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On the road again

On the road again is a travelling blog that shows fun facts, tips and information about places all over the world!

04/06/2021

Italy travel tips that might save your life!

There are some things you should know and do before going to Italy, to make your trip smoother.

1. Learn basic phrases !
Although most largest cities in Italy have plenty of English speakers, it's always nice when tourists learn a little bit of the language. You could start by learning how to say thanks, please, how to ask for directions, how to ask the price of something and maybe how to say you have an allergy to certain foods.

2. Italians drink a lot of espresso.
There are many ways you can order coffee in Italy, but it will always be espresso based. You will almost never see an Italian drinking those big cup of coffee that you can find in the US. Also, it is almost silly, but as a rule of thumb, no cappuccinos are served past 11:30am (it's only for breakfast).

3. Buying fake designer bags is illegal.
Italy is known for its high design brands such as Gucci, Prada, Dolce&Gabbana. You will see a lot of people trying to sell fake designer bags or accessories and though it might be tempting to get them as souvenir, in Italy it's illegal to buy them.

4. Know the difference between Northern and Southern Italy.
Italy, like any country, has many different lifestyles and people depending on where you go. Northern Italians tend to be more stylish, refined, modern and white collar. Southern Italians are more traditional, passionate, hospitable and blue collar. Each Italian region has different dialects, foods and mentality.

5. Almost everyone smokes everywhere.
It is legal to smoke everywhere outside, so there are no 'smoke-free' areas, even though now smoking indoors is frowned upon.

04/06/2021

Fun facts about Barcelona, vol. 2!

1. World Book day started in Barcelona.
On April 23rd, Catalans pay tribute to the patron Saint of Catalonia - Saint George. On this day, the tradition is for couples, lovers and friends to exchange books and roses. UNESCO liked the idea so much that they declared the day World Book and Copyright day in 1995.

2. Barcelona has the largest football stadium in Europe.
FC Barcelona, or else known as Barça, is one of the most celebrated clubs in the world and plays in the biggest stadium in Europe. The stadium is Camp Nou and has the capacity for almost 100,000.

3. The famous grid pattern of l'Eixample was not well-received at the time.
The designs of architect Ildefons Cerdà, that was responsible for the expansion of the city beyond the medieval walls, were criticized at the time. Today, the octagonal blocks and gridded pattern of the project are applauded because they facilitate the flow of traffic, allowing sunlight and ventilation to come between the buildings.

4. Barcelona may be older than Rome.
Barcelona has the perfect location on the Mediterranean to be the ideal place for settlers. The exact dates of the earlier settlements are unclear, but there are ruins that have been found dating earlier than 5000BC.

27/05/2021

Fun facts about Barcelona that you didn't know!

Barcelona is the most visited city in Spain. With 1.6 million inhabitants, the number of tourists far outnumbers the people living in it. Even so, there are a few facts that not everyone knows, and you can read about them here!

1. Barcelona has 2 official languages.
Although Barcelona is in Spain, it's the capital of Catalonia, which is an autonomous region. The language that is spoken there, besides Spanish, is Catalan (not a dialect, but a completely different language).

2. Picasso has roots in Barcelona.
Pablo Picasso, the famous artist that introduced Cubism to the world, studied at the School of Fine Arts in Barcelona. There is currently a museum in the Born neighborhood in Barcelona that has over 4,000 of his works on display.

3. The "Basilica de la Sagrada Familia" has taken longer to complete than an Egyptian Pyramid.
The construction of Antoni Gaudi Magnus opus Sagrada Familia began in 1882. To this day, the Basilica remains unfinished. It is expected to have a completion date set that coincides with the hundredth anniversary of its architect's death. On the other hand, the Pyramids took around 10-20 years to be built.

4. Barcelona is home to 9 UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Of these nine sites, seven were made by Gaudi. They are Parc Güell, Palau Güell, Casa Milà (aka La pedrera), Casa Vicens (the first building he designed), La Sagrada Familia, Casa Batlló and the Cryst of the Church at Colonia Güell (which is located on the southern side of Barcelona’s Llobregat river. The other two UNESCO were designed by Lluis Domenech i Montaner and are the Palau de la Música Catalana and the Hospital de Sant Pau.

17/05/2021

The only coffee plantation in Europe is in.. Gran Canaria!

It is known that Europeans really love coffee, yet there is only one coffee plantation in the continent.
Since the 19th century, people have been growing coffee in Gran Canaria's Valle de Agaete. The humid and warm climate, mixed with the fertile soil, is the perfect combination for coffee cultivation.

The coffee plantation is organic and is being cultivated in "La Finca de los Castaños", which can be visited and a 90 minutes tour can be organized with a guide.

14/05/2021

The GC-200 in Gran Canaria is one of the most dangerous roads of Spain. It is certainly an adventure for those who love gorgeous ocean and mountain views.

This road is particularly narrow, so when you find yourself in front of a bus or truck that comes the opposite way, it can be very challenging to not get a bit of a scare!
It is a dangerous road because of its hairpin bends and the cliff drops, but the views are amazing. You can see both the mountains and the ocean + a great view of Tenerife on the other side.

This road starts in Agaete and ends at Puerto de Mogan.

If you are an adventurous person, this is the perfect road for you!

12/05/2021

La Caldera de Bandama, in Gran Canaria, is a 200-meter deep volcanic crater that has a diameter of 1km. The amazing thing about this crater, besides the fact that you can easily walk on it, is that the soil is very fertile and is overgrown with palm trees and plants.

You can choose to walk inside the crater or around it, to get amazing views of the ocean, Las Palmas, and sometimes even Fuerteventura. At the top of the road that leads to the Caldera, there is also an observation platform.

FUN FACT: the Caldera got the name of "Bandama" because it once belonged to a Dutch/Belgian merchant Daniel van Dame, but the Spanish couldn't pronounce "van Dame" so it ended up as Bandama.

12/05/2021

Tuscany is one of the most famous regions in Italy and has a lot of history and interesting facts.

1. Pinocchio is originally from Tuscany.
The Disney puppet was invented by Carlo Collodi, that wrote The adventures of Pinocchio in 1883.
You can also visit the town of Collodi, where you can also find a Pinocchio Park!

2. The Italian language originates from Tuscany.
There has never been a universal language in Italy, but a lot of different dialects, all derived from Latin.
In the Renaissance, the poet Dante wrote many poems in Florentine (from Florence) and they spread throughout the country, so it became the most understood dialect in Italy.
As more people started using Florentine to write and speak, it became the basis of the current Italian language.

3. Tuscany has 7 UNESCO World heritage sites.
The sites are a lot for a single region, but that is what makes it special. The sites are:
- The city of Florence.
- Piazza Dei Miracoli in Pisa.
- The medieval towers of San Gimignano.
- Siena historical center.
- The historic center of Pienza.
- The landscape of Val D'Orcia.
- The 12 Medici Villas and pleasure gardens.

4. Many famous and important historical figures were from Tuscany.
The great, for example, mathematician Fibonacci was from Tuscany. He was born in Pisa and was the first to introduce the decimal number system in Europe.
Also, Galileo Galilei was from Tuscany. He also was born in Pisa in 1564 and was famous for introducing the theory that the Earth revolved around the Sun. For this theory, he was put to trial and convicted as a heretic so he had to live his remaining 9 years of life on house arrest.
Another great figure was Michelangelo, who grew up in Florence and is mostly famous for his David marble statue and for the painting on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican.
Last but not least, Leonardo da Vinci was also from Tuscany. He was born in the village of Vinci and spent most of his life in Florence.

12/05/2021

Why the three colors of the Italian flag?
The current Italian flag has three vertical stripes of color - green, white and red - with the green being on the hoist side. This kind of flag is known as "tricolor", in Italian Tricolore, and is the same design as the French and Irish ones.
The colors have been in use since the late 1700s but the flag was made official in 1948.

The meaning of the colors is not as specific as expected, because there are different theories and points of view. The first theory is that the colors represent hope (green), faith (white), and charity (red). Another theory is that the green is for the hills, the white is for the mountains and the red for the bloody wars for independence.

The first use of a green/white/red tricolor design for a flag in what is now Italy was in 1796 when it represented a republic in the north. The red and white came from the flag of Milan, and the green from the color of the region’s military. Within a year, that republic had merged with another – and the tricolor design would be abandoned and re-adopted over the years – but the three colors used would remain. The flags were unified in one (the one known today) when Italy was proclaimed a republic in 1946.

03/03/2021

Things to do in Mogan, Gran Canaria!

The little Venice of Gran Canaria has various activities for all ages.

Fun fact: it can be echoey in the sidestreets of Puerto de Mogan, because the streets were designed years ago so that the wives of the fisherman could yell down at them to get home.

Mogan is one of my favorite places to be in when visiting Gran Canaria. The mountains block almost all the rain from reaching the small town so it's the perfect place to enjoy the summer weather all year round.

Tan at the beach:
The small beach is all man-made but tourists enjoy it for its clear waters and golden sand. During high-season, it is not advised to go there because the beach can become full and difficult to relax in.

Take the stairs to Mirador (look out):
There are many stairs that go up to a look-out where you get to see the whole town. It can be a bit challenging to get up there but the view is totally worth it!

Take a Yoga class:
There is a yoga teacher, called Lenka, that gives classes on the beach at 9:15 am every morning from monday to friday, and it doesn't matter what level you're at with your yoga practice!

Drive a 70's buggy for a private tour of Mogan:
With a trained instructor and personalised tour, you can visit the most important and beautiful places of the island (Roque Nublo, Cercados de Espinos, Playa de Tasarte Beach, etc.) while driving a 70's dune buggy.

40 minutes diving tour:
This is a great solution for people who don't actually want to go diving and want to relax while enjoying the sight of being under water. The submarine goes down to 25 meters so you get to see colorful fishes, shipwrecks and many surprises along the way!

There are many interesting things to do in Puerto de Mogan, and you can check the main activities in TripAdvisor - Activities in Mogan.

03/03/2021

Bagno vignoni and its hot springs!

Bagno Vignoni is a village known for their natural hot springs. Thanks to the strategic location near the Via Francigena, it has been visited by pilgrims all over the world on their way to Rome.
Their sulfurous waters have been the destination of important historical figures like Pope Pious II, Saint Catherine of Siena and Lorenzo the magnificent.

The waters have a volcanic origin and stay at a temperature of between 38°C to 52°C.
Besides its smell, that usually resembles the one of cooked eggs, it has many benefits for physical issues.

These waters are full of minerals, perfect for any skin condition or disorder, people with rheumatism and respiratory issues.

If you ever plan a trip to Tuscany, don't miss the opportunity to visit these spots, perfect for a relaxing and regenerating experience!

03/03/2021

The story of the name "Firenze" (Florence, Italy).

The city of Florence derives its name from the fact that the Romans, when they wanted to conquer those tuscanian areas, were guided by King Fiorino.
The King had a battle that lasted 6 years agains people from Fiesole.
After 6 years of being at war, King Fiorino's army decided to leave and go back to Rome, leaving the King alone in the battlefield.

One night, King Fiorino was murdered because he fell into a trap. He had been stabbed with a dagger.

Falling to the ground, the field full of flowers under him turned red with his blood.
With such bravery and heroic death, people from Fiesole started calling the city "Fiorenza" in his honor.

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