence but I will highlight the ones that are more well-known.

1).  Santa Croce- Santa Croce is located in Piazza Santa Croce with a statue of Dante on the left hand side, standing tall.  The church wasn’t completed and consecrated until 1442, and even then it remained without a facade until the neo-Gothic facade was added in 1857.  The cloisters are home to Brunelleschi’s Cappella de’ Pazzi, the convent partially given over to a famous leather school, and the church itself is a shrine of 14th-century frescoes and a monument to notable Florentines.  For example, Galileo Galilei, Niccolo` Machievelli, Michelangelo Buonarroti, Dante Alighieri, to name a few, although Dante’s body is buried in Ravenna. It is a fresca(cool) sight to see, especially in the summer heat.

2).  Piazzale Michelangelo– This punto visto (viewpoint) gives you a breath of fresh air once you arrive at the top.  Piazzale Michelangelo welcomes one and all to the gorgeous views that it portrays.  You could arrive by foot or by the number 12 bus.  The panorama can be captured at all angles of the Tuscan countryside with a camera and to be embedded in your mind by gazing to and fro.  There are plenty of vendors and gelaterie nearby to cool off a bit with a gelato or granita.  At sunset, it is a scene set for lovers and the like.

3).  San Miniato al Monte– This church is one of my favorites to get lost in.  Enjoying the sunset or a view of my city from high above. I feel invincible when sitting in front of San Miniato looking out over Florence.  How gorgeous it is!  San Miniato al Monte can be reached from Piazzale Michelangelo. Following the path to the church, where you see all the stairs. The stairs will lead you to a spectacular view of Florence. Sitting higher than Piazzale Michelangelo, you will see much, much more of the city. There is tradition I have, I make a pack dinner and escape the day to watch the sunset. It is breathtaking. If you happen to plan to stay all afternoon, at around 5 pm on certain days, the Monks of San Miniato will chant in the crypt of the church. Very calming and relaxing.

4).  The Uffizi Gallery–The Uffizi is one of the world’s great museums, and the single best introduction to Renaissance painting, with works by Giotto, Masaccio, Sandro Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Caravaggio, and the list goes on.  The museum is very small although it looks enormous.  Know before you go that the Uffizi regularly shuts down rooms for crowd-control reasons — especially in summer, when the bulk of the annual 1.5 million visitors stampedes the place. Of the more than 3,100 artworks in the museum’s archives, only about 1,700 are on exhibit.  Reserve a ticket online beforehand so you aren’t waiting in line while baking in the heat.

5). Il Duomo- Santa Maria del Fiore is one of the main symbols of Florence.  Whenever you get lost, just look up for the Brunelleschi’s dome and you will find your way.  The top of the Duomo is open to the public by walking up the 400 odd stairs.  The 360 panorama shows you the whole of Florence.  Right from the heart.  Most of the original pieces from the Duomo now resides in the Museo dell’ Opera del Duomo, which is located right behind the dome.

Hope you enjoy these attractions as I do everyday that I live walking among the cobblestones of my city.

Katie Greenaway is a freelance travel writer and is the Local Expert of Florence for Nile Guide where she also provides the secrets of Florence on her blog.  She writes about her life in Florence on her personal blog Olio di Oliva e Sogni di Vino and contributes to MNUI Travel Insurance with travel articles.

Guest post by Cherrye Moore

A couple of months ago, Cecil invited me to write about five of my favorite attractions in my adopted hometown, Catanzaro, Italy. Catanzaro is the capital of Calabria-the region located in the toe of the boot, between Basilicata and Sicily. Today, I’d like to expand a bit and tell you about five of my favorite destinations in Calabria.

1) Le Castella - Le Castella engulfs a tiny island in the province of Crotone in a sleepy village of the same name. There are few markers and tourism-except in July and August-is minimal and the friendly villagers of Le Castella are oblivious to the fame of its namesake landmark. While the origins of Le Castella are lost in time, legend links the castle to mythical Ogygia, the island where the sea goddess Calypso lived when she held Ulysses hostage in Homer’s The Odyssey. Today, Le Castella stands, glistening in the sun that reflects off of the Ionian waters and is one of the most popular iconic images of the region.

2) Diamante – Diamonds are a girl’s best friend, but one glance at the star-studded waters off of Calabria’s west coast and even the most macho, masculine man will be mesmerized. Diamante-or diamonds, as we’d say in English-has a bright white pebble and sand beach and is considered by many to be one of the most beautiful fishermen villages in Italy. In the early 1980s, starving artists without a canvas to paint on took to the historical center of Diamante and unleashed their artistic talents on the town. Today, there are around 150 hand-painted murals, earning the city the nickname … “the City of Art.” The city is also famous for its annual red chili festival, held at the beginning of each September.

(Photos: Looking over Diamante with Cirella in the distance, courtesy of Calabria Online; http://www.calabriaonline.com/)

3) Cirella – Cirella is just a few minutes north of Diamante and features stretching green hills of olive trees and citrus groves. The island is divided into two sections-the beach and the old town-but it is the old city, sitting high upon Cirella’s hill with historical monuments and Roman ruins that is most intriguing. Many people visit both Cirella and Diamante in one trip.

4) Tropea – Tropea features one of the most dramatic coastlines in the world and is one of Calabria’s most well-known destinations. Its emerald-green waters meet a swooping cliff that is topped by the iconic Santa Maria dell’Isola Church. Unlike other Calabrian towns, Tropea is maximizing its tourism efforts and has created a true beach resort for people of all ages.

5) Pizzo – Located just half an hour from Tropea on the Tyrrhenian Coast, Pizzo is a pint-sized fishing village that is full of history, mystery and some of the best homemade gelato in the country. The main piazza features views of the Mediterranean and endless tartufo-domes of homemade hazelnut and chocolate ice cream with a gooey chocolate center, covered with cocoa. The piazza is overshadowed by the Murat Castle, named for Napoleon Bonaparte’s brother-in-law who was executed inside and the should-be famous Chiesetta di Piedigrotta is just a few minutes away.

Cherrye Moore is a Calabria tour consultant and freelance writer living in southern Italy. She writes about travel for MNUI.com and about living and traveling in Calabria on her own site, My Bella Vita.