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Every morning millions of people reach for their eyeglasses even before getting out of bed.  With the world in focus, their day can begin. Nonetheless the history of eyeglasses remains blurry even if with a strong Italian connection from Ancient Rome to this day. So, it’s no wonder a feature article, “The Power of Big Ideas” published in Newsweek o...

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The Vogalonga is a spectacular race in the canals of Venice that are colored by the thousands of boats participating in the non-competitive event born in 1974. It was then that a group of friends driven by an intent that today we could classify green, because he wanted to raise awareness about the degradation of the lagoon and protest against the r...

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The City of Suffolk and Oderzo, Italy, have been linked to each other since 1995 as Sister Cities.   In a recent trip to the sister city, Council Member John Rector of the Suffolk Borough represented the city alongside Suffolk’s Sister Cities Commission, part of the overarching Sister Cities International nonprofit.    President Dwight D. Eisenhowe...

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Venice, the city suspended over the water that enchants millions of visitors, the romantic city, one of the most sought-after destinations in Italy because time disappears once you set foot in the lagoon. In this 5-day itinerary in Venice you will know where to go and what to do in order not to miss any of the opportunities that the city of dreams...

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On the surface, Venice is beautiful – but, thanks to the fact that the city is filled with signs and symbols, there’s way more to it than meets the eye! From gondolas to flags, almost everything in Venice has a hidden story to tell. Here are three of our favorite Venetian symbols that you can find scattered across the city. It’s a truism to say tha...

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Many cities and countries have banned texting while driving, but comparatively little’s been done about texting and strolling — and the very real risk of stumbling into oncoming traffic. Padova, however, is rolling out an experiment designed to educate phone-glued pedestrians.  Under the guidance of local company La Semaforica, the city recently in...

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Once again, Venice’s acqua alta is all over the news. Rising water levels in Piazza San Marco disrupt daily life for locals – and throw a wrench in visitors’ carefully planned itineraries. So what can you do when flooding inundates the Floating City First, it helps to have a solid understanding of why Venice floods – and how the impact of flooding...

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The gloomy landscape of the Venetian lagoon has often surprised those who associate it with Venice and nothing else. “This damp expanse, speckled with islets, clogged with mud-banks and half-drowned fields…a place of beautiful desolation,” wrote Jan Morris. Perhaps that was an incentive of sorts to make the houses so colorful, the palaces so grand...

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Europe is flush with tourists and tourism, so finding a great destination without crowds is difficult. To minimize the overflow problem, this shoulder season is the best time to visit one of my favorite Italian cities, one that offers heart-stirring architecture, swish accommodations, and the real Romeo & Juliet house (sorry, Verona). Vicenza, in t...

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Venice will trial a ticketing system from spring next year, with day visitors charged €5 to enter the Italian city’s historic centre in an attempt to reduce tourist numbers. The city’s council executive backed the move on Tuesday, just weeks after Unesco recommended Venice be added to its list of world heritage sites in danger, in part due to the i...

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