Winter Visit to Italy
 | Cortina d'Ampezzo
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Travelers flock to Italy from spring through fall, but many visitors never have the opportunity to savor the country's winter charms. One obvious attraction for winter sports enthusiasts is skiing in the Dolomites or Italian Alps. The Dolomites offer 1,200 kilometers of skiing among its jagged peaks, with a variety of terrain for every skill level. The equipment rental options are also excellent - with airline baggage charges and lost luggage problems today, bringing less is definitely more!. And then there's the food! Every mountain is dotted with cozy refuges and alpine huts where the food is just unbelievable! Maria Gabriella learned to ski in Cortina d'Ampezzo, and Brian refined his skills, both with a wonderful local maestro di sci. The Dolomites are also only a two hour drive from Venice and all it has to offer. The New York Times recommends visiting Venice in winter to see the city as a local and we agree.
December is already upon us, but it's not too late to experience Christmas, January or February in Italy!
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Spotlight - Florence
 | Firenze
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Florence is one of the most popular cities in the world. Whether you are visiting for the first or tenth time, there is always something new (or really old!) to discover. In addition to the big museums, there are countless small museums and exhibits which merit a visit, as well as numerous local artisans carrying on the great Florentine tradition of bespoke ingenuity in their Oltrarno workshops. If it's open space you desire, the Boboli Gardens and newly renovated Bardini Gardens make for an excellent green diversion. Florence is also a great base from which to indulge in a day of wine tasting in one of Tuscany's wine regions, or visiting the charming hilltowns that dot this landscape. Featured prominently in the international press lately, Florence was also the subject of one of our own entries in Concierge in Umbria's blog, Italy del Giorno. In the current issue of CN Traveler, there is an article about shopping and artisan crafts in Tuscany's capital.
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Recital - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
 | Marco Scolastra, Maria Gabriella, Dr. Terry Rhodes and Brian
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When not organizing unique experiences with local people in one of the world's most fascinating destinations, we are both opera singers. On October 26, we returned to Brian's alma mater, The University of North Carolina, and presented a concert of Italian songs, duets and opera arias. Music Department Chair and Brian's former professor, Dr. Terry Rhodes, invited us to perform a public concert and give a Master Class to the Voice Department. We were accompanied by Italian pianist Marco Scolastra, a native of Foligno in Umbria. Marco has played in some of Italy's most prestigious venues, including Venice's La Fenice and Rome's Teatro dell'Opera, but this was his first performance in the States. It was also the first opportunity that many of the young vocal students had to get feedback on their Italian language and musical style from a native speaker. We enjoyed our time in Chapel Hill so much, and hope the audience did as well! It was great to be back in the US and we were delighted that some CIU travelers made the trip to hear the concert.
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