Italy from the Inside

Italy Safety Tips for Kids (video)


A family trip to Italy is a joyful event. If your kids are as young as mine (3 and 6 years old), then you probably already expect to devote some extra attention to prevent they could get lost in some crowded tourist attraction, market or local event.
I’ve asked my daughter Silvia to share on camera some tips and simple Italian phrases that your kids may learn ahead of time in order to minimize some of these worries.

– Can’t see the video? Watch it from YouTube
– iPod version (MP4 – 9Mb)
– Zune version (WMV – 7Mb)

Italy audio tour guides for your iPod

If you’re planning to bring along your iPod, Zune or other MP3 player in your next trip to Italy, here is a good way to maximize the use of your device. WhiteHot Productions has released a series of personal audio tour guides of some key Italian destinations called Great Discoveries.

I had an opportunity to review their product and enjoy the professionally produced recordings with historically appropriate background music. You can preview some of the audio tour clips directly on their site. For several destinations, such as Palazzo Ducal in Venice, you can download and print floor plans and maps in PDF format as well.
Priced around $16 per audio guide, you may already enjoy some savings if you’ve two or more family members planning to rent the official audio devices offered by the museums.

Being a podcaster myself, I love the idea and I appreciate the quality implementation of these audio guides.

Venice Carnival 2007 (video)


In our February trip to Italy, we had the opportunity to spend a day in Venice during Carnevale. I’m always fascinated by the beauty of the costumes that make their appearance in a very crowded Piazza San Marco. Children and adults line up to have their pictures taken with these wonderful ‘walking artistic expressions’. Animation, popular music and dancing bring together locals and visitors.

This short 3-mins video captures some of the spirit of this year’s Venice Carnival.

– Can’t see the video? Watch it from YouTube
– iPod version (MP4 – 13Mb)
– Zune version (WMV – 10Mb)