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Top places to see in Tuscany
The Tuscany region of west northwest Italy or Chianti shire as it is sometimes described is one of those in areas where it is extremely hard to put together a top 10 of any form of tourism highlights. Where on earth would you start? Possibly, Florence I suppose. Situated in the heart of Tuscany, Florence has so many architectural delights and treasures that it would be very easy to spend not just one holiday but a lifetime appreciating the delights of Florence. The Uffizi for one has to be or almost at the top of the list. The former offices of the ruling Medici family (now there s a name to take seriously) the Uffizi houses a veritable cornucopia (treasure trove to the uninitiated) of Renaissance masters that it is difficult to take all of them in. Next on your whistle stop tour of Florence I guess would be the Duomo. It is very easy and understandable to be dumbstruck when you first view the Duomo. Why? Well for starters there is the central dome designed by Brunelleschi added to which the slender Bell tower designed by Giotto plus Ghiberti s gates, Michelangelo s Pieta all topped off in red white and green marble. All run of the mill stuff basically. Then it is a quick sprint to the Pitti Palace to get a real idea of how the Medici family lived. The Pitti Palace house a collection of paintings that would rival those housed in the Uffizi. Boy were the Medici family into artwork. I know this is a massive understatement and probably sounds like heresy but boy could this family collect paintings. The Pitti Palace has an amazing collection of porcelain, carriages, modern art and formal gardens. Moving away from Florence and as we head towards Siena is the fairytale town off San Gimighano. Here you would be hard-pressed not to believe that you have actually walked on to a historic film sent with a fairytale town, stone towers, churches covered in frescoes and all surrounded by a breathtaking network of patchwork fields and terraced vineyards. Next on the list of Tuscany s greatest hits is Pisa, proof if ever there was needed that God does indeed have a sense of humour. Home of the world-famous leaning Tower, Pisa has more to it than just vertically challenged architecture. Off the Florence and Pisa, Siena has to be the next stop on our whistle stop tour and he yet again you are confronted with a giant of a cathedral, the Duomo (yes I know another one) again packed to the rafters with confidence, frescoes, and sculptures. Oh and lest you forget, Bernini s Chapel. Lastly it is time for a little liquid refreshment and of course no still in Tuscany would be complete without a glass of the wine that is synonymous with the entire area and of course by this I mean a glass of Chianti. However, let us not forget that Chianti the wine is named after Chianti the town a true Tuscan idyll and not to be missed.

<p align="left">Scott James writes on a great many Travel issues and more on the above can be found at <a href="http://www.shortcitybreaks.eu/destinations/florence-italy.html">Florence City Breaks</a> , <a href="http://www.cheap-flight-travel.info">Cheap Flight Travel</a>&nbsp; and <a href="http://www.travel-tuscany.info">http://www.travel-tuscany.info</a> </p>

Great Holiday Accomodation can be found in Galicia
An extremely wide variety of tourist accommodation can be found in Galicia and Northern Spain. Visitor accommodation can be found to satisfy all tastes and even the choosiest customer will find something to suit their needs. If you want something slightly different then most people would head for one of the various exclusive hotels throughout the region or one of the Paradors that can be found in various key places throughout the area. The region is dotted with mountain refuges with stunning views not to mention that in the coastal areas you can find quite a few campsites. As expected the hotels in Galicia and Northern Spain are extremely spacious very clean and comfortable. Hotels are categorized and awarded stars by the regional tourist authorities. Hotels (indicated by H . on a blue plaque near the hotel door] are awarded from one to five stars from the local Tourist Authority. You can usually find en-suite bathrooms or at least a shower in each Hotel bedroom. You may well be surprised but it is unlikely that these sorts of facilities would be found in the smaller hostels and Pensiones . Spain s star rating system reflects the number and range of facilities available rather than the quality of service one star is given to the most modest hotels and five stars to the most elegant and expensive ones. As is usual in most quality hotels the standard facilities on offer include air conditioning, televisions in each room, facilities for the disabled, Internet access and on-site parking. Two or three star hotels are the most popular in this region and their rates vary on the season or time of year that you stay there. It has been found that in this area quite often the hostels (hostales) and guest houses are actually more popular; the fact that they are cheaper may have something to do with this. These are usually small family-run establishments offering just a few beds. This area of Northern Spain otherwise known as Green Spain claims to have a total of 92,000 beds registered over 1,500 Hotels, Hostels and Pensiones . The biggest hotel chains in northern Spain are the Grupo Sol-Melia and NH with hotels in the main towns. The quality of these hotels is extremely good. There is also now a growing number of small individually run hotels with a distinctive character and charm, for a memorable and relaxing stay. In Spain you’ll find an establishment called a Parador. These have classifications of anything between three to five stars in accommodation standard. Spain’s first Parador opened in 1928 and now there is a wide network of them throughout the country. The idea behind the hotels when they were setup was that there should never be more than one day’s drive from one Parador to another. In Santiago de Compostela you can find possibly the best known Parador in the area and this is the Parador de los Reyes Catolicos. Various monasteries, castles and other monuments have been used for Paradors elsewhere. More recently a growing number of Paradors have been purpose built and these are usually located either in areas of spectacular scenery or towns of historic interest. The local Parador might not be best hotel in town but it will usually deliver a predictably consistent standard of comfort. The standard from each Parador to Parador very rarely varies with comfortable spacious bedrooms to be found throughout. Quite often you will find that they offer outstanding samples of regional cuisine. It might be wise to book in advance if you are planning to visit the area either during the high season or if you wish to stay in one of the smaller Paradors. Paradors can be booked through the Central de Reservas in Madrid or by calling each Parador direct. Rates can be expensive it is worth looking for special deals especially in the high season but to be brutally honest this has to be the same anywhere you go.

<p>Scott James writes about a great many Internet Travel based issues and more on the above can be found at <a href="http://www.turgalicia.es/caratulas/caratula.asp?ctre=aloxa&cidi=I&ctrem=aloxa&menu=4">Where to stay in Galicia</a> and <a href="http://www.turgalicia.es/sit/form_busqueda.asp?ctre=hotel&cidi=I&menu=4&subMenu_1=1">Hotels in Galicia</a> For a more complete overlook at Tourism in Galicia try <a href="http://www.turgalicia.es">http://www.turgalicia.es</a> </p>

Undercover Madrid explored
Madrid as a capital city of a rapidly emerging and highly influential partner within the European Community deserves respect. It is a wonderful city with highly fascinating people. The paradox with Madrid is that quite often it is viewed as being second to Barcelona in terms of appeal. Now I know Barcelona has the Cathedral, the Nou Camp Stadium and was the venue for the most recent Olympic Games to be held in Spain but to write Madrid off as Spain s second city seems to miss the point completely. Of course the Catalans may espouse Barcelona for its elegance and creativity but just because parts of Madrid might need the odd lick of paint here and there doesn t mean that Madrid is any the less important or influential. Madrid has very much the archetypal continental climate in that it has very cold winters and hot summers which means for those who don’t like extremes in temperatures the spring and autumn are the best times to visit. Madrid has a great many attractions of which a royal palace, many grand public squares, three internationally renowned art galleries, and a great many museums filled with the treasures of the long and glorious history of Spain. As a city the modern day Madrid that you see is very much the result of a very turbulent history. Madrid and Spain have been conquered and re conquered down throughout history a great many times and one of the great influences in Madrid is that of the North African influence of the Moors. This is reflected in the area of La Latina. La Latina is an area of Madrid quite often overlooked by the majority of tourists and visitors but it is home to the Plaza la Paja which was Madrid s main square during medieval times. the decline of the Moorish influence in Spain meant that this part of Madrid became known as a moreria otherwise known as an enclosed ghetto where Muslims live. Memories of days gone by can still be found in some of the rich place names found here. As in most international cities with these types of areas, it is at night time that they truly come alive. Don’t let the slightly grubby appearance from time to time and the general down at heel atmosphere confuse you this is an international capital city with all that that entails. Mention this to the madrilenos and all they will likely do is shrug, sigh and suggest that there are more important things in life worth bothering about? Who is to say they are wrong? North of the city you will find Masalena, a wonderful cobble stoned area stretching from the city centre. This is a fabulous part of Madrid once described as being like the girlfriend or boyfriend you couldn’t bring home to your mother. With graffiti, posters and street art on virtually every conceivable surface Malasana has an anarchic feel and atmosphere that tells you this is the place to be at the right time of day . The trouble is as far as perennial party goers will tell you, in this part of Madrid it is sometimes party time all of the day. There is an awful lot more to Madrid that initial impressions would indicate. Dig slightly deeper, look underneath the stones and beyond the flaking paint and you will embark upon a love affair with a city that will last for many a year. You will lose a lot if you miss Madrid.

<p>Scott James writes about all sorts of automotive issues on the Internet and Check out the following for more information about the above: <a href="http://www.turgalicia.es/recomendacions/verdes.asp?cidi=I&menu=14&subMenu_1=1">Green Days in Galicia</a> / <a href="http://www.turgalicia.es/iacobus/iacobus.asp?cidi=I&menu=14&subMenu_1=2">Iacobus Vouchers</a>&nbsp; and <a href="http://www.turgalicia.es">http://www.turgalicia.es</a> </p>

How to make your money stretch farther on an around the world trip
If you’re afraid your funds won’t stretch far on a round-the-world vacation, don’t be: it’s perfectly possible to make your money last the distance if you choose the right options.