Summer in Italy spoils us for choice over the best Italian beaches from the north to the south, including some beautiful secluded spots on Italy’s islands. While August often seems like a bum’s rush to get your spot on the sand, nothing bad can be said about azure waters, sun or snorkelling opportunities.

TripAdvisor has put together a list of Italy’s top ten seaside locations for 2011 starting with San Vito Lo Capo and passing through some more famous names, too. Here is the list:

1. San Vito lo Capo, Sicily - a quiet spot on the North Coast of Sicily, not far from Trapani
2. Villasimius, Sardinia - on the south point of Sardinia, not far from Cagliari in an area famous for its VIP locations and night clubs
3. Lampedusa Island (although we recommend avoiding this right now given the boatloads of African immigrants arriving and the presence of the Italian military)
4. Vieste, Puglia - in the middle of the Gargano national park, this is one for nature lovers who want private spots for swimming
5. Alghero, Sardinia - another spot on Italy’s famous island of Sardinia, Alghero has an old town and a few beaches to offer on the west coast

Continue reading: Italy's best beaches: top ten for 2011 summer in Italy

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Italian desserts for summer range from the classic gelato to semifreddo (great if you haven’t got an icecream maker) and they also know how to do a good mousse as well. This Italian recipe uses the traditional product of lemons - famous in southern Italy and also to be found in some areas in north that enjoy patches of temperate climate. The town of Limone on Lake Garda is one, but back to our recipe.

The mousse uses yoghurt and lemons and the ingredients for four people are: 250 g of natural yoghurt, 200 g of sugar, 50 g of butter, the juice of five lemons and four eggs (separated).

Beat the egg yolks and then in a heat-proof bowl over boiling water melt the butter, add the lemon juice, sugar and yolks. Heat for 15 minutes, stirring constantly. When done, take from the heat and leave to cool. In the meantime, beat the egg whites until they form peaks. When the lemon mixture has completely cooled, add the yoghurt and fold in the egg whites.

Using four small cups or cocktail glasses, divide the mixture and leave it in the fridge for at least two hours. When serving, you can decorate with raw sugar or a little grated lemon rind.

Photo | Flickr

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Easter in Italy is a great way to spend the holiday and it seems that the Belpaese is a favourite destination for many English and international travellers, especially to Rome. The eternal city is at the top of the preferred Easter holiday destinations list for Europe, in front of Venice and Barcellona.

The Italian tourism industry is getting some good publicity overseas with the Opodo network saying that Rome hotel prices have dropped recently due to the financial crisis, especially with good four and five-star Rome hotel offers. Before the crush of tourists for summer in Italy, Rome enjoys a good off season in April and May - even actor Jake Gyllenhall vacationed in Rome recently during a break in filming Source Code.

As we already saw with our gallery on the football field near the Colosseum, Rome offers far more than the usual tourist traps as discovered even by The West Australian newspaper, which suggests popping into out-of-the-way churches in Rome to escape from the usual bustle of the city.

The Vancouver Sun even suggests planning a long holiday to Rome of a couple of months to really get to know the city. Most tourists to Rome spend a couple of days, racing from St Peter’s to the Trevi Fountain to the Colosseum, and do so craving for some extra time to discover this romantic city.

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Italian pasta recipes can get creative and while it might seem like a strange combination to some, there is more than one example in Italy of pasta and potato served together. As summer in Italy approaches and we’re in a heat wave right now, pasta is still a great dish to serve as long as you keep it light. This fresh, summer feeling and experimental dish uses the traditional Italian product of pesto sauce, with linguine and potatoes.

For four people, you’ll need: 300 gr of linguine, 300 gr of broad beans, 300 gr of potatoes, one large bunch of basil, one bunch of rocket lettuce, two tablespoons of pistachio nuts, one clove of garlic, four tablespoons of grated pecorino cheese, extra virgin olive oil and salt and pepper.

Wash and clean the rocket and basil, peel the garlic clobe and put it through a food processor with the pistachios and some salt and pepper. Add the basil and rocket and mix again. Blanche the broad beans slightly in some boiling salty water and take off the skin. Peel and chop the potatoes and boil for ten minutes. Boil the linguine pasta with the broad beans in some water, drain but keep the water aside.

Toss the pesto sauce through the pasta and add some of the water if it’s too dry. As a last flourish, add the pecorino cheese and serve. This would do with a nice bottle of Italian white wine, possibly from the Liguria region as this regional cuisine is home to the pesto sauce.

Photo | Flickr

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We all know Italian women are fashionable and often very beautiful but in a country which is increasingly concerned about obesity problems among its youth, it turns out that Italian women are among Europe’s thinnest ladies.

The bikini-clad women you’ll be seeing on beaches this Italian summer rate only behind Swiss ladies in the slender stakes in Europe. The results come from studies done by researchers at London’s Imperial College and Harvard to measure the average Body Mass Index (BMW) of the world’s populations.

Italian and Swiss women fared well, while British and Maltese ladies didn’t. If you’re an Italian girl looking for a man thin enough to match the statistics, unfortunately you won’t be able to go local as the thinnest men in Europe are French. In the picture is current Miss Italy, Francesca Testasecca.

Source | ItalyMag

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Italy’s greatest rock legend, Vasco Rossi, is back with a new album and tour dates for this year. The Italian singer has tantalised fans with his new song on the radio, “Eh, già” and finally the new Vasco album Viviere o niente will be released on March 29. So far the slow release of the album has been controversial, as is the new Vasco clip, but the 12 songs on the disc will apparently be quite different from each other and will likely represent Vasco’s various styles - from rock ballads to the hard edge of things.

Vasco Rossi 2011 concert dates are in summer in June and July with venues in Rome, Messina, Milan and Mestre, where the latter venue is set for the Heineken Jammin’ Festival on June 11. We have an older, wiser and even more cynical Vasco Rossi on our hands but here’s hoping his individuality is maintained in the new album. Check out his in-your-face “I’m still here” lyrics in the new video above.

Source | Soundsblog.it

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There is nothing like a summer holiday in Italy in Liguria to bring back atmospheres of old European luxury, late evening promenades in the sunset and elderly locals playing bocce. The Royal Hotel Sanremo is one luxury Italian hotel that will help in that nostalgia. It’s a member of the Leading Hotels of the World and has already opened for 2011 summer in Italy vacations.

The Royal Hotel Sanremo is a five-star hotel at the Riviera dei Fiori. In the past it has been a favourite destination of European aristocracy and has maintained the interior renaissance-like decorating of times gone by. The large rooms have ceiling affrescoes and the restaurant is decked out in Murano glass. There is a tropical garden, a swimming pool with sea water and a Royal Wellness centre.

The 2011 season offers romantic weekends in Liguria with tastings of local dishes and wellness packages. You can find all the various special offers at the Sanremo Royal Hotel on its website, and we feature a few after the jump.

Continue reading: Luxury hotel stay in Sanremo, Liguria: Royal Hotel Sanremo and health spa

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Planning your next summer vacation to Italy? Keep this enchanting Italian beach in Calabria in mind if you’re planning on visiting Italy’s southern coast. Calabria has beautiful seaside locations and this is definitely one. Le Castella, at Isola Capo Rizzuto, is a castle that sits right on a little island off the coast of the Crotone region.

The castle can be reached by walking along a path or wall built over the sea. It often hosts events and exhibitions and is the symbol of the area. One of the best views of the castle can be had off the beach nearby where it is amazing to see bathers swimming, apparently oblivious to the magnificant backdrop. The are is part of the Isola Capo Rizzuto marine reserve.

Le Castella beach castle in Calabria

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Summer in Italy, at least the vacation part, is drawing to a close meaning we’ll see our Italian celebrities and VIPs come back to their home cities for work. Call it the financial crisis or a rediscovery of the beauty of Italy’s seaside destinations, but many of the stars of Italian fashion, entertainment and even overseas visitors chose to holiday on home shores this year.

After a spot of summer holidaying in Italy at the Aeolian Islands at their Stromboli villa, Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana of Dolce&Gabbana fame will be back to their fashion duties. The beautiful islands were also the scene of a holiday for Italy’s president, Giorgio Napolitano, who was visiting relatives. Less of a luxury holiday than the fashion duo, Napolitano arrived on a ferry with his wife and they spent their time in a more simple style.

The popular spot was also the chosen destination of actress Sharon Stone who arrived on her luxury yacht, while other international stars chose Positano, along Italy’s Amalfi Coast as their preferred holiday spot. That includes Tina Turner, who seems to have a soft spot for the area, having holidayed there last year, too, and Naomi Campbell who arrived on the yacht of millionaire boyfriend Vladislav Dorinin.

Not that we’re jealous or anything, but isn’t it time everyone went back to work…? Meanwhile, if you can’t get to these places, they’re great spots for a mid-season holiday as well, or to enjoy some milder winter weather, so don’t hesitate to check out Italy’s islands in the off-season, too.

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Every year with the arrival of summer holidays Milan becomes empty (except for few Japanese tourists) and silent; actually it even looks a bit spectral and ghostly! Here a few pics taken by Sonia Ferrante at night with few people milling about!

Photo | Senia Ferrante

Milano d’agosto di Senia Ferrante

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Okay, so we’ve got Italian gelato, and if you’re in the know there is also the granita which is a flavoured ice drink. And then there’s grattachecca. It’s also a flavoured ice drink but from a slightly different tradition. The name ‘checca’ comes from the Roman tradition of the drink, and the ‘gratta’ part means to grate. And if you’re living out a hot summer in Italy at the moment, you might be on the lookout for one of these.

The traditional method of making granita is that a water and syrup or juice mix is first made up and then set to freeze. The grattachecca on the other hand is grated ice to a consistency like snow, to which syrup is then added. It’s considered one of Rome’s old summer traditions and the oldest dates back sometime to the 19th century.

While the drink itself is famous, it’s Rome various kiosks that have created the fame. Perhaps the most reknowned of these is “La Fonte d’Oro” on the Lungotevere Sanzio. It’s been open since 1913 and the goodness of its grattachecche gets a little shine from its elderly status among Rome’s kiosks. A few minutes from La Fonte d’Oro is “Sòra Mirella” open since 1915. The last among Rome’s old kiosks is the Sòra Maria, open in via Trionfale since 1933. Check them all out both for their grattachecche and their historic atmosphere.

Source | 06blog.it

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There are two destinations for summer in Italy: either the seaside or the mountains, with the latter generally being chosen by anyone over the age of 50. Escaping the oppressive heat of Milan, many oldies go to the Valtellina valley which stretches north of Lake Como for some fresh mountain air and wonderful views.

If you want to explore the valley, be sure not to miss the spa and thermal springs at Bormio. Bormio is a skiing location, on more than one occasion hosting the European championships, and is full of hotels, boutique shops and mountain landscape. The spas or “Bagni di Bormio” are located just outside of town and include both ‘old’ and ‘new’ baths.

The old baths are ancient grottos which provide the natural warm springs for a very rustic, almost prehistoric, sauna and bath. The new baths have been built with new spas, saunas, fountains and pools and outside you can enjoy a warm splash while taking in the surrounding mountains.

The spa is situated in a grand old hotel and to pamper yourself in August for four nights with bed and breakfast at the Hotel Bagni Vecchi costs about 448 euros a head. It gives you unlimited access to spa and health centre and a ten percent discount on any beauty or massage treatments you might like to indulge in. See the Bagni di Bormio site for more details.

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