Published on Thursday, February 28, 2013 by Kathy McCabe As of 8 p.m. local time, the Vatican's Swiss Guards are a protection force without a Pope to protect. Pope Benedict officially retired from the Papacy today as the Vatican is slated to announce Friday the date for the conclave to elect his successor.   According to  the Associated Press reporter who was at the Pope's summer/weekend residence, "As bells tolled, t...

Published on Tuesday, February 26, 2013 by Kathy McCabe Rabbit Beach, on the island of Lampedusa off the south coast of Sicily, has been voted the best beach in the world by TripAdvisor readers.   TripAdvisor described Rabbit Beach "as an unspoiled nature reserve that can only be accessed by boat and one of the few places in the Mediterranean where loggerhead sea turtles go to lay their eggs."   "Rabbit Beach's is c...

Published on Saturday, February 23, 2013 by Kathy McCabe Tuscany is simply a dream any time of year. But can you imagine the rolling hills of Chianti covered in snow? This photo is from a beautiful snowfall in 2009. It doesn't snow very often in Tuscany but when it does, what a sight to behold. Photo by artistica2004, flickr.com...

Published on Friday, February 15, 2013 by Kathy McCabe With news of the Pope's resignation this week, many are wondering what comes next for the soon-to-be-former pope when he leaves his post. On his last day, February 28th, the pope will be helicoptered from the Vatican to the Papal Palace in Castel Gandolfo, in the hills outside Rome. Then at a later date, he will retire to a monastery within the Vatican walls....

Published on Monday, February 11, 2013 by Kathy McCabe Pope Benedict XVI shocked the world today with the announcement that he will resign the Papacy effective February 28th. If you have a trip to Rome planned for March or Easter (which is March 31 this year) or you are thinking about visiting Rome in the next two months, there are a few things to know now that all eyes will be at the Vatican during that time: Technic...

Published on Friday, February 8, 2013 by Kathy McCabe Rome - both an ancient and modern wonder - is constantly evolving. Renovation and restoration are an ongoing part of the landscape of the Eternal City. At the Vatican Museums,  restoration has now finished on frescoes in one of the Raphael Rooms -  the Room of Heliodorus. The rooms are named after the High Renaissance master painter Raphael.  They were ori...

Published on Monday, February 4, 2013 by Kathy McCabe   The Cinque Terre (meaning "five lands" or "five towns") on the Ligurian coast of northern Italy are simply one of Italy's great treasures. They are the perfect location for hiking, boating and scuba diving. The photo above features the town of Vernazza. The towns were damaged in severe flooding and mud slides over a year ago but have bounced back and are awaitin...

Published on Thursday, January 31, 2013 by Kathy McCabe Bella Napoli! Naples has long been an Italian treasure. In recent years, this incredible city in Italy's Campania region has gotten a bum rap for mafia exploits, corruption and overflowing garbage. But the city is cleaning up its act, in more ways than one, and remains one of Italy's most vibrant and fascinating destinations.   The New York Times recently spent 36 ...

Published on Tuesday, January 29, 2013 by Kathy McCabe     I read a very cool Italian proverb today about Milan: "Rome is a voluptuous woman whose gifts are very apparent, while Milan is the shy, demure girl whose treasures are plentiful, but discovered in time." What do you think?   By Kathy McCabe Ready to travel to Italy? Perillo Tours has been leading group trips throughout Italy since 1945 and ItalyVacatio...

Published on Thursday, January 24, 2013 by Kathy McCabe A new series of reports called The Future of Travel and Tourism in Italy might be too pricey ($1950) for even Italian travel companies to purchase but some of the report's general findings truly shed light on how popular travel to Italy is and how essential tourism is to Italy's economy. Here are a few key takeways from the series synopsis: Italy was ranked fif...